For the past few decades, water officials and the general public have been aware of declining water levels in eastern San Joaquin County and increasing groundwater salinity near Stockton from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The California Department of Water Resources has identified the Eastern San Joaquin County Groundwater Basin as a basin with critical conditions of overdraft. Local water officials, recognizing the need to manage the county’s water resources formed the Eastern San Joaquin Water Users Association and retained Brown and Caldwell to conduct a comprehensive groundwater study.