Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
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| Sustainable Groundwater Management Act | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sustainable Groundwater Management Act |
| Enacted by | California State Legislature |
| Signed into law | 2014 |
| Signed by | Jerry Brown |
| Citations | California Water Code |
| Status | in force |
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is a 2014 California statute establishing a framework for sustainable management of groundwater basins statewide, enacted to address overdraft, subsidence, and water scarcity. The law mandates locally led planning, statewide oversight, and measurable sustainability objectives to protect interconnected surface water, aquifers, and communities across California's diverse hydrologic regions such as the Central Valley (California), Salton Sea, and the Sierra Nevada. It accelerated coordination among state agencies, regional agencies, and stakeholders including water districts, agricultural interests, and urban providers.
Background and Legislative History
SGMA emerged from prolonged droughts in the early 21st century, building on antecedent legislative and administrative actions such as the California Water Plan, the California Environmental Quality Act, and reforms following subsidence and aquifer depletion in the Central Valley Project era. Legislative negotiations involved key actors including the California State Legislature, the Office of the Governor under Jerry Brown, and state agencies like the California Department of Water Resources and the State Water Resources Control Board. Influences included legal doctrines from cases involving groundwater rights and prior statutory frameworks such as the adjudication of basins exemplified by the Kern County groundwater adjudications and local groundwater management efforts like those by the Mojave Water Agency. The statute responded to stakeholders from California Farm Bureau Federation, urban water agencies including Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, and Native American Tribes with interests in basin health.
Key Provisions and Requirements
SGMA requires formation of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) for high- and medium-priority basins identified by the California Department of Water Resources and mandates development of Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) to achieve sustainability within 20 years of plan implementation. Core requirements include measurable objectives to eliminate undesirable results such as chronic lowering of groundwater levels, significant seawater intrusion along the Pacific Ocean coast, reduced groundwater storage, degraded water quality, and land subsidence impacting infrastructure like the California High-Speed Rail corridor. The law sets timelines paralleling schedules used in federal programs such as the United States Geological Survey monitoring networks and requires coordination with regional planning efforts including the Delta Stewardship Council and local water supply plans from agencies such as Santa Clara Valley Water District.
Implementation and Governance
Implementation centers on GSAs—entities that can include county governments, water districts, irrigation districts, and mutual water companies—exercising authorities including pumping measurement, permit systems, and fees authorized under state law. The California Department of Water Resources provides basin prioritization, basin boundary modifications, and GSP review guidance, while the State Water Resources Control Board holds backstop authorities to intervene and adopt interim plans where GSAs fail. Collaboration mechanisms call for stakeholder engagement drawn from municipal suppliers like San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, agricultural coalitions such as the California Farm Bureau Federation, environmental organizations including The Nature Conservancy, and tribal governments like the Yurok Tribe, integrating data from monitoring networks like the California Cooperative Groundwater Monitoring Network.
Impacts and Outcomes
SGMA has driven consolidation of management authorities in basins across the Central Valley (California), South Coast (California), and Sacramento Valley, leading to adoption of numerous GSPs, investments in monitoring infrastructure, and shifts in agricultural groundwater use patterns. Outcomes include increased groundwater level monitoring by entities such as the United States Geological Survey and local districts, initiatives for recharge and managed aquifer recharge promoted by organizations like the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and fiscal measures implemented by districts including the Tulare Irrigation District. The law has influenced regional planning tied to projects like groundwater banking in the Temblor Creek and conjunctive use with surface reservoirs operated by agencies including the California Department of Water Resources.
Criticisms and Legal Challenges
Critiques have come from agricultural groups including county farm bureaus and water user associations, urban suppliers, and some tribal governments who argue about property rights, fee authority, and adequacy of timelines. Legal challenges have invoked state constitutional issues and precedent from water rights cases adjudicated in courts such as the California Supreme Court and federal courts when federal interests intersect. Disputes over basin prioritization, GSA formation, and the State Water Resources Control Board's backstop authorities have led to litigation and administrative appeals involving entities like Kern County and various irrigation districts.
Related Policies and Regional Coordination
SGMA intersects with state policies and institutions including the California Water Action Plan, the Delta Reform Act of 2009 implemented by the Delta Stewardship Council, and federal programs administered by the Bureau of Reclamation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Regional coordination engages metropolitan agencies like the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, watershed consortia, and regional planning bodies such as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta stakeholders, aligning groundwater sustainability with surface water allocations, flood management under the California FloodSAFE initiative, and climate adaptation strategies promoted by the California Natural Resources Agency.