In 2014, Governor Brown signed into law a package of bills (SB1168, AB1739 and SB1319) to regulate groundwater, collectively called the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act,   The intent of the Act is to create a "framework for sustainable, groundwater management and use of groundwater in a manner that can be maintained during the planning and implementation horizon without causing undesirable results.”  Under the Act, the state will have direct oversight of how groundwater basins are managed at the local level and may intervene to manage basins when local agencies fail to take appropriate responsibility.  

Groundwater basins ranked as medium- or high-priority are required to form Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to develop a sustainability plan over the next few years that addresses groundwater levels, groundwater quality, surface water interaction and more.

The Sierra Valley groundwater basin is currently ranked as a medium-priority basin. This ranking requires SVGMD to prepare a sustainable groundwater plan by 2022. 

If you would like to receive notices about SGMA implementation within the Sierra Valley Basin, please notify us at sierravalleygmd@sbcglobal.net and you will be added to our e-mail list. 

For futher information, please follow these links: 

Sustainable Goundwater Management Act 

Groundwater Sustainability Agencies 

Groundwater Sustainability Plans 

Best Management Practices and Guidance Documents

SGMA Handbook (Water Education Foundation)