Under the 2014 state law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), “local agencies are authorized for each medium to high priority basin, and a board and advisory committee are formed,” said Rodgers. “Once an agency is in place, the goal is the development of a groundwater plan that’s sustainable long-term.”

Three of Sonoma County’s 14 groundwater basins are subject to such oversight: Sonoma Valley, the Santa Rosa Plain and Petaluma Valley. The location of these basins corresponds to both high population density and major groundwater demands.

“There are three levels of county stakeholders most affected by groundwater management,” said Ann DuBay, administrator for the Petaluma Valley and Sonoma Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agencies. “First are homeowners – mostly rural homeowners – who are on well water. Next is agriculture, which is a lynchpin of our economy. And finally, there’s the environment, including the streams and rivers that get at least some recharge from groundwater.”

Read the Article

Visit the Sonoma County Groundwater Sustainability Agencies Websites