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Optimum Basin Management Program
Chino Basin and Surrounding Area
Chino Basin Watermaster
The Chino Basin is a large, adjudicated groundwater basin in Southern California. In 1998, a court order called for the Chino Basin Watermaster (the basin manager) to develop an Optimum Basin Management Program (OBMP). Wildermuth Environmental (WEI), operating as Watermaster's engineer, led the process that was successful in the development of the OBMP, which is currently being implemented at an ultimate cost of over $400 million. One of the principle goals of the OBMP is to develop the maximum yield of the Chino Basin for the benefit of the basin's producers. This is being accomplished by increasing the recharge of local and supplemental water in forebay areas and by modifying pumping patterns in areas of historic discharge in an attempt to minimize discharge and induce more recharge, yet preserve the sensitive ecological habitat and downstream water rights.
WEI also has been instrumental in the implementation of the many OBMP projects. Currently, 21 groundwater recharge basins that will accept imported, recycled, and storm waters, and the second of two groundwater extraction and desalting facilities are under construction. These desalting facilities, when completed, will convert groundwater that has been contaminated by 100 years of irrigated agriculture and dairy operations to 20 mgd of high-quality water for municipal supply. WEI has been conducting monitoring and modeling investigations to guide the yield maximization programs. The programs and investigations have suggested that lowering the groundwater storage by about 200,000 acre-ft through a controlled overdraft and the expansion of the extraction and desalting system to 40 mgd are necessary to maximize the yield of the basin.
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