Dispute Resolution Processes: Thinking through SGMA Implementation

Building the capacity to resolve disputes and work together is critical for a sustainable water future. However recent analysis conducted by Water in the West, the Gould Center for Conflict Resolution and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis suggests that alternative dispute resolution processes are rarely used even when included in water management agreements. Given the long and expensive history associated with litigation in California and beyond, these findings suggest that local and state agencies should be doing more to educate their members on the value of alternative dispute resolution processes, like mediation and facilitation. The report makes the following recommendations for local agencies developing sustainability plans under SGMA and the state agencies supporting them.