AB 617: Groundwater.

Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources that are designated as basins subject to critical conditions of overdraft to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2020, and requires all other groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2022, except as specified.

This bill would define in-lieu use for the purposes of the act and would provide that, where appropriate, measures addressing in-lieu use shall be included in a groundwater sustainability plan.

The act authorizes a groundwater sustainability agency to exercise certain powers in implementing the act, in addition to, and not as a limitation on, any existing authority, if the groundwater sustainability agency adopts and submits to the Department of Water Resources a groundwater sustainability plan or prescribed alternative documentation.

This bill would, in addition to any other authorities granted to a groundwater sustainability agency, authorize a groundwater sustainability agency to enter into written agreements and funding with private parties that assist in or facilitate the implementation of groundwater sustainability plans or elements of a groundwater sustainability plan.

The act, with a specified exception, does not authorize a local agency to impose any requirement on the state or any agency, department, or officer of the state.

This bill, if a groundwater sustainability agency finds that a state entity is not working cooperatively regarding implementation of a groundwater sustainability plan, would permit the groundwater sustainability agency to file notice with the board and require the board to notice proceedings to investigate the finding of the groundwater sustainability agency. This bill would authorize the board to direct the state entity to cooperate in the implementation of the groundwater sustainability plan if the board determines that the failure of the state entity to work cooperatively regarding implementation of a groundwater sustainability plan compromises the ability of the groundwater sustainability agency to implement the plan in a manner that will likely achieve the sustainability goal unless the state entity indicates its authority for not complying with the groundwater sustainability plan.

Existing law, the Integrated Regional Water Management Planning Act, authorizes a regional water management group to prepare and adopt an integrated regional water management plan with specified components relating to water supply and water quality. Existing law authorizes a regional water management group to coordinate its planning activities to address or incorporate all or part of certain actions of its members into its plan, including groundwater management planning.

This bill would specify that groundwater sustainability planning is an action of regional water management group members that may be addressed or incorporated into a regional water management plan.