Community invited to first workshop on Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Information provided by the San Benito County Water District.

The San Benito County Water District (SBCWD) is initiating a Groundwater Sustainability Plan in compliance with California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The plan is being done in partnership with the Santa Clara Valley Water District.

The development of this plan, which is required to be in place by 2022, encourages community involvement and input, according to a recent press release.

The public is invited to attend and participate in the first workshop, scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 14 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Hollister Veterans’ Memorial Building, Room 218 at 649 San Benito Street in Hollister. Refreshments will be provided.

According to the press release, the workshop will provide an introduction to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and what it means for north San Benito County groundwater, an overview of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan process (who is involved, what to expect), a summary, and discussion of groundwater conditions, concerns, and challenges. This is the first of six community workshops that are expected to be held over the next three years as the plan is developed.

Interested groundwater users, community members, farmers, ranchers, landowners and business owners are encouraged to attend and participate in this important process.

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is a state law requiring that groundwater basins are made sustainable and provides a comprehensive framework for basin sustainability, the press release said. That framework includes substantial technical analysis and quantification of many aspects of basin sustainability and management, extensive and more detailed descriptions of basin settings and conditions, and more comprehensive monitoring of groundwater levels, groundwater quality, and groundwater use, including potential metering of groundwater usage.

The law requires formation of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs), development of Groundwater Sustainability Plans for designated basins and achievement of groundwater sustainability within 20 years of plan implementation. The San Benito County Water District has actively complied with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and has become the Groundwater Sustainability Agency for groundwater basins in north San Benito County, the press release said.

More information about the state law, groundwater sustainability and development of the plan is online at www.sbcwd.com (click on Sustainable Groundwater Management).