Alternative Plan Update
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires GSAs in medium- or high-priority groundwater basins to have an approved Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) or Alternative Plan to manage the basin. The Indio Subbasin, which was designated as medium-priority by the State of California, is unique in that it is one of only nine subbasins throughout the State with an approved Alternative Plan. SGMA also requires that a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) or Agencies be established to develop and implement the plan. In the Indio Subbasin, Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD), Desert Water Agency (DWA), Coachella Water Authority (CWA), and Indio Water Authority (IWA) worked together as the Indio GSAs (see Home > Indio GSAs page) and updated their approved Alternative Plan to manage basin. The Alternative Plan Update was adopted and submitted to DWR in December 2021. DWR approved the Alternative Plan Update on June 27, 2024.
Plan Reports & Resources
2022 Alternative Plan Update
A copy of the final 2022 Indio Subbasin Water Management Plan Update can be downloaded below.
- Indio Subbasin Water Management Plan Update – Volume 1: Alternative Plan
- Indio Subbasin Water Management Plan Update – Volume 2: Appendices
2010 Alternative Plan
A copy of the Alternative Plan for the Indio Subbasin can be downloaded here or found at DWR’s SGMA Portal (Section B).
Annual Report
A copy of the final Indio Subbasin Annual Report for Water Year 2021-2022 and copies of past Annual Reports can be found at DWR’s SGMA Portal (Section D) or can also be downloaded below.
- Indio Subbasin Annual Report for Water Year 2022-2023
- Indio Subbasin Annual Report for Water Year 2021-2022
- Indio Subbasin Annual Report for Water Year 2020-2021
- Indio Subbasin Annual Report for Water Year 2019-2020
- Indio Subbasin Annual Report for Water Year 2018-2019
- Indio Subbasin Annual Report for Water Year 2017-2018
- Indio Subbasin Annual Report for Water Year 2016-2017
Overview of Alternative Plan
Twenty years before the adoption of SGMA, CVWD in collaboration with local stakeholders began development of the 2002 Coachella Valley Water Management Plan to address groundwater sustainability in the Subbasin. The 2002 plan was updated in 2010 in response to changes, such as increased population projections and reduced imported water reliability (see Home > History of Groundwater Planning page). The 2010 Plan goals are shown below.
The goals of the 2010 Coachella Valley Water Management Plan are to:
- Meet current and future demands with a 10% supply buffer
- Eliminate long-term groundwater overdraft
- Manage and project water quality
- Comply with state and federal laws and regulations
- Manage future costs
- Minimize adverse environmental impacts
In January 2017, the Indio GSAs collaboratively submitted the 2010 Coachella Valley Water Management Plan Update and supporting materials as an Alternative Plan for the Indio Subbasin. The Alternative Plan was approved by DWR on July 17, 2019. With this approval, DWR made several recommendations for new information and a requirement that the first Alternative Plan Update be prepared by January 1, 2022.
The Alternative Plan is available to review here. Key reports are shown below.
Alternative Plan Update
SGMA requires that GSPs and Alternative Plans be updated every five years. Because the Indio Subbasin Alternative Plan was first submitted in 2017, an update must be prepared by 2022. DWR has given the GSAs a deadline of January 1, 2022 for submittal of an Alternative Plan Update.
The Indio GSAs updated and submitted the Indio Subbasin Water Management Plan Update: SGMA Alternative Plan to DWR in December 2021. The update ensured that population growth, land use changes, and other future conditions are incorporated in water management planning in the region. The Alternative Plan Update analyzed groundwater pumping and recharge volumes (the basin’s “water balance”) to understand the GSA’s progress in maintaining groundwater sustainability.
The Indio GSAs may make other changes in the Plan Update to ensure the plan meets SGMA requirements and that DWR recommendations have been considered.
| Common Acronyms CVWD = Coachella Valley Water District CWA = Coachella Water Authority DWA = Desert Water Agency DWR = California Department of Water Resources GSA = Groundwater Sustainability Agency GSP = Groundwater Sustainability Plan IWA = Indio Water Authority JPA = Joint Powers Authority MOA = Memorandum of Agreement SGMA = Sustainable Groundwater Management Act SWRCB = State Water Resources Control Board |