California Boosts Local Water Control

“We have to learn to manage wisely water, energy, land, and our investments,” said California Governor Jerry Brown as he signed water management legislation Friday. “That’s why this is important.”

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The three bills signed by Brown — AB 1739 by Assemblymember Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) and Senate Bills 1168 and 1319 by Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) — create a framework for sustainable, local groundwater management for the first time in California history. The legislation allows local agencies to tailor sustainable groundwater plans to their regional economic and environmental needs.

“California will no longer be the only Western state that does not manage its groundwater,” said Senator Pavley. “The cost of doing nothing is the biggest economic gamble. Thousands of homes and small farms cannot keep pace with the race to drill deeper and deeper wells. The bills take a balanced approach — they protect property rights and incentivize local control.”

“Ensuring a sustainable supply of groundwater is a critical element of addressing the water challenges facing California,” said Assemblymember Dickinson. “Over drafting our groundwater leads to subsidence and contamination; consequences we cannot afford. With these new laws in effect, California will take important steps to ensure we are protecting our valuable water supply for years to come.”

Groundwater is a critical element of the state’s water system, making up more than one-third of California’s water supply. The bills establish a definition of sustainable groundwater management and require local agencies to adopt management plans for the state’s most important groundwater basins. The legislation prioritizes groundwater basins that are currently overdrafted and sets a timeline for implementation:

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■ By 2017, local groundwater management agencies must be identified;
■ By 2020, overdrafted groundwater basins must have sustainability plans;
■ By 2022, other high and medium priority basins not currently in overdraft must have sustainability plans; and
■ By 2040, all high and medium priority groundwater basins must achieve sustainability.

Additionally, the legislation provides measurable objectives and milestones to reach sustainability and a state role of limited intervention when local agencies are unable or unwilling to adopt sustainable management plans.

In addition to this legislation, the Governor announced that he has signed the following bills today:

• AB 2453 by Assemblymember Katcho Achadjian (R-San Luis Obispo)— Paso Robles Basin Water District.
• AB 1043 by Assemblymember Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park) — Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006: groundwater contamination.

Here is the full text of the bills. 

Brown was also joined Friday by representatives from the Wine Institute, the Association of California Water Agencies, B and E Lundberg Farm, Driscoll’s, Sierra Orchards, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Bay Area Council, California Building Industry Association, California League of Conservation Voters, California State Association of Counties, California Water Foundation, Clean Water Action, Community Water Center, Irvine Ranch Water District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Nature Conservancy, Northern California Water Association, Orange County Water District, Parker Groundwater, Resources Legacy Fund, San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority, Santa Clara Valley Water District, S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation, and State Water Contractors.

Friday’s announcement follows on more than a year of action to strengthen and make more resilient California’s water system. Last December, the governor formed a Drought Task Force to closely manage precious water supplies, to expand water conservation wherever possible and to quickly respond to emerging drought impacts throughout the state.

In January, the administration finalized a comprehensive Water Action Plan that charts the way for California to become more resilient in the face of droughts and floods. During that same month, Brown declared a drought state of emergency and in April 2014, called on the state to redouble their efforts at combating drought. Last month the governor signed legislation to put a water bond before voters after winning bipartisan approval in the Legislature.

Source: Office of the Governor of California

 

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