The DWR Periodic Groundwater Levels dataset contains seasonal and long-term groundwater level measurements collected by the Department of Water Resources and cooperating agencies in groundwater basins statewide. It also includes data collected through the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) Portal’s Monitoring Network Module (MNM), and the CASGEM (California Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring) Program. Most measurements are taken manually twice per year to capture the peak high and low values in groundwater elevations. However, the dataset also includes measurements recorded more frequently, monthly, weekly, or daily. This resource also included daily measurements from DWR's automated monitoring network of groundwater sites. For DWRs holdings of groundwater level measurements recorded at more frequent intervals (e.g., hourly), please refer to DWR's “Continuous Groundwater Level Measurements” dataset.

For additional information regarding DWR groundwater levels data collection please visit DWR's Groundwater Management website (https://www.water.ca.gov/Programs/Groundwater-Management). The source data can also be accessed directly from two websites. The Water Data Library (http://wdl.water.ca.gov) provides anonymous access to this and other data sets. The CASGEM online system (https://www.casgem.water.ca.gov/OSS) provides authenticated access to only the the periodic groundwater measurements.

This dataset is maintained primarily in the DWR Enterprise Water Management database and contains information specific to the location of groundwater level monitoring wells and groundwater level measurements collected at these wells. The Stations resource identifies well location coordinates and other supplementary items about the well type. Measurements resources includes information about the time/date a measurement was collected, the entity collecting the measurement, a measurement indicating the depth to groundwater, and quality information about the measurement. The Well Perforations resources contains well construction information identifying the well's screened intervals (not available for all wells).