Groundwater Allocation Hub

Due to persistent drought conditions and stress on the groundwater supply, the East Kaweah GSA has adopted groundwater allocations. The decision to implement allocations was not taken lightly but are a necessary step to reach sustainability by 2040 under California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The East Kaweah GSA first established groundwater allocations for Water Year 2022 through an Emergency Ordinance, and then for Water Year 2023 through its Rules and Regulations. Groundwater allocations ensure the agency can make forward progress on sustainability and keep local control over groundwater management. These allocations were established with careful consideration. 

This Groundwater Allocation Hub keeps East Kaweah GSA growers, residents, and the community informed on groundwater allocation updates, including tracking water use, billing, and FAQs. The following media and content are provided as tools to empower stakeholders in the work toward groundwater sustainability by 2040. 

The East Kaweah GSA, in partnership with GSAs in the Kaweah Subbasin, has provided access to the Water Dashboard, an online tool to help growers track water use and gain key water use insights at the field level. This is especially helpful to growers while monitoring water use within the allocation.  The Water Dashboard reflects water use data collected by Land IQ. Land IQ uses a data-driven model developed for detailed, field-scale water use reporting. Land IQ calculates water use through evapotranspiration (ET), the amount of water consumed by the plant through evaporation and transpiration. 

Land IQ determines field-level ET through ground measurements from approximately 90 Land IQ and other monitoring field stations to generate hourly ET data, which are then used as dependent variables in the modeling process.  ET is reported based on consumptive use — what the plant actually absorbs — and not applied water, which is measured by gauges or meters. Nearly 40 GSAs or irrigation districts are utilizing Land IQ data. 

Growers' water use in the East Kaweah GSA is monitored using Land IQ data, so it is beneficial for growers and landowners to use the Water Dashboard to maximize their involvement in achieving groundwater sustainability.