For the first time in California’s history, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) regulates the use of groundwater by empowering local agencies to adopt groundwater management plans that are tailored to the resources and needs of their communities. We asked Sarge Green, a water management specialist with the California Water Institute at California State University, Fresno, to explain what the Act means and how it will affect the California Almond industry.
Q. What does sustainable groundwater management mean?
A. “Sustainable,” in this sense, means withdrawing groundwater in a way that will not have negative impacts, and the long-term reliability of the groundwater system for use in dry years is not affected.
Reliability involves the depth to the water table that, over an agreed upon time frame, must remain the same, on average, so that the reasonable needs of the overlying users can be met through extractions by pumping. An example would be that the pluses (recharge years) and the minuses (drought extractions) must average out to a specific groundwater level over the planning time frame. If the depth of the water continuously dropped over the planning time frame, then groundwater users would need to reduce the amount pumped until the elevation (groundwater level) returned to the agreed upon depth.
Examples of damage impacts include:
- Land subsidence (sinking at the surface and below)
- Drawing in seawater, brackish water or other materials that impact water quality
- Stemming the flow to a groundwater dependent stream
Such damage may result in a loss of the right to pump in the areas causing the problem unless some remediation is available, such as injection wells along the front of the area of seawater intrusion or a groundwater dependent stream
Q. How will it affect my ability to pump groundwater?
A. Probably the most significant change is that after the groundwater conditions are sufficiently studied, there will be a determination of the "fair share" of the water each overlying user is entitled to. If you have been using more than that calculated number, you may be required to reduce your pumping. The formula is simple: The calculated sustainable groundwater extraction amount over time per year, divided by the number of users and their eligible land.
Q What authority will Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSA) have?
A. SGMA establishes a structure for managing California’s groundwater resources at a local level through establishment of new local agencies in the State’s high- and medium-priority groundwater basins and sub-basins. A GSA is responsible for developing and implementing the findings of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the groundwater basin the GSA is in. The GSA, in essence, will develop the numbers in the rough formula given above, which will be included in the GSP.
Q. Who determines whether a groundwater sustainability plan is sufficient?
A. The State of California determines sufficiency of the plans. The lead agency for plan review is the California Department of Water Resources (DWR).
Q. Where are we right now in terms of the implementation process in the San Joaquin Valley?
A. Most areas of the San Joaquin Valley are in the midst of forming their GSAs. Some are further along than others. The beginning, for most, is signing a memorandum of understanding among the allied groundwater users. Some, more advanced areas are already forming joint powers agencies (post-MOU) to implement their programs and begin the GSP process. The biggest difference is the joint powers agencies have their governance structure and potential financial management processes already under final construction.
Q. What important deadlines are there that growers should be aware of?
A. All growers have to be in a GSA by June 2017. If they are not receiving some information, they may need to check with their county because counties are the default if no local water agency organizes their area. The next big date is 2020 when the GSPs have to be done by designated "high priority" groundwater basins. The entire San Joaquin Valley is high priority except for the Modesto and Turlock sub-basins.
Q. How best can growers engage at the local level at this time on the implementation process?
A. Growers need to find their GSA or find the county staff that will represent them and get on the mailing list for information. Someone they know is undoubtedly engaged in the process already, especially irrigation districts and cities. They can ask those people whom to contact for more information. It is important that growers become involved in their GSA so that their voices will be heard.
Q. What should growers be doing to be prepared for SGMA implementation?
A. Probably the most important piece of information is to know how much water they have been pumping. Interestingly, many growers do not have a meter on their well. That will be one of the first pieces of information needed by their GSA (and kept by the GSA) to determine extraction rates over a basin. The meter is also a great tool for any grower to have as they then know how much they are actually applying to their land, hence they can better determine how much water is being used on their crop and develop a water budget.
Q. Is there particular data or information they should be collecting?
A. See above; the well data is first and foremost.
Q. Can you explain the overlap between SGMA and the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP)?
A. One cross-connection between SGMA and ILRP is that both require protection of groundwater quality. The ILRP is currently focused on nitrogen management because nitrates are one of the materials that impact water quality. Nitrate is also deemed a concern within SGMA. The other connection is that both require representative groundwater monitoring. Currently, the ILRP requires representative groundwater monitoring in Coalition areas to ensure that over time the practices implemented by growers reduce the deep percolation of nitrate. It will be important to integrate the groundwater quality monitoring programs needed by both ILRP and SGMA for a more efficient process.
Sarge Green facilitates a collaborative effort to manage water resources in the San Joaquin Valley through integrated regional water management planning. Green also assisted two San Joaquin Valley counties with groundwater ordinances designed to assure availability of groundwater for county users while also aligning with the goals of the State of California’s new groundwater law.
