Earlier this year the Water Education Foundation published a free online handbook with background information on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, signed into law in 2014 by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The handbook has just been updated to include chapters on SGMA fees and case studies of SGMA implementation underway in Stanislaus and Kern counties, the Pajaro Valley and the Colusa subbasin. Click here to read the updated handbook.

Background information in the handbook provides an overview of California groundwater and the SGMA, a timeline and a list of frequently asked questions. The chapter on approaches and options for governance explains how a Groundwater Sustainability Agency might be formed and what the broad goals of a Groundwater Sustainability Plan.

Also included is an easy-to-understand definition of the three options for governance and a step-by-step guide with tips on forming a GSA. This handbook was developed with funding from the California Water Foundation.