Reporting and Fees

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.

• Example: Notice of Groundwater Extraction Reporting Requirements Under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)
• Ejemplo: Aviso de Requisitos de Notificación de Extracción de Aguas Subterráneas en el Marco de la Ley de Gestión Sostenible de Aguas Subterráneas (SGMA)

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.

• State Water Board's Options for Measuring Extraction Volumes (PDF)
• Opciones para medir los volúmenes de extracción de aguas subterráneas (PDF)

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:

• Registering for a GEARS account
• Plotting and describing your well(s) and extracted groundwater use in GEARS
• Submitting your groundwater extraction report in GEARS

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.