SACRAMENTO – California today marks 10 years since the enactment of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), a landmark law that is driving reductions in the overuse of groundwater to protect drinking water supplies for millions of Californians and make communities, agriculture and ecosystems more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Groundwater makes up a significant portion of the state’s water system, especially during dry periods – 41 percent of the state’s total water supply in a normal year and up to 60 percent during droughts. About 85 percent of Californians rely on groundwater for some portion of their water needs.
Overpumping of groundwater for decades has resulted in severe declines in groundwater levels; land subsidence impacting infrastructure and storage capacity; seawater intrusion; and degradation of water quality, among other impacts in overdrafted basins.
Recharging groundwater is key to California’s strategy for expanding water supplies and defending against hotter and drier conditions, which are estimated to reduce California’s water supply by up to 10% by the year 2040. The state is streamlining permits to fast-track groundwater recharge efforts and working towards an ambitious goal of increasing annual groundwater recharge capacity by 500,000 acre-feet.
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