Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (with 2015 amendments)

State of California | January 5th, 2016

Sustainable Groundwater Management Act [And Related Statutory Provisions from SB1168 (Pavley), AB1739 (Dickinson), and SB1319 (Pavley) as Chaptered]

Sustainable Groundwater Management Act [And Related Statutory Provisions from SB1168 (Pavley), AB1739 (Dickinson), and SB1319 (Pavley) as Chaptered]

Sustainable Groundwater Management Act 2019 Basin Prioritization Process and Results

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | April 1st, 2019

Sustainable Groundwater Management Act Governance Strategies Summary Report

California State University, Fresno (CSUF) | September 15th, 2021

A three-bill legislative package, referred to as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), created a fundamental change in the governance of California’s groun

A three-bill legislative package, referred to as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), created a fundamental change in the governance of California’s groundwater. SGMA requires, with some exceptions, the formation of groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) for identified groundwater subbasins. Signed into law in 2014 by Governor Jerry Brown, it set forth a long-term, statewide framework to protect groundwater resources. This report outlines the initial implementation of these new laws by the GSAs in 21 critically overdrafted groundwater subbasins2. Based on a review of multiple statutes, regulations, early research, official government documents and interviews with individuals involved in the process, the authors explain how these first GSAs were created and the organizational and governance challenges they navigated. Once formed, the GSAs were charged with the development and implementation of groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs). The purpose of a GSP is to avoid the undesirable results of groundwater depletion and mitigate overdraft within 20 years. A review of the formation process for this set of GSAs was particularly instructive as they were required to meet a set of SGMA requirements two years earlier than the remaining legislatively identified basins. Presented in an approach that moves from the general to the specific, this report documents the historic process of how 125 GSAs began to implement SGMA. In addition, this report provides important baseline information to help researchers, regulators, policy makers and GSAs themselves, in the development and evaluation of governance and future governance strategies, statutes and regulatory actions. The report is organized into two major topics. 1. Governance structure choices available to GSAs and the GSA formation process set forth in SGMA, including: Specific examples of GSA governance choices. How governance choices were influenced by the preparation and financing of GSPs. 2. Summary findings and observations from interviews of policymakers, technical experts, and thought leaders on their perception of the GSA governance decision-making process and the improvements they believe would benefit SGMA outcomes.The interviewees’ insights reflect the experience they gained during the formation of the critically overdrafted basins GSAs. They identified key elements they felt would be helpful when forming future GSAs, most notably: Providing simplified groundwater science education information for managers, leaders, and groundwaters users. Implementing agency leadership training so the organizational structures and efforts of GSAs can be fully responsive to constituents. Heightening attention relative to some of the beneficial uses of groundwater that were not adequately addressed by GSPs, such as small domestic wells and environmental needs. These experts also observed that implementation of SGMA is an iterative process and that time will be needed to develop, implement, measure, and improve the results of groundwater management strategies. A variety of additional sources of information are offered throughout this report. In addition, Appendix A includes searchable links and information on GSAs, GSPs and other governance elements found in DWR’s (Department of Water Resources) SGMA Portal.

Sustainable Groundwater Management Program Groundwater Sustainability Plan Assessment Staff Report – Big Valley Basin (No. 5-004)

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | October 26th, 2023

Sustainable Groundwater Management: What We Can Learn from California’s Central Valley Streams

Nature Conservancy | June 13th, 2014

Groundwater is intimately connected to surface water, which has profound implications for sustainable water resource management. California has historically overlooked th

Groundwater is intimately connected to surface water, which has profound implications for sustainable water resource management. California has historically overlooked this important interaction and as a consequence, decisions about groundwater extractions have generally failed to address the resulting impacts to surface flows and aquatic ecosystems such as rivers, wetlands and springs. This has contributed to a loss of approximately 95 percent of the historical wetlands and river habitat in California’s Central Valley. With the passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), groundwater sustainability agencies across the state will soon be required to manage groundwater resources to avoid causing undesirable results to groundwater levels and interconnected groundwater and surface water. These groundwater levels and areas of interconnection support groundwater- dependent ecosystems2 (GDEs). Therefore, an important first step in sustainable groundwater management is to understand how groundwater pumping impacts surface water, including streams, and GDEs.

Sustainable L.A. Grand Challenge Environmental Report Card for Los Angeles County: Water 2019

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | October 22nd, 2019

The Sustainable LA Grand Challenge (SLA GC) Environmental Report Card (ERC) for Los Angeles County (L.A. County) is the only comprehensive environmental report card for

The Sustainable LA Grand Challenge (SLA GC) Environmental Report Card (ERC) for Los Angeles County (L.A. County) is the only comprehensive environmental report card for a megacity in the world. This 2019 ERC on Water provides an in-depth look at the region’s efforts in moving toward a more resilient local water supply, which requires maximizing high quality local water supplies, improving water conveyance and treatment infrastructure, reducing water consumption, and implementing innovative technology and policy solutions. Twenty indicators were assessed across eight categories. Many of these indicators are new areas of assessment for the ERC and will provide a more comprehensive picture of current conditions compared to the 2015 ERC that last assessed L.A. County’s water. Grades were assigned in each category based on compliance with environmental laws or numeric standards where applicable, on our best professional judgment, and on historical improvements and context. This year’s grades range from D/ Incomplete to B+, and although there has been great progress in some areas, others still require significant improvement to raise the county’s C+ average.

Sustainable Landscapes in California: A Guidebook for Commercial and Industrial Site Managers

Pacific Institute | August 20th, 2020

Sustainable landscaping offers a solution in balance with the local climate and ecology, and actively contributes to community and watershed health by providing economic,

Sustainable landscaping offers a solution in balance with the local climate and ecology, and actively contributes to community and watershed health by providing economic, social, and environmental benefits. This guidebook provides simple steps to consider, select, and install sustainable landscaping. Aimed specifically at businesses and communities in California, the guidebook includes information on turf replacement, installation of bioswales and rain gardens, permeable pavement, green roofs, and rain tanks and cisterns. Self-assessments guide the user through the selection and installation process.

Sustainable Landscapes on Commercial and Industrial Properties in the Santa Ana River Watershed

Pacific Institute | February 14th, 2019

Pressures on water resources are intensifying due to aging infrastructure, population growth, climate change, and other factors. Marked by vast expanses of thirs

Pressures on water resources are intensifying due to aging infrastructure, population growth, climate change, and other factors. Marked by vast expanses of thirsty lawns and impermeable pavement, California’s urban and suburban communities are ill-equipped to handle these pressures. Outdoor use represents about half of all water used in urbanized areas, and even more in the hottest, driest parts of the state.1,2 Runoff from lawns carries fertilizers and pesticides into waterways. Similarly, impermeable pavement impedes groundwater recharge; contributes to higher peak flows; warms the urban environment; and carries oils, metals, and other toxins into rivers, estuaries, and the ocean. The good news is that there are more sustainable options for California communities. Replacing lawns with climate-appropriate plants that are irrigated efficiently can save water and reduce vulnerability to drought. When integrated with bioswales, rain gardens, and other green infrastructure, these projects can boost local water supplies, reduce flooding, and improve water quality. These practices can also save energy, provide habitat, sequester carbon, improve air quality, boost property values, enhance community livability, and increase resilience to climate change.

Sustainable Management of a Water Reservoir System Facing Climate Uncertainty

Social Science Research Network (SSRN) | November 27th, 2024

Water scarcity is a growing global issue. It affects even highly developed regions like California, the world's fifth largest economy, where years of severe droughts inte

Water scarcity is a growing global issue. It affects even highly developed regions like California, the world's fifth largest economy, where years of severe droughts interspersed with unusually wet seasons have caused societal debates over the management of the water resources stored in the state's extensive reservoir system. This paper presents a strategic optimization model for the long-term, sustainable management of such a system. Introducing a new modeling paradigm based on cycles of stochastic length, defined by the event when all reservoirs are simultaneously full, we avoid the limitations of traditional models and obtain sustainable management policies. To address the unpredictable effect of climate change on future water supply, we adopt a distributionally robust framework where nature chooses adverse inflow distributions. This leads to a stochastic shortest path problem under distributional ambiguity. Using tools from stochastic dynamic programming and aggregation methods, we obtain policy insights and overcome the curse of dimensionality typically associated with systems models. In a case study for California's Sacramento River Basin, we report suboptimality gaps between 3% and 15%, with our sustainable management policy reducing average cycle shortage costs by 40% compared to the current policy, demonstrating the significant cost saving potential.

Sustainable Use of Water in the Lower Colorado River Basin

Pacific Institute | November 26th, 1996

The Colorado River supplies water to nearly 30 million people and irrigates more than 1.5 million hectares of farmland in the United States and Mexico. But the diversion

The Colorado River supplies water to nearly 30 million people and irrigates more than 1.5 million hectares of farmland in the United States and Mexico. But the diversion of a huge amount of river water is seriously harming the delicate web of life that used to exist in the delta. The Sustainable Use of Water in the Lower Colorado River Basin, written by Sandra Postel of the Global Water Policy Project and Peter Gleick and Jason Morrison of the Pacific Institute, aims to clarify key concepts and criteria for sustainable water use within the Colorado basin, and then, using those criteria, present patterns of water management that can support economic prosperity and the environment. We do not presume to offer a single or best solution to water problems in the lower Colorado basin. The report’s goal is to define — both quantitatively and qualitatively — the unsustainable nature of current patterns of water use, and to demonstrate how technologies, policy actions, and management strategies can be combined to achieve more sustainable water use.