Seepage Projects

Landowners – concerned about potential seepage related to Restoration Flows?

  • Call the Seepage Hotline: 916-978-4398 or
  • Click on RestorationFlows@restoresjr.net and send us the following information:
    • Your name, phone number, and the best time to contact you
    • Description of the potential seepage location(s)
      Program staff will follow up with you to discuss further and arrange a site visit, if needed.
  • Visit the Groundwater Monitoring Page to see recent groundwater level measurements.

Reclamation’s Seepage Management Plan has two goals:

  1. To limit or reduce Restoration Flows to the extent necessary to avoid material adverse groundwater seepage impacts, which are waterlogging or root zone salinity impacts to agricultural crops. We do this through over 200 groundwater monitoring wells, setting of groundwater level thresholds in these wells (see Appendix H of the Seepage Management Plan), and limiting Restoration Flows to avoid increasing groundwater levels over these thresholds (see Appendix J of the SMP).
  2. Construct seepage projects, which may include physical or non-physical projects, that allow higher flows in the San Joaquin River and bypasses without causing groundwater seepage impacts. Seepage projects may include seepage easements, land acquisition from willing sellers (see FAQ sheet below), interceptor lines, drainage ditches, slurry walls, etc. The map below shows seepage project priorities by the flow level that might impact the identified parcels.

Seepage Management Plan – September 2014 (Appendices E, H and J updated March-June 2017)

Seepage Management Documents

NameCategoryYearKindSizeTags
Almond Root Zone Study Plan: Phase 1 Report – June 2015Seepage2015pdf1.0 MiB
Almond Root Zone Study Plan: Phase 2 Report – February 2016Seepage2016pdf0.9 MiB
Almond Root Zone Study Plan: Response to Public Comments on Phase 1 Report – February 2016Seepage2016pdf0.7 MiB
Almond Root Zone Study Plan: Updated Phase 2 Report – October 2016Seepage2016pdf0.9 MiB
Anecdotal Seepage MapsSeepagepdf61.4 MiB
Appendix M. References Cited ASTM Standard D 2487-06 E01, 2006, "Standard Practice for Classification of Soils forSeepagepdf0.2 MiB
Attachment 1 to Appendix CSeepage2014pdf0 B
Book of Seepage Parcel GroupsSeepagepdf6.7 MiB
Groundwater Terrain Cross-SectionsSeepagepdf17.9 MiB
InundationSeepagepdf130 MiB
Letter from the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board regarding interceptor line discharge permitsSeepagepdf1.3 MiB
Memo: 2014 Threshold Comments – January 2014Seepagepdf34 KiB
Memo: 2017 Threshold CommentsSeepagepdf0.8 MiB
Memo: Monitoring Wells Installed in 2012Seepagepdf0.3 MiB
Memo: Proposed Monitoring Wells for 2014Seepagepdf1.0 MiB
PGMap1937AerialsSeepagepdf103 MiB
PGs by Flow Priority 20161101Seepagepdf2.0 MiB
PGs By Flow Priority 20181210Seepage2018pdf0 B
Realty Appraisal Seepage FAQSeepage2016docx0.6 MiBseepage, FAQ
Realty Appraisal Seepage FAQSeepagedocx0.6 MiB
Realty Appraisal Seepage FAQ 2020Seepagepdf0 B
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix A: Seepage Effects of ConcernSeepage2014pdf0.2 MiB
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix B: Historic Groundwater Levels and Surface Water FlowSeepage2014pdf3.5 MiB
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix C: Areas Potentially Vulnerable to Seepage EffectsSeepage2014pdf7.6 MiB
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix D: Sediment Texture and Other Data (updated May 2015)Seepage2014pdf2.6 MiB
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix E: Monitoring Network (updated March 2017)Seepage2014pdf0.6 MiB
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix F: Aerial Imagery, Remote Sensing DataSeepage2014pdf5.9 MiB
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix G: Soil Salinity ThresholdsSeepage2014pdf0.1 MiB
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix H: Groundwater Level Thresholds (updated June 2017)Seepage2014pdf3.3 MiB
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix H: Groundwater Level Thresholds (updated March 2024)Seepage2024pdf0 B
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix I: GroundwaterSeepage2014pdf1.5 MiB
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix J: Operations (updated March 2017)Seepage2014pdf2.2 MiB
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix K: Landowner Claims ProcessSeepage2014pdf0.2 MiB
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix L: Seepage Project HandbookSeepage2014pdf4.8 MiB
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix L: Seepage Project Handbook - Attachment A – MethodologySeepage2014pdf67 KiB
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix L: Seepage Project Handbook - Attachment B – Reclamation Final Design Process, April 2008Seepage2014pdf0.1 MiB
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix L: Seepage Project Handbook - Attachment C – Reclamation Design Data Collection Guidelines for Drains, Chapter 3, Section 8, September 2007Seepage2014pdf18 KiB
Seepage Management Plan: Appendix L: Seepage Project Handbook - Attachment D – Slurry Wall Cost Estimates, 2011Seepage2014pdf0.2 MiB
Seepage Management Plan: Attachment 1 to Appendix DSeepage2014pdf5.2 MiB
Seepage Management Plan: Main Body of SMPSeepage2014pdf0.7 MiB
Seepage Management Plan: Summary of Appendix H UpdatesSeepage2014pdf0.4 MiB
Seepage Parcel Group 1 Inundation at 4500 cfsSeepagepdf130 MiB
SMP Peer Review: Comments and Responses – April 5, 2013Seepage2013pdf85 KiB
SMP Peer Review: Peer Review Report – December 10, 2012Seepage2012pdf1.3 MiB
Water Surface Elevation and Terrain ProfilesSeepagepdf9.0 MiB