With climate change predicted to have strong effects into foreseeable future, the region is viewed with a skepticism in the sustainable use of water at current rates of consumption.
Both natural and man-made geographic divisions within this basin allow for a closer inspection of the various management techniques implemented throughout the years, and provide a basis for what may be pursued for an uncertain future.
The uppermost aquifer is made of alluvial, fan, playa and eolian deposits from the time between the Holocene and Pleistocene, and is up to 1,000 feet thick at the northern end of the basin.
This scenic area provides ample opportunity for hiking, observing nature, golfing, and trips to the nearby Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Groundwater use by the agricultural sector, recreation, municipalities, and even Anza-Borrego Desert State Park cumulatively required four times as much water as what can naturally recharge in the basin.
[3] It is estimated that a total 5,500,000 acre feet of groundwater can be stored in the Borrego Springs sub-basin, but as much time has passed, and over-drafting has occurred, the storage capacity may be more limited.
The Ocotillo Wells sub-basin was estimated to be able to hold roughly 6,250,000 acre feet, but a similar situation to Borrego Springs plays into the shrinkage of capacity.
One issue that is associated with this is that as groundwater levels fluctuate, their ability to flow from underlying aquifers to wells is impacted, and can cause erratic amounts of present toxicants to either increase or decrease in the water.
An analysis on historic water quality data from the Borrego Valley Groundwater Basin performed by the U.S. Geological Survey concluded that total dissolved solids (TDS) and nitrate in the upper level of the aquifer exceeded the water-quality thresholds for each given substance (500mg/L and 10 mg/L respectively).
[6] The creation of the Borrego Water District in 1962 stemmed from the community wanting to protect the valley's groundwater from being sent to Salton Sea area, where much development was taking place.