Strategic Salt Accumulation Land and Transportation Study (SSALTS)

113 Pages·2016·2.22 MB·English

CENTRAL VALLEY SALINITY ALTERNATIVES FOR
LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY (CV–SALTS)

Strategic Salt Accumulation Land and
Transportation Study (SSALTS)
Draft Phase 3 Report – Evaluate Potential Salt
Disposal Alternatives to Identify Acceptable
Alternatives for Implementation
October 2016
Prepared for
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY DRAINAGE AUTHORITY
Submitted by
CDM SMITH

Table of Contents
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1-1
1.1 Project Purpose ......................................................................................................................................................... 1-1
1.2 Phase 1 SSALTS Archetype Study Areas ......................................................................................................... 1-2
1.3 Phase 2 – Develop Potential Salt Management Strategies ...................................................................... 1-2
1.4 Phase 3 Scope of Work ........................................................................................................................................... 1-2
1.5 Report Organization ................................................................................................................................................ 1-4
2. Summary of Phase 2 – Develop Potential Salt Management Strategies ......................... 2-1
2.1 Salt Balance ................................................................................................................................................................. 2-1
2.1.1 Conceptual Approach ............................................................................................................................... 2-1
2.1.2 Estimates of Salt Accumulation and Salt Extraction ................................................................... 2-2
2.2 Reduction and Management of Salt Contributions to Groundwater ................................................2-13
2.2.1 Source Control BMPs ..............................................................................................................................2-13
2.2.2 Land Management ...................................................................................................................................2-13
2.3 Treatment Technologies and Potential Marketability ............................................................................2-14
2.4 Salt Accumulation/Management Options ....................................................................................................2-17
2.4.1 San Joaquin River Water Quality Improvement Project ..........................................................2-17
2.4.2 Tulare Lake Bed ........................................................................................................................................2-17
2.5 In-Valley Salt Storage/Disposal Options .......................................................................................................2-20
2.5.1 Deep Well Injection .................................................................................................................................2-20
2.5.2 Supply for Hydraulic Fracturing ........................................................................................................2-21
2.6 Out-of-Valley Disposal Options .........................................................................................................................2-21
2.6.1 San Joaquin River Real-Time Management ...................................................................................2-21
2.6.2 Ocean Disposal ..........................................................................................................................................2-22
2.6.2.1 Discharge through EBMUD ..................................................................................................2-23
2.6.2.2 Other Ocean Disposal Options ............................................................................................2-25
2.7 Brine and Salt Transportation Options .........................................................................................................2-25
2.8 Salt Potentially Managed by Various Disposal Methods ........................................................................2-27
2.9 Salinity Management Alternatives ..................................................................................................................2-28
2.9.1 Alternative 1 ...............................................................................................................................................2-29
2.9.2 Alternative 2 ...............................................................................................................................................2-31
2.9.3 Alternative 3 ...............................................................................................................................................2-31
2.9.4 Alternative 4 ...............................................................................................................................................2-31
2.9.5 Alternative 2/4 ..........................................................................................................................................2-32
2.9.6 Summary of cost for the Salt Management Alternatives .........................................................2-32
3. Planning Level Feasibility Criteria to Evaluate Alternatives ........................................... 3-1
3.1 Feasibility Criteria .................................................................................................................................................... 3-1
3.2 Weights for the Feasibility Criteria ................................................................................................................... 3-2
3.3 Feasibility Analysis of Alternatives and Salt Management and Disposal Options ........................ 3-3
3.3.1 Feasibility Analysis of Salt Mitigation Alternatives ..................................................................... 3-3
3.3.2 Feasibility Analysis of Salt Management and Disposal Options ............................................. 3-5

i
Table of Contents • Phase 3 SSALTS Report
4. Salinity Management Program ..................................................................................... 4-1
4.1 Salinity Management Framework ...................................................................................................................... 4-1
4.2 Short-Term Management of Salts in the Central Valley ........................................................................... 4-2
4.3 Long-Term Management of Salts in the Central Valley ............................................................................ 4-5
5. References ................................................................................................................... 5-1

Appendices
Appendix A – Summary of Phase 1 Report
Appendix B – Salt Management/Disposal Fact Sheets
Appendix C – Central Valley Regulated Brine Line Q&A
Appendix D – Table 2-4 (11 x 17 page)
Appendix E – Response to Comments on the September 2016 version of the Phase 3
SSALTS Report

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Table of Contents • Phase 3 SSALTS Report
List of Figures
1-1 SSALTS Phases and Key Tasks ............................................................................................................................ 1-6

2-1 Salt Flux Salt Management Process Flow Diagram .................................................................................... 2-2
2-2 Map Depicting the Initial Analysis Areas (IAZs) in the Central Valley .............................................. 2-4
2-3 High TDS (> 1,000 mg/L) Areas in the Northern Central Valley IAZs .............................................2-10
2-4 High TDS (> 1,000 mg/L) Areas in the Middle Central Valley IAZs ..................................................2-11
2-5 High TDS (> 1,000 mg/L) Areas in the Southern Central Valley IAZs .............................................2-12

List of Tables

1-1 Salt Management Disposal Options Evaluated in Phase 2 SSALTS ..................................................... 1-3

2-1 Annual Salt Loading and Salt Extraction by IAZ.......................................................................................... 2-5
2-2 Annual Salt Loading and Salt Extraction by IAZ – High TDS (> 1,000 mg/L) Areas Only ......... 2-6
2-3 Salt Management by Various Disposal Options ........................................................................................... 2-9
2-4 SSALTS Alternatives and Summary of Costs ............................................................................... Appendix D

3-1 SSALTS Alternatives Evaluation and Scoring ............................................................................................... 3-4
3-2 SSALTS Salt Management and Disposal Options Evaluation and Scoring ....................................... 3-6

4-1 Menu of Key Salt Mitigation Options ............................................................................................................... 4-3
4-2 SSALTS Salt Management and Disposal Options Evaluation and Scoring ....................................... 4-4
4-3 Salinity Management Strategy Phases ............................................................................................................ 4-7
4-4 Phase I – Prioritization and Optimization Study Proposed Tasks ...................................................... 4-8
4-5 Proposed Phase I Prioritization and Optimization Study Schedule .................................................4-12

iii
Table of Contents • Phase 3 SSALTS Report
List of Acronyms or Abbreviations
m S/cm micro Siemens per centimeter
BA Assembly Bill
ABAG Association of Bay Area Governments
AF acre-feet
aka also known as
BDCP Bay Delta Conservation Plan
bgs below ground surface
BMPs Best Management Practices
BOD biological oxygen demand
BPA Basin Plan Amendment
CCR California Code of Regulations
CEQA California Environmental Quality Act
CVHM Central Valley Hydrologic Model
CVBL Central Valley Brine Line
CVP Central Valley Project
CVPIA Central Valley Project Improvement Act
Central Valley Water Board Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board
CV-SALTS Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability
CWA Clean Water Act
DAC disadvantaged communities
Delta Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta
DIW deep injection well
DOGGR California Division of Oil, Gas & Geothermal Resources
DWR California Department of Water Resources
EBMUD East Bay Municipal Utility District
EC Electrical Conductivity
EDR Electrodialysis Reversal
FEIS Final Environmental Impact Statement
FO Forward Osmosis
GBP Grassland Bypass Project
GDA Grassland Drainage Area
gpm gallons per minute
GRCD Grasslands Resource Conservation District
GSAs Groundwater Sustainability Agencies
GSPs Groundwater Sustainability Plans
iv
Table of Contents • Phase 3 SSALTS Report
GWD Grasslands Water District
HCC Hilmar Cheese Company
HDPE high-density polyethylene
HF hydraulic fracturing
IAZ Initial Analysis Zone
ICM Initial Conceptual Model
IEBL Inland Empire Brine Line
IFDM Integrated On-Farm Drainage Management
IX Ion exchange
JPA joint powers authority
kg kilogram
LSJR Lower San Joaquin River
MCL maximum contaminant level
MD Membrane Distillation
MEB Mid-Evaporation Basins
mgd million gallons per day
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
NCDC National Climatic Data Center
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act
NM New Melones
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NRW Non-Reclaimable Wastewater
OAL Office of Administrative Law
O&M operation and maintenance
P&O Study Prioritization and Optimization Study
Reclamation US Bureau of Reclamation
RO Reverse Osmosis
RRR Red Rock Ranch
RTMP Real-Time Management Program
SAMP Surveillance and Monitoring Program
SARI Santa Ana Regional Interceptor
SAWPA Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority
SFEI San Francisco Estuary Institute
SGMA Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
SJRIP San Joaquin River Water Quality Improvement Project
SMA salt management area
SNMP Salt and Nitrate Management Plan
v
Table of Contents • Phase 3 SSALTS Report
SSALTS Strategic Salts Accumulation Land and Transportation Study
SWP State Water Project
State Water Board State Water Resource Control Board
TAC Technical Advisory Committee
TDS total dissolved solids
TLBWSD Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District
TLDD Tulare Lake Drainage District
TMDL Total Maximum Daly Load
UIC Underground Injection Control
USDW underground source of drinking water
USEPA US Environmental Protection Agency
USGS US Geological Survey
WDRs Waste Discharge Requirements
WQO Water Quality Objectives
WWTP Wastewater Treatment Plant
ZDD Zero Discharge Distillation
ZLD Zero Liquid Discharge

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Section 1
Introduction
1.1 Project Purpose
The purpose of the Strategic Salt Accumulation Land and Transportation Study (SSALTS) is to
identify the range of viable Central Valley alternatives for salt disposal to provide input for
consideration during development of the Salt and Nitrate Management Plan (SNMP) for the
region under the jurisdiction of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central
Valley Water Board). The findings have been used to guide discussions regarding establishment
of regional salt management policies and the need for changes to the existing Central Valley
Water Board Water Quality Control Plans (Basin Plans) to facilitate salt disposal in a manner that
is most beneficial to the region and consistent with the State Water Resources Control Board’s
(State Water Board) Recycled Water Policy.
This work is being conducted under the direction of the Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for
Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) initiative, which is developing the SNMP for the Central
Valley. The SSALTS project has been conducted in three phases (Figure 1-1):
(cid:1)
Phase 1: Identify and Characterize Existing Salt Accumulation Study Areas – The selection of
representative study areas served as archetype situational examples to facilitate
discussions regarding salt accumulation and disposal in the Central Valley. Each of these
study areas was characterized to establish baseline information that was subsequently
used to support development of salt disposal alternatives in Phases 2 and 3.
(cid:1)
Phase 2: Develop Potential Salt Management Strategies – Phase 2 of SSALTS developed
potential long-term salt disposal alternatives in three parts: (1) in-valley alternatives; (2)
out-of-valley alternatives; and (3) hybrid alternatives that combined in-valley and out-of-
valley salt disposal options.
(cid:1)
Phase 3: Evaluate Potential Salt Disposal Alternatives to Identify Acceptable Alternatives for
Implementation – Alternatives developed under Phase 2 were evaluated in this report using
selected feasibility criteria (e.g., regulatory, institutional, economic, technological, etc.). The
outcome of this evaluation was the identification and prioritization of acceptable salt
disposal alternatives for potential incorporation into Central Valley SNMP as salt
management implementation measures.
The Phase 1 and Phase 2 SSALTS final reports were submitted to the CV-SALTS Executive
Committee in December 2013 and September 2014, respectively (CDM Smith 2013; CDM Smith
2014). The Phase 3 SSALTS draft report was submitted to the CV-SALTS Executive Committee in
March 2015. Comments were received and incorporated into the Phase 3 SSALTS draft report.
The Executive Committee recommended postponing the finalization of the Phase 3 SSALTS report
until a draft of the Nitrate Implementation Measures Study (NIMS) report was completed, so that
salt and nitrate implementation measures and mitigation strategies could be coordinated. While
based on the March 2015 Phase 3 SSALTS draft report – and thus including the changes based on
1-1
Section 1 • Introduction
the original comments, the September 2016 Phase 3 SSALTS draft report had major changes in
terms of content and structure. The September 2016 Phase 3 SSALTS draft report was sent to the
Project Committee on September 20, 2016 and comments were received on October 5, 2016. The
second set of comments were addressed and incorporated into this October 2016 Phase 3 SSALTS
final report. Appendix E. provides the comments and responses on the September 2016 Phase 3
SSALTS draft report.
The Phase 3 SSALTS report provides a path forward, based on the foundation of Phases 1 and 2
and CV-SALTS Executive Committee discussions.
1.2 Phase 1 SSALTS Archetype Study Areas
The Phase 1 work revolved around the concept of an archetype study area, whereby a study area
represents a geographic or situational example that can be used as a basis to develop salt
management alternatives for the Central Valley. The Phase 1 activities included three key steps:
(1) selection of representative study areas consistent with the goals of SSALTS; (2)
characterization of the selected study areas; and (3) evaluation of the potential for long-term
sustainable salt management given the characteristics of the study area. The 10 archetype study
areas reviewed in the Phase 1 SSALTS study are:
(cid:1)
City of Dixon
(cid:1)
City of Tracy
(cid:1)
Grassland Water District – Real Time Management
(cid:1)
Hilmar Cheese Company
(cid:1)
Industrial Food Processing
(cid:1)
Red Rock Ranch
(cid:1)
San Luis Unit Ocean Disposal
(cid:1)
Stevinson Water District
(cid:1)
Tulare Lake Bed
(cid:1)
Westside Regional Drainage Plan
A summary of the Phase 1 analyses of the archetype study areas, along with each study area’s
ranking, is provided in Appendix A.
1.3 Phase 2 – Develop Potential Salt Management Strategies
Phase 2 focused on the development of potential salt management strategies to mitigate the salt
accumulation in the Central Valley. Under Phase 2, alternatives that support these potential
strategies for salt disposal were identified and characterized, through a review of literature and
reports and information obtained from regional experts. Table 1-1 summarizes the salt
management and disposal options evaluated in Phase 2 of SSALTS.
1-2