Sutter Subbasin
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)
Sutter Subbasin GSP – Click here to access
Sutter Subbasin GSP – Click here to access
Water is vital to the economy, the environment, and the quality of life in Sutter County. While this precious resource is visible every day in the Sacramento and Feather Rivers, water underground is no less important, providing about half of the region’s water supply. Groundwater serves the needs of cities, farms and businesses and provides high quality drinking water to urban and rural residents, all while helping to sustain vital ecosystems. Learn more about the Sutter Subbasin (Subbasin), how nine Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) in the Subbasin are responding to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) to develop a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP), and how you can participate to promote the health and longevity of our shared and valued resource.
Learn more about the Sutter Subbasin (Subbasin), how nine Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) in the Subbasin are responding to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) to develop a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP), and how you can participate to promote the health and longevity of our shared and valued resource.
The Sutter Subbasin is generally described as being in the “central portion of the Sacramento Valley Groundwater Basin” in DWR Bulletin 118. It is bounded on the north by the confluence of Butte Creek and the Sacramento River and Sutter Buttes, on the west by the Sacramento River, on the south by the confluence of the Sacramento River and the Sutter Bypass, and on the east by the Feather River and the eastern boundary with the Sutter-Yuba County line.
Join us and learn about the condition and future health of your groundwater subbasin. Participate in the process to understand what needs to be done to protect the quality and availability of this valuable resource. Learn why maintaining a sustainable groundwater subbasin matters to the economy, environment, and quality of life of our urban and rural communities.
The Sutter Subbasin, designated as Basin No. 5-021.62 in the DWR Bulletin 118, is part of the Sacramento Valley Groundwater Basin (DWR, 2016). The Sutter Subbasin was designated as a medium-priority subbasin by DWR.
In 2014, California enacted the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). requires that one or more Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) or Alternative Plan be adopted for basins and subbasins designated by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) as medium- and high-priority basins. Basin prioritization is based on a variety of factors such as population, number of wells, and other information determined to be relevant by DWR.
SGMA requires that Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) be established to manage the basin and develop the plan(s). GSPs must explain how the groundwater basin will be kept in balance to achieve long term sustainability. DWR will evaluate
each GSP as to how well it will
achieve basin sustainability by the required deadline (2042 for GSPs submitted to the State in 2022). In accordance with SGMA, nine GSAs were formed with the agreement to develop one GSP for Sutter Subbasin.
With the passage of SGMA, the Sutter Subbasin GSAs collaboratively submitted an “Alternative Plan” to a GSP in December 2016. Although the Alternative Plan was not approved by DWR, suggestions were provided that will be incorporated into the January 2022 GSP, which will
subsequently be updated every five years.
The Sutter Subbasin GSAs: The Sutter Subbasin GSAs are working together to meet SGMA requirements and will collaboratively prepare a single GSP by January 31, 2022. The Sutter Subbasin Groundwater Management Coordination Committee (SSGMCC) was established per a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to provide input and recommendations related to development of the Sutter Subbasin GSP. The SSGMCC is comprised of representatives from each of the nine GSAs within the Subbasin and generally follows a consensus-based decision-making structure where each GSA representative receives an equal voice. The SSGMCC will have regular coordination meetings to discuss GSP technical development and public outreach and engagement activities in order to prepare a GSP for ultimate adoption by the respective GSA Boards.
Groundwater Sustainability Agencies | GSPWG Members | Date GSA Formed | |
---|---|---|---|
Sutter County GSA | Guadalupe Rivera | February 28, 2017 | |
Butte Water District GSA | Mark Orme | September 10, 2015 | |
City of Live Oak GSA | Scott Rolls | November 18, 2015 | |
Sutter Extension Water District GSA | Lynn Phillips | September 24, 2015 | |
Sutter Community Services District GSA | Leland Correll | September 14, 2015 | |
City of Yuba City GSA | Kathy Willis | March 21, 2017 | |
RD 70 GSA | Andy Duffey | May 3, 2017 | |
RD 1660 GSA | Andy Duffey | May 9, 2017 | |
RD 1500 GSA | Brad Mattson | February 28, 2017 |
The SSGMCC agreed to a set of principles for engagement and operation that are intended to provide a framework of commitments among the members to work collaboratively, efficiently, and with the necessary dedication to promote the development, adoption and submission of a SMGA compliant GSP by the statutory deadline of January 31, 2022.
The SSGMCC is responsible for:
The GSA Boards: The respective GSA’s Boards assigned their GSPWG members to work on the day to day development of the GSP and stakeholder communication and engagement. The GSA Boards are responsible for:
Stakeholders: Collectively the stakeholders include the public, interested parties, and adjacent basins as further detailed in Outreach. Stakeholders play an important role in the successful development of the GSP. The stakeholders will have opportunities to comment and provide input into the GSP before key milestone decisions are acted on by the respective GSA Boards. Stakeholders are encouraged to:
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