HomeMy WebLinkAboutDWR - News Release RE Draft Prioritization of Groundwater Basins Under SGMA Menchaca, Clarissa
From: Bennett, Robin
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2018 2:50 PM
To: Menchaca, Clarissa
Cc: McCracken, Shari; Gosselin, Paul
Subject: FW: NEWS RELEASE: DWR Releases Draft Prioritization of Groundwater Basins Under
SGMA
Hello,
Please see the attached CA DWR News Release regarding the Draft Prioritization of Groundwater Basins Under SGMA.
Thank you,
Ra4t Sepuvtr,
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(530) 872-6304 rbeanett
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Supervisor 1)oap' Teowv.'
Nourd 01'strict 5
747 1,111iott Road
Pa,radise (,'A 95969
From: DWR Water News List<DW R—N EWS RELEASES@ LISTSE RV IC E.CN RA.CA.GOV>On Behalf Of DWR Public Affairs
Office
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2018 1:27 PM
To: DWR—N EWSR E LEASES@ LISTS E RVICE CN RA.CA.GOV
Subject: NEWS RELEASE: DWR Releases Draft Prioritization of Groundwater Basins Under SGMA
May 18, 2018
Contact:
Lauren Bisnett, Information Officer
(916) 653-7564 1 dauren,bisneft@water.ca.gov
DWR Releases Draft Prioritization of Groundwater Basins Under SGMA
Comment Period Opens Today and Runs Through July 18
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SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Water Resources (DWR)today released a draft prioritization of
groundwater basins as required by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act(SGMA). The 2018 SGMA Basin
Prioritization is scheduled to be finalized by fall 2018 after a public comment period that starts today and runs
through July 18.
SGMA requires local agencies throughout the state to sustainably manage groundwater basins. Under the act, DWR
is required to prioritize groundwater basins and direct high- and medium-priority basins to meet a timeline of targets
on the path to sustainability. The 2018 SGMA Basin Prioritization released today is a reassessment of the 2016
update of Bulletin 118 Basin Boundaries.
"Sustainably managing groundwater is a critical component of California's efforts to build a more resilient and
reliable water system," said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. "The Department of Water Resources is committed to
working with Groundwater Sustainability Agencies throughout the state to bring basins into sustainability. This
prioritization is crucial to that work. We must plan ahead so this vital resource is available for Californians today and
in years to come."
Basin prioritization is the process of classifying basins and subbasins based on a variety of factors identified in the
law such as population and number of water wells in a basin. Basins throughout the state are ranked from very-low
to high-priority. Basins ranking high- or medium-priority are subject to SGMA.
Of the 517 groundwater basins statewide, the newly released prioritization identifies 109 basins as high- and
medium-priority. These 109 basins, including 32 adjudicated basins ranked as low- or very-low priority, account for
approximately 98 percent of the groundwater used in California. Under the 2018 SGMA Basin Prioritization, 14
basins previously ranked as low- or very-low are now ranked as high-or medium-priority. These basins are now
subject to SGMA. They are:
Mad River Valley basin-Mad River Lowland Westside basin
subbasin
Alexander Valley basin-Alexander Area Carpinteria basin
subbasin
Santa Rosa Valley basin-Healdsburg Area Montecito basin
subbasin
Wilson Grove Formation Highlands basin Ventura River Valley basin-Lower Ventura
River subbasin
Napa-Sonoma Valley basin-Napa Sonoma Upper Lake Valley basin
Lowlands subbasin
Santa Clara Valley basin-San Mateo Plain San Joaquin Valley basin-Pleasant Valley
subbasin subbasin
Half Moon Bay Terrace basin Kern River Valley basin
Under the 2018 SGMA Basin Prioritization, 38 basins previously ranked as high- or medium-priority are now ranked
low- or very-low priority and are no longer subject to SGMA. This includes 24 adjudicated basins that are required to
submit annual reports. The non-adjudicated basins ranked as low- or very-low are:
Santa Clara Valley basin-East Bay Plain Borrego Valley basin-Ocotillo Wells
subbasin subbasin
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West Santa Cruz Terrace basin Salinas Valley basin-Atascadero Area
subbasin
Santa Margarita basin Arroyo Santa Rosa Valley basin
Elsinore basin-Bedford Coldwater subbasin Redding Area basin-Bowman subbasin
San Diego River Valley basin Sacramento Valley-Dye Creek subbasin
Corralitos basin-Purisima Highlands Sacramento Valley-Los Molinos subbasin
subbasin
Tahoe Valley basin,-Tahoe South subbasin Bear Valley basin
Under SGMA, high- and medium-priority basins are required to form Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs)
and develop Groundwater Sustainability Plan (DSPs). When the 2018 SGMA Basin Prioritization is made final, the
basins newly subject to SGMA must form GSAs within two years and adopt GSPs within five years or they must
develop an approved alternative plan.
Low- or very-low priority basins are not subject to SGMA but are encouraged to form GSAs and GSPs, update
existing groundwater management plans, and coordinate with adjacent basins to develop a new groundwater
management plan.
DWR provides a wide variety of resources and services to support local agencies and GSAs in implementing
SGMA. The department provides facilitation support, technical support services, and financial assistance. Other
tools include access to data, mapping, modeling, maps, reports, and IDWR's newly launched SGMA Data Viewer
and'Natural Communities Commonly Associated with Groundwater Dataset Viewer.
DWR will conduct public meetings to gather additional data and information on the proposed prioritization.
For more information visit the basin prioritization website at hftps://www,water.ca,gov/ProgEgm,s/�Gr0undwa� �
Manaqement/Basin-Prioritization
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