CMA GSA Sustainable Groundwater Management Fee

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) became effective January 1, 2015, to provide a framework for managing groundwater supplies in the State of California. The State identifies basins that are critically over-drafted, high-priority, and medium-priority as the focus of the legislation.  The Central Management Area Groundwater Sustainability Agency (CMA) is one part of the Santa Ynez River Valley Groundwater Basin (Basin). The Basin was designated by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) as medium priority.  As such, the Basin, including the CMA, is required to achieve sustainability within 20 years from Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP)submittal 11or by 2042. To implement the GSP and perform necessary SGMA related activities, the CMA Board approved a SGMA fee consisting of a pump-charge per acre-foot pumped and a per-acre charge for all properties and pumpers within the CMA.

Please see the CMA Sustainable Groundwater Management Fee Study Report, April 21, 2025 for more details. 

CMA Sustainable Groundwater Management Fee Components

The CMA’s Board of Directors approved a SGMA fee based on two components: an Extraction Charge based on extractions in AF within the Buellton Aquifer and an Acreage Charge for each parcel in the CMA. The CMA may request the semi-annual groundwater pumping data from the SYRWCD, and the parcel/acreage data from the County Assessor and GIS.

• The Extraction Charge per AF is based on a five-year rolling average of pumping data to smooth out customer bills as well as revenues received by the GSA.
  • The first-year quantity will be the FYE 2024 extractions, and future years will be added to the rolling average until there is a five-year average. The rolling average will help stabilize revenues as groundwater extraction may vary from year-to-year based on several variables including climate change, short term drought or excessive rainfall, and changes in cropping.

• The Acreage Charge will be based on the total acreage of each parcel within the CMA, rounded up to the nearest whole acre.
  • If a parcel extends outside of the CMA boundary, only the acreage that lies within the CMA boundary, rounded up to the nearest whole acre, is used in calculating the Acreage Charge.

Billing of CMA Sustainable Groundwater Management Fee Components

The CMA decided on two methods of billing to collect the Sustainable Groundwater Management Fee.

1.   Collection through Santa Barbara County Tax Roll.  The majority of parcels and water extractors within the CMA will have the Sustainable Groundwater Management Fee collected by the Santa Barbara County in the same manner as ordinary municipal ad valorem taxes.
2.  Direct Invoice by the CMA GSA.  Public Agencies, Mutual Water Companies, and small water systems will receive an invoice directly from the CMA GSA.

If you have any questions regarding your billing, please email CMA@SantaYnezWater.org

CMA Sustainable Groundwater Management Fee set by Board of Directors