The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act gives the SMGWA the authority to meter larger, non-de minimis wells. A de minimis well is defined as a well using less than 2 acre-feet per year for domestic uses. The average household uses less than half an acre-foot per year. So, most private residential wells in the Santa Margarita basin are de minimis and therefore not subject to metering. Private wells used for commercial, industrial, or agriculture uses are more likely to be subject to metering in order for the agency to be able to have the water use information needed to effectively manage the basin and bring it into sustainability by 2042 as required by state law. For more information, read the section on metering from SGMA (on page 23 of the Act).

Under the act, it is possible to levy a fee assessment on de minimis and larger volume users alike. We do not know if a fee will be necessary for the Santa Margarita Basin. There will be many opportunities for community input on the entire SMGWA planning process, including management fees. Any fees would have to be fully justified with the benefits to de minimis users well-documented.

If we cannot come to a local agreement on how to bring our basin into sustainability, the State will intervene. They have been very clear about what they will do – they will levy large use fees on all users and where possible, limit water well pumping across the board. The Act gives the state the authority to manage the basin if we cannot do it ourselves. Local participation within the SMGWA is the preferred alternative to state-level basin command and control regulation.

The Plan content and implementation are determined by the SMGWA. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) staff will review and evaluate Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP) to determine whether they fulfill the State requirements. Implementation and reporting are locally-driven and includes the development of annual reports and GSP assessments completed every five years during the implementation of the GSPs.

If the SMGWA can reach sustainability the State will have little involvement in our local situation.

A de minimis PWO and who uses less than 2 acre-feet per year for domestic purposes will not need to let anyone on their land for testing or monitoring. However, we encourage PWOs to grant the county access to do occasional well sounding so that the SMGWA can obtain as much groundwater information as possible. The more data we have, the more accurate our modeling outcomes will be.

Individual, small water systems (5 or more connections on a single well or water system), agriculture, and commercial/industrial use not reporting to any water agency. Anyone with a groundwater well that they operate independently of any water agency.

The 3-member agencies are dividing the costs to pay for the writing of the sustainability plan.  Additionally, the effort received a 1-million-dollar matching grant toward creating a plan.

Yes, indirectly via property taxes.

New developments need to maintain pre-development hydrology of the property.  Also, need to provide percolation areas for water falling onto the property. They also have very strict water conservation standards that they must meet.

The Santa Margarita basin is fairly hydrologically isolated from all the nearby basins and not affected by the ag businesses in the Pajaro and Watsonville areas. Those areas, though, are also working on a sustainability plan that will be completed before the SMGW Basin due to the fact they are in critical overdraft.

Using guidance from the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, the board of the SMGW Basin along with input from community feedback will define sustainability for numerous criteria.

Yes, water quality is one of the factors included in the plan.

Basins are mainly defined by geology, but some boundaries are modified based on city and county boundaries as well.

Percolation areas for stormwater, inject clean water back into the aquifer (Aquifer Storage and Recovery), recycled water to offset use, in-lieu recharge by partnering surface water suppliers with groundwater users.

Most likely it is a spring and not a well.

Municipal projections and planning have been good and efficient, and have typically overestimated use.

About 1500 people over the next 5-10 years.

Mainly fish like steelhead and coho salmon, as well as other aquatic species like amphibians.

Not really, due to the fact that most of it is evaporated or used by the plants.  SMGW basin does not have a large agriculture business.

Yes, it is anonymous and only a well number will be listed on the map.  No names or exact locations will be provided to the public.