Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)

VIDEO: SGMA Explained

On September 16, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a three-bill legislative package, composed of AB 1739 (Dickinson), SB 1168 (Pavley), and SB 1319 (Pavley), collectively known as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). For the first time in its history, California has a framework for sustainable, groundwater management – “management and use of groundwater in a manner that can be maintained during the planning and implementation horizon without causing undesirable results.”

SGMA requires governments and water agencies of high and medium priority basins to halt overdraft and bring groundwater basins into balanced levels of pumping and recharge. Under SGMA, these basins should reach sustainability within 20 years of implementing their sustainability plans. For critically over-drafted basins, that will be 2040. For the remaining high and medium priority basins, 2042 is the deadline.

Rosedale Rio Bravo Water Storage District Groundwater Sustainability Agency (RRBWSD GSA)

The Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District (RRBWSD, Rosedale) has established the Rosedale-Rio Bravo Groundwater Sustainability Agency (RRBWSD GSA). It is one of several GSAs formed within the Kern County Sub-basin. RRBWSD is approximately 40,000 acres and there are about 6,000 acres of Non-Districted (White Lands) also included in the RRB GSA.

RRBWSD has formed a stakeholder advisory group to assist with the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) development effort. This group is made up of representatives from four key stakeholder types: Agricultural, Urban, White Lands, Environmental Justice, and Groundwater Banking. Meetings are held every other month, or as needed, and geared towards discussions surrounding the development and implementation of Rosedale’s GSP. 

Rosedale Rio Bravo Water STorage District

Groundwater Sustainability Agency MEETINGS

RRBWSD GSA STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The RRBWSD GSA Stakeholder Advisory Committee meets every fourth Tuesday of every other month at 9:00 am. Regular Board Meetings are scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month at 8:00 am unless otherwise canceled or rescheduled. We encourage our Stakeholders to attend both meetings.

Next Meeting: Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at 9:00 am

 

ATTENTION DOMESTIC WELL OWNERS

We are collecting information from domestic well owners in our area. This effort will help us better understand which wells may be at risk during future droughts and connect residents with potential resources. If you own a domestic well, please take a few minutes to complete our short survey. Your participation will also make you eligible for free groundwater level monitoring to help track the condition of your well. You can access the survey and flyer using the buttons below.

Domestic Well Survey
Domestic Well Flyer (English and Spanish)

OTHER SGMA/WATER DATA RESOURCES:

SGMA DATA VIEWER
RRB GSA SGMA PORTAL
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR WELL GOES DRY?
2025 SGMA Budget
WATER ACCOUNTING PLATFORM
Kern Sub-basin Data Management System (DMS)
Open ET

Want to know which Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) you’re in?

Use the button below to access the Kern County GIS Map. View the “Layers” category on the left-hand side of your screen, expand the “Water Resources” tab and select Groundwater Sustainability Agencies.

Kern County GIS Map

Learn more about SGMA and the Kern County Subbasin via our new Community Resources Hub using the button below:

Community Resources - Kern Subbasin

Please view the video below for a tutorial on how to find Depth to Water data using the Kern County Sub-basin’s Data Management System (aka “DMS”).  You can also access the DMS website by clicking the dark blue DMS button above.