About Us

What is SGMA?

In 2014, legislation passed that provides a statewide framework for sustainable groundwater management in California (SB 1168, AB 1739, and SB 1319). This legislation, collectively referred to as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), is intended to support local groundwater management through the oversight of local agencies. An overarching goal of SGMA is to achieve a sustainable groundwater balance in each basin or sub-basin by 2040.

SGMA defines “sustainable groundwater management” as the management and use of groundwater in a manner that can be maintained during the planning and implementation horizon without causing undesirable results. SGMA then defines “undesirable result” as one or more of the following effects caused by groundwater conditions occurring throughout the basin:

  • Chronic lowering of groundwater levels indicating a significant and unreasonable depletion of supply if continued over the planning and implementation horizon
  • Significant and unreasonable reduction of groundwater storage
  • Significant and unreasonable seawater intrusion
  • Significant and unreasonable degraded water quality, including the migration of contaminant plumes that impair water supplies
  • Significant and unreasonable land subsidence that substantially interferes with surface land uses
  • Depletions of interconnected surface water that has significant and unreasonable adverse impacts on beneficial uses of the surface water

About the South Kings GSA

The South Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SKGSA) is comprised of five cities and two community services districts.  These public entities formed a joint-powers authority (JPA) agreement in May 2017 to take on the responsibility of sustainable groundwater management in the portion of the Kings Subbasin underlying the GSA’s boundary.

The SKGSA is working cooperatively with stakeholders to develop and implement a groundwater sustainability plan (GSP) and is collaborating with other GSAs in the Kings Subbasin to work towards the ultimate goal of reaching regional and statewide groundwater sustainability by 2040.

South Kings GSA Information

GSA Members

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