Some of the California water regulations may be at odds with some of the provisions of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The guidelines established under the Waters of the State rule may create some conflict as SGMA continues to be implemented.
“It is important to note that the California rule likely will have an effect on public water agencies and individuals that are working to build new recharge basins to help restore some of our groundwater resources,” said Mike Wade, Executive Director of the California Farm Water Coalition. “I think there will be some impediments and some regulatory issues that public water agencies have to deal with that might not otherwise be there.”
The state and federal efforts to bring California groundwater supplies back into a more balanced management scenario have the same long-term goals. However, the provisions of each set of rules may result in slowing the process down in realistically achieving those objectives. “The conflict between those will create trouble and I think make it difficult to achieve some of the goals of SGMA if they are not amended or implemented in such a way that allows local agencies to improve groundwater recharge facilities,” Wade noted.
Listen to the report below.
About the Author
