DWR Flags 12 Groundwater Basins as Inadequate Under SGMA ​

In a move that has the subtlety of a geotechnical drill rig at 7 AM, the Department of Water Resources has formally determined that 12 critically overdrafted groundwater basins have submitted inadequate Groundwater Sustainability Plans under SGMA, triggering state intervention by the State Water Resources Control Board. Translation: you had one job — stop draining the aquifer — and the state has reviewed your homework and given it a D-minus.

The affected basins are concentrated in the San Joaquin Valley, a region that produces an astonishing percentage of the nation's food while simultaneously sinking into the earth at rates that would alarm anyone who looks at InSAR data for fun. Some areas have subsided over 28 feet since the 1920s. The land is literally disappearing, and the GSAs responsible for fixing this have submitted plans that DWR characterizes as "insufficient to achieve sustainability by 2040." They're not wrong.

What "Inadequate" Means ​

An inadequate determination means the basin's Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) hasn't demonstrated that its plan will actually stop overdraft. Common deficiencies include overly optimistic demand projections (translation: "we assumed everyone would voluntarily pump less," which is adorable), insufficient monitoring networks, and the perennial favorite — no enforceable allocation framework. You cannot achieve sustainability through vibes alone, though several GSAs appear to be testing this hypothesis.

State intervention means the SWRCB steps in with interim plans and can impose fees, curtailments, and monitoring requirements. This is the groundwater equivalent of your parents taking the car keys — embarrassing, but arguably necessary when you've been driving the aquifer into the ground. Literally.

The Bigger Picture ​

SGMA was passed in 2014 with a 2040 deadline for critically overdrafted basins to reach sustainability. We're now 12 years in with 16 years to go, and a meaningful chunk of the basins haven't produced credible plans. The math on that timeline is getting... ambitious.

The full list of basin determinations is available on the DWR SGMA Portal.