Sustaining Groundwater Resources Presentation with Marcus Trotta

Join us for this overview of groundwater resources in the Santa Rosa Plain, the Laguna de Santa Rosa Watershed. Learn about the recently enacted statewide Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which requires that groundwater resources are managed sustainably in order to avoid intervention by the State. The groundwater system beneath the Santa Rosa Plain provides numerous benefits to the region, including rural residential and municipal water supplies, irrigation water for agriculture, and baseflow to streams and surface water bodies. A discussion of the recent formation of a new agency, the Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), will be provided along with an overview of recent and upcoming GSA activities. The next main step in complying with SGMA involves the development of a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) by January 2022. The GSP will need to:

1. establish criteria and management actions that will achieve and maintain sustainable groundwater management in the Santa Rosa Plain;
2. incorporate the best available scientific and technical information by building on the strong technical foundation established through previous technical studies and the voluntary groundwater management planning efforts; and
3. provide opportunity for significant public and community engagement and integrate the perspectives and address the needs of the many diverse users and uses of groundwater resources within the basin.

Marcus Trotta is a Principal Hydrogeologist in the Sonoma County Water Agency’s Groundwater Resources Group. He has worked at the Sonoma County Water Agency since 2008 where he leads feasibility studies for enhanced groundwater recharge projects and manages groundwater monitoring programs and technical studies in support of collaborative groundwater management programs. He is a Professional Geologist and Certified Hydrogeologist in the State of California and received his Bachelor of Science in Geology with an emphasis in Hydrologic Science from the University of California at Davis.