Sustainable Groundwater Management - SGMA

Sustainable Groundwater Management In Merced County

Under the authority of the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSA) in Merced County are actively developing Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP) to manage our Merced County groundwater basins to achieve sustainability in compliance with the requirements in SGMA.

Groundwater Sustainability Plans will manage groundwater in a manner that can be sustained without causing undesirable results of significant and unreasonable 1) depletion of groundwater storage, 2) lowering of groundwater levels, 3) degradation of water quality, 4) land subsidence, and 5) depletion of interconnected surface waters.

In 2014 Governor Jerry Brown signed three laws collectively known as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act requiring local management of groundwater.  

Merced County includes portions of four groundwater subbasins requiring sustainable groundwater planning and management under SGMA.  Each subbasin will implement a GSP, developed and managed by locally-driven GSAs.  All GSPs in Merced County must be developed by 2020 or 2022.  

Merced County takes its SGMA responsibilities seriously and is committed to working collaboratively with local water agencies to develop policies that lead to groundwater sustainability.  

For More Information:

If you have property within the Merced Subbasin, click here to find your corresponding GSA.

If you have property within the Turlock Subbasin, click here to find your corresponding GSA.

If you have property within the Delta-Mendota Subbasin, click here to find your corresponding GSA.

If you have property within the Chowchilla Subbasin, click here to find your corresponding GSA.

~ If you are not sure, please visit the DWR GSA Map Viewer and insert the address to find out.

Groundwater Resources

California Department of Water Resources SGMA Portal

California Department of Water Resources Groundwater Information Center

State Water Resources Control Board SGMA Program

Contact Merced County Water Resources

Lacey Kiriakou, Water Resources Coordinator

(209) 385-7654