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The Sacramento Groundwater Authority (SGA) is a joint powers authority created to collectively manage the Sacramento region's North Area Groundwater Basin, which includes all of Sacramento County north of the American River. SGA's formation in 1998 was inspired by the Sacramento Area Water Forum, a nationally recognized collaborative process to reach consensus among 40 local utilities, business leaders, and the environmental community to preserve the lower American River and ensure a reliable water supply through the year 2030.
SGA draws its authority from a joint powers agreement between the cities of Citrus Heights, Folsom, and Sacramento and the County of Sacramento to exercise their police power to protect the underlying groundwater basin. In turn, these agencies chose to manage the basin cooperatively by allowing representatives of the fourteen local water purveyors and a representative from agricultural and self-supplied pumpers to serve as the Board of Directors of the SGA. Collectively, these purveyors provide a high quality, reliable water supply to over 500,000 people.
SGA has developed a progressive groundwater management vision including a regional conjunctive use program designed to not only provide local and regional benefits but also has the potential to provide broader statewide benefits.
Additional SGA goals include:
- adopting and implementing a groundwater management plan to guide activities that will ensure a reliable future water supply
- supporting and implementing the Water Forum objectives of preserving American River environmental values and providing water supply reliability to support the Sacramento region's economic health
- maintaining and protecting the North Area Groundwater Basin's long-term sustainable yield and quality
- promoting wet-year banking so that the basin can sustain users during dry periods
- coordinating with central and south county groundwater management efforts
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