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Kern County Subbasin

NEW! On September 17, 2025, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board or Board) determined that a probationary designation for the Kern County Subbasin was not necessary and that the Board would return the subbasin to the Department of Water Resources' (DWR) oversight after Board staff confirms the 2025 Final Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) are consistent with the Draft Kern County Subbasin GSPs (2025 Draft GSPs) and confirms that the three priority deficiencies have been adequately addressed.

On March 2, 2023, DWR determined that the Kern County Subbasin's July 2022 GSPs were inadequate. DWR's determination temporarily shifted primary regulatory oversight of the subbasin to the State Water Board. State Water Board staff reviewed the 2022 GSPs and 2024 revised GSPs and released a staff report of their findings prior to a February 20, 2025 hearing. At this hearing, the State Water Board considered a probationary designation for the Kern County Subbasin, ultimately continuing the hearing until September 17, 2025. The hearing continuation gave the groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) time to continue addressing the deficiencies in their GSPs. The GSAs submitted the 2025 Draft GSPs to the Board on June 20, 2025.

Board staff reviewed the 2025 Draft GSPs and produced a Staff Review and associated documents, linked below. Board staff will review the 2025 Final GSPs for consistency with the 2025 Draft GSPs and to confirm that the three priority deficiencies identified in the Final Kern County Subbasin Resolution have been adequately addressed. If the deficiencies are satisfactorily resolved, Board staff will transmit a letter to DWR formalizing the return of the Kern County Subbasin to DWR’s oversight.

On February 20, 2025, the State Water Board held a public hearing to consider a probationary designation for the Kern County Subbasin under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). At the hearing, the Board members heard presentations from State Water Board staff, GSAs, and other interested parties, and received public comments, before deciding to continue the hearing to September 17, 2025.

By continuing the hearing, the State Water Board provided more time for Kern County Subbasin GSAs to finish resolving identified deficiencies in their GSPs before the Board members decide whether to designate the Subbasin as probationary. The State Water Board's resolution to continue the hearing requested that the Subbasin GSAs provide their revised draft GSPs by June 20, 2025 to allow the GSAs a reasonable additional period of time to correct the existing deficiencies and also give the Board time to evaluate and consider those draft plans in advance of the continued hearing date. The Kern County Subbasin GSAs submitted Draft Amended 2025 GSPs on June 20, 2025 which can be accessed with the information provided in the "Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs)" menu below.

The continued hearing was conducted in accordance with the Notice of Public Hearing issued on July 25, 2024 and was webcast in English, Spanish, and Punjabi.

September 17, 2025

February 20, 2025

These public workshops were opportunities to learn more about the potential State Water Board actions and to provide public comment on the Draft Staff Report for the Kern County Subbasin. No regulatory decisions were made at these workshops. Both workshops had the same content.

See the workshop flyer for more information:

2025 Final GSPs:

2025 Draft GSPs:

  • The Draft 2025 Kern County Subbasin GSPs can be accessed on the State Water Board's FTP site
    • Use the following pathway to access the PDF files: 2025 > June > 06202025_SGMA_KernGSP

2022 Adopted GSPs:

Kern County Subbasin Map
Kern County Subbasin Map

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