Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)

About the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)

In 2014, Governor Jerry Brown signed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) into law. This law aims to improve groundwater management to ensure groundwater is a reliable source that is available long term. SGMA applies to areas in California with known groundwater challenges. These areas are known as critically over drafted basins or high- and medium-priority basins (see yellow and orange areas in map). Most of the San Joaquin Valley basins are in critical overdraft.

SGMA requires the formation of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) – a new local agency or multiple agencies formed with authority and responsibility to sustainably manage their respective groundwater basin. A GSA’s key task is to prepare a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP), detailed roadmap for how groundwater basins will reach long-term groundwater sustainability. Once the plan is developed, GSAs have a twenty-year time frame to implement that plan and achieve sustainability by 2024.

Common groundwater uses include the provision of drinking water and household use through community water systems and domestic wells, crop irrigation, and industrial and commercial activity. Over the past decades, groundwater levels have declined due to a reduction of imported water into the area related to environmental preservation efforts, increased agricultural use, and increased municipal and industrial use, combined with less rain and snow runoff to replenish groundwater extraction causing a condition referred to as overdraft. This decline has become even more dramatic due to recent drought conditions.

The state’s ongoing drought has led to unprecedented increased groundwater pumping resulting in dry wells, fallowed cropland, and vulnerable environmental conditions throughout the state. Historically, groundwater management has been voluntary in California. However, unless effective groundwater management is implemented, declining groundwater levels will continue to severely impact all San Joaquin Valley residents, including unincorporated rural communities who rely on groundwater.

SGMA Glossary

This glossary was developed to make groundwater management terms easier to understand, helping to build the capacity of community members to participate in the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) implementation process.

Download the SGMA Glossary here.

Este glosario fue desarrollado para hacer los términos relacionados con el manejo de aguas subterráneas más fáciles de entender, ayudando a desarrollar la capacidad de los miembros de las comunidades para participar en el proceso de implementación de la Ley de Manejo Sostenible del Agua Subterráneas (SGMA, por sus siglas en inglés).

Descargue el Glosario SGMA aquí.

Get to Know Your GSA

Self-Help Enterprises has developed Get to Know Your GSA factsheets as an informational and educational tool for GSAs and for residents in disadvantaged communities to engage in groundwater sustainability planning. The Get to Know Your GSA factsheets are available in English and Spanish by clicking on the factsheet link below. Additionally, SHE is currently providing technical assistance and following the SGMA implementation process in the Kaweah, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tule Subbasins.

Kern Groundwater Authority Groundwater Sustainability Agency // Get to Know Your GSA Factsheet

Kern River Groundwater Sustainability Agency // Get to Know Your GSA Factsheet

Greater Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency // Get to Know Your GSA Factsheet

Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency // Get to Know Your GSA Factsheet

Eastern Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency // Get to Know Your GSA Factsheet

Chowchilla Water District Groundwater Sustainability Agency // Get to Know Your GSA Factsheet

Merced Irrigation-Urban Groundwater Sustainability Agency // Get to Know Your GSA Factsheet

Merced Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agency // Get to Know Your GSA Factsheet

North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency // Get to Know Your GSA Factsheet

North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency // Get to Know Your GSA Factsheet

Kings River East Groundwater Sustainability Agency // Get to Know Your GSA Factsheet

Westlands Water District Groundwater Sustainability Agency // Get to Know Your GSA Factsheet

Alpaugh Irrigation District Groundwater Sustainability Agency // Get to Know Your GSA Factsheet

Mid-Kings River Groundwater Sustainability Agency // Get to Know Your GSA Factsheet

Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency Joint Powers Authority // Get to Know Your GSA Factsheet

Madera County Groundwater Sustainability Agency (Chowchilla, Madera and Delta-Mendota)

SDACs or GSAs seeking to serve SDACs within their boundaries, may request technical assistance by completing a simple one-page technical assistance request form below.

Educational Videos

The sustainable management of groundwater is extremely important for the long-term prosperity of subbasins throughout the San Joaquin Valley.

This includes all the communities and industries it supports, but is especially important for disadvantaged communities that are largely reliant on groundwater for water supply and have very limited financial resources, making them particularly vulnerable to changes in groundwater levels and quality resulting from groundwater management actions.

The “Rural Communiteis and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)” video below, informs SDAC residents of the importance of getting involved in groundwater planning to ensure those on private wells and small water systems have enough water for their needs.

Additionally, the “SGMA and Groundwater Users Working Together” video below focuses on the importance of stakeholders working together to implement SGMA.

The videos above are also available in Spanish:

How to Get Involved

Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) are currently in the process of developing their Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP).

There are several ways to get involved:

Find your GSA at https://sgma.water.ca.gov/portal/#gsa. Select the “GSA Map Viewer” and enter your address in the search bar. Click on the blue pinpoint to reveal information about your GSA.
Put your name on the “interested parties” list. Contact your GSA to be added to the list. You will receive information about meetings and the planning progress.
Attend public meetings. Public meetings are opportunities to share your vision for sustainability and ask questions. This can help shape the planning process.
Join an advisory committee. Advisory committees, like technical advisory committees or stakeholder outreach committees are part of most GSAs, and have influence on the GSP development. Ask your GSA what working groups they have to discuss details of the plan.
Obtain technical assistance from local organizations. Support may be obtained from local organizations like Self-Help Enterprises who support community participation in groundwater sustainability planning.
Visit your local GSA’s website. Your GSA’s website will house critical information and updates.
After the GSP is submitted, stay engaged. GSAs are required to prepare annual reports. Every five years the state will evaluate the progress of a region towards the achievement of sustainability and can intervene if significant deficiencies are identified. Stay updated on the progress toward your GSA’s sustainability goals.