Field Study Plan Accepted

Field Study Plan Accepted

February 24, 2020

Plans for an extensive field study to determine whether Bonanza Spring would be affected by pumping at the proposed Cadiz Water Project were approved by the Three Valleys Municipal Water District Board of Directors.

Physical work on the study will include geophysical exploration with ground-penetrating radar, seismic reflection/refraction, aerial photogrammetry and multispectral imagery, magnetometry, and electrical resistance tomography (ERT). The non-invasive techniques will be used to map faults and fracture zones and measure the depth of groundwater around the spring and in the Fenner Valley below.

Hydrology studies will also be conducted to monitor precipitation, stream flow and water levels in the spring. This work will be followed by hydrogeologic work, ecological assessment, geochemical investigation, groundwater modeling, data analyses and a final report.

Details of the field program were based on input from an October 2019 workshop with stakeholders, who were invited to comment on a draft study plan.