NEW View Posted GSPs and Make a Public Comment
Groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) for critically overdrafted basins were due to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) by January 31, 2020. Twenty-four of those plans are posted on the SGMA Portal and are open for public comment through April 15, 2020. The remaining plans will be posted and open for public comment in the coming weeks. Public comments on the GSPs are welcomed and encouraged. Information about how to comment on a plan can be found in a new fact sheet in English and Spanish. DWR will provide regular updates on submitted plans and public comment periods. For questions, email sgmps@water.ca.gov.
NEW Annual Reports Required by April 1, 2020
Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) which have submitted a GSP or Alternative to a GSP are required to submit an annual report to DWR by April 1. These reports will provide information on groundwater conditions and an update on implementation efforts for the prior water year. Information on what is expected in a report and how to submit these reports will be provided in the coming weeks.
NEW See the SGMA Workshop Video and PowerPoints
Earlier this year, DWR and the State Water Resources Control Board (Board) held regional workshops focused on evaluation of sustainability plans, the state’s role, annual reporting requirements and available resources. DWR plans to hold additional SGMA Workshops in the future. Many new tools are available online:
- Workshop video
- DWR workshop presentation slides
- Board workshop presentation slides
- DWR/Board fact sheet on submission and evaluation of plans in English and Spanish
For questions, email sgmps@water.ca.gov.
NEW Learn more about DWR’s Technical Support Projects
DWR is advancing eight new projects to provide GSAs, stakeholders, and the public with regional and statewide data, tools, and analysis aligned with the technical requirements of the GSP regulations and SGMA.
Below are fact sheets for each project:
- Conduct Airborne Electromagnetic Surveys – Published 2019
- Improve Groundwater Elevation and Quality Monitoring Network – Published 2019
- Statewide Land Use Data Collection – Published 2019
- Improve Subsidence Monitoring Network – Published 2019
- Install and Maintain Stream Gauges – Published 2019
- Maintain and Enhance Statewide Well Completion Reports – Published 2019
- Manage and Report Sustainable Groundwater Information – Published 2019 (Includes planned timeline for projects)
- Enhance and Maintain DWR’s Modeling Tools – Published 2019
These projects are funded by Proposition 68. For information, visit the Prop 68 tab on the Data and Tools webpage.
NEW Written Translation Service Now Available
DWR’s Written Translation Service is available to help with communication to non-English speaking constituents. Translation services for materials are available in Chinese, Hmong, Korean, Laotian, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Visit the Written Translation tab on the Assistance and Engagement webpage for details.
NEW SGM Grant Draft Awardees Announced
DWR recently announced draft recommended funding awards for approximately $46.25 million in Proposition 68 and $1.2 million in Proposition 1 grant funding. The grants will assist awardees in developing a GSP or updating an approved Alternative to a GSP. Funding priority was given to applicants who had not received the SGM Planning – Round 2 funding. For more information, visit the SGM Grant Program webpage.
NEW Draft Handbook for Water Budget Development Released
DWR has released a draft single-volume Handbook for Water Budget Development: With or Without Models, which presents existing information on various methods and data sources for developing water budgets. The Water Budget Handbook can help inform the development of water budgets for any geographic area and time period, using modeling and non-modeling approaches. For more information, check out the Frequently Asked Questions on the Water Budget Handbook. The comment period is now open on the draft document and closes on April 7, 2020. Email comments to cwpcom@water.ca.gov, attention Abdul Khan. For information on the Water Budget Handbook visit the Reports tab on the Data and Tools webpage.
NEW New SVSim Model Data Posted
The Future Water Supply program has posted the model mesh (node, element, and layer) data on the Sacramento Valley Groundwater-Surface Water Simulation Model (SVSim). These data are ASCII-formatted input for the Integrated Water Flow Model, which is the numerical model-code used for SVSim. Also available are the following technical memoranda:
- TM-1A Modeling Approach for C2VSim Enhancement
- TM-1B Development of Hydrogeologic Conceptual Model and Aquifer Parameters
- TM-2 Model Grid Development
For questions or more information, contact Linda Bond at Linda.Bond@water.ca.gov or Chris Bonds at Chris.Bonds@water.ca.gov.
REMINDER Statewide 2016 Crop Mapping Data is Online
The 2016 Statewide Crop Mapping data is now available online. This new dataset represents the 2016 main season agricultural land use, wetlands, and urban boundaries for the same time period for all 58 counties in California. For many years, DWR has collected land use data at the county level at different times across the state. Land use and crop mapping information is essential for regional analysis and decision making, which has become increasingly important as DWR, other state and local agencies, and landowners seek to manage the state’s water resources for longterm sustainability. For questions, email sgmps@water.ca.gov.
REMINDER SGMA 2019 Basin Prioritization Finalized
DWR announced in December 2019 the completion of a multi-year process to prioritize California’s 515 groundwater basins. SGMA 2019 Basin Prioritization identifies 94 basins as medium or high priority. The plans for the 21 critically overdrafted basins were due January 31, 2020, while the remainder of the plans are due beginning on January 31, 2022. No future basin prioritization projects are planned at this time. For more information, visit DWR’s Basin Prioritization webpage. For questions, email sgmps@water.ca.gov.
REMINDER Submit Your GSP Initial Notification
Before initiating development of a GSP, GSAs are required to notify DWR in writing. GSAs must submit all applicable GSP initial notification information to DWR using the SGMA Portal – GSP Initial Notification System. The SGMA Portal also allows edits to be made to a previously submitted Initial Notification, including the ability to withdraw a submittal. For more information, contact the Regional Coordinators in DWR’s four Regional Offices. For assistance with the system, email monica.reis@water.ca.gov.
Connect with Your Basin Point of Contact
DWR has designated Basin Points of Contact to assist local agencies and GSAs as GSPs are developed and implemented and to assist with applications for Technical Support Services and Facilitation Support Services.
For regional inquiries, contact sgmp_rc@water.ca.gov. For general inquiries, contact sgmps@water.ca.gov.
