To comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and ensure the long-term sustainability of groundwater resources, WDWA GSA’s Board of Directors approved the implementation of a well registration management action (Management Action) in February 2024.

All landowners within WDWA GSA’s boundary must comply with the Management Action.

A notice to comply letter with a copy of the instructions below and required forms were mailed to landowners to the legally registered address with the Kern County Tax Assessor. This letter included a list of APNs located within WDWA GSA's boundaries. If you need a list of which APNs your entity owns in WDWA GSA, contact regulatory@westsidewa.org. 

All forms may be submitted via mail to 5555 California Avenue Suite 209 Attn: Regulatory Bakersfield, CA 93309 or email at regulatory@westsidewa.org. 

HOW DO I COMPLY?

By September 24, 2024, you must complete the following steps:

• Review the full text of the Management Action below. 

If you DO NOT own any groundwater extraction wells (active, inactive, standby, or abandoned) on any APN you own within WDWA GSA’s boundary check the box indicating such fact on the Landowner Certification Form and sign, date, and submit the Landowner Certification Form to WDWA GSA.

If you DO OWN any groundwater extraction wells (active, inactive, standby, or abandoned) on any APN you own within WDWA GSA:

•  Check the box indicating such fact on the Landowner Certification Form and sign, date, and submit the Landowner Certification Form to WDWA GSA.

• Complete and submit the Well Registration Form to WDWA GSA.

Groundwater extraction wells include irrigation, industrial, domestic, public supply wells, or any other well type capable of extracting groundwater. Monitoring, injection, piezometers, oil and gas production, test/exploratory, or another well type not capable of groundwater extraction are not required to comply with the well registration requirement.

All forms may be submitted via mail to 5555 California Avenue Suite 209 Attn: Regulatory Bakersfield, CA 93309 or email at regulatory@westsidewa.org. 

WHY DO I HAVE TO COMPLY?

SGMA requires that WDWA GSA implement measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of groundwater resources. Specifically, WDWA GSA must definitively demonstrate that no undesirable results related to the chronic lowering of groundwater levels, reduction in water storage, or land subsidence occur within WDWA GSA’s boundary due to groundwater pumping.

WDWA GSA recognizes that groundwater underlying its boundary is not generally usable for agricultural or municipal use without treatment and cumulative groundwater extraction is limited. While groundwater overdraft conditions are not an issue within WDWA GSA’s boundary, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has identified data gaps related to accurate well location data within WDWA GSA’s boundary. If these data gaps are not filled, WDWA GSA will not be able to demonstrate that groundwater is being sustainably managed. Failure to demonstrate sustainable management of groundwater may result in the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) requiring WDWA GSA landowners to pay volumetric pumping and well registration fees, register their wells in the SWRCB’s public database, and fund additional technical studies.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES IF I FAIL TO COMPLY?

Any landowner who fails to register a well pursuant to the Management Action shall be subject to a penalty, as authorized by SGMA and determined by WDWA GSA’s Board of Directors.

WHO SHOULD I CONTACT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED ASSISTANCE?

WDWA GSA is happy to assist you in completion of your Well Registration Form or answer questions you may have regarding SGMA and this Management Action. WDWA GSA staff can be contacted via email at regulatory@westsidewa.org or phone at 661-633-9022, extension 5. 

WDWA GSA encourages all stakeholders to engage with the GSA and attend board meetings. Email regulatory@westsidewa.org to sign-up for our interested parties listserv to receive informational updates, outreach event invitations, and board meeting notifications and materials from the GSA.