California Water Views

A July 30, 2026 decision from the Court of Appeal for the Third Appellate District in California in AquAlliance, et al. v. Vina Groundwater Sustainability Agency, et al. will shape what challenges will be brought under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and what those challenges will look like going forward. Importantly, the decision may limit the scope of judicial review of groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) and encourage deference to the Department of Water Resources (DWR).

SGMA Basics

SGMA is California’s law for managing its groundwater resources. Its ...

A new California Court of Appeal decision – Department of Water Resources Cases (March 26, 2026) --- Cal.Rptr.3d ----, 2026 WL 835863 (Case No. C103207) – provides important clarity for water agencies planning major infrastructure projects. The ruling confirms that agencies with eminent domain authority may temporarily access private property to conduct environmental and technical studies before a project is fully approved or funded.

For water agencies tasked with long‑term planning amid uncertainty, the decision reinforces a practical and legally sound ...

On March 4, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in the case City and County of San Francisco v. Environmental Protection Agency, in which it held that “end-result” requirements routinely imposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (and, in California, by the state and regional Water Boards) in NPDES permits are not allowed under the Clean Water Act. This pivotal opinion has major implications for effluent limitations and other conditions that may be imposed on discharges in NPDES permits under the CWA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System ...