Welcome to Mission Creek Subbasin SGMA

Welcome to our home page!

Overview of SGMA

Mission Creek Subbasin

History of Groundwater Planning

Management Committee

Español

Public Workshop #1 Recap

Mission Creek Subbasin Alternative Plan Update (2027)– Public Workshop #1 Summary

The first public workshop for the 2027 Mission Creek Subbasin Alternative Update Plan was held on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, in an online format via Zoom. The session introduced the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and Water Management Planning in the Mission Creek Subbasin. Historical management trends, scope, and timeline for the Alternative Update Plan were addressed to explain the January 2027 updated plan deadline to the California Department of Water Resources. Key discussion topics included sustainable management criteria, supply and demand projections through 2050, adapting groundwater model forecasting, and tasks completed for the 2027 Alternative Update Plan.

Interactive polls identified community interests on the Alternative Plan Updates such as drought, PMAs, resident concerns and all listed options. Participants expressed a particular interest in water quality and ground water recharge. Workshop attendees addressed what conservation actions they have participated in installing low-flow showerheads and toilets, replacing landscaping with drought tolerant plants, smart irrigation, irrigation management and all the options listed. Through the interactive polls workshop attendees discussed groundwater and water concerns including water rates, subsidence, and drought. Attendees were particularly concerned on declining levels, water quality, and water supply reliability.

The Q&A discussion addressed where water replenishment comes from and concerns on new water demand considerations. All concerns will be considered as the plan update progresses. To review the workshop materials or view the workshop recording please see the links below

Recording	Presentation	Agenda (English)	Agenda (Spanish)
Video Here	PowerPoint	Agenda	Orden del día

2027 Alternative Plan Update

A periodic evaluation is a required review process every five years that ensures the long-term sustainability of groundwater resources as outlined in the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). For agencies implementing an Alternative Plan, such as the one adopted for the Mission Creek Subbasin in 2022, this evaluation provides an opportunity to assess progress toward sustainability goals, address any data gaps, and adapt to changing conditions.

Currently, the 2022 Mission Creek Subbasin Alternative Plan is starting its review to determine if groundwater management efforts are effective, that the Subbasin is on track to avoid undesirable results (such as chronic lowering of groundwater levels or degraded water quality), and that the plan continues to meet regulatory and local objectives. This updated plan will be submitted to the California Department of Water Resources by January 1, 2027

Background

The Coachella Valley relies on groundwater as its main source of water supply for local homes and businesses. Groundwater is pumped by local wells and distributed for drinking, irrigation, and other purposes. To offset the amount of water pumped by local wells, the region’s water agencies import water from the Colorado River to replenish the basin, recycle wastewater for irrigation, and incentivize conservation – this is called “groundwater management”. Local water agencies have been working on groundwater management since the 1940s when local leaders began importing water to supplement local groundwater supplies.

The Coachella Valley Groundwater Basin extends from the Whitewater River in the northwest to the Salton Sea in southeast. The Mission Creek Subbasin is located in the north-central portion of the Coachella Valley Groundwater Basin and is a water source for urban, industrial, fish farm, and golf course uses. Historically, more groundwater was pumped out of the Mission Creek Subbasin each year than the amount of water that naturally replenishes the Subbasin, which is called “overdraft”. Overdraft occurs when a groundwater basin has pumping (demands) that exceeds recharge (supplies) over the long term. If unmanaged, overdraft can reduce a region’s total available water supply and lead to other negative effects, such as drops in the groundwater table and land subsidence. Agencies within the Mission Creek Subbasin began to actively manage the Subbasin as a result of the 2003 Mission Creek Groundwater Replenishment Agreement. The subsequent 2004 Mission Creek Settlement Agreement led to the formation of the Management Committee.

Given that many groundwater basins in California are in overdraft, the State of California passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act to require local agencies to better manage the groundwater basins to ensure long term availability of water supplies.

Overview of SGMA

In 2014, California enacted the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). SGMA requires that a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) or Alternative Plan be adopted for basins and subbasins designated by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) as medium- or high-priority. Basin prioritization is based on a variety of factors such as population, number of wells, pumping, overdraft, and other information determined to be relevant by DWR.

SGMA requires that a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) (or Agencies – see Management Committee below) be established to manage the basin and develop the GSP or submit an Alternative Plan. The GSP or Alternative Plan must explain how the groundwater basin will be kept in balance to achieve long term sustainability. DWR will evaluate each GSP or Alternative Plan in how well it will achieve basin sustainability. Approved GSPs or Alternative Plans must be updated every five years. For the Mission Creek Subbasin the first five-year update to the Alternative Plan was submitted to DWR in December 2021 (see Alternative Plan Update page).

Mission Creek Subbasin

The Mission Creek Subbasin is part of the Coachella Valley Groundwater Basin, and is designated as Basin No. 7-021.02 in the DWR Bulletin 118 (DWR, 2016). The Mission Creek Subbasin was designated as a medium-priority subbasin under SGMA by DWR.

The Mission Creek Subbasin is bounded by the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the east, the San Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountains to the west, the Indio Hills to the southeast, and the Indio Subbasin to the south.

The Mission Creek Subbasin is located within the Coachella Valley Groundwater Basin, which also includes the San Gorgonio Pass, Indio, and Desert Hot Springs Subbasins. The three water agencies in the Mission Creek Subbasin – Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD), Desert Water Agency (DWA), and Mission Springs Water District (MSWD) – are collaborating to manage the Mission Creek Subbasin under SGMA.

Figure 2: Mission Creek and Adjacent Groundwater Subbasins (Full Coachella Valley)

History of Groundwater Planning

The Mission Creek Subbasin Management Area was initially formed on April 8, 2003 when CVWD and DWA entered into the Mission Creek Groundwater Replenishment Agreement for the cooperative management of groundwater replenishment. The Mission Creek Subbasin Management Committee was formed as a result of the 2004 Settlement Agreement which also resulted in the agreement to jointly prepare a Water Management Plan for the Mission Creek and Garnet Hill Subbasins. In 2013, the 2013 Mission Creek/Garnet Hill Water Management Plan (2013 MC/GH WMP) was prepared to address the more specific needs of the Mission Creek Subbasin and Garnet Hill Subarea (Subarea of the Indio Subbasin). The basic goal of the 2013 MC/GH WMP is “to describe existing water management programs, evaluate potential alternative management strategies and recommend additional programs with the goal of ensuring that water resources are sustained and protected in the future.”

With the passage of SGMA, the water agencies collaboratively submitted the 2013 MC/GH WMP and supporting materials as an “Alternative Plan” to a GSP for the Mission Creek Subbasin. In July 2019, that Alternative Plan was approved by DWR, along with some recommendations for new information and requirement that an Alternative Plan Update be prepared by January 1, 2022 (see Alternative Plan Update page), and every five years thereafter.

Management Committee

The three water agencies located within the Mission Creek Subbasin have formed the Management Committee. CVWD and DWA are each exclusive GSAs that oversee and manage portions of the Mission Creek Subbasin that overlay each of their respective service areas. These agencies coordinate with MSWD, a managing partner, to develop the Mission Creek Subbasin Alternative Plan Update.