Sustainable Groundwater Management Act: groundwater sustainability plans: groundwater rights.

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 provide that the approval of a groundwater sustainability plan by the department shall not be construed to be a determination by or otherwise an opinion of the department that the allocation of groundwater pumping rights in the plan are consistent with groundwater rights law.