The Groundwater Management Plan was designed to preserve and enhance the groundwater resources within the District, with respect to both quantity and quality. Groundwater measurement and quality testing have proven useful to individual farmers to help them better manage water supplies, facilitate more accurate irrigation scheduling, monitor pump efficiency, and participate in District groundwater programs. Such measurement and testing also enables the District to better monitor groundwater supplies, calculate drought effects and determine water needs. Deep groundwater is monitored, providing information on the quality and depth of the groundwater. This allows farmers to assess groundwater development and options at a much lower cost than if they had to obtain the information on their own.
Farmers continue to use irrigation systems with higher efficiency, as shown in the following table.
The Central San Joaquin Valley does not get enough rainfall to provide farmers with all of the water needed for pre-irrigation. Therefore, during the winter, some of the farmers in the District begin to pre-irrigate the land. A sprinkler system can be an efficient technique, allowing farmers to apply water to the fields before they begin to plant. The goal is to fill the soil profile with water as far down as the plant roots are expected to grow. Pre-irrigation helps to ensure the plants will have enough water to sustain growth during the hot summer months.