California Department of Water Resources commemorates the 10-Year Anniversary of the historic passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) with an all-day event held at the Natural Resources building in Sacramento.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – As California enters a new water year, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has released two new groundwater reports – the Semi-Annual Groundwater Conditions Update and a draft of California’s Groundwater Update 2025– that show measurable progress towards achieving groundwater sustainability in California. Combined, the two reports along with DWR’s California’s Groundwater Live (CalGW Live) incorporate historical data with near real-time insights to help groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) monitor conditions in their region and adjust custom-tailored solutions to meet sustainability objectives defined in their groundwater sustainability plans and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
“California’s groundwater-reliant communities are no stranger to the impacts of our changing climate and since 2020, we’ve seen incredible progress from our local partners to invest in flexible strategies to respond to changing hydrologic conditions,” said Paul Gosselin, DWR Deputy Director of Sustainable Water Management. “It’s incredible to think about the work that we and local agencies have accomplished, and how we can continue momentum in maintaining this critical water supply as we adjust to our changing climate.”
Key Findings from Water Year 2025
Expanding upon groundwater data released earlier this summer, the October Semi-Annual Groundwater Conditions Update includes information on statewide groundwater levels, land subsidence, well infrastructure and the status of California’s groundwater monitoring conditions. The report provides timely updates on groundwater trends, helping communities track short-term changes in groundwater levels and inform adaptive strategies to support local decision-making. Key findings from the report highlight California’s continued variability and uncertainty in the state’s climate, with Water Year (WY) 2025 receiving below-average statewide precipitation.
Additional findings from the report include:
Groundwater Levels
California saw near average precipitation in WY 2025 and statewide groundwater levels remained relatively stable compared to recent years and showed improvements compared to the severe drought conditions of a decade ago.
Between spring 2024 and spring 2025, 72 percent of wells showed stable groundwater levels, 13 percent increased by more than five feet, and 15 percent declined by more than five feet.
Land Subsidence
Active land subsidence continues to be observed in the Sacramento River, San Joaquin River, and Tulare Lake Hydrologic Regions.
Well Infrastructure and Groundwater Monitoring Enhancements
Fewer domestic and irrigation wells were installed in 2025 than any year in the past 10 years.
Fewer dry wells were reported in WY 2025 than any year in the past 5 years.
DWR has installed and operates 235 groundwater level monitoring sites equipped with telemetry for real-time data collection.
Moving forward, DWR’s Semi-Annual Conditions Updates, released in the spring and fall, will continue to serve as a key resource for groundwater managers as SGMA implementation continues.
Draft California Groundwater Update 2025
In addition to the Semi-Annual Conditions Update, DWR also released a draft of the California Groundwater Update 2025. This report, also known as Bulletin 118, provides a comprehensive assessment of statewide groundwater conditions and incorporates information from GSA annual reports as well as information from CalGW Live for 2020 to 2024.
Across the state, over 80 percent of Californians depend on groundwater for some portion of their water needs, with groundwater also acting as a buffer and supplying up to 60 percent of the state’s water supply during drought years. While the water beneath our feet is unseen and often overlooked, California Groundwater Update 2025 highlights impacts of climate change on groundwater and summarizes groundwater information for each of the state’s 10 hydrologic regions.
The publication also presents findings and recommendations that support the future management and protection of groundwater in alignment with the state’s key water initiatives including the California Water Plan, the Water Resilience Portfolio, and Water Supply Strategy.
DWR will present a virtual overview of Draft California Groundwater Update 2025 on November 4, 2025. A 45-day public comment period is now open on the draft report and companion web content. All comments will be reviewed and will provide valuable feedback to DWR to improve the analysis, reporting and access to California’s groundwater information.
The final version of the California Groundwater Update 2025 document is expected to be released in Spring 2026.
For more information:
Contact:
Allison Armstrong, Public Affairs, Department of Water Resources