In August 2014, the California Legislature passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), marking a fundamental shift in the management of water resources in California. For the first time, groundwater in the state will have to be managed to protect the long-term reliability of the resource. SGMA is thus an important step forward, but achieving the objective of sustainability will ultimately depend on the commitment and participation of a large number of actors throughout its implementation.
The intent of this paper is to convey the value of stakeholder engagement to sustainable groundwater management and to provide tools that will help maximize its benefits. Section One considers the question, what is stakeholder engagement and why is it important? Section Two then outlines the statutory requirements for stakeholder engagement in SGMA. Finally, Section Three, drawing on best practices and examples of collaborative management from around the state, provides a recommended roadmap for effective stakeholder engagement drawn specifically for SGMA implementation.
