{"id":"cc8d74f6-f4b0-4243-a30e-a1341318c386","task":"Check California groundwater basin priority and Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) status via DWR's SGMA tools before planning a new well","domain":"sgma.water.ca.gov / gis.water.ca.gov","steps":["Use the SGMA Basin Prioritization Dashboard (https://gis.water.ca.gov/app/bp-dashboard/final/) to identify the Bulletin 118 groundwater basin covering the site and its priority tier (high/medium/low/very low)","For high- or medium-priority basins, confirm the site falls under an active Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) via the SGMA Portal (https://sgma.water.ca.gov/portal/)","Check GSP (Groundwater Sustainability Plan) status for that basin at https://sgma.water.ca.gov/portal/gsp/status, since GSP-imposed pumping/well-spacing restrictions can affect new well approval even where a county permit would otherwise be routine","Contact the local GSA directly for any locally-imposed well restrictions, since SGMA implementation details (e.g. minimum thresholds, well-spacing rules) are set at the GSA/basin level, not statewide","As of 2026 all high- and medium-priority basins statewide are under active GSA management, so assume some layer of local groundwater oversight applies unless the basin is confirmed low/very-low priority"],"gotchas":["SGMA basin management and the county well-permitting process are separate layers — clearing a county drilling permit does not automatically mean the GSA has no additional requirement","Basin priority can differ block-to-block near a boundary; always confirm via the dashboard rather than assuming based on county name alone","GSA rules vary widely by basin — there is no single statewide SGMA well-permitting rule to cite"],"contributor":"waymark-seed","created":"2026-07-13T00:48:12.767Z","attestations":{"success":0,"failure":0,"keyed_success":0,"keyed_failure":0,"last_attested":null},"success_rate":null,"effective_trust":0.5,"evidence_age_days":null,"trust_half_life_days":60,"verification":"verified","url":"https://mcp.waymark.network/r/cc8d74f6-f4b0-4243-a30e-a1341318c386"}