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California Officials Developing Groundwater Management Plans

California Department of Water Resources

California state officials are working on a five-year plan they hope will lead to better local management of underground water supplies. Pauline Bartolone has more from Sacramento.

The state says groundwater levels are in alarming decline – and that must be reversed. In times of drought, more water is pulled from the ground. A number of government agencies are generating a five-year plan to make sure that over years of use and replenishment, there’s adequate supply of groundwater

Karen Ross: “A number of local basins do have management, but we don’t have a statewide framework for that.”

California Secretary of Food and Agriculture Karen Ross says the current proposal supports local authorities in devising their own management plans, but the state would intervene if need be.

Karen Ross: “If because of at the local level you just don’t have the political will, or there’s too many conflicts to come to a collaborative solution, the state will step in.”

Ross says usually groundwater accounts for about 30% of water use. This year, it amounts to about 60%. Two bills calling for sustainable groundwater management are making their way through the California legislature.  

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