Introduction

Why is this project needed? Groundwater accounts for between 40-60% of California’s water supply and is heavily relied upon in dry years. Despite its importance to the state’s water supply, groundwater remained largely unregulated until passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014. Passage of SGMA requires local agencies to collect information about the health of their groundwater basins and use that information to develop groundwater sustainability plans to achieve groundwater sustainability.
What will this project focus on? In partnership with the Department of Water Resources (DWR), State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), this project will advance two key elements to support local agencies developing groundwater sustainability plans under SGMA:
- Expansion of an open-source Water Accounting Platform. Learn more about the water accounting platform here.
- Co-development of data reporting best management practices.