SGMA Best Management Practice: Modeling

The objective of this Best Management Practice (BMP) is to assist with the use and development of groundwater and surface water models. The California Department of Water Resources (the Department or DWR) has developed this document as part of the obligation in the Technical Assistance chapter (Chapter 7) of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) to support the long-term sustainability of California’s groundwater basins. Information in this BMP provides technical assistance to Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) and other stakeholders on how to address modeling requirements outlined in the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) Emergency Regulations (GSP Regulations). This BMP identifies available resources to support the development of groundwater and surface water models.

This BMP includes the following sections:

1. Objective. The objective and outline of the contents of this BMP.
2. Use and Limitations. A description of the use and limitation of this BMP.
3. Modeling Fundamentals. A description of fundamental modeling concepts.
4. Relationship of modeling to other BMPs. A description of how modeling relates to other BMPs and is a tool used to develop other GSP requirements.
5. Technical Assistance. A description of technical assistance for the development of a model, potential sources of information, and relevant datasets that can be used to further define model components.
6. Key Definitions. Definitions relevant for this BMP as provided in the GSP Regulations, Basin Boundary Regulations, and SGMA.
7. Related Materials. References and other materials related to the development of models.