Board adopts groundwater-management fees for Cosumnes and Solano subbasins to fund SGMA compliance

Sacramento County's Board of Supervisors on July 22 approved amended ordinances establishing local fees to fund groundwater sustainability work in two subbasins: the Cosumnes (Kasumnes) subbasin and the Solano subbasin.

What the board approved: Staff presented fee studies and public outreach results and recommended ordinances to set two new or amended fees. For the Cosumnes (Kasumnes) subbasin, the amended fee structure adds a groundwater-base parcel fee and a public-water-supplier pumping fee, building on a $10-per-irrigated-acre baseline; the updated structure combines a $35.47 annual parcel fee for groundwater-using parcels and a $5.98 per acre-foot-pumped public-water-supply fee (five-year rolling basis). Staff estimated Kasumnes revenue at roughly $77,000 annually. For the Solano subbasin, a $1.54-per-assessable-acre fee was adopted for parcels in the county’s Solano district, estimated to raise about $66,000 annually.

Why the fees: The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires ongoing monitoring, data management, reporting, five-year plan reviews and, where necessary, plan amendments and projects. State law provides limited funding for these local responsibilities; the fees create a local funding stream to avoid a state backstop that would impose higher per-well registration fees and per-acre-foot assessments.

Public outreach and process: Staff said it mailed notices to potentially affected parcels and held public meetings, including a farmer’s barbecue and community briefings, and provided outreach in English and Spanish. The board opened and closed public hearings with no in-person speakers signed up for either item. An appeal process for fee determinations was described in the ordinances.

Board vote: Both fee ordinances passed by unanimous vote of supervisors present. Staff will enroll fees with the county auditor and start collection on the next tax roll cycle. If local agencies did not adopt fees, staff warned, the state could impose higher fees or other regulatory actions as a backstop.

Ending: The fees are smaller than potential state backstops but are designed to sustain ongoing SGMA compliance, monitoring and plan amendments; county staff emphasized continued coordination across local agencies and outreach to groundwater users.