Sustainable Groundwater management act

In September 2014, Governor Brown signed historic legislation requiring that California’s critical groundwater resources be sustainably managed by local agencies.  The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) provides a framework for the sustainable management of groundwater supplies by local agencies.

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act

• Provides for sustainable management of groundwater basins
• Enhances local management of groundwater consistent with rights to use or store groundwater
• Establishes minimum standards for effective, continuous management of groundwater
• Provides local groundwater agencies with the authority, technical, and financial assistance needed to maintain groundwater supplies
• Avoids or minimizes impacts for land subsidence
• Improves data collection and understanding of groundwater resources and management
• Increases groundwater storage and removes impediments to recharge

SGMA mandated the formation of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) and requires the adoption of Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) for basins or sub-basins designated as medium or high priority by the CA Department of Water Resources. The regulations require GSPs to address groundwater overdraft and bring groundwater basins into balanced levels of pumping and recharge without causing significant and unreasonable undesirable results by the year 2040.