SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County Water Resources Agency (MCWRA) and the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) have extended the deadline of a new well registration program that was established to better understand and protect groundwater resources in the Salinas Valley.
All well owners are asked to register their wells for free by March 31.
The program is part of a statewide requirement under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which calls for all groundwater basins to be monitored to ensure long-term sustainability for all users.
Nearly 200 residential wells have been registered since the program launched in November 2025, but many more active and inactive wells exist and could be tracked.
“We encourage private well owners to participate because their wells are often the first at risk when groundwater levels drop,” said Ara Azhderian, MCWRA general manager. “Having a record of well locations helps us ensure local management decisions protect these wells and the people who depend on them.”
Residential wells are typically more shallow than agricultural or municipal wells, making them more susceptible to going dry when groundwater levels fall. Accurate data on where these wells are located helps local agencies better understand and manage groundwater resources, otherwise local agencies may be managing for the wrong conditions.
“Better data leads to better protection for our shared water,” said Piret Harmon, SVBGSA general manager. “Our goal is to ensure our local decisions are backed by solid local data.”
Under the legal requirements of SGMA, every groundwater basin in California must account for all groundwater users and uses. Well registration is a critical step in building that understanding. MCWRA and SVBGSA are partnering 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 pumping and groundwater quality monitoring for seawater intrusion. This data will help refine groundwater models, improve monitoring accuracy and inform the sustainable management plans that guide local decision-making.
A recorded webinar about the well registration program, along with more information about the program, is available online. To view the materials and to register a well, visit svbgsa.org/gmp.
