Sustaining Groundwater Resources

Protecting the health of California’s groundwater basins into the future.

Sustainable Groundwater

Groundwater is one of California’s most precious water resources. In many cases the demand for groundwater is directly related to the reliability and availability of surface water supplies so in dry years groundwater use can increase drastically resulting in severe overdraft.

ACWA's Efforts

Bringing the state’s critically over-drafted groundwater basins back into balance is vital to California’s water future. In 2019 ACWA prepared “A Technical Framework for Increasing Groundwater Replenishment” in response to a growing need to promote groundwater replenishment activities as a strategy to maintain or improve groundwater levels statewide.

SGMA

The passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014 was the first time in California water history that a statewide regulatory framework for groundwater management was enacted with outcome-based metrics and local control at its foundation.

ACWA Member Efforts

ACWA members throughout the state are forming Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, developing governance plans, conducting stakeholder outreach, researching current conditions, and drafting plans to bring overdrafted groundwater basins back into balance.

Learn More…

“Proper groundwater management helps provide a buffer against drought and climate change, and contributes to reliable water supplies regardless of weather patterns.” Pamela Tobin ACWA Immediate Past President

Aug 19, 2021
Policy Documents

ACWA Groundwater Management Policy Principles

by Caroline Minasian

In August 2021, ACWA released its updated “ACWA Groundwater Management Policy Principles.” The policy principles include enhancing local management of […]

Apr 7, 2014
Policy Documents

Recommendations for Achieving Groundwater Sustainability

by Emily Allshouse

In April 2014, ACWA released its “Recommendations for Achieving Groundwater Sustainability,” outlining objectives that must be advanced simultaneously to ensure groundwater […]