Supporting sustainable groundwater management

Implementation of the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is on schedule. The first phase, completed in 2017, created a new layer of local government — groundwater sustainability agencies.

Now, these new agencies must prepare groundwater sustainability plans. These plans will lay out a basic reckoning for every overdrafted basin: without additional water to replace groundwater pumping or to recharge aquifers, there will be less available to produce food, supply homes and businesses, and ensure there is enough water for the environment.