Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster

Hello! As the Executive Officer and Chair of our Board, we are thrilled to share the story of ourgroundwater. It connects 1.5 million of us in the San Gabriel Valley. Today, we are highlighting thework of nine people who govern our agency. Their quest is to ensure our groundwater is being wellmanaged. Every month, our board hears from experts about policy and legal needs, groundwaterlevels, and rainfall and snow levels to date. With that information, our Board together makesimportant decisions—like setting our OSY (see previous post). Our Board’s work is just another waythat for our groundwater, our care is constant.

Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall, what’s better than a warm cup of coffee in the morning? It’s havingit among colleagues and solving big challenges to our water supply together. Every quarter wecoordinate a meeting with the Main San Gabriel Valley Water Association’s 64 members—includingthe 25 water districts that provide the groundwater that connects 1.5 million of us in this amazingvalley. In our May springtime meeting, we’ll get an update about total rain and snow fall to date totrack our drought recovery and preparedness, announce this next fiscal year’s operating safe yield(check out the big story of OSY we shared last week), and hear from experts about more ways we cantake care of the waters that connect us. This quarterly coordination together is another one of theways that for our groundwater, our care is constant.

Much needed rain is falling here in our San Gabriel Valley this national Groundwater Awareness Week. Most of the rain that falls will—with time—become part of our groundwater’s supply, helping
it recover from multiple droughts in the past decade. Just like it will take time and collective effort for our communities to recover from tragic fires, our groundwater and earth’s natural basin that holds
it needs rain, time and all of us for it to recover from a series of droughts and prepare for drought to come. Our groundwater: it’s our common ground and common cause. We all have a role in its care.

We’re sending a big thank you to our water partners for how we’re working together in drought and drought recovery. Teaming up with our partners – Three Valleys Municipal Water District, Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District and the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, as well as MWD and LA Flood Control – makes it possible to catch and keep most of the rain that falls in San Gabriel Valley, turning rainfall into our
groundwater. For our water we are taking action together.

We’re celebrating May with gratitude for our groundwater and you! There’s 1.5 million of us in the
San Gabriel Valley who are connected to one amazing source of water – our groundwater. We all
are an important part of its story. That’s the story of our drought cycle and how we are continuing
to work together to help our groundwater recover from the last drought before the next one
begins. To know more about the story, visit us at: thewatersthatconnectus.com.