Earlier this week, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) hosted a public meeting to discuss a newly released draft document regarding the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).  The workshop focused on a newly released Best Management Practices (BMP) draft document.  The BMP document primarily focuses on basin modeling, as well as developing and maintaining basin-wide monitoring networks.  The modeling and monitoring are both important to the long term effectiveness of the SGMA program.  The basin modeling will show the layout of the basin as well as the various sources that provide and take water in that specific area, and the monitoring will be able to show changes to the basin in real time.  The Association has submitted comments on the draft document, encouraging DWR to take a synergistic approach to monitoring with other programs that are already in place.  Programs such the California Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring (CASGEM) and the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) are already monitoring water levels and water quality.  Utilizing these pre-existing programs help reduce cost of installing monitoring wells, and will also minimize the potential for collecting duplicative data.  It is our understanding that the development of these BMP’s will not create any additional regulatory requirements in the monitoring for these programs; they will work in coordination with what is already required.  DWR only wants to utilize monitoring sites that are already in place and functional.  If you would like a link for the draft BMP’s or an email to submit comments, please feel free to contact Chris McGlothlin with the Association.