A December 2025 memo from Montgomery & Associates (M&A) details the results of an extensive computer-simulated water modeling project for the Salinas Valley Water Coalition (SVWC) and Salinas Basin Water Alliance (SBWA).
This hydrologic modeling exercise, also called “inter-subbasin impact modeling” held an overall goal to “understand how overall water availability is impacted by pumping”, according to this January 8 data presentation from water resources consultants, Aquilogic.
Over the course of 10 simulations, pumping was turned off and turned back on, one subbasin at a time, to “isolate and individually evaluate the impacts of pumping in the Upper Valley Aquifer
Subbasin (UV), the Forebay Aquifer Subbasin (FB), the 180/400-Ft Aquifer Subbasin (180/400),
and the East Side Aquifer Subbasin (ES).”
These results were further analyzed by Dwight L. Smith, PG, CHg, Principal Hydrogeologist representing environmental engineering firm UES. Smith concludes: “Bottom line, pumping in the Upper Valley and Forebay Subbasins has little to no effect on helping to stop seawater intrusion, or improving groundwater levels in the critically over-drafted 180/400 Subbasin.”
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