Resources

Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is an unfunded State law requiring groundwater subbasins achieve sustainability. In high- and medium-priority subbasins designated as critically overdrafted, sustainability must be achieved by 2040. SGMA’s intent is to allow local agencies to sustainably manage groundwater. Over 260 local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) formed in California to implement the law, including the North Kings GSA. Located in the Kings Subbasin, a high-priority and critically overdrafted subbasin, the North Kings GSA will develop projects and implement management actions in the coming years to achieve balanced levels of groundwater supply in compliance with the law and for the benefit of its stakeholders.

September 16, 2014

SGMA Signed Into Law

On September 16, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a three-bill legislative package collectively known as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). For the first time, California has a framework for sustainable groundwater management through the formation of local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies tasked with achieving balanced groundwater supply.

September 16, 2014

June 30, 2017

Deadline to Form a GSA

A local agency or agencies in each high- or medium-priority groundwater subbasin must have officially formed one or more Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to cover the entire subbasin. The North Kings GSA formed ahead of the deadline on December 7, 2016.

June 30, 2017

January 31, 2020

GSPs Submitted to the State

All high- or medium-priority and critically overdrafted subbasins must develop a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) and submit to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) for review. A GSP is a roadmap for how a subbasin will avoid the adverse effects of groundwater overdraft and achieve balanced levels of groundwater to reach sustainability.

January 31, 2020

January 31, 2022

DWR Completes Evaluation of GSPs

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) must evaluate and issue an assessment of a GSP within two years of submission by a GSA in medium- or high-priority and critically overdrafted subbasin. DWR may include recommendations for addressing any deficiencies in the GSP.

January 31, 2022

January 31, 2040

Subbasins Must Achieve Sustainability

A Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) must include measurable objectives and milestones in increments of five years to achieve sustainability within 20 years of GSP adoption by a GSA. In high- or medium-priority and critically overdrafted subbasins, sustainability must be achieved by 2040.

January 31, 2040

View a full SGMA timeline, including dates for low-priority basins here.

Groundwater Sustainability Plan

A Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) is a detailed roadmap for how a basin will avoid the adverse effects of groundwater overdraft and achieve balanced levels of groundwater to reach sustainability.

The GSP is a requirement of the 2014 California law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). SGMA requires all high- and medium-priority subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) develop and implement a GSP. GSAs in subbasins designated as high- or medium-priority and critically overdrafted were required to complete a GSP by January 31, 2020. SGMA defines a subbasin as critically overdrafted “when continuation of present water management practices would probably result in significant adverse overdraft-related environmental, social, or economic impacts”.

The North Kings GSA’s GSP includes a physical description of the groundwater management area including conditions, a water budget, groundwater management criteria, a monitoring program, and projects and measurable objectives to become sustainable by 2040.

View the North Kings GSA’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan here.

SGMA Sustainability Indicators

SGMA defines sustainable groundwater management as the management and use of groundwater in a manner that does not cause “undesirable results” for the following indicators:

Chronic Lowering of Groundwater Levels