Our 2024 California Water Leaders cohort completed its year with a report on its policy recommendations for ensuring the state’s over-pumped groundwater basins reach sustainability under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The landmark law known as SGMA turned 10 in 2024 as many of the state’s sustainability plans were moving into implementation. The goal is for those basins to become sustainable by 2040 or 2042. The Water Leaders cohort of 20 up-and-coming leaders – engineers, attorneys, planners, scientists, water managers and other professionals from water-related organizations – worked collaboratively and had full editorial control on the report.