After decades of dysfunction that have exacerbated chronic water problems, historic groundwater legislation has brought California to the cusp of a new era of water management. Meeting the law’s goals, however, will require overcoming stubborn systemic obstacles, according to a report by researchers at Stanford’s Water in the West program and the Gould Center for Conflict Resolution at the Stanford Law School.

The statewide survey of groundwater professionals found a range of shortcomings in groundwater data collection and use. The report also outlines regulatory and policy actions that could improve data collection and coordination, vastly improving how California handles the source of up to 60 percent of its water supply.

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“Achieving SGMA’s goal of sustainably managed groundwater basins will require building a shared understanding of groundwater conditions across a diverse range of interested parties,” said co-author Janet Martinez, director of the Gould Center. “This survey provides us with critical insights on the data management efforts needed to accomplish this.”