Identifying and Protecting Groundwater Protection Areas

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DPR regulates the use of known groundwater contaminants in vulnerable areas called Groundwater Protection Areas (GWPAs).

• Identifying Groundwater Protection Areas
  How soils and depth-to-groundwater data are used to identify GWPAs.
• Location of Groundwater Protection Areas
  Locations of GWPAs by county. GWPAs are one-square mile sections of land vulnerable to the movement of pesticides to groundwater, via runoff or leaching, based either on pesticide detections or on certain soil types and a depth-to-groundwater shallower than 70 feet.
• Identifying pathways, mechanisms, and mitigation measures
  DPR has identified runoff and leaching as two pathways to groundwater, excess irrigation and rainfall runoff as two mechanisms for moving pesticides to groundwater, and mitigation measures to stop or prevent groundwater contamination.
• Pesticide use regulations to protect groundwater
  Regulations adopted by DPR to protect groundwater from contamination resulting from agricultural, outdoor industrial and outdoor institutional use of pesticides.

For content questions, contact:
GWPP@cdpr.ca.gov