To comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), in early 2016 the Kern River Groundwater Sustainability Agency (KRGSA) was formed and submitted the required GSA formation notification documents to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The KRGSA is the exclusive GSA within its designated boundary, which includes a portion of the Kern County Subbasin (Basin Number 5-22.14, DWR Bulletin 118) within the San Joaquin Valley Groundwater Basin. The Kern County Subbasin is a high-priority groundwater basin in a state of critical overdraft. SGMA requires that such basins shall be managed under a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) by January 31, 2020.
Horizon is providing program management services to support the KRGSA through the GSP development and submittal process. Working alongside technical consultant TODD Groundwater, Horizon guided KRGSA through the initial process of complying with GSP regulations through coordination with DWR’s SGMA Portal. Horizon developed and updates the Communication and Outreach Plan for the GSP to document outreach efforts as required by SGMA. In coordination with Self Help Enterprises, Horizon is helping KRGSA with public outreach to disadvantaged communities, stakeholders, and interested groups through workshops, emails, and mailings. Once TODD Groundwater has identified measurable objectives through its groundwater balance analysis, Horizon will coordinate with TODD to identify the magnitude of groundwater projects and management actions needed to meet the measurable objectives. In addition, Horizon assisted KRGSA in obtaining a grant from DWR under the Proposition 1 Sustainable Groundwater Plan program and administers submittal of progress reports and invoices for that grant.