Groundwater Sustainability Plan Original

The heart of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP). The GSP will help our communities determine if our groundwater basins are being sustainably managed, and if not, figure out how to achieve sustainability for the long haul.

The following DRAFT sections and figures of the Santa Rosa Plain GSA Groundwater Sustainability Plan have been reviewed by the Advisory Committee. The public will have an opportunity to comment on updated draft sections and figures in Winter 2020. For questions about the sections and figures, contact the GSA.

In 2020, the GSA will focus on developing draft Sustainable Management Criteria (SMC). GSA staff has prepared a “cheat sheet” on useful terms regarding SMC.

California Department of Water Resources has prepared several useful guidance documents on preparation of GSPs, including the following:

• GSP Emergency Regulations
• GSP Sustainable Management Criteria Best Management Practices
• Additional materials and guidance can be found on DWR’s website.

A Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) is a 20-year plan to ensure the sustainable use of groundwater within a groundwater basin. The Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) is required by state law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), to develop a GSP by 2022.  The goal of the GSP is to establish a standard for “sustainability” of groundwater management and use, and to determine how the basin will achieve this standard. For a thorough description of the GSP process and requirements, read this document from the Department of Water Resources (DWR). DWR will also provide ongoing support through Best Management Practices and Guidance Documents.

 

The Santa Rosa Plain GSA deeply values the voice of community partners throughout the process of creating the GSP. The GSA wants input from people who live or work in the basin, who own wells in the basin, who rely on groundwater for their livelihood, and who care about the basin’s plants and animals. In other words, if you care about groundwater, the Santa Rosa Plain GSA wants to hear from you.

GSP Requirements

DWR developed detailed requirements and regulations for successful GSPs. The GSP must describe and identify

• Who is involved in the GSA
• The basin’s geology and hydrogeology
• How the GSA will define and measure sustainability
• Programs and projects that get the basin to sustainability
• How the GSP will be implemented.

 

Describe the Groundwater Basin

The GSP will include background organizational information about the basin, including maps of town and cities, land use data, well density information and descriptions of existing groundwater management activities and general plans. Here are some examples of information to be included:

• Geologic data
• Historical and current groundwater conditions and budgets
• Future groundwater budget
• Information about existing monitoring programs

 

Define and Measure Sustainability

One of the primary tasks of the GSP is to define sustainable groundwater management for the Santa Rosa Plain basin. This definition will be based on six sustainability indicators described by SGMA. Each sustainability indicator is based on avoiding one of the major outcomes of unsustainable groundwater use.

The GSP will set measureable thresholds and measurable objectives for each sustainability indicator. The GSA will consider scientific data and input from stakeholders and the community to create a GSP that demonstrably avoids these undesirable results.

Fundamental to developing Sustainable Management Criteria (SMC) is understanding the language, and understanding how the concepts relate to each other. This cheat sheet provides a plain language discussion of key terms, and illustrates how the concepts are interrelated.

A “Cheat Sheet” for developing Sustainable Management Criteria

Submission and Evaluation

Once completed, the GSPs will be submitted to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) for review and evaluation. There will be a 60-day public comment period during this time. DWR will determine whether the GSP meets the requirements of SGMA and whether it will achieve the basin’s sustainability goal. DWR will respond with one of three outcomes:

• Approval.
• Determined incomplete. If the GSP passes basic initial criteria, but is determined by DWR to be incomplete, the GSA may be able to correct and resubmit the GSP.
• If DWR determines that a GSP is inadequate, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) may intervene in that basin’s groundwater management.