From the Department of Water Resources:
Draft California’s Groundwater: Bulletin 118 – Update 2025
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today released the Draft California’s Groundwater: Bulletin 118 – Update 2025 (CalGW Update 2025), opening a 45-day public comment period. CalGW Update 2025 provides a comprehensive inventory and assessment of available information on the occurrence and nature of groundwater and informs decisions on the protection, use, monitoring and management of the resource. This five-year update builds on the CalGW Update 2020 by integrating data submitted to DWR by local agencies under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), including information reported in Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP), Alternatives to GSPs, annual reports, and other groundwater initiatives. CalGW Update 2025 is part of a comprehensive suite of resources designed to support groundwater understanding and management across the state, including the Semi-Annual Updates, CalGW Live, and the Basin Characterization program.
The draft publication contains a Highlights overview section in English and Spanish and a detailed Statewide Report (Chapters 1 – 6), which features current knowledge of groundwater resources including information on the location, characteristics, use, management status, and conditions of the state’s groundwater. Also included in this draft release is an info-graphic summary of the ten hydrologic regions, showing regional groundwater at a glance (Chapter 7) and some appendices such as findings and recommendations that support the future management and protection of groundwater, a glossary of terms, reference materials, and an update on land subsidence in California. This information can help communities and local water managers work together to find unique ways to manage their groundwater basins for long-term reliability and support actions being implemented as part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2020 California Water Resilience Portfolio.
The draft release of CalGW Update 2025 consists of files listed below. A fact sheet on the CalGW Update 2025 and the public review process is available in English and Spanish.
- Highlights Document: English, Spanish
- Statewide Report: Chapters 1-6 (Large file: 72 MB)
- Statewide Report: Chapter 7 Regional Summaries (Large file: 443 MB)
- Appendix A: Findings and Recommendations
- Appendix B: Glossary
- Appendix D: Citations, Reference Materials, and Links
- Appendix I: Update on Land Subsidence in California
Public Webinar Meeting
DWR will present an overview of the Draft CalGW Update 2025 at a public virtual webinar meeting on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, from noon to 1:00 p.m. Please register for the public webinar, here.
Public Comment Period
A 45-day public comment period is now open on the Draft CalGW Update 2025. All comments will be reviewed and will provide valuable feedback to DWR to improve the analysis, reporting, and access to California’s groundwater information.
Public comments can be emailed to CalGW@water.ca.gov and will be accepted through Friday, December 5, 2025.
The final version of CalGW Update 2025 is expected to be released in spring 2026.
California’s Groundwater Conditions: Semi-Annual Update, Fall 2025
DWR has also released California’s Groundwater: Fall 2025 Semi-Annual Update today, expanding upon groundwater data released earlier this summer. The report provides a timely overview of statewide groundwater levels, land subsidence, well infrastructure, and the status of California’s groundwater monitoring conditions, helping water managers track short-term trends and make informed decisions that support sustainable groundwater management. The update highlights California’s continued climate variability, with Water Year 2025 experiencing below-average statewide precipitation.
Despite the below average conditions, statewide groundwater levels remained relatively stable compared to recent years, with notable improvements since the severe drought a decade ago. However, active land subsidence continues in the Sacramento River, San Joaquin River, and Tulare Lake hydrologic regions. Well infrastructure data show fewer domestic and irrigation wells were installed in 2025 than in any of the past ten years, and reports of dry wells were the lowest in five years. DWR now operates groundwater monitoring sites equipped with telemetry for real-time data collection. DWR produces Groundwater Updates semi-annually in spring and fall to help State and local agencies make management decisions informed by the latest conditions. These updates will continue to serve as a key resource for groundwater managers as SGMA enters its next phase of implementation.
These semi-annual updates support DWR’s comprehensive California’s Groundwater: Bulletin 118 publication. This suite of reports provides knowledge and understanding about California’s groundwater system that is necessary for State and local agencies to plan and implement management actions that will help to ensure long-term resiliency of the state’s groundwater supply.
California’s Groundwater Live Website Updates
DWR’s California’s Groundwater Live (CalGW Live) website was first released in conjunction with the Bulletin 118 – Update 2020 and includes user friendly and interactive content meant to inform the public with the latest groundwater and groundwater-related information. Along with the release of the Draft CalGW Update 2025 and the Fall 2025 Semi-Annual Update, DWR also expanded the content available on the CalGW Live website. New interactive dashboards are included for GSP evaluation status, GSP Monitoring Network specific to groundwater levels, and annual report data submitted by Groundwater Sustainability Agencies. The new annual report dashboards include interactivity and statistics for groundwater recharge, change in groundwater storage, and groundwater extractions.
For more information about these updates and additional groundwater information, see the following resources:
- Press Release (October 20, 2025)
- California’s Groundwater: Bulletin 118
- California’s Groundwater Semi-Annual Updates
- California’s Groundwater Live
- Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)
For general groundwater inquiries, please contact: sgmps@water.ca.gov and for more information on these releases and updates, visit the California’s Groundwater webpage or contact: CalGW@water.ca.gov.
