Under the implementation of Sustaniable Gorundwater Managment Act (SGMA) of Calaifornia and hydrologic stresses due to climate change, water managers are under increasing pressure to sustainably manage their water and promote climate resiliency. Thought of in a different way, water managers have an unprecedented opportunity to proactively pursue new and creative approaches. However, innovative decisions are not easy to make given the plethora of options, uncertainties, and regulatory and political constraints. Integrated surface water-groundwater modeling is a tool to support challenging decision making. Now that many models have been developed and calibrated for water budgets in Groundwater Sustainability Plans in California, they can build upon this function to evaluate water management strategies. Models can drive local and regional policies and management actions, requiring investment not just from technical staff, but stakeholders as well. This presentation will highlight case studies of decision support using innovative, integrated surface water-groundwater modeling. Recent examples include: Evaluating the impacts and benefits of FloodMAR Assessing climate vulnerability of supplies and demands Predicting groundwater substitution transfers and conjunctive water use Prioritizing infrastructure improvements or expansion Optimizing the beneficial use of recycled water Weighing economic incentives and land idling options Establishing a groundwater monitoring network Evaluation of dam remediation and safety This list exemplifies only some model applications. These examples underscore how integrated water resource models can support decision making and innovative water management on a local and regional scale and should be further utilized.
