The Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) is partnering with the Monterey County Water Resources Agency (MCWRA) to improve the collection and storage of regional groundwater data through the Groundwater Monitoring Program (GMP). The GMP includes well registration, along with groundwater level, groundwater extraction, and groundwater quality monitoring.

The required activities are underway now, with the first year of costs covered by SVBGSA through DWR grant funding. Beginning next year (Fiscal Year 2027), annual fees will be assessed to support the program.

The partnership establishes one cohesive program to comply with the regulatory-driven monitoring requirements under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), while ensuring efficiency and transparency. The key goal is to improve the availability of accurate and timely groundwater information, which aids in effectively managing water resources. The SVBGSA is charged with achieving sustainability in the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin, which extends from the southern boundary of Monterey County to northwestern Monterey County.

A map of the Well registration area in the Salinas Valley

Through the GMP, the expansion of well registration and groundwater extraction reporting requires all wells in the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin to be registered with the MCWRA. Those wells extracting more than 2 acre-feet per year (i.e. non-de minimis) will also need to report extraction data to MCWRA through the Groundwater Extraction Management System (GEMS).

Presentation: Well Registration and GEMS Expansion Update, October 2024.

Technical Memo: Domestic Well Data, Montgomery & Associates, June 2025.

Well registration with MCWRA involves well owners submitting or verifying well information through a registration portal (under development) or, in the interim, using a form available on the MCWRA website. The data submission requirements include general information about well ownership, well construction specifications and the status of the well (for a complete list see the MCWRA GMP Program Manual). Data on well location and depth helps to understand the relationship between the wells and groundwater conditions. Well owner name and address information obtained through the GMP is confidential.

Nearly 500 well operators have historically submitted groundwater extraction information to MCWRA through the Groundwater Extraction Management System (GEMS), a program established in 1993. But data gaps exist, specifically in the Langley Subbasin, on the northern coastal side of the 180/400 Subbasin and across a significant portion of the Upper Valley Subbasin in southern Monterey County. The expansion of groundwater extraction reporting applies to all non-de minimis users, including agricultural users and domestic users with 5 or more connections.

Groundwater extraction data can be tracked with the well operator’s choice of an approved method. Approved methods currently include a water flowmeter, an electrical meter, or an hour meter (timer). Data must be recorded by the well operator monthly for each water year, from October 1 to September 30, and reported to MCWRA by November 1 of each year using MCWRA’s online application. For the 2023 reporting year, 96% of the 1,940 wells that were required to report submitted their data. As the Groundwater Monitoring Program is further developed and enhanced, SVBGSA and MCWRA are striving for efficient data collection to support effective water resources management in the region.

In August 2025, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors approved fees to support the Monterey County Water Resources Agency’s (MCWRA) Groundwater Monitoring Program (GMP) and directed MCWRA staff to explore alternative mechanisms to fund the monitoring costs for de minimis well owners. The fees, now in effect, were informed by a Groundwater Monitoring Program Fee Study completed by MCWRA in April 2025. The study documented the basis for the new fees and provided the framework for the fee implementation.

The GMP collects data on wells, groundwater levels, groundwater quality (with a focus on seawater intrusion), and groundwater extractions. This information is used to evaluate short- and long-term changes in the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin’s hydrologic budget. The GMP plays a critical role in managing groundwater resources in the Salinas Valley and tracking progress toward the sustainability goals outlined in local Groundwater Sustainability Plans. SVBGSA depends on this dataset to comply with the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

GMP fees include initial wellhead registration, annual renewal, groundwater extraction reporting, groundwater level monitoring, and groundwater quality monitoring. Approximately 3,500 wells are expected to be billed annually on a per-well basis, though some fees will not apply to every well.

The required activities are underway now, with the first year of costs covered by SVBGSA through DWR grant funding. The Fiscal Year 2026 fees, which are waived, are:

  • One-time initial registration: $160.16 per well
  • Annual well registration renewal: $21.86 per well
  • Groundwater extraction reporting: $64.82 per well
  • Monitoring groundwater levels: $117.68 per well
  • Monitoring groundwater quality: $73.92 per well

The fees are designed to cover the reasonable regulatory costs incurred by MCWRA, including staff time, materials and other costs. They are exempt from voter approval under Proposition 26.

Beginning next year (FY 2027), MCWRA will evaluate, adopt and assess annual fees to support the program, considering changes in regulatory requirements, technology and the number of wells subject to monitoring.

Frequently Asked Questions

Groundwater Monitoring Program

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) to develop a monitoring network that can collect sufficient data to demonstrate short-term, seasonal, and long-term trends in groundwater. In addition, the Monterey County Water Resources Agency’s mission includes the sustainable management of water resources for present and future generations.The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) to develop a monitoring network that can collect sufficient data to demonstrate short-term, seasonal, and long-term trends in groundwater. In addition, the Monterey County Water Resources Agency’s mission includes the sustainable management of water resources for present and future generations.

The monitoring networks in the Groundwater Monitoring Program (GMP) are designed to accomplish monitoring of groundwater levels, seawater intrusion, and groundwater extractions (pumping). Well registration is also part of the GMP, which, when coupled with other monitoring programs, aids in assessing how wells could be affected by changing groundwater conditions.

Yes. The 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) assigns technical support and groundwater sustainability plan oversight to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and enforcement power to the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board). DWR can determine that SGMA implementation is inadequate and refer a basin to the State Board even after a plan is approved.

In the San Joaquin Valley, several groundwater basins are currently under State Board intervention. Intervention by the State Board comes with costs, including paying a well registration fee of $100 (de minimis users) and $300 (non-de minimis users) for each well. Those using more than 2 acre-feet per year are also required to install water meters, report extractions to the State, and pay $20 per acre-foot pumped. These fees are in addition to the GSA’s costs to overcome State Board intervention by addressing plan deficiencies. Some instances may also include litigation costs.

Groundwater Extraction Reporting

Groundwater extraction data is a key piece of information necessary for establishing accurate groundwater information to achieve effective groundwater management. This data is also required by the Department of Water Resources for compliance with SGMA.

Location of the well and the extraction volume determine the need to report groundwater extraction data to MCWRA. The expansion includes all non-de minimis users (wells extracting more than 2 acre-feet per year) in certain areas, beginning with agricultural pumpers and domestic users with 15 or more connections. In 2025, domestic users with 5-14 connections will be added to the program. If the well is used to extract two acre-feet of water per year or less for domestic purposes, there is no requirement to report the extraction data (2 acre-feet of water is equivalent to about 650,000 gallons).

If the well is used to extract more than 2 acre-feet of water per year and is located in MCWRA Zone 2C and/or in one of the six subbasins in the jurisdiction of the SVBGSA – 180/400 Foot Aquifer, Eastside Aquifer, Forebay Aquifer, Langley Area, Monterey, or Upper Valley – reporting groundwater extraction data will be required. View the subbasin boundaries here.

MCWRA is contacting well owners by mail with instructions on how to register for the groundwater extraction monitoring program. As a general rule, wells providing water to less than five connections would be considered de minimis.

Data entry can be completed online with MCWRA.

The first year of costs is covered by SVBGSA through DWR grant funding. Beginning next year (FY 2027), annual fees will be assessed to support the program. As part of adopting the GMP fees for FY 2026, the Board of Supervisors also directed MCWRA staff to explore alternative mechanisms to fund the monitoring costs for de minimis well owners.

Access and distribution of personally identifiable information are restricted to the fullest extent allowed by law. MCWRA publishes aggregate groundwater extraction data in annual reports.

Groundwater extraction data are used by MCWRA, SVBGSA and other water management agencies to understand the amount of water that is pumped from the basin, the geographic distribution of that pumping, and its impact on the groundwater balance.

MCWRA will require monthly totals of the volume of water produced by each well, along with the type of use associated with it (for example, domestic or irrigation). The type of device used to collect data and calibration activities will also need to be reported.

At a minimum, data will need to be submitted once per year in the month of October.

Data reporting will occur online through an application maintained by MCWRA. Information about how to use the application is available here.

A well owner is responsible for ensuring that the required data is submitted to MCWRA by the due date. It will be permitted for a well owner to designate someone else, such as a well operator, as an authorized party for reporting the extraction data.

Data is stored by MCWRA in a database that is accessible only to authorized staff members.

Groundwater extraction data is used to understand and evaluate the movement, quantity, and geographic distribution of groundwater outflows and inflows.

MCWRA Ordinance No. 5426 stipulates MCWRA’s authority for groundwater extraction reporting. Policies associated with the implementation of the program are described in MCWRA’s Groundwater Monitoring Program Manual that accompanies the ordinance.

No. The GMP Fees will support this program. The GMP Fees are charged on a per-well basis and are not based on the volume of groundwater extraction.

MCWRA Ordinance No. 5426 describes enforcement and penalties associated with failure to report groundwater extraction data or to otherwise comply with the ordinance. Prior to any enforcement action, MCWRA will first provide written notice of failure to comply to the well owner or well operator.

MCWRA staff can be reached at extractions@countyofmonterey.gov or by contacting 831-755-8905 and asking to speak with Hydrology staff, with any questions about how to complete a data submittal where some of the data might be incomplete.

Well Registration

All wells in Monterey County Water Resources Agency (MCWRA) Zone 2C and/or in one of the six subbasins in the jurisdiction of the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) – 180/400-Foot Aquifer, Eastside Aquifer, Forebay Aquifer, Langley Area, Monterey, and Upper Valley Aquifer – must be registered with the MCWRA. Check here to view the subbasin boundaries.

You may be asked to verify the information that the Agency has on file, but you are not required to re-register. MCWRA staff will contact you with this request and information on how to complete the verification.

The well registration portal is under development. While the well registration portal is being developed, well registration can be completed by submitting a form available on MCWRA’s website here or contacting MCWRA at WellRegistration@countyofmonterey.gov.

Well registration entails providing information about the well owner, well operator, well location, well construction, and type of well use. A list of the required data is included in the Agency’s Groundwater Monitoring Program (GMP) Manual, available here.

MCWRA will accept as much data as can be provided about each well, understanding that not all of the details will be available in all cases. Essential data include well owner name and contact information, well location data, and well use. Please contact MCWRA staff with questions about completing well registration.

Data is stored by MCWRA in a database that is accessible only to authorized staff members.

Well registration data is used to understand the location and types of wells within MCWRA and SVBGA jurisdictions. Information about groundwater levels and groundwater quality, coupled with the detailed production well data, aids in assessing how wells could be affected by changing groundwater conditions.

Initial registration of a well only needs to happen once. If information associated with the well changes, those updates must be provided to MCWRA.

It will be the responsibility of the new owner to contact MCWRA and update the information in the well registration database.

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors approved a one-time Initial Well Registration Fee of $160.16 per well and an annual Well Registration Renewal Fee of $21.86 per well. The fee amount per well was determined through the GMP Fee Study, completed in April 2025. The first year of costs is covered by SVBGSA through DWR grant funding. Beginning next year (FY 2027), annual fees will be assessed to support the program. Alternative funding options are being explored to offset costs for de minimis well owners.

MCWRA Ordinance No. 5426 stipulates the authority for the program. Details of the program are provided in MCWRA’s Groundwater Monitoring Program Manual.

A well owner or well operator must register their well(s) within 30 days of completed construction or upon request from MCWRA.

If a well is physically destroyed or abandoned, the owner is responsible for informing MCWRA of the change in the well’s status.

A well that has been constructed to replace an existing well should be registered with MCWRA. Inactive or standby wells that are capable of operation, but are not presently being used, should be registered with MCWRA.

Regulatory Fees

The first year of costs is covered by SVBGSA through DWR grant funding. Beginning next year (FY 2027), annual fees will be assessed to support the program.

MCWRA completed a Fee Study in April 2025 to determine the cost recovery for the GMP. The proposed fees are based on historical staff hours needed to complete each groundwater monitoring service and the cost of associated materials, vehicles, and supplies. The complete fee study is available here.

Well registration, annual registration renewal, and groundwater level monitoring fees apply to all water production wells in any of the six subbasins in the jurisdiction of the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency – 180/400-Foot Aquifer, Eastside Aquifer, Forebay Aquifer, Langley Area, Monterey, and Upper Valley Aquifer.

The groundwater extraction reporting fee applies to all water production wells that pump over 2 acre-feet per year in MCWRA Zone 2C and/or in one of the six subbasins in the jurisdiction of the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency – 180/400-Foot Aquifer, Eastside Aquifer, Forebay Aquifer, Langley Area, Monterey, and Upper Valley Aquifer.

The groundwater quality monitoring fee applies to all water production wells in subbasins that monitor for seawater intrusion as part of the subbasin’s approved Groundwater Sustainability Plan. This includes the 180/400-Foot Aquifer, Eastside Aquifer, Langley Area, and Monterey Subbasins.

A map showing the extent of the GMP area is available here.

No. MCWRA monitors groundwater levels and water quality for seawater intrusion through a subset of the 3,500 wells in the six subbasins (180/400-Foot Aquifer, Eastside Aquifer, Forebay Aquifer, Langley Area, Monterey, and Upper Valley Subbasins). Data is collected from a representative sample of wells to provide information about regional groundwater conditions that is needed to meet SGMA requirements.

Benefits from the data collected by the GMP include local management of groundwater resources, and creating and maintaining sustainable groundwater conditions. These benefits accrue to all well owners, even if data is not collected from each well.

MCWRA will directly bill well owners for the proposed GMP fees. The fees will not be included on property tax bills.

Yes. During the well registration process, a well owner can designate an alternate who is responsible for paying the GMP fee(s).

MCWRA will re-evaluate the fees annually as part of its budgeting process.