Groundwater sustainability plans: impacts on managed wetlands.

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. The act prescribes that plans contain certain required contents and requires that plans contain, where appropriate and in collaboration with the appropriate local agencies, additional analyses or components, including, among others, control of saline water intrusion, wellhead protection areas and recharge areas, a well abandonment and well destruction program, well construction policies, and impacts on groundwater dependent ecosystems. This bill would add impacts to managed wetlands, as specified, to the additional analyses or components that a plan is required to contain when appropriate. By requiring local agencies that are groundwater sustainability agencies to include this in their plans, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.