Santa Ynez River Valley Groundwater Basin

Santa Ynez River Valley Groundwater Basin

Central Management Area (CMA) Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA)

Citizen Advisory Group (CAG)

If you are interested in serving on the Citizen Advisory Group (CAG) for the Santa Ynez River Valley Groundwater Basin Central Management Area (CMA) Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), please complete and return the application to Bill Buelow (bbuelow@syrwcd.com) by February 18, 2021.

What is the CMA CAG?

The Central Management Area (CMA) Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) Committee, comprised of officials appointed from the member agencies of the CMA GSA (Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District, the City of Buellton and the Santa Barbara County Water Agency) is responsible for implementing the requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in the CMA of the Santa Ynez River Valley Groundwater Basin (Basin) and for coordinating its activities with other agencies and GSAs in the Basin.  Among other comprehensive efforts, the CMA GSA Committee (Committee) is overseeing the preparation of a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the CMA. Members of the public are strongly encouraged by the Committee to attend all meetings of the CMA GSA and to provide input and information to the Committee throughout the GSP development process. The Committee has formed the CAG to provide an additional level of public input to the Committee on various issues related to the preparation of the GSP. The Western Management Area (WMA) GSA and the Eastern Management Area (EMA) GSA have also designated a CAG for their respective portions of the Basin.

SGMA requires the Committee to consider the interests of diverse social, cultural, and economic elements of the population within the CMA during development of the GSP, including the interests of all beneficial uses and users of groundwater.  Collaborative and inclusive processes will assist in making the GSP more resilient by increasing public buy-in, promoting compliance, and enhancing the quality of information on which the GSP is based.  The Committee has established an open and ongoing list of interested persons to whom notices are and will be sent regarding meetings of the CMA GSA, GSP development, and other SGMA-related activities.  The purpose of a CAG is to provide an additional level of public input to the Committee in a way that represents different categories of groundwater uses and users in the CMA as set forth by SGMA.  At various points during development of the GSP, the CAG may be asked to provide its perspective on elements or sections of the GSP and on the final draft of the GSP that will be submitted to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). 

As set forth in the CAG Guidelines, members of the CAG are selected by the Committee and serve at the discretion of the Committee for a process that is expected to last at least through completion of the GSP in January 2022.  Replacements on the CAG, if needed, would be made by the Committee.