Stakeholder Workshop Schedule and Details
Workshop Logistics
We are committed to the safety and health of our community across all aspects of our stakeholder engagement experience. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and modify the schedule below to ensure your safety and your continued opportunity to provide valuable input into the development of the SLO Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan. This includes moving some workshops to webinar format, and using virtual meeting technology where possible.
To keep you informed as workshop details change, registration is strongly encouraged for all stakeholder workshops. This will allow us to keep you informed of workshop details and location in real time.
If you have any questions about the workshops below, please contact Tiffany Meyer, Water Systems Consulting at 503-880-5308 or by Email.
August 14, 2019
Workshop #1: Groundwater and SGMA 101
- This event has passed -
The first stakeholder workshop provided participants with an overview of the SGMA in easy-to-understand terms, including an overview of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and why sustainable management of the SLO Basin has been made a State priority. Presenters described what groundwater is and will show the current state of the SLO Basin’s groundwater levels and conditions. Expect an accessible presentation that will give a solid grounding in the policy, the region’s approach to developing a GSP, and how the plan may affect you.
6:00pm-8:00pm
Library Community Room, 995 Palm Street • San Luis Obispo, CA
Available soon
Pre-Recorded Webinar: Groundwater
Management 101
Webinar will be available soon
In this pre-recorded webinar, we'll provide an accessible grounding in key concepts related to managing groundwater in the SLO Basin. Presenters will ground attendees in the purpose of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan, the requirements of SMGA, and a summary of the Basin setting findings outlined in Chapters 3-4—which predict future groundwater demand and describe the unique makeup and challenges associated with groundwater management in the SLO Basin. Presenters will then introduce some key concepts related to managing groundwater, including the use of “management areas,” how “representative wells” within those management areas are selected, and how data from said wells are used to represent the Basin as a whole.
THIS WEBINAR PREPARES STAKEHOLDERS FOR PARTICIPATION IN WORKSHOP #2: THE ROLE OF MANAGEMENT AREAS AND REPRESENTATIVE WELLS. THIS CONTENT WILL BE REPEATED IN THAT WORKSHOP.
This is a self-paced, pre-recorded webinar. Access to the webinar will be provided upon registration.
Postponed until further notice — details on our rescheduled date are coming soon
Workshop #2: The Role of Management Areas and Representative Wells
Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, this workshop date is subject to change. Workshop registration is strongly encouraged so we can keep you informed of workshop details in real time. In this educational and interactive workshop, stakeholder perceptions will be collected to inform the most effective method for managing and monitoring groundwater in the SLO Basin. To set the stage, presenters will ground attendees in the purpose of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan, the requirements of SMGA, and a summary of the Basin setting findings outlined in Chapters 3-4—which predict future groundwater demand and describe the unique makeup and challenges associated with groundwater management in the SLO Basin. Presenters will then introduce some key concepts related to managing groundwater, including the use of “management areas,” how “representative wells” within those management areas are selected, and how data from said wells are used to represent the Basin as a whole. In the last half of the workshop, participants will break into small groups to share their perception of the impact, benefits, and implications of key groundwater management methods.
A SUMMARY OF STAKEHOLDER PERCEPTIONS FROM THIS WORKSHOP WILL BE PROVIDED TO GSC AND GSAS TO INFORM THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS.
6:00pm-8:00pm
LOCATION SUBJECT TO CHANGE — Library Community Room, 995 Palm Street • San Luis Obispo, CA
August 5, 2020
Workshop #3: Sustainable Goal Setting
Workshop registration is strongly encouraged so we can keep you informed of workshop details in real time. In this educational and interactive workshop, stakeholder perceptions will be collected to inform the preliminary sustainability goals for the SLO Basin. While this workshop builds on workshop #2, attendance to the earlier workshop is not required. The team will begin with a summary of the values, perceptions, and needs shared by stakeholders in the previous workshop, and how these informed the GSAs’ recommendation of “management areas” and “representative wells” outlined in Chapter 7 of the GSP. From here, the team will introduce several concepts, including: the water budget, sustainable management criteria (SMCs), and the requirement to set a “minimum threshold” and measurable objectives for each SMC. In the last half of the workshop, participants will break into small group discussions with a groundwater expert. Each group will help determine the minimum threshold and measurable objectives for each of the required SMCs, which include: (1) chronic lowering of groundwater levels; (2) reduction of groundwater storage; (3) land subsidence; (4) water quality degradation; and (5) interconnected surface water depletions.
A SUMMARY OF STAKEHOLDER INPUT FROM THIS WORKSHOP WILL BE PROVIDED TO GSC AND GSAS TO INFORM THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS.
6:00pm-8:00pm
LOCATION SUBJECT TO CHANGE — Library Community Room, 995 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA
January 6, 2021
Workshop #4: Projects and Management Actions
Workshop registration is strongly encouraged so we can keep you informed of workshop details in real time. In this educational and interactive workshop, stakeholder perceptions will be collected to inform the preliminary set of projects and management actions to reach sustainability in the SLO Basin. The team will begin with a summary of the values, perceptions and input shared by stakeholders in workshops 2-3 and how it was used to inform the management areas, representative wells, minimum thresholds, and measurable objectives outlined in Chapters 7-8. They’ll re-introduce what Sustainable Management Criteria (SMCs) are, what SGMA requires, the minimum thresholds and measurable objectives recommended that have been determined for each SMC, and what role the GSC and GSAs play in achieving these outcomes for the SLO Basin. The team will introduce the concept of the implementation plan and intermediate check-ins required by SGMA, and how both will be used in concert with the objectives to keep the plan adaptable in real time. In the last half of the workshop, participants will break into small group discussions with a groundwater expert. Using a framework provided by presenters, each group will provide input on the benefits, impact, and implications of several types of projects and management actions, and they’ll have the opportunity to add new ideas for consideration.
A SUMMARY OF STAKEHOLDER INPUT FROM THIS WORKSHOP WILL BE PROVIDED TO GSC AND GSAS TO INFORM THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS.
6:00pm-8:00pm
LOCATION SUBJECT TO CHANGE — Library Community Room, 995 Palm Street • San Luis Obispo, CA