New Survey Says Californians Overwhelmingly Support Statewide Groundwater Plan

An overwhelming majority of likely California voters say they favor a statewide groundwater management plan over the status quo. The results are part of a new survey released Thursday.

The survey was commissioned by the non-profit California Water Foundation. It finds the prolonged drought has focused public opinion on the need to regulate groundwater. Pollster David Metz says few Californians think the state is doing an adequate job of managing the resource.

“Fewer than one in five hold the belief that California has managed its water supplies for decades without new regulations and therefore we do not need to make major changes,” says Metz.

According to the Foundation, California is the only western state with no statewide guidelines on groundwater use. The poll finds 73 percent of Californians think the state should prepare better for droughts by increasing groundwater storage during wet years. 

Two bills dealing with groundwater management are now in the state legislature.