The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act was passed almost a decade ago, approved by Governor Jerry Brown on September 16th, 2014.
Since then, 352 local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies have formed, covering all 94 high and medium priority groundwater basins that are subject to SGMA as well as some lower priority basins. Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) have been adopted and submitted to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) for review covering each groundwater basins subject to SGMA. The GSPs have now all been reviewed by DWR and determinations have been issued.
DWR’s determinations include “approved”, “incomplete” or “inadequate”. Currently, there are 71 basins with approved plans, 13 with incomplete plans, and 6 with inadequate plans.
Basins with approved plans continue working on implementing sustainable groundwater management, according to their plans, and will have periodic evaluation every 5 years during the 20-year implementation timeframe.
Basins with an incomplete determination have 180-days to revise their plan and address the components that precluded DWR from approving the plan. After resubmission, DWR can issue either an “approved” or “inadequate” determination. Basins with an inadequate determination start the process of State Intervention by the State Water Resource Control Board (SWRCB) and may go into a probationary status.
In this presentation, you will hear from Shane Edmunds (GSP Review Section Manager at DWR) and Natalie Stork (SGMA Lead at SWRCB). Shane will discuss DWR’s determination process and results as well the Department’s future regulatory oversight role. Natalie will discuss steps that the SWRCB is taking with the basins that have started the state intervention process, including recommendations for them to get out of State Intervention. Both speakers will talk about successes they are seeing around the state in moving towards sustainable groundwater management.
Our Presenters:
Shane Edmunds is a Supervising Engineering Geologist in the Sustainable Groundwater Management Office of the California Department of Water Resources. He manages one of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) Review Sections providing guidance and oversight for the technical review and evaluation of GSPs. He serves as lead technical advisor during consultation with Groundwater Sustainability Agencies and assists with policy development related to DWR's oversight of SGMA Implementation.
Shane has worked at DWR for 7 years, and previously managed the development of CalGW Live and served in a central role during the 2019 SGMA Basin Prioritization Project.
Before joining DWR, he worked performing regulatory oversight for 6 years at the Central Valley Water Board and California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM). Before joining state service, he worked for multiple companies in the private sector focusing on regulatory compliance, site characterization, and remediation projects involving soil, soil vapor, and groundwater contamination.
He has his B.S. in Geology with a focus in Geochemistry from the University of California, Davis, and has been a Licensed Professional Geologist in California since 2016.
Natalie Stork, P.G., is a Supervising Engineering Geologist with the State Water Resources Control Board’s Office of Sustainable Groundwater Management. She is the program manager for the Board’s implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
Prior to working on SGMA implementation, Natalie investigated water rights compliance issues for the Board’s Division of Water Rights. Before working at the Board, Natalie worked as a geologist in the private sector.
She holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from UC Davis and the University of Connecticut.
Registration
Registration is free for AWWEE members. Members can add up to 2 guests.
Non-member registration fee is $20.