In September 2014, Governor Brown signed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), a three-bill legislative package to sustainably manage California’s groundwater basins. A key aspect of SGMA is the emphasis on local management, mandating the establishment of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to create and develop groundwater sustainability plans to achieve sustainability within a 20-year timeframe.
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SGMA requires all medium- and high-priority groundwater basins, as designated by the Department of Water Resources, to form GSAs and develop localized sustainability plans.
Low and very-low-priority basins are not mandated to comply but are encouraged to establish GSAs and create management plans. Adjudicated basins and those with pre-existing, successful groundwater management programs that meet SGMA’s criteria are exempt from forming GSAs and developing new plans, although they must adhere to reporting requirements.
As of June 2024, 71 basins have submitted groundwater sustainability plans that have been approved; thirteen basins had plans deemed incomplete, giving them six months to address deficiencies; and six basins from the 2020 plans submitted by basins determined to be critically overdrafted have been deemed inadequate and referred to the State Water Board for consideration of the state intervention process and probationary status.
SGMA granted GSAs new authorities to manage groundwater and implement their GSPs, including the authority to conduct investigations, determine the sustainable yield of a groundwater basin, measure and limit extraction, impose fees for groundwater management, and enforce the terms of a GSP.
Interestingly, although SGMA grants GSAs the authority to limit groundwater extractions, the legislation explicitly states that it does not alter any water rights: the legislation adds Water Code section 10720.5(b) that states that nothing in the legislation “determines or alters surface water rights or groundwater rights under common law or any provision of law that determines or grants surface water rights.” How this will play out as SGMA lawsuits work through the court system remains to be seen.
- Introduction to SGMA, FAQ from the Groundwater Exchange
- Find your GSA: Visit the California Department of Water Resources’ GSA Map Viewer to view GSAs across the State. Once there, enter your address or place in the upper left corner and click on the magnifying glass icon. You can click on the map in any area to reveal the agency name and other important information.
Sustainable groundwater management means no ‘undesirable results’
The legislation defines ‘sustainable groundwater management’ as the ‘management and use of groundwater in a manner that can be maintained during the planning and implementation horizon without causing undesirable results.’ Undesirable results as defined in the legislation are:
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Roles and responsibilities for SGMA implementation
The legislation defines roles for local agencies, the Department of Water Resources, and the State Water Resources Control Board.
DWR, State Water Board, and USGS Resources
Page updated August 16, 2024