Groundwater sustainability plans receive approval from state

Twelve more groundwater sustainability plans received the stamp of approval from the Department of Water Resources (DWR) yesterday. The approved basins are Big Valley, Shasta Valley, Scott River Valley, East Side Aquifer, Forebay Aquifer, Langley Area, Monterey, Upper Valley Aquifer, San Jacinto, Upper Ventura River, San Luis Obispo Valley and Santa Margarita.

“We are impressed with the effort that local agencies have put into their groundwater sustainability plans. Since the plans in these 12 basins were adopted in 2022, the local agencies immediately began implementation and embraced groundwater sustainability. We look forward to supporting local agencies while they continue to improve their planning efforts,” said DWR Deputy Director of Groundwater Management Paul Gosselin. “We expect these plans to adapt over time to changing conditions. The climate-driven weather extremes we are experiencing amplify the need for long-term groundwater management planning to ensure a safe and reliable groundwater supply that can be accessed during both wet years and the driest years without causing negative impacts.”

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) calls for local agencies to create GSAs and work with groundwater users to develop and implement plans to achieve the sustainability goals of groundwater basins over a 20-year period. These plans are expected to present a roadmap for how local agencies will reliably provide groundwater to their communities over the long-term.

DWR has made determinations for 36 groundwater basins across the state. Of those, 30 basins were approved and 6 were deemed inadequate. Additionally, DWR approved nine basins with alternatives to groundwater sustainability plans in July 2017.