California passes legislation for groundwater management

The State of California, US, has passed legislation that requires local agencies to develop groundwater management and sustainability plans.

The new legislation has been approved by Governor Edmund G Brown Jr. to cope with water shortages in California by strengthening local management and monitoring of groundwater basins.

Governor Brown said: "We have to learn to manage wisely water, energy, land and our investments; that’s why this is important."

The legislation will allow local agencies to frame or modify sustainable groundwater plans in accordance with regional, economic and environmental requirements.

Senator Fran Pavley said: "California will no longer be the only western state that does not manage its groundwater.

"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 incentivise local control."

The legislation requires the local bodies to identify local groundwater management agencies by 2017, prepare sustainability plans for overdrafted groundwater basins by 2020 and for other high and medium-priority basins by 2022.

All high and medium-priority groundwater basins need to achieve sustainability by 2040.

Assembly member Dickinson, who is the proponent of one of the three bills passed, said: "Ensuring a sustainable supply of groundwater is a critical element of addressing the water challenges facing California.

"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."

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Image: Governor Brown signs groundwater management legislation. Photo: courtesy of Justin Short / Office of the Governor / State of California.