Hydra Score: Water Risk Mgmt 1.3.0

Hydra Score is an innovative geographic information system (GIS) platform developed by California farmers and bankers, aimed at facilitating the research of groundwater and surface water availability as well as soil risk for agricultural practices. This initiative follows the significant enactment of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).

• Use Cases:
  • Bankers: Hydra Score enables efficient risk analysis, allowing for informed go/no-go decisions regarding the necessity of additional diligence. Users can bulk upload their entire portfolio, evaluate risks across collateral groups, and generate detailed reports.
  • Farmers: The platform allows for rapid assessment of agricultural suitability for any parcel of land. It also offers comparative analyses with neighboring properties and ensures preparedness for future implications related to SGMA.
  • Real Estate: Whether buying or selling, Hydra Score assists in generating comprehensive water and land reports for clients. Developers can streamline searches for suitable land by identifying areas with low scores ideal for repurposing.

Hydra Score: The Credit Score for Water

The proprietary Hydra Score rating system, ranging from 1 to 100, serves as a composite index evaluating fourteen factors related to both water districts (surface water) and groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs).

• GSA Factors include:
  • The extent of overdraft per irrigated acre (for overdrafted sub basins).
  • The sustainable yield of relevant aquifers.
  • The water demand associated with the region's most productive crops.
  • The components governing the groundwater allocation program.
  • The availability of surface water within the GSA.
• Water District Factors encompass:
  • Historical water rights.
  • Previous deliveries to the water agency (AF/AC and Total).
  • Operational status regarding water movement through or extraction from the Sacramento River Delta.
  • Access to the State Water Project (SWP).
  • Access to the Central Valley Water Project (CVP).
  • Availability of natural surface water (lakes, rivers, streams).
  • Transferability and legal/physical capabilities regarding water resources.
  • Drainage considerations.
  • Access to storage facilities.

Hydra Scores are categorized into five ratings that reflect the average annual sustainable availability of water:

• Excellent
• Good
• Average
• Poor

Soil Score: The Credit Score for Agricultural Land

The Soil Score functions similarly to the Hydra Score, providing a straightforward evaluation of how much management a given piece of land requires for productive agricultural use.

• Components of the Soil Score:
  • Slope
  • Chemical Limitations
  • Hydrologic Group
  • Land Capability Classification
  • USDA Prime Farmland Classification

Soil Scores are also classified into five categories that address chemical, physical, and hydrological characteristics essential for farming:

• Excellent
• Good
• Average
• Poor

• Additional Features Include:
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• - Access to expert-written summaries for each sub-basin, detailing local GSA regulatory environments.
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• - Updates on important aspects of regional Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) such as DWR approval status and implementation dates.
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• - Bulk portfolio uploads to gain insights into water risk exposure with options to download detailed reports on ranch or collateral-group levels.
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• - Enhanced insights into groundwater banking and points of diversion.
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Terms of Use

Feedback: For assistance or feature requests, please reach out at: [email protected].

Monitor how scores evolve over time in response to shifts in regulatory frameworks.