Sustainable Groundwater Management

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The Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency (FCGMA) manages and protects both confined and unconfined aquifers within all or portions of four groundwater basins underlying the southern portion of Ventura County. The FCGMA is an independent special district, separate from the County of Ventura or any city government. It was created by the California Legislature in 1982 to oversee Ventura County's vital groundwater resources. The boundary covers 183 square miles, and all lands lying above the deep Fox Canyon aquifer account for more than half of the water needs for over 700,000 residents in the cities of Ventura, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Camarillo, and Moorpark, plus the unincorporated communities of Saticoy, El Rio, Somis, Moorpark Home Acres, Nyeland Acres, Point Mugu and Montalvo.

Our offices are located in the Water Resources Division Ventura County Government Center Administration Building. For maps and directions to the FCGMA office, click here.

FCGMA Office Hours Based on Current COVID Public Health Orders 

The Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency offices are open to the public 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., M-F. We encourage you to conduct business remotely and utilize on-line services as much as possible or recommned making an appointment if you wish to visit our office in person to allow us to prepare for your visit in accordance with Public Health Orders. All community members and employees are required to go through a temperature screening at the entrance of the building before entering. Use of face coverings is required. Thank you for helping us adhere to social distancing protocols.

Update on Oxnard – Pleasant Valley Basins Facilitated Process

The Oxnard – Pleasant Valley Basins Facilitated Process kick offed with the first meeting of the Core Stakeholder Group on Thursday, June 25, 2:00 – 4:30, online via Zoom. The Core Stakeholder Group discussed its draft charter and work plan, framing success for 2040, and preparation for upcoming meeting topics.

 Consensus Building Institute Stakeholder Assessment Findings

On June 12, at 1:30 p.m., at a special meeting of the Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency Board of Directors, the Consensus Building Institute presented stakeholder assessment findings and recommendations for convening a facilitated process to address groundwater management sustainability, including allocation, in the Oxnard Subbasin and Pleasant Valley Basin.

Senior Mediator Gina Bartlett and Senior Associate Ekow Edzie invite feedback on the draft interview findings and recommendations for how to proceed with a facilitated process. To view the Draft Assessment Report please click here.

OPV New Extraction Allocation Webinar

The agency hosted a live OPV Extraction Allocation Webinar, Wednesday, June 3, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.. To view the PowerPoint presentation please click here.

OPV New Extraction Allocation

The Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency Board of Directors adopted an Ordinance to Establish an Allocation System for the Oxnard and Pleasant Valley Groundwater Basins on October 23, 2019. The new allocations take effect October 1, 2020. Notification of New Extraction Allocation letters were sent to all owners and operators currently registered with the Agency with wells in the basins providing notification of the new initial extraction allocation assigned to each well. 

OPV Allocation Variance Review Committee 

The Allocation Variance Review Committee provides recommendations to the Board on requests for new and additional allocation above that which has been previously extracted. Granting additional allocation would affect the allocations of the other extractors in the basin. For that reason, the Board appointed an OPV Variance Review Committee to evaluate these types of variance requests and provide recommendations for the Board’s consideration.

New Adopted Resolutions 

At the April 22, 2020 Fox Canyon GMA Board meeting the Board adopted Resolutions 2020-03 and 2020-04. Resolution 2020-03 is to establish policies and procedures for granting variance requests above the intitial extraction allocation under the ordinance to establish an allocation system for the Oxnard and Pleasant Valley groundwater basins. The resolution can be viewed here.

Resolution 2020-04 defers the accural of civil penalties and interest from the County's health emergency declaration on March 12, 2020 through the end of June 2020. The resolution can be viewed here.

GSP Annual Reports 

The first Groundwater Sustainability Plan Annual Reports  for the Las Posas Valley Basin, Oxnard Subbasin and Pleasant Valley Basin have been completed and submitted to the Department of Water Resources. The Annual Reports can be viewed on our GSP page.

DWR SGMA Data Viewer

 The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) maintains a Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) Data Viewer which stakeholders may find useful. It is a GIS system viewer that displays groundwater levels in wells, land subsidence, basin boundaries, and other useful information. DWR has a video tutotial on YouTube.

New Public Notice

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