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Fresno County / SGMA field guide

Start with the subbasin, not the county line.

A Westside almond orchard and a Kings Subbasin vineyard do not share a groundwater allocation just because both are in Fresno County. Keep groundwater, surface-water deliveries and land charges on separate lines.

Public sources checked . Confirm later changes with your GSA.

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Westlands: groundwater is separate from the surface-water contract

For the 2026-27 district water year beginning March 1, 2026, the GSA FAQ lists 1.0 acre-foot per eligible gross acre for applicants: 0.6 sustainable yield plus 0.4 transition. This is not the CVP surface-water allocation.

The final application deadline was July 31, 2026. Confirm approval and your district account balance. Carryover, credits and subsidence-prone-area restrictions can affect what may actually be pumped at a well.

The confirmed land-based SGMA charge

“Sustainable Groundwater Management Act”

The published 2026-27 Water Rates and Charges table, dated March 1, 2026, lists $2.50 per acre under land-based SGMA charges. This is a land component, not a per-acre-foot overuse price.

The groundwater regulation linked by the GSA was unavailable when checked. A groundwater penalty schedule is therefore omitted. The estimator does not substitute a surface-water overuse rate, infer penalty tiers or report unknown exposure as zero. Well-location service charges and other district fees are excluded.

For a parcel outside Westlands

Fresno County includes Kings, Westside, Delta-Mendota and Pleasant Valley subbasins. Use the agency directory below to locate the correct plan and contact. Neither the Westlands allocation nor its land charge is a Fresno-wide rate.

A 500-acre Westlands budget, without an invented penalty

For an approved account with 500 eligible gross acres, the published allocation is 500 × 1.0 = 500 acre-feet before account-specific adjustments. At $2.50 per acre, the land-based SGMA component is $1,250.

That is not the total annual water bill. Enter your authorized groundwater budget and accounted pumping below to see the volume difference. Dollar overuse exposure stays unavailable until an operative groundwater fee schedule is confirmed.

Free SGMA estimator

Use your GSA account, not a county average.

ESTIMATE ONLY. Verify with your GSA. This is not a bill, a compliance determination or an irrigation recommendation.

Example selection. Confirm your parcel’s GSA.

2026-27 district water year, beginning March 1, 2026. Use eligible gross acres and district-authorized groundwater, including only credits approved for the well location. Do not add the CVP surface-water allocation.

Enter your eligible acres in place of the 500-acre example.

Use the same accounting basis as your GSA.

For this period and these acres. No assumed use.

Enter your acreage, GSA-approved budget and accounted use, then confirm the GSA and period. Blank does not mean zero.

Rate source, checked 2026-09-07: https://wwd.ca.gov/water-management/water-rates/

AF means acre-feet. Inputs stay in this page and are not submitted to a server. The estimator reuses the allocation and tier arithmetic behind our SGMA calculator.

Fresno County subbasins and GSA contacts

County lines are not GSA boundaries. These are public agency and shared agency websites, not a determination of parcel coverage. Basin partners may extend into neighboring counties. Open the official directory or map before choosing a rate. Checked 2026-09-07.

Kings Subbasin

Basin-wide partners are listed. Kings River East extends into Tulare County; use the official map for the parcel boundary.

Official Kings Subbasin source

Westside Subbasin

Official Westside Subbasin source

Delta-Mendota Subbasin, Fresno County areas

Oro Loma and Widren use the shared subbasin contact directory linked here. The full directory includes partners in adjoining counties.

Official Delta-Mendota Subbasin, Fresno County areas source

Pleasant Valley Subbasin

Official Pleasant Valley Subbasin source

Fresno County questions

Is the Westlands groundwater allocation my Fresno County surface-water allocation?

No. The GSA groundwater account and the CVP surface-water contract are separate. The district FAQ also limits where groundwater credits can be pumped.

Does the Westlands land-based SGMA charge include every water fee?

No. It is a land-based component only. Other district charges and any groundwater enforcement or replacement-water costs are not priced in this estimate.

Can a Kings Subbasin grower use the Westlands estimator rate?

No. Westlands is in the Westside Subbasin. A Kings, Delta-Mendota or Pleasant Valley parcel needs the rules of its own GSA.

Bring the allocation statement. We'll work through the math.

A short conversation about your accounting basis, missing evidence and questions for the GSA. No assumed water savings.

Book a 15-min call