In September of 2014, the California Legislature enacted comprehensive legislation aimed at strengthening local control and management of groundwater basins throughout the state. Known as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014, the legislation provides a framework for sustainable management of groundwater supplies by local authorities, with a limited role for state intervention when necessary to protect the resource.
The first step in the process laid out by the legislation is that local agencies must form local groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) within two years. These GSAs must be formed to address groundwater basins determined by the state to be of high or medium priority. Two of the Ventura River watershed's four groundwater basins are ranked medium priority: Ojai Valley Basin and Upper Ventura River Basin.
More Information
The Association of California Water Agencies has produced the following resources clarifying the provisions of the 2014 Groundwater Legislation.
California Department of Water Resources' Groundwater website