Progress is being made by local agencies as they organize into locally-controlled Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSA) to meet the June 30, 2017 deadline established by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). As of May 31, 2017, 212 local agencies have submitted GSA formation notifications to the Department of Water Resources (DWR). This includes the coordinated efforts by a combination of local agencies. In addition, a number of agencies have submitted multiple notifications in multiple basins. In all, this accounts for 332 separate areas in 124 basins.
Of the 124 basins that are partially or completely covered by a GSA notification, 32 basins are designated as low, or very low priority, and 92 basins are medium, or high priority, subject to SGMA requirements. A number of the GSA notifications are overlapping, but it is expected these overlaps will be resolved prior to the June 30, 2017 deadline. Most counties have indicated that they will become the GSA in the unmanaged areas of high or medium priority basins, if needed. Counties that have opted-out of being the presumed GSA for the unmanaged area of a basin are listed here.
For those areas that are currently considered “unmanaged” by either the county or a local agency, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) is authorized to step in. Areas that fall into this category can be accessed here.