News Keyword: 2020 GSPs

DWR Releases Decisions for Groundwater Management Plans in Critically Overdrafted Basins

Department of Water Resources Will Transmit Six Basin Determinations to State Water Board, Beginning State Intervention Process

From the Department of Water Resources:

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today announced decisions for groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) for 12 critically overdrafted groundwater basins in Central California. These plans provide a roadmap for how groundwater basins will reach long-term sustainability, while implementing near-term actions such as expanding monitoring programs, reporting annually on groundwater conditions, implementing groundwater recharge projects and designing allocation programs.

Of the 12, plans for six basins are recommended for approval with recommended corrective actions for the basins to remain in an approved status. The remaining six basins are deemed inadequate and are transitioning from DWR’s oversight to the State Water Board for State intervention under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Adopted in 2014, SGMA requires local groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) in medium- and high-priority groundwater basins, which includes 21 critically overdrafted basins, to develop and implement GSPs.

DWR recommends approval of plans for the following basins:

    • Cuyama Basin in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura and Kern counties
    • Paso Robles Subbasin in San Luis Obispo County
    • Eastern San Joaquin Subbasin in San Joaquin County
    • Merced Subbasin in Merced County
    • Westside Subbasin in Fresno and Kings counties
    • Kings Subbasin in Fresno County

DWR deemed the following basin plans Inadequate:

    • Chowchilla Subbasin in Madera and Merced counties
    • Delta-Mendota Subbasin in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Fresno, Madera, and San Benito counties
    • Kaweah Subbasin in Tulare and Kings counties
    • Tule Subbasin in Tulare County
    • Tulare Lake Subbasin in Kings County
    • Kern Subbasin in Kern County

GSAs are required to begin implementing their plans as soon as they are adopted locally, and these activities will continue even if basins are under State intervention. These plans will help local agencies address conditions that negatively impact groundwater within 20 years such as groundwater overdraft, degraded groundwater quality, land subsidence, and impacts to drinking water well users.

The GSAs whose plans are recommended for approval conducted critical analysis of groundwater levels, water quality and inter-connected surface waters to develop and refine sustainable groundwater management criteria. While additional analytical work is needed during implementation, DWR deemed the framework for management sufficient under the law.

“Since the onset of SGMA, local agencies have stepped up with dedication and progress in meeting critical milestones,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Protecting domestic wells, minimizing land subsidence and protecting groundwater resources are all State priorities. Implementation of these plans, which will require difficult adjustments as we go, will ultimately provide a safe and reliable groundwater supply for communities for generations to come.”

The basins deemed inadequate by DWR did not appropriately address deficiencies in how GSAs structured their sustainable management criteria. The management criteria provide an operating range for how groundwater levels prevent undesirable effects such as overdraft, land subsidence and groundwater levels that may impact drinking water wells, within 20 years. These GSAs did not analyze and justify continued groundwater level declines and land subsidence. Further, the GSPs lacked a clear understanding of how the management criteria may cause undesired effects on groundwater users in the basins or critical infrastructure.

In January 2022, after technical evaluation, DWR found the plans in these 12 critically overdrafted basins to be incomplete, identifying significant deficiencies that precluded approval. The GSAs had 180 days to correct the deficiencies and revise and resubmit their plans to DWR for re-evaluation, consistent with the regulations.

The basins with plans recommended for approval will continue to work with DWR and report on their progress in implementing their plans and completing corrective actions. DWR will transmit each basin deemed inadequate to the State Water Board, which may designate the basin probationary after providing public notice and then holding a public hearing. Any probationary designation will identify the deficiencies that led to intervention and potential actions to remedy the deficiencies. At the hearing, interested parties will have the opportunity to provide comments and technical information to the State Water Board regarding the deficiencies that were identified in the plans. Each basin is unique and will be evaluated individually by the State Water Board. State intervention and oversight is a critical step in making sure these basins succeed in achieving sustainable groundwater conditions. The ultimate goal is to have all basins return to local management with a clear path on how to achieve sustainability within 20 years of their original plan submittal.

DWR supports local agencies by providing planning, technical and financial assistance to help GSAs and local communities in this long-term effort to sustainably manage their groundwater basins. The critically overdrafted basins each received $7.6 million in Sustainable Groundwater Management grant funding to help them implement their plans. Complementary funding programs like DWR’s LandFlex program, state drought assistance programs, and the California Department of Conservation’s Multibenefit Land Repurposing program are helping the most critically overdrafted areas of the state reduce their dependence on groundwater and fast-track progress in reaching local sustainability goals.

Out of a total of 94 groundwater basins required to submit plans under SGMA, DWR has provided determinations for 24 basins and is currently reviewing an additional 61 plans from 59 of the state’s high- and medium- priority basins that were submitted to DWR in January 2022. DWR anticipates issuing determinations for the remaining basins throughout 2023.

For more information, visit:

Media Coverage:

NGOs release evaluation of DWR’s determinations on 2020 Groundwater Sustainability Plans in Critically Overdrafted Basins

From the Groundwater Leadership Forum:

“Of the 46 GSPs submitted in January 2020, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) determined eight GSPs to be adequate and 34 GSPs to be incomplete.

In this paper we evaluate to what extent DWR’s determinations provide oversight on the key issues of drinking water, disadvantaged communities, the environment, stakeholder involvement, and climate change. We summarize the corrective actions that DWR is recommending or requiring, as well as compare DWR’s determinations to the assessment of 31 GSPs that we conducted in 2020.

We also reviewed the 11 comment letters submitted by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), 25 comment letters submitted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and seven comment letters submitted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to compare deficiencies identified in GSPs across agencies.” 

Read the report at the Groundwater Exchange here: Groundwater sustainability assessments: A review of DWR’s determinations on groundwater sustainability plans in critically overdrafted basins

RELATED: California can’t waver on water regulation, commentary at Cal Matters

Public Comment Period Opens for Additional Resubmitted Groundwater Sustainability Plans with ‘Incomplete’ Determinations

From the Department of Water Resources:

On January 28, 2022, the Department released eight Incomplete determinations on groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) developed by local agencies to meet the requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). These basins were given 180 days to address deficiencies and resubmit their revised GSPs to the Department for review.

The revised GSPs in response to the Incomplete determination have been resubmitted to the Department and are now posted on the DWR SGMA Portal. These plans are open to public comment for 60 days after the posted date. Below in the table are links to the submitted plans, counties they cover, and the public comment period end date. More information about how to comment on a GSP can be found in the public comment factsheet, available in English and Spanish. Please note that a SGMA Portal account is not required to submit a public comment.

 Basin Local ID (if applicable) Counties Covered Public Comment Period End Date
Eastern San Joaquin N/A Calaveras, San Joaquin, Stanislaus 9/30/2022
Merced N/A Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus 9/30/2022
Chowchilla N/A Madera, Merced 9/30/2022
Kings (including Coordination Agreement) Kings_SouthKings_Adopted Fresno, Kings, Tulare 9/30/2022
Kings_NorthKings_Adopted 9/30/2022
Kings_NorthForkKings_Adopted 9/30/2022
Kings_McMullinArea_Adopted 9/30/2022
Kings_KingsRiverEast_Adopted 9/30/2022
Kings_James_Adopted 9/30/2022
Kings_CentralKings_Adopted 9/30/2022
Kaweah (including Coordination Agreement) Mid-Kaweah GSA Kings, Tulare 9/30/2022
Kaweah Subbasin – Greater Kaweah Subbasin 9/30/2022
East Kaweah 9/30/2022
Tulare Lake N/A Kern, Kings, Tulare 9/30/2022
Tule (including Coordination Agreement) Tule Subbasin Alpaugh GSP Kern, Tulare 9/30/2022
Pixley ID GSA 9/30/2022
LTRID GSA 9/30/2022
DEID GSA 9/30/2022
Basin 5-022.13 TCWA – Tule 9/30/2022
Basin 5-022.13 ETGSA GSP 9/30/2022
Kern County (including Coordination Agreement) KGA GSP Kern, San Luis Obispo 9/30/2022
Kern County Subbasin Olcese GSP 9/30/2022
Kern County Subbasin KRGSA GSP 9/30/2022
Henry Miller Water District GSA 9/30/2022
BVGSA 9/30/2022
  South of Kern   9/30/2022

 

Public Comment Period Opens for a Groundwater Sustainability Plan

A groundwater sustainability plan that has recently been submitted to the Department is now posted on the DWR SGMA Portal.

The plan is open to public comment for 75 days after the posted date. Below in the table is a link to the submitted plan, the county it covers, and the public comment period end date.

Information about how to comment on the plan can be found in a fact sheet in English and Spanish. Public comments are welcomed and encouraged. A SGMA Portal account is not necessary to submit comments.

 Basin Local ID (if applicable) County Covered Public Comment Period End Date
Riverside-Arlington N/A Riverside 10/15/2022
San Gabriel Valley N/A Los Angeles 10/15/2022

For questions or more information, email sgmps@water.ca.gov.

Public Comment Period Opens for Re-Submitted Groundwater Sustainability Plans with ‘Incomplete’ Determinations

From the Department of Water Resources:

On January 21, 2022, the Department released four Incomplete determinations on groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) developed by local agencies to meet the requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). These basins were given 180 days to address deficiencies and resubmit their revised GSPs to the Department for review.

The revised GSPs in response to the Incomplete determination have been re-submitted to the Department and are now posted on the DWR SGMA Portal. These plans are open to public comment for 60 days after the posted date. Below in the table are links to the submitted plans, counties they cover, and the public comment period end date.

The remaining revised GSPs must be submitted to the SGMA Portal by July 27, 2022 and will also be open to public comment for 60 days after the posted date.

Additional information related to this process is available in the GSP Reporting System – Incomplete Resubmission Process User Manual.

 Basin Local ID (if applicable) Counties Covered Public Comment Period End Date
Cuyama N/A Kern, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura 9/19/2022
Paso Robles Area N/A San Luis Obispo 9/19/2022
Delta-Mendota (including Coordination Agreement) Aliso WD GSA Fresno, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus 9/19/2022
DM_NorthCentral_Adopted 9/19/2022
DM_Grassland_Adopted 9/19/2022
DM_Farmers_Adopted 9/19/2022
DM_FresnoCounty_Adopted 9/19/2022
DM_SJREC_Adopted 9/19/2022
Westside N/A Fresno, Kings 9/19/2022

 

For questions or more information, email sgmps@water.ca.gov.

THIS JUST IN … DWR Releases Additional “Incomplete” Groundwater Sustainability Plan Assessments to Agencies, Initiating 180-day Timeline to Correct Deficiencies

From the Department of Water Resources:

Today, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) released eight determinations on groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) developed by local agencies to meet the requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).

DWR has found in its technical review that the GSPs in eight basins contain deficiencies that preclude approval and the plans are determined to be Incomplete. The eight basins include the Eastern San Joaquin Subbasin, Merced Subbasin, Chowchilla Subbasin, Kings Subbasin, Kaweah Subbasin, Tulare Lake Subbasin, Tule Subbasin, and Kern County Subbasin, primarily located in the San Joaquin Valley.

The basins with GSPs that are determined Incomplete have 180 days from today’s release of DWR’s determination to address deficiencies and resubmit their corrected GSPs to the Department for review.

The determinations can be found on the Department’s SGMA Portal. For more information related to these GSP Assessments, please find the Frequently Asked Questions: Incomplete Determinations & Next Steps on our website. For questions, please contact the Sustainable Groundwater Management Office by emailing sgmps@water.ca.gov.

 

THIS JUST IN … DWR Releases Additional Groundwater Sustainability Plan Assessments to Agencies

From the Department of Water Resources:

Today, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) released two additional determinations on groundwater sustainability plans developed by local agencies to meet the requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).

DWR has approved plans for the Los Posas Valley Basin in Ventura County and the Indian Wells Valley Basin, primarily located in northeast Kern County. These two plans are approved with recommended corrective actions that the groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) will need to address in their next plan update, due in January 2025. The GSAs for these basins will continue implementing their plans to achieve SGMA’s goal of groundwater sustainability within 20 years.

The determinations can be found on the Department’s SGMA Portal. For questions, please contact the Sustainable Groundwater Management Office by emailing sgmps@water.ca.gov.

KERN COUNTY WATER SUMMIT: SGMA Implementation Update

At the Kern County Water Summit held last week, hosted by the Water Association of Kern County, Acting Deputy Director of the Department of Water Resources Statewide Groundwater Management Program Steven Springhorn provided an update on the Department’s progress on SGMA implementation, including the Department’s review of the submitted Groundwater Sustainability Plans and the existing and proposed SGMA-related assistance.

He began by noting the considerable amount of work that has been done the past six years since the law went into effect, includes establishing regulations for the forming Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (or GSAs) and for developing Groundwater Sustainability Plans (or GSPs).

“We are right now at a point where SGMA is hitting its full stride,” said Mr. Springhorn.  “There is still a lot of work ahead of us in this next phase, which is full-scale plan implementation over the next 20 years.  The local efforts of implementing plans and adaptively managing the groundwater basins will allow us to find solutions to the tough challenges that are out there in order to reach sustainability in 20 years and make measurable progress along the way.”

Click here to read this article at Maven’s Notebook.

DWR Releases First Assessments of Initial Groundwater Sustainability Plans

From the Department of Water Resources:
 
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) today released its first assessments of groundwater sustainability plans developed by local agencies to meet the requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
 
DWR has completed its assessment and approved plans for the Santa Cruz Mid-County Basin in Santa Cruz County and 180/400 Foot Aquifer Subbasin in Monterey County. The groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) for these critically over-drafted basins will continue implementing their plans to achieve SGMA’s goal of groundwater sustainability within 20 years.
 
DWR has notified GSAs for the Cuyama Valley Basin and Paso Robles Subbasin that their plans lack specific details and are not yet approved. DWR is requesting a consultation meeting with the GSAs to discuss actions necessary to improve the plans. DWR is committed to working with local agencies and providing technical and financial support to help them bring their basins into balanced levels of pumping and recharge.
 
“Local management, including development of solutions for the long-term reliability of groundwater, is the cornerstone of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “DWR’s evaluation and assessment of groundwater sustainability plans is an important step in the long process of bringing our critical groundwater basins into sustainability, helping to ensure Californians have a reliable water source during drought years and for generations to come.”
 
DWR is releasing plan assessments as they are completed, rather than waiting to release the assessments at the end of the two-year review period in January 2022, to provide early feedback and guidance that can inform other GSAs as they develop their plans.
 
SGMA initiated a new era of local groundwater management. For the first time in California’s water history, local agencies and groundwater users are required to form GSAs and develop and implement plans to guide how they will achieve groundwater basin sustainability goals over the next 20 years. SGMA lays out a process designed for continuous improvement – gathering information to fill data gaps, updating plans, and promoting science-based adaptation. Plans will be updated as new information becomes available and as conditions change in groundwater basins. DWR will review annual reports and also assess each plan every five years to determine if the GSAs are on track to meet their basin’s goal.
 
Despite the long-term timeline, SGMA requires near-term actions that will help the state manage water resources during dry and drought years. For example, GSAs have been required to submit annual progress reports since 2020 with the most up-to-date monitoring and plan implementation information for their groundwater basins, including groundwater levels and use. This data can be accessed on the SGMA Portal. By tracking conditions and implementation performance, the state and local agencies can better manage water resources during average and wet years to ensure groundwater will be available as a buffer during dry years.
 
In addition to and aligned with plan evaluation, DWR continues to support GSAs by providing planning, technical and financial assistance. Recently, DWR announced $26 million in grant funding for project investments to improve water supply security, water quality and the reliability of groundwater. These efforts align with the Administration’s budget proposal for significant additional funding for projects to improve groundwater conditions and advance safe drinking water efforts for groundwater-dependent communities.
 
For more information about DWR’s available assistance, watch this video and visit the assistance and engagement webpage.
 
Additional information, including a video message from DWR on the assessments, is available at this website.

Analysis of 31 GSPs in Critically Overdrafted Basins

One of the key criteria that the Department of Water Resources (DWR) must consider when evaluating whether a GSP is likely to achieve the sustainability goal for the basin is “Whether the interests of the beneficial uses and users of groundwater in the basin, and the land uses and property interests potentially affected by the use of groundwater in the basin, have been considered” (23 California Code of Regulations [CCR] § 355.4(b)(4)).

In regard to this and other statutory requirements to consider and address the needs of all beneficial users in GSPs, a group of NGOs, with the support of Water Foundation, collectively reviewed 31 GSPs in 16 critically overdrafted basins and subbasins.

The organizations collectively submitted detailed formal comment letters to each GSA on the public draft GSPs as well as detailed formal comment letters to DWR on the final GSP documents, within the formal public review period.

The reviews were prioritized towards those GSPs that were considered to be of high priority by our organizations due to the presence of: (1) small drinking water systems, (2) groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs), and (3) DACs. Prioritization also considered coverage and interest by the respective organizations, with the goal of selecting at least one GSP per critically overdrafted basin.

Although we did not review all 46 submitted GSPs, the findings from our analysis are both valuable to inform GSP implementation and updates in critically overdrafted basins, and to inform the development and review of GSPs currently being drafted for the remaining high- and medium-priority basins. For each of the five key elements, the following sections discuss: (1) the regulatory basis for consideration of beneficial users, (2) a summary of our review findings, (3) a discussion of how the GSPs should have more adequately addressed the key issues, and (4) a selection of “Model GSP Elements” from reviewed GSPs.

It is the goal of this analysis to share our findings in order to help inform and improve the development of GSPs for non-critically overdrafted basins, as well as to inform opportunities for improvement of GSPs for critically overdrafted basins.

For more analysis on the 2020 GSPs, visit the 2020 GSP page at the Groundwater Exchange.

California regions submitted their first Groundwater Sustainability Plans in 2020. How did they do?

” … With support from the Water Foundation, a collaborative effort among California nonprofits and community groups has been leading statewide advocacy to ensure public agencies and elected officials implement the legislation fairly, effectively, and equitably.

This month, the group marked an important milestone.  Over the past year, researchers and advocates at Ag Innovations, Audubon California, Clean Water Fund, Local Government Commission, The Nature Conservancy, and Union of Concerned Scientists, among others, have been pouring over thousands upon thousands of pages of local groundwater sustainability plans.  While often hard to decipher and full of technical jargon, these plans reveal more about California’s groundwater health than we’ve ever seen publicly available before. … ”

Continue reading at the Water Foundation here:  California Regions Submitted Their First Groundwater Sustainability Plans in 2020. How Did They Do?