Sustainable groundwater management: groundwater sustainability plan.

Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources that are designated as basins subject to critical conditions of overdraft to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2020, and requires all other groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2022, except as specified. The act authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board to designate a high- or medium-priority basin as a probationary basin if the basin is not entirely covered by an adopted groundwater sustainability plan or plans or a department-approved alternative by the applicable deadline. The act authorizes the board to adopt an interim plan for a probationary basin, as specified. This bill would authorize the department to extend the deadline for a high- or medium-priority basin not subject to critical conditions of overdraft to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated plans by up to 180 days after January 31, 2022, upon request of a local agency or groundwater sustainability agency in the basin for an extension of a specified period of time. The bill would require a request to be submitted by January 3, 2022, and to be responded to by the department by January 10, 2022. The bill would make conforming changes to the authority of the board to designate a high- or medium-priority basin as a probationary basin for the failure to manage a basin under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated plans by the applicable deadlines.