In response to California’s recent drought conditions and increased reliance upon groundwater, in November 2014, the state legislature passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (“SGMA”) collectively contained in Senate Bill’s (SB) 1168 and SB 1319, and Assembly Bill (AB) 1739. The SGMA mandates that groundwater basins designated by Department of Water Resources as high or medium priority develop groundwater sustainability plans (“GSP”) to become sustainable. The Kern Sub-unit of the Tulare Lake Basin, overlying the valley portion of Kern County, is designated as high priority. The development of the GSP is to occur through one or more local public agencies that has water supply, water management or land use responsibilities within a groundwater basin.
Prior to enactment of the SGMA, the Kern Groundwater Authority (“Groundwater Authority”) was established to provide a framework for the active, comprehensive management of the groundwater basin underlying the valley portion of Kern County, to preserve and maintain local control (“self-determination”) of groundwater resources and provide long term surety for all basin users.
The Kern Subbasin’s Data Management System (DMS) was built specifically for compliance with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Guest access to the DMS allows users to access to the Map Viewer for sustainability indicator data, such as groundwater levels and water quality, and compare the trends against the established sustainability criteria (measurable objectives and minimum thresholds). Data displays include standard GIS tools to enable users to identify representative wells that are closest to their location of interest.
With passage of the SGMA, the Groundwater Authority seeks to coordinate local groundwater management efforts and is working with its members to determine the most cost effective and efficient way of meeting the new requirements of the SGMA.
GSAs within the Kern Subbasin
Six groundwater sustainability plans were submitted by the following groundwater sustainability agencies within the Kern subbasin, including the Kern Groundwater Authority. The other five GSAs are:
- Kern River GSA
- Buena Vista GSA
- South of Kern River GSAs
- Olcese Water District GSA
- Henry Miller GSA (no website)
Important Notices & Upcoming Events
Board of Director Meetings
Kern Groundwater Authority’s board meetings are held at 8 a.m. on the fourth Wednesday of every month, location to be determined, but will be posted prior to each meeting. Board agendas are posted monthly on the Board of Directors page.
Please note: The KGA Board of Directors’ Board Meeting scheduled for March 22, 2023 at 8 a.m. will be held online. Instructions on how to attend the meeting are included in the agenda.
KGA’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan: The KGA’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) was open to public comment for 75 days through the Department of Water Resources (DWR), which concluded on June 3, 2020. The full GSP is available on the the SGMA Portal page, or on the KGA’s GSP page.
Amended KGA GSP Versions Submitted July 2022
The Amended KGA Umbrella GSP and Amended Management Area Plans were submitted to DWR on July 27, 2022.
Kern Subbasin Data Management System Now Available to KGA Stakeholders
The Kern Subbasin’s Data Management System (DMS) was built specifically for compliance with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Guest access to the DMS allows users to access to the Map Viewer for sustainability indicator data, such as groundwater levels and water quality, and compare the trends against the established sustainability criteria (measurable objectives and minimum thresholds). Data displays include standard GIS tools to enable users to identify representative wells that are closest to their location of interest.