State staff outline when board can step in on overdrafted basins; reporting, fees and mitigation plans explained

State Water Resources Control Board staff updated the board on the process and tools the state can use to temporarily manage groundwater basins when local agencies fail to achieve sustainability under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Natalie Store, assistant director for the presentation, said the board’s intervention is intended as a backstop when local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) cannot correct deficiencies in their Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs).

The update explained why the state may intervene and how that intervention proceeds. Under the process described by staff, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and board staff review GSPs for completeness and likely achievement of sustainability; if a plan is found inadequate, the board may place the basin under a “probation” or interim management to protect groundwater and infrastructure while local agencies remedy shortfalls. Staff said the board gives agencies time to fix deficiencies, but if insufficient progress occurs the board can adopt a temporary plan and require reporting, measurement and fees.

Board members and state staff framed the issue as urgent for agriculture, domestic wells and infrastructure. Staff noted sustained overdraft and land subsidence in several Central Valley subbasins, and…