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Groundwater Sustainability Plan Portal

To download the adopted Groundwater Sustainability Plan and/or the comments received on the GSP during the 90-day review period, select “GSP Download” above.


Why did North Fork Kings GSA develop a Groundwater Sustainability Plan?

The Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) is a requirement of the 2014 California law, Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The State law requires all high- and medium-priority basin GSAs (Groundwater Sustainability Agencies) develop and implement a GSP. Basins designated as medium- or high-priority and critically overdrafted were required to complete a GSP by January 31, 2020. SGMA defines a basin as critically overdrafted “when continuation of present water management practices would probably result in significant adverse overdraft-related environmental, social, or economic impacts.” The GSP is a roadmap for how a basin will avoid the adverse effects of overdraft and achieve balanced levels of groundwater to reach sustainability.

The North Fork Kings GSA (NFKGSA) is located within the Kings Subbasin, designated under SGMA as a high-priority, critically overdrafted basin. NFKGSA developed and submitted its GSP and a Kings Subbasin coordination agreement to the State ahead of the January 31, 2020 deadline.

What is a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP)?

A Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) is a roadmap for how a basin will avoid the adverse effects of groundwater overdraft and achieve balanced levels of groundwater to reach sustainability.

NFKGSA’s GSP includes a physical description of the groundwater management area including groundwater conditions, a water budget, groundwater management criteria, a monitoring program, and projects and measurable objectives to become sustainable within 20 years. It is the goal of the NFKGSA Board to allow flexibility in supply and demand-side solutions to achieve sustainability.

While the State’s requirements for a GSP’s content are the same for all GSAs, NFKGSA’s issues and solutions are very specific to the unique challenges within the groundwater management area that it serves.

Who is involved in implementing the Groundwater Sustainability Plan?

Groundwater Sustainability Agency

The State has granted local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) powers to implement the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in groundwater subbasins. In many cases, multiple GSAs exist within a subbasin. The State measures sustainability success at the subbasin level rather than individual GSA level. This means GSAs coordinate within their subbasin to achieve sustainable levels of groundwater.

Although GSAs may choose to develop individual GSPs, they must cooperate under a formal Coordination Agreement to bring the subbasin to sustainable groundwater levels by 2040.

The North Fork Kings GSA is one of seven GSAs in the Kings Subbasin. Each GSA developed and submitted its own GSP to the State, and will coordinate under a formal Coordination Agreement to ensure sustainability is met in the Kings Subbasin by 2040.

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CA Department of Water Resources

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is the regulating and assisting agency under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Their role is to review and approve Groundwater Sustainability Plans and track progress of local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) implementing their Plans. They also assist GSAs by providing data, tools, and technical support services.

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Stakeholders

NFKGSA highly values public input and participation. Engagement in NFKGSA’s activities is necessary for the consideration of local stakeholders’ interests and preferences. NFKGSA will continue to provide opportunities for the public to engage in the GSP implementation process.

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State Water Resources Control Board

The State Water Resources Control Board (State Board or SWRCB) is the enforcement agency under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Their role is to enforce SGMA mandates are met at the local level by Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs). If GSAs fail to meet SGMA’s mandates, the State Board will intervene to implement the law. If a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) is found by CA DWR to be inadequate, the subbasin will be deemed “probationary”. If a GSA fails to correct the issues under probation, the State Board will intervene requiring any groundwater extractors to file an extraction report with the State Board. The State Board may require the use of meters to measure extractions. The associated fees of State Intervention are much higher than fees that may be collected by the local GSA, and would not include beneficial local projects or incentives for sustainability.

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