Groundwater management resources available at groundwaterexchange.org.
Groundwater contributes 40 percent of California’s annual water supply in a normal year and more than 60 percent in a dry year, according to the California Department of Water Resources. During the historic drought that ended in 2017, the state’s largest water users— agriculture and cities— over-pumped groundwater, which reduced river flows, caused land to sink faster than ever before, and left many poor communities without access to groundwater.
Under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), California’s landmark groundwater legislation passed in 2014, more than 250 local agencies are now tasked with developing Groundwater Sustainability Plans. The California Department of Water Resources has provided substantial SGMA materials to the agencies, but many agencies have limited financial, technical and personnel resources.
The Groundwater Exchange is a free, collaborative online platform designed to connect water managers, water users and community members with tools and resources to support successful implementation of SGMA. It brings together materials (reports, white papers, tools, etc.) developed by NGOs, academic institutions, groundwater sustainability agencies and others onto a central, publicly accessible website to support successful SGMA implementation.
Key features of the Groundwater Exchange include:
A forum to post questions, start discussions and share materials.
An introduction to SGMA, including frequently asked questions, publications on public engagement in English and Spanish, and links to organizations that help give community members a voice in water policy and decisions.
Searchable maps and a basin watch list that alerts users when new information about their basin becomes available.
A calendar and news section consolidating the latest content related to SGMA from across the Internet.
Weekly email updates featuring new content on the Groundwater Exchange and upcoming events.
Project lead: Environmental Defense Fund
Participating CWAC members: General Mills Foundation | The Freshwater Trust | Sustainable Conservation
Additional partners: Maven's Notebook | Stanford Program on Water in the West | California Department of Water Resources | The Water Foundation
To learn more: Visit www.groundwaterexchange.org or contact Christina Babbitt: cbabbitt@edf.org