Groundwater Sustainability Plan

The final James GSA Groundwater Sustainability Plan is available for download.

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Groundwater Sustainability Plan

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The final GSP was submitted to the CA Department of Water Resources on January 28, 2020 for initial review.

The GSP was adopted by the James GSA at a Public Workshop held December 12, 2019 at 3:00 pm at the James Irrigation District office located at 8749 9th Street, San Joaquin, CA 93660.

The GSP public comment period has concluded. Comments received will be used to inform future updates of the GSP. Comments may be sent to: mamorelli@jamesid.org

What is a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP)?

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 GSP includes a physical description of a groundwater management area including current and historical groundwater conditions, a water budget, groundwater management criteria, a monitoring program, and projects and measurable objectives to become sustainable by 2040.

The California State law, Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), requires the James GSA to develop and submit a GSP by January 2020.

For more detail on the required components of the GSP, click below to view the CA DWR Plan Outline.

CA DWR GSP Outline

Why did the James GSA develop a GSP?

The Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) is a requirement of the 2014 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 are 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.”

James GSA is one of seven GSAs within the Kings Subbasin implementing a GSP. The Kings Subbasin GSAs submitted their GSPs and a formal coordination agreement to the California Department of Water Resources on January 28, 2020 for initial review.