Historically, the use of groundwater in most areas of California was “minimally managed”, and in many areas groundwater conditions (storage quantities/levels, water quality) deteriorated over time. These conditions were exasperated during the statewide drought which started in 2012 in combination with generally reduced surface water supply availability associated with environmental regulations and hydrology. Consequently, in 2014 the State enacted the “Sustainable Groundwater Management Act” (SGMA) which requires groundwater basins be sustainably managed by 2040.
SGMA required that “Groundwater Sustainability Agencies” (GSA) be formed by June 2017 and North Kern, initially a member of the Kern Groundwater Authority (KGA) GSA (now the Kern Non-Districted Land Authority), elected to become its own GSA in 2023. The Kern County Groundwater Subbasin (Kern Subbasin), in coordination with all Kern GSAs, were required to prepare a single Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) or multiple coordinated GSPs by January 2020. The GSP provides a “road map” to sustainability over the ensuing 20 years.
There were a total of 5 Kern Subbasin GSPs submitted to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) on January 30, 2020 that received an “Incomplete Determination” by DWR. The Kern Subbasin diligently worked together and coordinated on revising the GSPs and resubmitted a total of 6 Kern GSPs on July 27, 2022. Ultimately DWR provided a determination on March 3, 2023, that the GSPs were “inadequate” pursuant to California Code of Regulations, title 23, section 355.2, subdivision (e)(3). Attached are several presentations that the District made to landowners which provide additional information on SGMA. This Inadequate Determination was the first step in referring the Kern Subbasin for California State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) intervention.
The State Board provided notice that a public hearing would be held February 20, 2025, to consider designating the Kern Subbasin as a probationary basin and in a huge effort to avoid a probationary designation the Kern Subbasin GSAs came together in an unprecedented effort to fully coordinate and revise the GSPs to address the cited deficiencies. On May 28, 2024, a total of 7 new draft GSPs were submitted to the State Board for their review prior to the hearing and then formally adopted and submitted by December 16, 2024. Although the State Board determined there was significant progress made with the Final 2024 GSPs, they found there were still some key deficiencies that needed to be addressed and adopted a resolution to continue the hearing to September 17, 2025, requiring submitted amended GSPs by June 20, 2025.
The Kern Subbasin, including North Kern, has invested enormous resources in developing these GSPs and after an arduous process with the State Board to develop acceptable GSPs, it is with the Kern Subbasin’s great pleasure that the State Board on September 17, 2025, has approved the Subbasin’s return to DWR’s oversight for GSP implementation.
