Sustainable Groundwater

Administrative Performance Measure 3.8, Last updated: January 27, 2025 | About this Measure
From 2014 to 2024, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act resulted in over 100 new groundwater sustainability plans to address overdraft and water supply reliability.

The Measure

The appropriate agencies will carry out their responsibilities established by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). This measure will track administrative actions until Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) begin to be completed in 2020.

  • Expectations

    State or local agencies will carry out their responsibilities under SGMA and will meet implementation deadlines.

  • Performance Metrics

    • Provide a more reliable water supply for California
    • Complete the actions required by SGMA
    • This will be evaluated annually until GSPs are complete.

Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs)

SGMA addresses chronic groundwater overdrafts throughout California. Groundwater overdraft occurs in regions that rely upon Delta watershed water. Actions to ensure the long-term sustainability of the groundwater are also essential to local self-reliance and improved reliability in regional water supply. SGMA requires local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) in the identified priority basins to develop and implement GSPs. GSPs provide a plan for how groundwater basins will reach long-term sustainability. It is important to note that GSAs, Basin Boundaries, and GSPs have and will continue to shift in terms of geographic boundaries and status under SGMA. To get current information of GSA and GSP status please visit the SGMA Portal website.

Determinations of GSPs

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) addressed chronic groundwater overdrafts throughout California and reached tenth anniversary in 2024. SGMA mandated the formation of over 250 Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) and development of over 100 Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs). GSAs and their corresponding plans (GSPs) were developed in high and medium priority basins that account for 98% of California’s total water supply. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) evaluates the adequacy of the GSPs for all identified critical, high, and medium-priority basins. GSPs submitted are classified as approved, incomplete, or inadequate by the Department.  The formation of GSAs and GSPs have resulted in major improvements in groundwater data tracking with over 9,000 wells monitored in water year 2024 and increased funding for local groundwater recharge projects. Additional information can be found on DWR’s website for Groundwater Sustainability Plans and in the Semi-Annual Update Reports released by the Department.

 

Map of California and the current status of reviewed GSPs as of September, 2024 as reported by the Fall 2024 Semi-Annual Update. For more information on GSP status please visit the GSP SGMA Portal (linked in the map above).
Map of California and the current status of reviewed GSPs as of September 2024 as reported by the Fall 2024 Semi-Annual Update. For more information on GSP status please visit the Semi-Annual Conditions Update Webpage (Linked to the map above).

Completion of SGMA Actions

Local agencies, DWR and SWRCB will and have been carrying out their responsibilities established by SGMA. This timeline tracks the implementation of SGMA and adoption of groundwater sustainability goals from 2020 and onward. This timeline uses the SGMA Legislation timeline released in 2014 as a guideline. Note that there are some deviations from this timeline for simplicity and that deadlines listed are subject to change.

Completed actions pre-2020 can be found in the blue accordions below.

  • 2020

    • Department of Water Resources

      Groundwater sustainability plans for critically over-drafted basins were submitted in January of 2020. DWR has two years from the date of submission to evaluate them.

      Update: The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) evaluated Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) in critically over-drafted groundwater basins subject to SGMA and on March 2, 2023 found that six basins’ plans were inadequate. For more information on this determination see the SGMA Groundwater Basins page.

      Deadline: 2020-01-01

      Status: Completed

  • 2021

    • State Water Resources Control Board

      Board begins developing interim plans for critically overdrafted probationary basins one year after the probationary designation, if the Board, in consultation with the DWR, determines that a local agency has not remedied the deficiency that resulted in the probationary status.

      Update: Although some basins have been placed on probation, no basin has qualified for state intervention as of 2025. If, after a year of probation, local agencies have not resolved the deficiencies contributing to its probationary status, the State Water Board may develop and implement an interim plan to manage groundwater use in the basin.

      Deadline: 2026-01-01

      Status: In Progress - On Schedule

  • 2022

    • State Water Resources Control Board

      All other high and medium priority (non- critically over drafted) basins must be managed under a GSP. 

      Update: Many of the basins described above submitted their GSPs to DWR by the 01/31/2022 due date. Current status on GSP submittals and determinations can be found on the SGMA Portal.

      Deadline: 2022-01-31

      Status: Completed

    • Department of Water Resources

      SGMA directs DWR to evaluate and assess all GSPs to determine whether the plans are adequate, based on best available science and information, and whether implementation of the plans is reasonably likely to achieve the basin’s sustainability goal. 

      Update: The initial assessment of GSPs was completed in January 2024. Note that there are still GSPs with a status of under review, incomplete, or inadequate.

      Deadline: 2024-01-18

      Status: Completed

    • Department of Water Resources

      Following submission of a GSP, GSAs are required to provide Annual Reports on April 1st each year and provide 5-year updates to the GSP.

      Update: Annual Reviews are categorized as one of the following statuses by DWR: Withdrawn and Submitted and if Submitted they are categorized as: Reviewed as Complete, Review in Progress, Additional Information Requested. See SGMA Portal for current status of Annual Review Status.

      Deadline: 2024-04-01

      Status: Completed

  • 2025

    • State Water Resources Control Board

      Board designates basins as probationary if DWR, in consultation with the Board, determines that the GSP is inadequate or not being implemented correctly, and the Board determines that the basin is in a condition where groundwater extractions result in significant depletion of interconnected surface waters.

      Update: Some basins have been placed on probationary status and others have hearing scheduled to occur throughout 2025. See SGMA’s Water Issues Homepage for Announcements on probation hearing scheduling.

      Deadline: 2025-01-31

      Status: In Progress - On Schedule

  • 2040

    • Local Agencies

      GSAs develop and implement groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) to avoid undesirable results and mitigate overdraft within 20 years. With first GSPs having been adopted in 2020/2022, SGMA has set an ambitious goal for GSAs to reach sustainable groundwater conditions by 2040/2042.

      Deadline: 2042-01-21

      Status: In Progress - On Schedule

Legend

Status completed iconCompleted

Status in progress iconIn Progress

Project Behind ScheduleProject Behind Schedule

 

Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 (SGMA) includes a key principal of solving problems on the local level. SGMA mandates: “to manage groundwater basins through the actions of local governmental agencies to the greatest extent feasible, while minimizing state intervention to only when necessary to ensure that local agencies manage groundwater in a sustainable manner.”

Groundwater Sustainability Agencies are required to adopt sustainability goals for the maximum amount of groundwater withdrawn annually without causing an undesirable result. Undesirable results of chronic groundwater overdraft include: chronic lowering of groundwater levels, reduction in groundwater storage, seawater intrusion, degradation of water quality, land subsidence, impacts on beneficial uses of surface water. For each of the undesirable results, Groundwater Sustainability Plans are required to define sustainable management criteria that:

  1. Minimum thresholds: numeric values to define undesirable results
  2. Measurable objectives: specific, quantitative goals to achieve sustainability for the basin by 2040
  3. Interim milestones: incremental 5-year targets leading to achievement of the measurable objective.

GSAs are also required to establish monitoring programs to evaluate these metrics and implement projects and management actions, as appropriate, to meet their locally define sustainability goals.

Year Agency Action
2015 DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES DWR releases initial basin prioritization
2016 DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Adjudicated basins submit final judgment to DWR and begin submitting annual reports to DWR.
2016 DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES DWR adopts regulations for evaluating and implementing Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) and coordination agreements and DWR adopts regulations for evaluating alternatives to GSPs
2016 DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES DWR identifies basins subject to critical conditions of overdraft.
2016 DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES DWR publishes report on water available for groundwater replenishment.
2017 DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES DWR publishes best management practices for sustainable management of groundwater.
2017 DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Alternative to a GSP due to DWR
2017 STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD Board holds hearings to designate basins as probationary if a GSA or approved alternative is not established.
2017 DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Establish GSAs (or equivalent) for all high and medium priority basins.
2017 STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD Board adopts a fee schedule for state backstop related costs.
2018 STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD Board begins to develop interim plans if a local agency has not remedied the deficiency that resulted in the “probationary basin” status. The Board consults with DWR. Water Code § 10735.4(c) Probationary basins may petition for un-designation. The Board consults with DWR to determine if the petition is complete. The Board acts on the petition within 90 days of submittal.

 

Each chapter of the Delta plan includes strategies to achieve the goals of the plan. These strategies are general guidance on achieving the objective laid out in the plan and in the Delta Reform Act of 2009. Associated with these strategies are recommendations. The recommendations describe more specific and implementable actions to support the achievement of Delta Plan strategies. Strategies and recommendations may also have associated performance measures. Delta Plan performance measures track progress in achieving desired outcomes for the Delta Plan. Below are the strategies and recommendations associated with this performance measure.

Delta Plan Strategy

  • Improve groundwater management

Delta Plan Recommendations
  • Update Bulletin 118, California’s Groundwater Plan
  • Implement Groundwater Management Plans in Areas that Receive Water from the Delta Watershed
  • Recover and Manage Critically Overdrafted Groundwater Basins

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