Mammoth Community Water District Groundwater Investigation

To date, there has been no scientific determination of the safe yield of the Mammoth Basin in Mono County, California. The potential annual volume of groundwater extraction is very uncertain, yet it plays a vital role in the Mammoth Community Water District (MCWD) water supply, thereby making high-certainty water resources planning difficult. MCWD has initiated a rigorous groundwater monitoring plan to observe groundwater dynamics within the basin and gather data to create a numerical model. Specific goals include defining how Mammoth Basin hydraulically operates, the interconnection of the upper and lower aquifers, the level of connection between Mammoth Creek and the basin groundwater system, and the volume that can regularly be pumped out of the basin without undesired effects.

The ultimate objective of this modeling project is to reduce uncertainty in the supply of groundwater resources by developing a management tool to assist MCWD in predicting available groundwater resources while managing storage for future needs and protection of the aquifers.

Courtesy of Mammoth Community Water District.