Reporting and Fees

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires people who extract or pump groundwater in high- or medium-priority basins not managed by groundwater sustainability agencies (unmanaged areas) or those who are in probationary basins to file groundwater extraction reports with the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) and pay extraction fees. For more information on the levels of state intervention, including unmanaged areas and probationary basins please visit the SGMA State Intervention website. The Groundwater Basins website provides information on basins that are subject to state intervention.

The information on this page will assist you in better determining if you are required to report your groundwater extractions annually to the State Water Board, and if so, what filing fees would apply. Any person who extracts or pumps groundwater from an unmanaged area or probationary basin must file a groundwater extraction report with the State Water Board each year.

Please see our fee regulations for more information. If you have any questions, please contact us at the contact information below.

Reporting and Fees FAQs and Resources

Below is a selection of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding groundwater extraction reporting. Answers to other frequently asked questions (FAQs) can be found in the Groundwater Extractors and State Intervention Under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) FAQ document.

Who has to report their groundwater extractions to the State Water Board?

Any person that extracts or pumps groundwater from a probationary basin or from an area not managed under a local Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), known as an unmanaged area, in a groundwater basin must file an annual report of their groundwater extractions with the State Water Board. Some groups of groundwater pumpers and extractors are exempt from this reporting requirement, as detailed in the following question, "Who doesn't need to report their groundwater extractions?"

Who doesn't need to report their groundwater extractions?

A well owner who extracts two acre‐feet* or less of groundwater per year within a basin for domestic purposes only is known as a “de minimis” user of groundwater per SGMA law.

In probationary basins, de minimis users may be exempt from reporting, but this will be determined for each individual basin at a State Water Board public hearing. The State Water Board can require reporting by de minimis users in probationary basins if necessary to sustainably manage the basin. The State Water Board may also choose to exclude a class or category of groundwater extractions from extraction reporting pursuant to Water Code section 10735.2(c).

In areas not managed under a local GSA, known as an unmanaged area, de minimis users are always exempt from groundwater extraction reporting.

*An acre-foot is enough water to cover one acre of land with one foot of water. Most private users of domestic wells use less than two acre-feet of water per year. Domestic purposes do not include commercial activities.

Will I be notified if I have to report my groundwater extractions?

The State Water Board notifies groundwater extractors of their groundwater extraction reporting obligations when those requirements become effective and before the reporting deadline each year. This notification letter will include a unique Correspondence ID that the extractor will need to access the State Water Board's online Groundwater Extraction Annual Reporting System (GEARS) web portal. An example notification letter is linked below.

If you are extracting groundwater from a probationary basin or an unmanaged area, are not exempt from reporting, and do not receive a notification letter from the State Water Board, you are still required to file a groundwater extraction report. If you are unsure of your reporting requirements, please contact us at the phone number or email below.

View a map of basins subject to state intervention to see if reporting requirements apply in your area and visit the Groundwater Basins website for information on basins that are subject to state intervention.

What do I do if I’m exempt from groundwater extraction reporting?

If you are exempt from reporting and do not receive a notification letter, no action is necessary.

If you receive a notification letter but are exempt from reporting or do not own a well, the State Water Board recommends you follow the instructions in the letter to tell the Board you are exempt. Then, you will be removed from future mailings.

How do I measure my groundwater extractions?

The State Water Board has identified approaches for measuring extraction volumes. Please refer to the State Water Board's Options for Measuring Extraction Volumes (PDF) | Opciones para medir los volúmenes de extracción de aguas subterráneas (PDF).

When do I start measuring my groundwater extractions?

For extractors in probationary basins, you must start measuring your extractions 90 days after the State Water Board decides, at a public hearing, to put your basin on probation.

For groundwater extractors in unmanaged area, you must start measuring your groundwater extractions from the effective date that your area became unmanaged (not within the management area of a Groundwater Sustainability Agency).

What information has to be reported?

Annual groundwater extraction reports must identify well owner information, well location, well capacity (maximum rate in gallons per minute), monthly extraction volumes, place(s) of use, and purpose(s) of use. Information is reported in the State Water Board’s Groundwater Extraction Annual Reporting System (GEARS) web portal (see below). Groundwater extraction volumes must be measured by a method satisfactory to the State Water Board, as detailed in the following question, "How do I measure my groundwater extractions?"

How do I measure my groundwater extractions?

Groundwater extraction volumes must be measured by a method satisfactory to the State Water Board. The State Water Board has identified approaches for measuring extraction volumes. Please refer to the guide linked below.

If a groundwater extractor chooses to use a different approach than is outlined in this guide, the device or method used must be satisfactory to the State Water Board. Please refer to the guide for more information.

How do I file a groundwater extraction report?

Groundwater extraction reports must be filed online through the State Water Board's online Groundwater Extraction Annual Reporting System (GEARS) web portal (see below). To submit your annual extraction report, you must register an account with GEARS, plot and describe your well(s) and extracted groundwater use, and then enter your monthly groundwater extraction volumes.

Tutorial videos for GEARS are available for:

When are groundwater extraction reports due?

For a probationary basin, unless you are directed otherwise, you must submit your report annually by February 1 for the previous water year (October 1 - September 30) while a basin is in probationary status; however, the Board may set a different reporting deadline or a different annual reporting period for a given basin designated as probationary. For example, the reporting deadline for the Tulare Lake Subbasin is December 1. Visit the Groundwater Basins webpage for basin-specific deadlines and reporting periods.

For unmanaged areas, you must submit your report annually by February 1 for the previous water year (October 1 – September 30) while the area remains unmanaged.

Where can I find groundwater measurement equipment/vendors?

The State Water Board does not endorse any specific products or vendors but does maintain a list of equipment vendors and suppliers for your convenience: Water Measurement Vendors/Suppliers.

Why do I have to pay a fee when I submit my groundwater extraction report?

Any person that is required to file a groundwater extraction report to the State Water Board is also required to pay fees. As required by law, the State Water Board is required to set extraction fees to recover the cost of State intervention activities in groundwater basins.

How did the State Water Board establish extraction fees?

The State Water Board established the extraction fees through an emergency regulation that implements the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The emergency regulation was initially adopted in 2017 and is amended on an as-needed basis, usually on the annual Water Rights Fees emergency regulations schedule. Visit the Westlaw website for the current emergency regulation including the extraction fee regulation.

How much do I need to pay?

The current annual fee for groundwater extractions, where required, generally includes a base fee of $300 per well plus either:

  1. $25 per acre-foot of water extracted in an unmanaged area, or
  2. $20 per acre-foot of water extracted in probationary basins.

De minimis extractors are generally not required to pay these fees. Unmanaged area extractors may be eligible for reduced fees if they are using a certified meter. Late reporters are subject to late fees and may be subject to additional administrative liability or misdemeanor penalties.

The Groundwater Extraction Fees table below outlines the current extraction fees that reporters are required to pay to the State Water Board when they submit their annual groundwater extraction reports.

How often do I need to pay my extraction fees?

Fees are collected for each annual groundwater extraction report that is due to the State Water Board for the preceding water year (October 1-September 30). Reporting begins no earlier than 90 days after a basin is put on probationary status and is required for any portion of the water year that a basin is in probationary status. An invoice will be mailed to you after February 1. Fees are due to the State Water Board by April 1 or 30 days after the invoice issue date – whichever is later.

Other Resources

Groundwater Extraction Annual Reporting System (GEARS)

Any person who extracts or pumps groundwater from an unmanaged area or probationary basin must file a groundwater extraction report with the State Water Board each year. Groundwater extraction reports must be completed and filed online through the State Water Board's online Groundwater Extraction Annual Reporting System (GEARS). Please refer to the Groundwater Extraction Reporting Frequently Asked Questions above for additional information on groundwater extraction reporting.

Tutorial videos for GEARS are available for:

SGMAGears Icon

Groundwater Extraction Fees

If you are required to file an annual groundwater extraction report with the State Water Board, you will also likely be required to pay extraction fees. The State Water Board is required to charge extraction fees to recover the cost of state intervention activities in groundwater basins. The following table outlines current annual extraction fees. Fee waivers are available for public schools, extractors enrolled in qualified public assistance programs, households with incomes less than twice the federal poverty level, and public or state small water systems serving disadvantaged communities where the primary purpose for the water service is for human consumption, cooking, and sanitation. Additional fee waiver guidance will follow in 2024. Visit the basin wepages for basin-specific reporting and fees information.

Fee Category Fee Amount Applicable Parties
Annual Base Filing Fee $300 per well All extractors required to report (excludes de minimis extractors).
Unmanaged Area Rate $10 per acre-foot (AF) (metered) Extractors in unmanaged areas (excludes de minimis extractors).
$25 per AF (unmetered)
Volumetric Rate $20 per AF Extractors in probationary basins (excludes de minimis extractors).
Interim Plan Rate $55 per AF Extractors in probationary basins where the State Water Board determines an interim plan is required (excludes de minimis extractors).
De minimis Fee $100 per well De minimis extractors in probationary basins (only required if the State Water Board determines at a public hearing that de minimis pumpers must report extractions and pay fees).
Automatic Late Fee 25% per month Extractors that do not file reports by the due date.

AF = acre-foot
An acre-foot is enough water to cover one acre of land with one foot of water.

Contact Us

If you have questions, please contact us at 916-322-6508 or email at SGMA@waterboards.ca.gov.

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To request these services, click on the button below to open the language access form, or email us at LanguageServices@Waterboards.ca.gov.

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