Kings Groundwater Agencies Continue to Hit Major Milestones by North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency Mar 13, 2025 Member Submitted News FRESNO – Local agencies in the Kings Subbasin have once again met a major milestone under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), ensuring groundwater management remains in local leaders’ hands. The seven Groundwater Sustainability Agencies in the Kings submitted their first Periodic Evaluation to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) ahead of the January 31 deadline, reporting on their progress over the last five years. At the same time, they also submitted updated Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) addressing state-requested corrections – critical to maintaining their local control status. The submittals reflect more than the agency managers’ ability to complete statutory deliverables on time; it is symbolic of their commitment to keep the region on track with SGMA and ensure locally led efforts remain intact. “These submissions aren’t just about checking boxes; they reflect years of coordinated effort,” stated Kassy Chauhan, North Kings GSA Executive Officer. “We need to drive this locally, with the input of our stakeholders, rather than be at the mercy of state agencies.” SGMA, enacted in 2014, requires groundwater subbasins in areas with a history of chronic over-pumping to halt groundwater overdraft and achieve sustainability by 2040. Besides developing new projects and programs to meet the objective, the agencies face a myriad of administrative deadlines under SGMA. If missed, the subbasin risks oversight by the State Water Resources Control Board – known to come with a one-size-fits-all approach of stringent pumping restrictions, aggressive fee structures, and data reporting – all implemented at a break-neck pace. “When it comes to developing solutions in the Kings, we make sure our landowners know what’s going on, they can provide their two cents,” stated Justin Mendes, North Fork Kings GSA General Manager. “Local control protects our ability to do things our way and on our timeframe, within whatever flexibility SGMA affords us.” Beyond planning and reporting, the Kings Subbasin has invested considerable effort building new infrastructure projects to increase surface water capture and recharge capacity since first submitting their GSPs in 2020. The Periodic Evaluation reports the Kings Subbasin completed more than 30 projects that recharged over 150,000 acre-feet between water years 2020 and 2023, with additional recharge beyond that vast sum in water year 2024. “By investing in both planning and infrastructure, we’re making real progress and providing direct benefit to our growers, residents, and businesses,” stated Chauhan. Even with drier conditions during 2020 – 2022 water years, the GSAs have met their initial 2025 sustainability targets thanks to swift execution on high-impact solutions. Across the subbasin, the agencies continue to monitor the aquifer and ensure targets appropriately set the region up for sustainability by the 2040 deadline. While the Kings Subbasin earned approval on their GSPs from DWR in 2023, a significant accomplishment, DWR required the GSAs to revise the Plans further to address certain “corrective actions” to fill data gaps and develop a domestic well mitigation program. Since then, the GSAs have aggressively addressed them not just on paper but with decisive action. In the southwest corner of the subbasin, the North Fork Kings GSA ran a 9-month well registration campaign in 2024 that included extensive outreach and support to well owners and resulted in 86% of parcels registering under the program. Several GSAs in the subbasin including the McMullin Area GSA, “MAGSA”, and North Kings GSA have developed similar programs to increase their data network and better understand deep aquifer pumping. Further north, the North Kings GSA and MAGSA are leading the charge on a multi-agency interconnected surface water study along the San Joaquin River. North Kings GSA and MAGSA have entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Madera Subbasin GSAs, Friant Water Authority, the US Bureau of Reclamation, and the San Joaquin River Restoration Administrator to further investigate the issue. The launch of the Kings Subbasin Domestic Well Mitigation Program puts in place funding and administrative mechanisms to support residents relying on domestic wells for water supply if their wells go dry due to declining groundwater levels. The program is available subbasin-wide, and each GSA has been able to tailor it according to their unique setting. ### The Kings Subbasin is located in the southern part of the San Joaquin Valley and comprised of seven Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs): Central Kings, James, Kings River East, McMullin Area, North Fork Kings, North Kings, and South Kings. The GSAs are implementing individual Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) and operate under a Coordination Agreement to achieve groundwater sustainability together by 2040 under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), signed into law in 2014.
