Best Management Practices and Guidance Documents
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), Water Code Section 10729, directs DWR to “publish on its internet Web site best management practices for the sustainable management of groundwater,” and authorizes DWR to provide technical assistance to Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs). DWR has developed and published 2 categories of information – Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Guidance Documents – to assist GSAs when implementing,or updating their Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs).
BMPs and Guidance Documents are not substitutes for GSP Regulations or the statutory provisions of SGMA, but information in these publications is intended to assist GSAs with developing appropriate approaches to complying with SGMA and the GSP Regulations when developing and implementing groundwater management programs in their basins that will protect groundwater resources and advance the sustainable management of groundwater. DWR may develop additional BMPs and Guidance Documents, or make revisions to the existing publications, as needed.
The Groundwater Sustainability Plan Emergency Regulations (GSP Regulations) define BMPs as “the practice, or combination of practices, that are designed to achieve sustainable groundwater management and have been determined to be technologically and economically effective, practicable, and based on best available science.”
In brief, BMPs provide:
- Clarification
- Guidance
- Examples to help GSAs develop the essential elements of a GSP
DWR has developed these BMPs based on technical information from other groundwater management efforts, existing standards, and other guidance or reference reports.

BMP Resources
Guidance Documents address topic areas relevant to SGMA, for which no established standards in the water management industry exist or provide clarification on issues which may not have been specifically identified in the GSP Regulations with the intent to promote water conservation, protect groundwater resources, and advance the sustainable management of groundwater.
New and In Development
Guidance on Interconnected Surface Water
These resources are currently in development. See Fact Sheet for timeline and more information (PDF) | Publish Date: September 11, 2023)
A general overview of the technical aspects of interconnected surface water (ISW). Topic Papers discuss the quantification of depletions of ISW due to pumping.
- Topic Paper 1: Introduction to ISW (Coming fall, 2023)
- Topic Paper 2: Techniques for estimating depletion of ISW (Coming fall, 2023)
- Topic Paper 3: Examples of approaches for estimating depletion of ISW (Coming fall, 2023)
Guidance for Sustainability Agencies to consider when establishing ISW sustainable management criteria to quantify and manage depletions of ISW for their groundwater basin.
- Guidance for establishing SMC for depletions of ISW (Coming Spring/Summer 2024)

Contact Us
General Inquiries:
sgmps@water.ca.gov
Regional Inquiries:
sgmp_rc@water.ca.gov
Basin Points of Contact:
Northern Region
North Central Region
South Central Region
Southern Region