Groundwater sustainability plans for 12 non-critically overdrafted groundwater basins have been approved by the Department of Water Resources (DWR). The announcement brings the total number of groundwater basins that have received determinations to 36. Big Valley, Shasta Valley, Scott River Valley, East Side Aquifer, Forebay Aquifer, Langley Area, Monterey, Upper Valley Aquifer, San Jacinto, Upper Ventura River, San Luis Obispo Valley, and Santa Margarita basins have all now been approved.
“We are impressed with the effort that local agencies have put into their groundwater sustainability plans,” DWR Deputy Director of Groundwater Management Paul Gosselin said in a news release. “Since the plans in these 12 basins were adopted in 2022, the local agencies immediately began implementation and embraced groundwater sustainability. We look forward to supporting local agencies while they continue to improve their planning efforts.”
Of the 36 basins to receive a determination from DWR, six have been regarded as insufficient and have now transitioned to the State Water Resources Control Board intervention process. DWR has also approved alternatives to groundwater sustainability plans for nine basins. Plans submitted by groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) in 47 other basins are still being evaluated by DWR. Additional determinations will continue to be issued throughout 2023.
The 12 recently approved plans had been submitted in January 2022. Local GSAs will now be able to move forward with recommended actions for ensuring long-term sustainability of the basins. DWR will continue to evaluate the implementation of sustainability plans and assess updates every five years.
“We expect these plans to adapt over time to changing conditions,” Gosselin noted. “The climate-driven weather extremes we are experiencing amplify the need for long-term groundwater management planning to ensure a safe and reliable groundwater supply that can be accessed during both wet years and the driest years without causing negative impacts.”
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