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State Water Board and DWR outline next phase of SGMA implementation, stress subsidence mitigation and outreach
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Summary
State Water Board staff and Department of Water Resources officials briefed the board April 15 on implementation progress for the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, highlighting probationary basins, meter/reporting requirements, mitigation program design and upcoming guidance on subsidence and depletion of interconnected surface water.
State Water Resources Control Board staff and the Department of Water Resources (DWR) told the board April 15 that California is moving from planning into active implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), with new emphasis on subsidence, outreach to underrepresented groundwater users and the mechanics of extraction reporting.
The presentations, led by Natalie Stork, director of the board’s Office of Sustainable Groundwater Management, and Paul Gosselin, DWR deputy director for Sustainable Water Management, summarized recent probationary designations, described enhancements to the board’s Groundwater Extraction Annual Reporting System (GEERS), and previewed forthcoming guidance and potential regulations on subsidence and on depletion of interconnected surface water.
Why it matters: SGMA requires local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to achieve sustainability within 20 years. Where local plans are found inadequate, the State Water Board can place basins on probation and, if necessary, develop interim plans. The board emphasized that state involvement is intended as a temporary backstop while local agencies correct deficiencies.
Board staff reviewed the six critically overdrafted basins initially referred for state action — Tulare Lake, Tule, Kern County, Cahuilla, Chowchilla, and Delta Mendota — and noted Pleasant Valley in Fresno County was referred more recently. Staff said Tulare Lake actions are currently suspended due to litigation; Tule is under probation and non-exempt extractors began measuring extractions January 1, 2025. Other basins are at varying stages of revision, outreach and technical updates, with Kern County’s continued probationary hearing set for Sept. 17, 2025.
On reporting and fees, staff described GEERS upgrades and user tools. Amanda Howery and Amanda Pearson summarized the reporting workflow: extractors who are not de minimis must register wells in GEERS, report monthly extraction totals in acre-feet, identify measurement methods, and will receive invoices after filing. For probationary basins, staff noted current fee levels of $300 per well plus $20 per acre-foot, while reiterating some households and extractors may be exempt or qualify for waivers. Board staff said fees generally are not collected until more than a year after a probationary designation, allowing time for reporting and appeals.
A major focus was subsidence. DWR and board staff said subsidence remains one of the central drivers of SGMA and that forthcoming guidance and likely regulations will clarify expectations for GSAs. Paul Gosselin said the guidance will not create new statutory authority but will “clarify the intent” of SGMA’s subsidence language and recommend steps such as targeted monitoring corridors and coordination with infrastructure owners. Staff emphasized the need for GSAs to expand outreach to counties, public works departments, water districts, and other infrastructure owners when assessing subsidence impacts.
Board staff also stressed gaps they saw across many GSPs: inconsistent outreach to small growers, domestic well users, tribes and language communities; incomplete monitoring networks; and inadequate descriptions of management actions. Staff highlighted mitigation programs that GSAs are developing, noting successful programs advertise broadly, provide timely emergency response (for example 24-hour bottled water service and 72-hour tanked water service), and simplify applications. Several GSAs have committed specific mitigation budgets; Kaweah was cited for a $5.8 million annual mitigation budget funded by GSAs.
Public commenters and local representatives emphasized equity and implementation. Derek Juracek, chair of the Kern County Subbasin Coordination Committee, said his basin expects to submit an amended GSP by the June 20, 2025 deadline and continues community outreach with pop-up events and multilingual materials. Angela Islas of the Central California Environmental Justice Network urged prioritizing mitigation for domestic wells and coordinating with the SAFER program so households are not left waiting on limited emergency funds. Tian Tran urged “real demand management” and concrete pumping limits.
Board members praised staff and DWR for collaboration and asked detailed questions about the subsidence guidance, outreach to nontraditional stakeholders and the timetable for folding new guidance into plans and periodic evaluations. Staff said periodic evaluations will continue (GSAs submit them and staff will review) and that basins will be phased into any new requirements with technical assistance to reduce the risk of failure.
The board took no formal regulatory action at the meeting; the item was informational. Staff said they will release guidance drafts, schedule workshops and continue to coordinate with GSAs, DWR and community groups as implementation proceeds.
