SGMA may be necessary, but implementation does not land evenly. For small farms, one more fee, deadline, report, or requirement arrives on top of everything farming already costs. The 40-acre test asks whether small farms can survive the cost of farming and the cost of compliance at the same time.

What the May 1 Deadline Revealed About SGMA Implementation The May 1 groundwater reporting deadline did more than ask people to submit information. It revealed a gap. A gap between a State-level compliance process and the real-life capacity of many of the people expected to use it. On paper, the requirement may have seemed straightforward: report groundwater extractions through the State’s GEARS system, provide the required information, meet the deadline, and avoid potential

SGMA doesn’t have to be a mystery. With the right strategy, businesses can move forward with clarity instead of hesitation.