A Reservoir Under Our Feet
Water providers in the Sacramento region are developing the Sacramento Regional Water Bank (Water Bank). The Water Bank is an innovative groundwater storage program that will improve regional water supply reliability in the near-term and into the future. The Sacramento region’s unique setting—at the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers near Folsom Reservoir and overlying the North American and South American groundwater subbasins—is ideal for the Water Bank’s development.
The Water Bank will allow the region to sustainably increase use of groundwater as a local water source during dry periods, allowing reduced surface water diversions to help meet local environmental needs. In addition, the region’s location north of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta provides potential opportunities to collaborate and develop solutions to benefit the environment and communities downstream after local needs are met.
An Untapped Regional Asset
The Water Bank represents many years of regional planning by diverse local stakeholders. It continues the region’s commitment to the principles of the Sacramento Water Forum, established more than two decades ago, to promote and implement sustainable water management practices such as conjunctive use that balance water supply needs and the environmental health of the lower American River. These practices include the expansion of conjunctive use. Building on the success of recent conjunctive use projects, the region recently completed a Regional Water Reliability Plan that identified substantial opportunities for expanding conjunctive use.
Learn More:
RWA Water Bank Stakeholder Engagement: Information and links to recordings of Stakeholder Forums (page)
RWA Initiates Public Engagement Process for the Sacramento Regional Water Bank (announcement)
The American River Basin Study (fact sheet): The Basin Study is a watershed-level look at projected climate change impacts and strategies for addressing future water demands, flood risks and environmental impacts.
A Reservoir Under Our Feet (fact sheet): Learn how the Water Bank fits into our three-reservoir system and can help the region adapt its water resources to climate change.
Water Banking in the News: A collection of news articles about water banking, groundwater recharge and climate change.
The American River Basin Study: Climate Change Impacts and Strategies for Addressing the Weather Extremes that Threaten our Water Supplies, Flood Protection and Environment (webinar recording): Learn more about projected climate change impacts and the Water Bank as an adaptation strategy.
Sacramento Regional Water Bank (overview): Learn how the Water Bank works, its storage and recovery potential, projected benefits for people, the economy and environment, and next steps.
WaterFuture (web): A comprehensive Water Resilience Portfolio, which encompasses the region’s entire supershed–from the mountain tops of the American River watershed to the groundwater basin below the valley floor. WaterFuture includes a suite of projects, including the Water Bank, all focused on addressing increasing threats of flood, fire, and drought.
