Today, the Agricultural Council of California sponsored a groundwater forum at the Campos Brothers almond processing facility in Easton. Approximately 150 Campos Brothers almond growers and other Ag related individuals were in attendance to listen to State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) director Dee Dee D'Adamo and board staff present a description of the regulations to be implemented by the recently passed groundwater rules.
In the short term, to be completed by 2017, Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSA) will need to be created in each of the Board's regions and within the region, groundwater basins. These GSA's will become a local control agency to be created by cities, counties, and irrigation districts. Once created, each GSA will be responsible for developing a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSM). The GSM will then create the local regulations to adequately monitor all water usage. These GSM's will takeover a system of water rights established in 1913.
If a GSA is not established for a local basin by 2017, the SWRCB has the authority to step in and make the rules. By 2020, groundwater basins that are "overdrafted" (meaning more water is being pumped than replenished) must have "sustainability plans." By 2022, all other basins must have such plans. By 2040, all "high and medium priority" basins must achieve sustainability.
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