Kern County Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies

What Kern County Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies does

The Kern County Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (Kern GSP) is a public-sector coordination body of 20 independently constituted local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) — comprising water districts, irrigation districts, water storage districts, water authorities, a non-districted land authority, and a municipal utility district — formed under California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA, 2014) to manage groundwater across the Kern County Subbasin (DWR Basin No. 5-022.14). The Kern County Subbasin is California's largest groundwater subbasin at approximately 2,834 square miles (1,782,321 acres) in the southern San Joaquin Valley and Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region, classified by the Department of Water Resources as critically overdrafted with native groundwater supply estimated at just 0.15 acre-feet per year. The 20 GSAs collectively serve agricultural users (657,000 acres, 36.2% of land use), domestic well owners, municipal water systems led by Bakersfield, industrial oilfield operators, and Disadvantaged Community and environmental justice stakeholders.

The GSAs' core product is the Kern County Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP), anchored by a 2025 Amended Foundational Plan covering 67% of the subbasin under 14 GSAs, supplemented by six GSA-specific "blue pages" plans. Supporting deliverables include appendices A–N (coordination agreements, monitoring SOPs, model/water budget documentation, Sustainable Management Criteria, and a Minimum Threshold Exceedance Policy), an Annual Report cycle, a Well Mitigation Program run in partnership with Self-Help Enterprises, and the Kern Subbasin Data Management System (DMS) — an open-access platform hosted by GEI Consultants providing real-time groundwater level, quality, and subsidence monitoring data. Public engagement is delivered in English, Spanish, and Punjabi through a WordPress website, email signup, Instagram and Facebook channels, YouTube-linked DWR educational content, virtual Zoom workshops, and a 2026 community events calendar.

The coordination body itself does not sell a product or charge fees directly; individual GSAs hold authority under California Water Code §§10723(c) and 10723.8 to charge regulatory and pumping fees to fund SGMA implementation. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by individual GSA. Technology integrations are limited to Zoom for virtual workshops, Google/iCalendar/Outlook event subscriptions, Facebook and Instagram, YouTube, and links to the DWR SGMA Data Viewer and Kern County GIS webtool — no public API or SDK is offered. The GSP targets groundwater sustainability by 2040, with the plan designed to rely on demand reduction for 80% of the solution, supplemented by water banking, recharge, conjunctive use, and supply augmentation projects.

Name

Kern County Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies

Legal name

Kern County Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies

Website

https://kerngsp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Kern County Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies is a public-sector coordination body of 20 Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) that jointly implement California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act across the Kern County Subbasin — California's largest groundwater subbasin — to bring it into balance by 2040.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kernville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Regulatory and Pumping Fees: GSAs have authority to charge regulatory fees (e.g., for permits, reports, or monitoring) and pumping fees (charges based on the volume of water extracted) to fund their groundwater management activities and ensure SGMA compliance.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Kern County Subbasin GSAs coordinate the development and implementation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) across 20 member agencies in California's largest critically overdrafted groundwater subbasin (2,834 square miles). Their core deliverables are the unified Foundational GSP covering 67% of the subbasin (with supplemental blue-pages GSPs for six individual GSAs), real-time groundwater monitoring data via the open-access Kern Subbasin Data Management System, a Well Mitigation Program for impacted domestic well owners, annual SGMA-mandated reporting, and ongoing tri-lingual (English/Spanish/Punjabi) stakeholder engagement to achieve groundwater sustainability by 2040.

Product overview

Kern County Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (Kern GSP) is a coordinated public-agency program rather than a single commercial product. The portfolio centers on the Kern Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) — a Foundational Plan used by all 20 member Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs), with supplemental blue-pages GSPs produced by six individual GSAs (Buena Vista, Henry Miller, Kern-Tulare, Olcese, Semitropic, and WDWA). The Foundational Plan is paired with a Kern Subbasin Data Management System (DMS) for public monitoring data, a Well Mitigation Program operated with Self-Help Enterprises, and an annual reporting cycle (Kern Subbasin 2025 Annual Report). Supporting public-engagement offerings include a tri-lingual (English/Spanish/Punjabi) website with a public events calendar, community pop-ups, workshops, a quarterly newsletter, and stakeholder communications. The Kern Subbasin GSP Documents hub links the Foundational Plan and appendices A–N.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 2025 Amended Kern County Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (Foundational GSP) The unified Foundational Groundwater Sustainability Plan covering 67% of the Kern County Subbasin and serving as the base Plan for all 20 member GSAs. It contains Sustainable Management Criteria, water budget, monitoring network, and projects/management actions designed to achieve groundwater sustainability by 2040 under SGMA.
• 2025 Amended Supplemental Blue-Pages GSPs (6 individual GSAs) Six individual GSA-specific GSPs that supplement the 2025 Foundational Plan with blue pages describing GSA-specific conditions, hydrogeology, history of sustainable management, and tailored projects/management actions unique to each GSA boundary.
• Kern Subbasin Data Management System (DMS) Public open-access data platform hosted by GEI Consultants that provides real-time groundwater monitoring data (levels, quality, subsidence), groundwater sustainability reports, and GSP/compliance documents for the 20 coordinating GSAs across the Kern Subbasin.
• Kern County Subbasin Well Mitigation Program Mitigation program run in partnership with Self-Help Enterprises to support domestic well owners impacted by groundwater management activities in the Kern Subbasin. Includes well registration, risk notifications, and replacement-water assistance.
• Kern Subbasin Annual Report Annual SGMA-required report on groundwater conditions and progress toward sustainability. The Kern Subbasin 2025 Annual Report covers water year 2025 and is published each April as a recurring compliance deliverable.
• Kern GSP Newsletter (English / Spanish / Punjabi) Tri-lingual periodic newsletter distributed to email subscribers providing updates on SGMA implementation in the Kern Subbasin. Available in English, Spanish, and Punjabi.
• Public Meeting & Community Events Program Year-round public engagement program including GSA Board meetings, virtual and in-person SGMA workshops, community pop-ups at local festivals, and participation in partner events such as the Kern County Water Summit and Earth Day 661 Festival. Materials and interpretation provided in English, Spanish, and Punjabi.
• GSP Appendices A–N (2025 Plan Supporting Documents) Set of 14 supporting appendices (A through N) backing the 2025 Foundational GSP, covering DWR/SWRCB determinations, coordination agreements and MOUs, Kern Fan banking, SGMA General Plan policies, stakeholder engagement, mitigation programs, water budget documentation, Sustainable Management Criteria, GSA projects/management actions, exceedance policies, monitoring networks, SOPs, and public comment responses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Goal to achieve groundwater sustainability by 2040 in line with SGMA mandate.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and flagship.

• Self-Help EnterprisescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSelf-Help Enterprises partners with the Kern Subbasin to operate the Well Mitigation Program, providing mitigation for impacted wells. They are the primary contact for residents whose domestic wells go dry (call 559-802-1685 or email [email protected]).
• Rincon Consultants, Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRincon Consultants serves as the Kern Subbasin Point of Contact ([email protected]) for general questions and to identify which GSA represents a given community.
• GEI Consultants, Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGEI Consultants operates and hosts the Kern Subbasin Data Management System (DMS) at dms.geiconsultants.com/kern/, providing open access to groundwater sustainability reports, real-time monitoring data (levels, quality, subsidence), GSP documents and compliance updates. Key contacts: Stephanie Hearn and DeAnna Sanderson.
• Water Association of Kern CountycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Water Association of Kern County hosts the 2026 Kern County Water Summit at Dignity Health Theater in Bakersfield on March 5, 2026, where the Kern Subbasin GSAs host an outreach booth.
• California State Water Resources Control BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe State Water Board has regulatory authority over SGMA compliance and held a Probationary Hearing on February 20, 2025 to consider designating the Kern County Subbasin as a probationary basin. The Board also hosted public workshops on August 26 and August 29, 2024 on the Draft Staff Report.
• California Department of Water Resources (DWR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDWR administers SGMA, designated the Subbasin as critically overdrafted, and reviews the GSPs. The agency also maintains the SGMA Data Viewer Webtool used by residents to find their GSA. DWR Basin No. 5-022.14.
• Kern Water Collaborative Management Zone (KWC)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerKWC administers the local Nitrate Control Program under the Central Valley's Water Quality Control Plan for the Tulare Lake Basin, offering free domestic well testing and replacement water where nitrate exceeds water quality objectives.
• Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) CoalitionsmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal coalitions include Kern River Watershed Coalition Authority, Cawelo Water District Coalition, Buena Vista Coalition, and Westside Water Quality Coalition. They assist growers with ILRP compliance and conduct groundwater trend monitoring and water quality management for agricultural nitrate exceedances.
• 20 Coordinating Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 20 GSAs are the foundational members: Arvin GSA, Buena Vista GSA, Cawelo Water District GSA, Greenfield County Water District GSA, Henry Miller Water District GSA, Kern Non-Districted Land Authority GSA, Kern River GSA, Kern Water Bank GSA, Kern-Tulare Water District GSA, North Kern Water Storage District GSA, Olcese Water District GSA, Pioneer GSA, Rosedale Rio-Bravo Water Storage District GSA, Semitropic Water Storage District GSA, Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District GSA, Southern San Joaquin Municipal Utility District, Tejon-Castac Water District GSA, West Kern Water District GSA, Westside District Water Authority GSA, and Wheeler-Ridge Maricopa GSA.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Westside Subbasin GSAs: GSA coordination for the Westside Subbasin in the San Joaquin Valley. Comparable as an agricultural groundwater management coalition operating under SGMA with conjunctive-use and recharge dependencies.
• Kaweah Subbasin GSAs: GSA coordination group for the Kaweah Subbasin in Tulare County. Comparable as a multi-GSA SGMA coordination body serving a critically overdrafted agricultural region with similar surface-water (Sierra Nevada runoff) and conjunctive-use dynamics.
• Tule Subbasin GSAs: Coalition of GSAs managing SGMA compliance in the Tule Subbasin, immediately north of the Kern Subbasin in the Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region. Highly comparable as a critically overdrafted agricultural subbasin coordination body under the same regulatory framework.
• Madera Subbasin GSAs: GSA coordination entity for the Madera Subbasin in the San Joaquin Valley. Directly comparable as a multi-GSA SGMA coordination body addressing agricultural groundwater overdraft with imported surface-water integration.
• Chowchilla Subbasin GSAs: Coalition of GSAs implementing SGMA in the Chowchilla Subbasin in Madera/Merced counties. Comparable as a small, critically overdrafted subbasin coordination body under the same SGMA framework.
• Kings Subbasin GSAs: Multi-GSA coordination structure for SGMA implementation in the Kings Subbasin in the San Joaquin Valley. Comparable in mandate, regulatory exposure, and dependence on imported SWP/CVP surface water alongside groundwater banking.
• Tulare Lake Subbasin GSAs: Coordination body of GSAs implementing SGMA in the neighboring Tulare Lake Subbasin in Kings County. Directly comparable in mandate (SGMA GSP coordination), structure (multi-GSA coalition), and stakeholder profile (agriculture-heavy, critically overdrafted).

Others

• Self-Help Enterprises: Non-profit implementation partner operating the Kern Subbasin Well Mitigation Program. Adjacent/ecosystem peer — not a competing GSA — but directly comparable as a community-facing organization serving domestic well owners and Disadvantaged Communities across the San Joaquin Valley.

Broad incumbents

• California Department of Water Resources (DWR): State agency that administers SGMA, designated the Kern Subbasin as critically overdrafted, and reviews GSPs. Comparable as the broader institutional authority governing SGMA implementation and a key counterpart in probationary proceedings.
• California State Water Resources Control Board: State regulatory body with enforcement authority over SGMA, including the power to designate probationary basins. Comparable as the regulator driving Kern GSAs' compliance timeline and the source of the February 2025 probationary hearing risk.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/61574845984748
• Instagraminstagram.com/kerncountysubbasin

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kern County Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies