Outreach & Engagement

Sustainable Groundwater Management Act

As part of developing the Groundwater Sustainability Plan, the Groundwater Sustainability Agencies will inform and involve interested and affected individuals and organizations (stakeholders) and the general public.

Public Involvement in SGMA

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires that each Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) encourage the active involvement of diverse social, cultural, and economic elements of the population within the groundwater basin. To do so, SGMA sets out numerous public notice requirements for both local GSAs and the State. These requirements include:

Public notice and hearing before establishing a GSA, adopting or amending a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP), or imposing or increasing a fee;
Creation and use of an interested persons list for the subbasin or GSA;
Participation of federally recognized Indian Tribes sharing the interest of the sustainability of the groundwater agency (if tribes choose to participate);
Development of a written statement describing the manner in which interested parties may participate in the development and implementation of the GSP.

In addition, SGMA requires that GSAs consider the interests of all beneficial uses and users of groundwater throughout the GSA and GSP development process.

Levels of Engagement and Decision-Making

graphic showing the levels of engagement by various groups in the Merced subbasin

Public Involvement in Merced Subbasin

A description of the various parties involved in developing the Plan is given below.

Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) — Overall direction, funding, and approval for the groundwater sustainability planning process and work products is provided by the governing boards of the three Groundwater Sustainability Agencies. The final Groundwater Sustainability Plan will be adopted by the elected governing bodies of each these organizations. The GSAs have formed a Coordination Committee of senior staff and board members to coordinate day-to-day project activities and public outreach.

Coordination Committee — The three GSAs for the Merced Groundwater Subbasin have formed a Coordination Committee of senior staff and governing board members to coordinate day-to-day planning activities and public outreach. Meetings of the Coordination Committee will be noticed and open to the public, and are shown on the Meetings page. See the Committees Page for a list of Coordination Committee representatives.

Stakeholder Committee — The three GSAs have also approved the formation of a Stakeholder Committee. The Stakeholder Committee will serve as community representatives to review groundwater conditions, management issues and needs, and projects and management actions to improve sustainability in the basin. Meetings of the Stakeholder Committee will be noticed and open to the public. See the Committees Page for a list of Stakeholder Committee representatives.

Members of the Public — Public outreach and engagement will consist primarily of open Stakeholder Committee meetings, information and updates to the project website, and public workshops held at important stages of the groundwater sustainability planning process. The GSAs will also provide information briefings to elected officials (City Councils, County Board of Supervisors, and Merced Irrigation District Board of Directors), community organizations, neighborhoods, and others as needed to keep them informed and participating.

It is the responsibility of each GSA to reach out to the public and stakeholders within its boundaries. For a calendar of upcoming meetings and meeting materials regarding groundwater management the Merced Subbasin, see the table below. Stakeholders and members of the public are highly encouraged to sign up for the Merced SGMA mailing list to receive meeting announcements and updates on implementation of SGMA in the subbasin.

For specific questions about the GSA in your region, visit the Contact Page.

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