Annual report shows Santa Maria Valley groundwater supplies in good shape
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) - An annual report presented in Santa Maria Thursday morning showed groundwater supplies and water quality are remaining in good shape.
The presentation was the 2025 Annual Report of Hydrogeologic Conditions, Water Requirements, Supplies and Disposition of the Santa Maria Valley Management Area.
The report was prepared and delivered by Luhdorff and Scalmanini, the Bay Area-based Management Area engineering firm.
"That is a requirement of the adjudication of this basin and be submitted to the court again every year," said Randy Sharer, Twitchell Management Authority (TMA) Chair.
"When the stipulation was signed (in 2005), the court appointed an organization to monitor and manage the Santa Maria Management Area of the valley, so the TMA is the court attaché that does the monitoring and the management of the Santa Maria Valley groundwater basin, and one of our operations is to produce a annual report that is submitted to the court."
For about 45 minutes, Peter Leffler, Senior Principal Hydrogeologist with Luhdorff and Scalmanini, went through a series of charts and graphs with statistical information during his presentation inside the Santa Maria Board of Supervisors’ Hearing Room.
"I think 2025 is sort of a continuation of the last three years or so," said Leffler. "We had a really wet year in 2023, which really helped the basin because it was coming off an extended dry period, from 2002 to 2022, so the groundwater levels were down a little bit, but they've really recovered nicely since 2023."
While less precipitation fell in 2025 than in the previous two years, Leffler indicated groundwater levels are doing well.
"We've seen a good recovery in the groundwater levels, so I think in that sense, the basin is responding to the climate," said Leffler "Overall, this basin's in pretty good shape. Compared to a lot of basins in California having a tough time right now, the land use in terms of the agriculture has been very stable over the last 20, 30 years."
The report also included an interesting fact that shows water usage in the Santa Maria Valley remains similar to the amount used 40 years ago in the mid-1980s.
The statistic is especially impressive considering Santa Maria has experienced a tremendous amount of growth over the past four decades.
Santa Maria currently has a population of just over 111,000 residents and has essentially doubled in size since the mid-1980s.
"Through conservation and other management practices, our water use per capita is tremendously down," said Sharer. "We had 20 years ago peak water use for the agriculture industries, but irrigation technology improvements, crop rotations, management of the precious resource that is water applied to ag lands. It just shows really well done management both in the cities and out on the farm."
Both Sharer and Leffler credit Twitchell Reservoir for helping play an impactful role in sustaining the groundwater supplies in the Santa Maria Valley.
"We benefit from a couple of generations ago that had the foresight and put the effort to create and build the Twitchell Reservoir, which maintains the condition of our basin," said Sharer. "If the Twitchell Reservoir wasn't where it is, storm waters would just flow through to the ocean. By capturing it and then releasing it later in the season after rainfall has subsided, it really does do tremendous benefit to the groundwater basin here within Santa Maria."
Currently, the reservoir, which is located about seven miles east of Highway 101 along Highway 166, is essentially dry with only a small stream of water flowing through the ground floor.
Looking ahead, as the region heads into the dry summer months, officials expect Twitchell Reservoir to remain largely dry.
However, they remain optimistic that winter storms will once again replenish the reservoir and continue supporting groundwater recharge efforts.
Leffler noted that forecasters have discussed the possibility of a strong El Niño event developing later this year and in early 2027, which could bring increased rainfall to California.
"They say we may have a super El Niño event this year, so hopefully, fingers crossed it'll be a wet year coming up here, and we'll capture a lot of water," Leffler said.
The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.
