From the State Water Resources Control Board:
This notice is to inform you of new reporting requirements for groundwater extractors (people who pump groundwater) in the Tule Subbasin. The State Water Board mailed these extractors detailed information at the beginning of October about these requirements. Please note that the reporting requirement applies regardless of whether extractors receive notification that they are required to report.
Groundwater extractors within this subbasin are required to track their groundwater use starting January 1, 2025, and submit annual groundwater extraction reports by February 1, 2026, unless they are de minimis extractors. A de minimis extractor is a well owner who pumps two acre-feet or less of groundwater per year for domestic purposes only. Additionally, groundwater extractions are excluded from reporting and fee requirements if they: (1) are made within the Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District Groundwater Sustainability Agency or the Kern-Tulare Water District Groundwater Sustainability Agency, (2) are subject to the management actions of one of those GSAs, and (3) are in compliance with the applicable management actions of those GSAs.
Groundwater extractors in the Tule Subbasin who are required to report will need to:
- Begin tracking their groundwater extractions starting January 1, 2025, using a device or method satisfactory to the State Water Board. Extractors who pump more than 500 acre-feet per year of groundwater from the subbasin will need to install and use certified flow meters on their wells beginning March 1, 2025. The State Water Board has approved evapotranspiration methods as an alternative approach for tracking some large extractions. See the Board’s Tule Subbasin webpage for more information.
- Extractors in the Friant-Kern Canal Management Area, who are not de minimis extractors, will also need to begin measuring their extractions on January 1, 2025 and will need to begin measuring those extractions with a certified flow meter on March 1, 2025. See the Board’s Tule Subbasin webpage for more information.
- Register active and inactive groundwater wells and, if applicable, submit a groundwater extraction report by February 1, 2026, via the Groundwater Extraction Annual Reporting System (GEARS). This report will cover monthly extractions, starting from January 1st to September 30th, 2025.
- Pay an extraction fee after submitting a groundwater extraction report. Extractors may request a fee waiver if they meet the eligibility criteria specified in California Code of Regulations, title 23, section 1044. Additional fee waiver guidance is forthcoming and will be posted on the State Water Board’s website.
Groundwater extractors in the Tule Subbasin were mailed a Notice of Groundwater Extraction Reporting letter in early October. Each notice letter contained a unique correspondence identification (ID) number, which a reporter will use to create a user account on the Groundwater Extraction Annual Reporting System (GEARS) website. A second copy of the reporting notice letter will be mailed in December; it is important for groundwater reporters to keep track of their unique correspondence ID listed in their notice letters. If you are required to report but did not receive a letter, please contact sgma@waterboards.ca.gov or (916) 322-6508 for a correspondence ID number.
The following resources are available to assist groundwater extractors in the Tule Subbasin with SGMA reporting requirements:
If you have questions regarding this information, please contact State Water Board staff by email at sgma@waterboards.ca.gov or by phone at (916) 322-6508.
 |
