The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, signed into law in 2014, provides a framework for long-term sustainable groundwater management across California. It requires that local and regional authorities in the medium- and high-priority groundwater basins form a locally-controlled and governed Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), which will prepare and implement a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP).
GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCIES
A Groundwater Sustainability Agency is one or more local governmental agencies that implement the provisions of SGMA. A local agency is defined as one that has water supply, water management or land management authority. GSAs assess the conditions of their local basins, adopt locally-based sustainable management plans to create drought resiliency and improve coordination between land use and groundwater planning.
The Eastern San Joaquin Groundwater Authority has created a map of the GSAs. This GIS Map Application showing all GSAs can be viewed by clicking here.
California farmers face ‘catastrophic’ water restrictions. Can they adapt to survive?
-The Sacramento Bee
NOTICE OF INTENT TO ADOPT A GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
Interested parties may provide comments on the Public Draft GSP during the scheduled public comment period, July 10 through August 25, 2019. Information regarding the Draft GSP has been posted on the ESJ GWA website, which can be accessed here. The Draft Plan can be viewed on the website homepage. According to Water Code Section §10728.4: “A groundwater sustainability agency may adopt or amend a groundwater sustainability plan after a public hearing, held at least 90 days after providing notice to a city or county within the area of the proposed plan or amendment. The groundwater sustainability agency shall review and consider comments from any city or county that receives notice pursuant to this section and shall consult with a city or county that requests consultation within 30 days of receipt of the notice.”
No sooner than 90 days from the date of this Notice, each of the GSAs identified below will hold a public hearing and consider adopting the GSP.
The California Farm Bureau Federation developed this resource for farmers and landowners to help you understand why the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is important and how you can be involved! Click here to view the full brochure.
You can access information regarding Sustainable Groundwater Management Informational Meetings by clicking on an image below.
