OCWD is actively exploring opportunities to enhance its stormwater capture and recharge through Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO). FIRO is an innovative approach that provides resilience to the extreme variability in California precipitation, particularly Atmospheric Rivers (ARs) using modern forecasting methods to selectively retain or release water from reservoirs in anticipation of future weather conditions. In collaboration with the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes conducted an assessment on the feasibility of implementing FIRO at Prado Dam. The findings indicate that FIRO is a viable approach, capable of generating an additional 4,000 to 6,000 acre-feet per year for stormwater recharge—equivalent to sustaining 16,000 to 24,000 people annually. OCWD is set to collaborate closely with the USACE to integrate FIRO as a permanent feature in the operations of Prado Dam.
To comply with the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which requires groundwater basins in California to be managed sustainably based on avoiding six defined undesirable results, such as chronic overdraft and seawater intrusion, OCWD submitted an plan in 2017 that showed the basin was already being managed in a sustainable manner and was avoiding the six undesirable results defined in SGMA. The plan was updated in 2022 and shows OCWD is continuing to sustainably manage the Orange County Groundwater Basin.
Presently, OCWD replenishes the groundwater basin at an annual average of 320,000 acre-feet. This recharge enables groundwater producers to meet 85 percent of their overall demands, with the remaining 15 percent sourced from imported water. The Orange County groundwater basin's natural yield is approximately 100,000 acre-feet per year. Consequently, OCWD's investments in Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) have more than doubled the sustainable yield of the groundwater basin.
Contact: Adam Hutchinson, Recharge Planning Manager, ahutchinson@ocwd.com