California Code, Water Code - WAT § 1220

(a) No groundwater shall be pumped for export from within the combined Sacramento and Delta-Central Sierra Basins, as defined in the Department of Water Resources' Bulletin 160-74, unless the pumping is in compliance with a groundwater management plan that is adopted by ordinance pursuant to subdivision (b) by the county board of supervisors, in full consultation with affected water districts, and that is subsequently approved by a vote in the counties or portions of counties that overlie the groundwater basin, except that water that has seeped into the underground from any reservoir, afterbay, or other facility of an export project may be returned to the water supply of the export project. For the purposes of this section, the county board of supervisors may designate a county water agency to act on its behalf if the directors of the county water agency are publicly elected and the county water agency encompasses the entire county. The county board of supervisors may revoke that designation by resolution at any time.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a county board of supervisors whose county contains part of the combined Sacramento and Delta-Central Sierra Basins may adopt groundwater management plans to implement the purposes of this section.

(c) A county board of supervisors shall not exercise the powers authorized by this section within the boundaries of another local agency supplying water to that area without the prior agreement of the governing body of that other local agency.

(d) This section does not apply to groundwater pumping by the Eastern Water Alliance Joint Powers Agency for export from the Eastern San Joaquin County Basin, as described on pages 38 and 39 of the Department of Water Resources Bulletin No. 118-80, provided that the groundwater pumping is approved by San Joaquin County pursuant to its ordinances regulating the management and export of groundwater as these ordinances are in effect at the time of permit approval by San Joaquin County.Section 10753.1 applies to any groundwater regulation under this section. As used in this section, the term “groundwater” has the same definition as set forth in in subdivision (a) of Section 10752.