The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has released onboarding tools designed to assist Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) as they bring on new board members and staff. These resources include an Onboarding Checklist and a Handbook Template to familiarize incoming team members with GSA governance, implementation of local Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs), and core requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
The onboarding package consists of two documents:
- Onboarding Package & Handbook Template Section I
A customizable Word document that highlights GSA- and GSP-specific information.
- Handbook Template Section II
A PDF outlining statewide information and resources.
The documents are available HERE.
DWR is developing a brief instructional video demonstrating how to use the template, which will be released in the near future.
By organizing key information in one place, these materials help ensure that both new and existing GSA personnel—regardless of prior experience—receive a consistent, structured introduction to their responsibilities.
These resources are accessible through DWR’s Assistance and Engagement website. Within the site, navigate (scroll down) to the “Communication and Engagement Toolkit” accordion and open it. In that section, it will reveal the “Public Awareness Library”, where the GSA Onboarding Resources have been added to the list. A link to the Onboarding Documents is available there, and a link to the tutorial video will be added when that becomes available.
For additional information or questions, please contact DWR at sgmps@water.ca.gov.