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Groundwater Sustainability Plan

2025 Groundwater Sustainability Plan

The North Kings GSA’s GSP was developed in compliance with DWR’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan Emergency Regulations. Developed pursuant to Water Code Section 10733.2, the regulations describe the components of groundwater sustainability plans, intra-basin coordination agreements, and the methods and criteria used by Department of Water Resources to evaluate those plans and coordination agreements.

Download 2025 Groundwater Sustainability Plan

The North Kings GSA submitted its updated Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) in January 2025, ahead of the DWR deadline. This submission follows the Board of Directors’ approval of the updated plan during their January meeting.

A public comment period was held in fall 2024 for stakeholders to provide feedback on the updated GSP before it was presented to the Board of Directors for approval. Comments received during this period were incorporated into the final updated GSP before it was submitted to DWR.

The North Kings GSA updated its GSP in coordination with the six other Kings Subbasin GSAs to address the corrective actions identified by DWR. Addressing these actions is crucial to maintain the approval granted in 2023 by DWR and proceed with local implementation over the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).

The corrective actions can be summarized in three major priorities:

  1. Domestic Well Mitigation Program: A program to address the impacts to drinking water wells of unsustainable groundwater level declines must be funded and active.
  2. Confined Aquifer Study: The confined aquifer study is intended to provide a better understanding of land subsidence occurring across the Kings Subbasin and will help fill existing data gaps.
  3. Interconnected Surface Water Analysis: The interconnected surface water analysis will fill data gaps on interconnected streams to help the Kings Subbasin better understand the interaction between surface water flows and groundwater.

Periodic Evaluation

The North Kings GSA, in coordination with the Kings Subbasin, submitted its first periodic evaluation to the CA Department of Water Resources (DWR) in January.

A periodic evaluation is an assessment completed by the GSA to review the implementation of an approved GSP. The evaluation is a written report submitted to DWR, and represents a progress report for each evaluation cycle – at least every five years after initial GSP submission. It provides a detailed analysis of the Subbasin’s progress in implementing its GSP, including current groundwater conditions, achievements, ongoing challenges, and strategies for overcoming those challenges to ensure sustainability objectives are met. The purpose of these five-year updates is to determine whether GSP implementation is on track to achieving sustainability goals by 2040.

Kings Subbasin 2025 Periodic Evaluation

Current Status

The Kings Subbasin – made up of seven Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) including North Kings GSA – received approval from the CA Department of Water Resources (DWR) on all seven Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) in August 2023. This approval is a significant milestone as it allows the North Kings GSA to continue implementing groundwater sustainability measures at the local level. While the GSPs are approved, it was on the condition that the GSAs address twelve corrective actions outlined by DWR. The Kings Subbasin GSAs coordinated to address these corrective actions in the updated GSP.

View the DWR Determination Letter

Latest GSP News

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GSP Timeline

2019 – North Kings GSA received public comments on its draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP)
January 2020 – North Kings GSA Board adopts GSP
January 2020 – Kings Subbasin submits GSPs to the State
  • State law required all high- or medium-priority and critically overdraft subbasin GSAs to develop and submit a GSP to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) for review by January 2020.
  • The Kings Subbasin GSAs, including the North Kings GSA, submitted the GSPs ahead of the January 31, 2020 deadline.
January 2022 – DWR issues an incomplete determination and provides comments following 2-year GSP review period
  • As with many of the GSPs across the State and all in the San Joaquin Valley, the North Kings GSA’s GSP was determined by the CA Department of Water Resources (DWR) to be incomplete, requiring revisions within 180 days of determination. DWR’s comments were addressed to the Kings Subbasin’s seven GSAs and identified deficiencies on the thresholds set for groundwater levels, land subsidence, water quality, and interconnected streams.
  • DWR issues comments on Kings Subbasin GSPs.
June 2022 – North Kings GSA addresses DWR’s comments and revises the GSP
  • A coordinated effort among the seven Kings Subbasin GSAs, including the North Kings GSA, took place to address DWR’s concerns and revise the GSPs where necessary.
  • Proposed revisions
July 2022 – North Kings GSA Board approves revisions to the GSP
July 2022 – North Kings GSA resubmits its revised GSP to DWR
  • North Kings GSA submits its revised GSP to the State on July 27, 2022 before the 180-day deadline. Final revisions to the GSP include addressing impacts of groundwater level decline, land subsidence impacts to canals and rivers, clarification of minimum thresholds for wells with water quality over the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), and a commitment to gather further data on interconnected surface water.
  • North Kings GSA submits GSP to DWR
March 2023 – DWR recommends all seven Kings Subbasin GSPs for approval
  • The seven Kings Subbasin GSPs, including the North Kings GSA’s, are recommended for approval on March 2, 2023, by DWR, a significant milestone following the GSP revisions in response to DWR’s incomplete determination issued in January 2022.
  • State recommends North Kings GSA’s GSP for approval
August 2023 – Kings Subbasin receives official approval determination from DWR, with corrective actions
  • The seven Kings Subbasin GSAs receive an official approval determination from DWR for their revised GSPs, a significant milestone indicating the North Kings GSA can continue to locally carry out sustainability efforts. The determination letter from DWR outlines 12 corrective actions that the Kings Subbasin must address to maintain its approved status.
  • Kings Subbasin receives GSP approval
October 2024 – North Kings GSA received public comments on its updated Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP)
  • The North Kings GSA released its updated GSP for public review and comment.
January 2025 – Kings Subbasin addresses corrective actions and submits updated GSPs to DWR
  • The Kings Subbasin GSAs submit their updated GSPs to DWR by the January 31 deadline. The GSPs were updated with a high level of coordination between the North Kings GSA and six other Kings Subbasin GSAs to address the 12 corrective actions outlined in DWR’s determination letter. Addressing these actions enable the seven GSAs to maintain the approval granted by DWR in 2023 and proceed with implementing SGMA at a local level.
  • 2025 GSP
January 2025 – 5-Year Periodic Evaluation
  • North Kings GSA submits first periodic evaluation to DWR.
  • This evaluation provides a detailed assessment of the GSA’s progress in implementing its GSP. It identifies achievements, ongoing challenges, and outlines strategies for addressing those challenges to ensure the GSP’s objectives are met. The periodic evaluation is separate from the GSP and must be submitted every five years.
  • Kings Subbasin 2025 Periodic Evaluation
January 2030, 2035, 2040 – 5-Year Periodic Evaluation
  • A GSP five-year update, also known as a periodic evaluation, is an evaluation of the implementation of an approved GSP performed by the GSA. The evaluation is described in a written assessment submitted to DWR and represents a progress report for each evaluation cycle – at least every five years after initial GSP submission. The evaluation summarizes the basin’s conditions in relation to the sustainable management criteria established in the GSP, the implementation of projects and management actions, and other information as specified in SGMA and the GSP Regulations. The purpose of the five-year updates is to determine whether GSP implementation is meeting interim milestones and is on track to meeting the sustainability goal for the basin.
January 2040 – Groundwater sustainability achieved
  • By law, the North Kings GSA must achieve groundwater sustainability by 2040 under SGMA. Coordination between the North Kings GSA and the six other Kings Subbasin GSAs is ongoing to achieve the collective goals of sustainability on behalf of landowners and stakeholders.
  • Each member agency of the North Kings GSA is responsible for mitigating pumping within its boundaries. Several member agencies are already implementing projects that propel North Kings GSA toward sustainability. You can view the full project list here. See how projects by our member agency FID contribute to the Kings Subbasin’s collective efforts to achieve regional sustainability through recharge during the record 2023 water year: Kings Subbasin StoryMap.

About SGMA and the North Kings GSA

Achieving Sustainability in the North Kings GSA

The North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) is one of seven GSAs in the Kings Subbasin (DWR Bulletin 118). Located in the southern region of the San Joaquin Valley, the primary source of surface water for the Kings Subbasin comes from the Kings and San Joaquin Rivers.

Thanks to the various surface water sources imported into the area, and several decades of proactive groundwater recharge activities by North Kings GSA member agencies, this portion of the Kings Subbasin is well positioned to achieve groundwater sustainability requirements. Drought and other challenges, however, have contributed to a gradual decline in overall groundwater conditions that must be addressed through implementation of the GSP.

Kings Subbasin Coordination

The North Kings GSA GSP was developed in close coordination with the six other Kings Subbasin GSAs.

In compliance with DWR’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan Emergency Regulations, an intra-basin coordination agreement was executed by the Kings Subbasin GSAs and submitted to the state along with their initial GSPs on January 28, 2020. A Coordination Agreement is required in subbasins where two or more GSPs are developed. It sets the operational framework for the GSAs within the Subbasin. The Kings Coordination Agreement can be viewed below:

Kings Subbasin Coordination Agreement

The six other GSAs that make up the Kings Subbasin include:
– Central Kings GSA
– James GSA
– Kings River East GSA
– McMullin Area GSA
– North Fork Kings GSA
– South Fork Kings GSA

Department of Water Resources SGMA Portal

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) developed the SGMA Portal as a tool accessible to both agencies and the public. The public can view and download information related to Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs), Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs), alternatives to GSPs, adjudicated areas, and basin boundary modifications.

Through DWR’s SGMA Portal, the public can view and download the North Kings GSA’s GSP, including all revised versions and comments from DWR. The tool allows local agencies, GSAs, and watermasters to submit, modify, and view the information required by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
– Visit the SGMA Portal
– View North Kings GSA’s GSP

GSP Archives

The 2022 GSP Update can be viewed here

The 2020 GSP version can be downloaded by section here:
Executive Summary
1 – Introduction
2 – Plan Area
3 – Basin Setting
4 – Sustainable Management Criteria
5 – Monitoring Network
6 – Projects and Management Action
7 – Plan Implementation
8 – References & Appendices Sections 1 & 2
8 – Appendix Section 3A Part 1 of 2
8 – Appendix Section 3A Part 2 of 2
8 – Appendices Sections 4, 5 & 6

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