Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
The bill maintains the framework established by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, ensuring that relevant state agencies, including the Department of Water Resources, must consider the adopted groundwater sustainability plans when creating or modifying regulations or making determinations. By reinforcing this provision, the bill aims to uphold the standards necessary for effective groundwater management in over-extracted basins, thereby sustaining California's essential water resources. The proactive amendment could help streamline compliance and ensure consistent consideration of groundwater sustainability across agencies.
Assembly Bill No. 2876, introduced by Assembly Member Bigelow on February 18, 2022, seeks to amend Section 10720.9 of the Water Code as part of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. This Act mandates that all groundwater basins identified as high- or medium-priority basins must be managed under a sustainability plan. The timelines originally set for these plans, specifically for those basins marked by critical conditions of overdraft, were January 31, 2020, and January 31, 2022, for others. The proposed changes in AB 2876 appear to be primarily nonsubstantive adjustments concerning the clarity and implementation of policies related to these sustainability plans.
While the changes suggested by AB 2876 are predominantly technical and nonsubstantive, there are underlying concerns related to water management and local versus state control over groundwater resources. Some stakeholders may feel that even minor amendments could influence how agencies interpret and implement existing groundwater strategies. The continued emphasis on sustainability plans raises questions about the adequacy of current groundwater management practices, especially in areas facing chronic drought and groundwater depletion.