SUSTAINABLE GROUNDWATER MGT PGM NEWS: SGMA assistance workshops, Alternative submittals, GSP notification system; Stakeholder engagement; DAC tool; and more …

From the Sustainable Groundwater Management Program at the Department of Water Resources:

Save the Date – SGMA Assistance Workshops

You are invited to attend DWR hosted workshops to discuss Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) implementation efforts, DWR planning and technical assistance, and key components of Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) development. Several new tools and data will be showcased. DWR is holding workshops in Northern, Central, and Southern California as well as webcast. Workshops will feature brief presentations and information booths on:

  • Groundwater Sustainability Plan development
  • Assistance and engagement information
  • Sustainable Management Criteria
  • Guidance, data, and tool overviews

Workshops dates and times are:

April 23, 2018 – Chico Masonic Family Center
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Chico, California

April 24, 2018 – Clovis Veteran’s Memorial District
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Clovis, California

April 25, 2018 – Saticoy Operations Yard
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Ventura, California

April 27, 2018 – Online Webcast
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Register online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sgma-assistance-workshops-tickets-44561329135

For questions or special accommodations, please contact Lauren Bisnett at Lauren.Bisnett@water.ca.gov or call (916) 653-7564.


Reminder: Alternative Submittals – First Annual Reports Deadline – April 1, 2018

The SGMA established a process for local agencies to develop an Alternative in lieu of a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for evaluation by DWR. An Alternative is required to be submitted to DWR for review no later than January 1, 2017 and every 5 years thereafter. The first annual report submittal deadline is April 1, 2018.

DWR has developed an online Alternative Reporting System that allows local agencies to submit Alternatives and the public to review and comment on the Alternatives. For more information on requirements and evaluation criteria please visit https://www.water.ca.gov/Programs/Groundwater-Management/SGMA-Groundwater-Management/Groundwater-Sustainability-Plans and reference the Groundwater Sustainability Plan Regulations.

Contact: Tim Godwin | (916) 651-9223 | Timothy.Godwin@water.ca.gov


Reminder: GSAs Required to Submit GSP Initial Notification Information

This is a reminder that the DWR SGMA Portal – GSP Initial Notification System is now live. Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) are required to submit all applicable GSP initial notification information to DWR using the SGMA Portal – GSP Initial Notification System. The SGMA Portal can be accessed using the following URL: http://sgma.water.ca.gov/portal/#gsp.

Once an Initial Notification has been submitted, and changes need to be made, the SGMA Portal – GSP Initial Notification System allows edits to be made from the GSA’s login account, including the ability to withdraw a submittal.

In addition to submitting a GSP initial notification, this is also a reminder that “If the geographic area to be covered by the plan includes a public water system regulated by the Public Utilities Commission, the groundwater sustainability agency shall provide the written statement to the commission.” See Water Code § 10727.8.

If you have questions about initial notifications, please contact the Regional Coordinators in DWR’s four Regional Offices or DWR Headquarters in Sacramento:

On January 19, 2018, DWR held a webinar featuring the GSP Initial Notification System. The recording of the webinar as well as presentation materials are available online.

A Frequently Asked Questions reference is available to inform GSAs about the GSP initial notification requirements, as described in the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and GSP Regulations.

Instructions on how to comment on submitted GSP Initial Notifications can be found here. And check out the GSP Initial Notification Map Viewer here.

Find more information at https://www.water.ca.gov/Programs/Groundwater-Management/SGMA-Groundwater-Management/Groundwater-Sustainability-Plans


Stakeholder Communication and Engagement Feature: Beneficial Uses and Users

Under the requirements of SGMA, GSAs must consider the interests of all beneficial uses and users of groundwater. As a result, GSP development needs to consider effects to other stakeholder groups in or around the groundwater basin with overlapping interests.

These interests include, but are not limited to, holders of overlying groundwater rights (including agriculture users and domestic well owners), public water systems, local land use planning agencies, environmental users, surface water users, federal government, California Native American tribes, and disadvantaged communities (Water Code 10723.2).

GSP regulations require that GSAs document in a communication section of the GSP the opportunities for public engagement and active involvement of diverse social, cultural, and economic elements of the population within the basin.

For more guidance information on how to effectively communicate and engage with multiple and varied stakeholders, determine methods and tools for communication and engagement, and conduct meaningful engagement to develop a GSP check out the DWR Stakeholder Communication and Engagement Guidance Document here and the Engagement with Tribal Governments Guidance Document here.


Data and Tools Feature: Disadvantaged Communities (DAC) Mapping Tool

The Disadvantaged Communities (DAC) Mapping Tool is a web-based application to assist local agencies and other interested parties in evaluating disadvantaged community (DAC) status throughout the State, using the definition provided by Proposition 84 IRWM Guidelines (2015). The DAC Mapping Tool is an interactive map application that allows users to overlay three US Census geographies as separate layers: 1) Census Place, 2) Census Tract, 3) Census Block Group. The following layers are contained in the map:

  • County Boundaries
  • Prop 1 Funding Areas
  • Prop 84 Funding Areas
  • IRWM Regions
  • Disadvantaged Communities Block Groups
  • Disadvantaged Communities Tracts
  • Disadvantaged Communities Places

Access the tool at: https://gis.water.ca.gov/app/dacs/


K-12 Education Groundwater Materials Available for Teachers

DWR offers a variety of free materials including worksheets, activity books, posters, videos, and curriculum guides to classroom teachers, homeschoolers, and non-formal educators. These resources include publications about groundwater. Most materials are available both in hardcopy and electronically. Resources include:

  • Groundwater: An Essential Part of California’s Water BudgetPoster
  • KIDS: Discover Groundwater and Springs
  • All About Water K-3 Water Activities

For more information or to order materials, please visit our Education website, our water safety webpage, or library.


Upcoming Events

California Water and Environmental Modeling Forum – 24th Annual Meeting
Monday, April 2 – Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Lake Natoma Inn, Folsom, California

Highlights of the 2018 Annual Meeting include sessions on a wide variety of topics including mercury and wildfire modeling, multi-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling, temperature modeling, integrated water resources modeling, flood modeling, climate change, machine learning, remote sensing, California Water Plan Update, SGMA, DSM2, C2VSim, CalSim II and 3.0, CalLite, MODFLOW-OWHM, and more. Click here to view/download the Annual Meeting Program.

GRACAST: Water Availability and Sustainability in California’s Central Valley: Past, Present and Future
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Groundwater Resources Association of California – Webcast

A presentation about groundwater in the Central Valley presented by Claudia Faunt, Ph. D., P.E. Find more information and register online at https://www.grac.org/events/181/


 

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