Amended
IN
Senate
March 21, 2023 |
Introduced by Senator Hurtado |
February 06, 2023 |
Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (the act), provides for the sustainable management of groundwater basins, and provides local groundwater agencies with the authority and the technical and financial assistance necessary to sustainably manage groundwater, among other purposes of the act. The act requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources that are designated as basins subject to critical conditions of overdraft to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2020, and requires all other groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2022, except as specified. Existing law authorizes a local agency
or combination of local agencies overlying a groundwater basin to decide to become a groundwater sustainability agency for that basin and requires a groundwater sustainability plan to be developed and implemented for each medium- or high-priority basin by a groundwater sustainability agency. Existing law requires the groundwater sustainability agency to consider the interests of all beneficial uses and users of groundwater, as described, as well as those responsible for implementing groundwater sustainability plans.
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that would assist groundwater sustainability agencies in fostering discussions among diverse water management interests and local agencies as they strive to implement the act.
It is the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that would assist groundwater sustainability agencies in fostering discussions among diverse water management interests and local agencies as they strive to implement the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.