Kings Subbasin nears completion on coordinated GSP update, public comment period begins October 11

The Kings Subbasin is nearing completion on their updated Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs or Plans) ahead of the upcoming Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) milestone – the January 2025 update. These updates, required every five years, were completed as a highly coordinated effort between the North Kings GSA and the six other Kings Subbasin GSAs. As part of the update, the Kings Subbasin addressed the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) 12 corrective actions required to keep their approval status and maintain local control over groundwater’s sustainable management.

Before submitting the updated GSP to the State, the North Kings GSA will hold a public comment period to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to review and comment on the Plan. The public comment period will begin October 11 and will remain open for 45 days, concluding with a public hearing on November 21.

The updated GSP will be available on the North Kings GSA’s website for stakeholders to review and submit comments. Another notification will go out to stakeholders once the public comment period begins and will provide instructions for submitting comments.

Following the public hearing, the North Kings GSA will coordinate with the Kings Subbasin GSAs to finalize any revisions based on comments received, with a plan to adopt the updated GSPs by January 17, 2025, before submitting them to DWR by January 30, 2025.

In 2023, the Kings Subbasin received approval on their GSPs from DWR on the condition that they address the corrective actions. By addressing these concerns in the January 2025 update, the Kings Subbasin seeks to maintain the approval and proceed to locally implement SGMA.