CA AB453

Authorizes Semitropic Water Storage District to collect groundwater extraction information and require reporting of groundwater use within the Kern County Groundwater Basin management area.

Requires registration of groundwater extraction facilities and installation of water-measuring devices, with costs borne by facility owners or operators; exempts domestic users extracting 2 acre-feet or less annually.

Allows the district to impose fees on groundwater extraction to fund design, administration, operation, and maintenance of groundwater storage or recharge projects, with fees adopted per California Constitutional requirements.

Establishes a dispute process allowing facility owners to protest the district's determination of groundwater extraction amounts within 20 days, with hearings conducted if protests are filed.

Takes effect immediately as an urgency statute to enable early implementation of storage and groundwater projects needed to recover the critically overdrafted Kern County Groundwater Basin.