Low Impact Development
Low Impact Development is land planning and engineering design approach to manage water runoff as a part of green infrastructure. It focuses on conservation and use of natural features to protect water quality. The City of Chico implemented LID practices in City parking lots, greenways and residential/commercial areas, to help prevent runoff from entering Big Chico Creek. Check out some of the LID projects implemented by the City of Chico here.
Wastewater treatment plant
The City of Chico operates a wastewater treatment plant for the wastewater of the residents. The plant operates a 1.1 Megawatt, Solar facility providing electric power to the plant by 35%. For more information on the solar features of the treatment plant, click here.
Water Supply & SGMA
The sole source of water supply for Chico is groundwater, extracted from the aquifers of the Sacramento Valley that underlie Chico. The groundwater Basin that Chico underlies is the Sacramento Valley basin, and the subbasin that Chico underlies is the Vina subbasin. In 2014, the State of California enacted the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which mandates that groundwater subbasins that are within medium and high priority basins prepare a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP), to ensure sustainable supply of groundwater. The Vina Subbasin is a medium-priority basin, and is developing a GSP currently. The City of Chico is governed within the Vina Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA). For further information, click here.
