Groundwater well registration is provided by Watermark, an online data management system funded through assessments on property owners. The portal opened July 1, 2026. The registration deadline is Aug. 31, 2026. Click the buttons below for more information, or view this step-by-step tutorial on how to use Watermark.

WELL REGISTRATION & ELIGIBILITY

How do I verify that my property is within Eastern Management Area Groundwater Sustainability Agency’s (EMA GSA) jurisdiction? 

If you received a mailer notification then our records indicate that your parcel is located in the EMA GSA’s jurisdiction. For additional assistance, you may contact the EMA at (805) 457-5065, via email: wellreg-ema@santaynezwater.org, or by mail: P.O. BOX 7098, LOS OSOS, CA 93412. Please be ready to provide your property address(es) and/or APN(s). 

Do these requirements apply equally to all well owners and operators? 

Yes, all existing Groundwater Extraction Facilities located within the boundaries of EMA, except River Extractors, including De Minimis Extractors, shall be registered with the EMA GSA within sixty (60) days of receiving a registration form from the GSA. 

Do I need to register in Watermark if I do not have a well?   

If you received a mailer but don't have a well on your property, you are still required to claim your parcel and declare that it does not have a well. This confirms your status as a non-well owner and keeps our records accurate throughout the EMA. We have developed a streamlined form to enable you to declare no wells on your property without going through the full registration process. Complete the form HERE to claim no wells on your property. If you prefer, you can also log into the Watermark Well Registration Portal using the ID printed on the Well Registration flyer mailed to you, then select "No Wells on Parcel" for your property. 

What if my Groundwater Extraction Facility is inactive or abandoned?  

Inactive and abandoned wells both require registration. An inactive well is defined as a well that is not currently used but is maintained for potential future use. An abandoned well is defined as a well that has not been used for over a year and does not have a plan for future use. Destroyed wells (plugged and sealed with cement or bentonite grout) are not subject to well registration. 

I have a small property. Am I exempt? Do I need to register my well? 

All groundwater extraction facilities or wells within the EMA GSA jurisdiction are subject to the well registration requirements of EMA GSA Ordinance 2025-01. This includes De Minimis groundwater extractors of 2.0 acre-feet or less per year.  

My well is already registered with the Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District. Will I have to register my well again with the EMA GSA?  

The Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District (SYRWCD) has boundaries that include a portion of the EMA (referred to as SYRWCD Zone E), and SYRWCD requires well registration on all Zone E groundwater producers (Agricultural, Domestic, Municipal, Other). SYRWCD indicates that its well registration requirement is for certain activities and purposes that are separate from the activities and purposes of the EMA GSA. Therefore, groundwater producers located in SYRWCD Zone E will have to register their wells with both organizations. However, the SYRWCD has shared its well registration information for Zone E and that information has been pre-populated into the EMA GSA Watermark Portal to aid the EMA GSA registration efforts for well owners in SYRWCD Zone E. 

I share a well with another property. Who is responsible for well registration? 

Registration is the responsibility of the owner or operator of the well. The owner of the property where the well is located is presumed to be its operator and is therefore responsible for registering it, unless a different operator is identified on the registration and accepted by the EMA GSA. Properties served by the well that do not have a well of their own should complete a "No Well" registration form. 

I live in a Homeowners Association (HOA), and we all share a well. The HOA owns the well, but I pay part of the well. Who is responsible for registering and reporting water usage for the well? 

Registration and reporting are the responsibility of the owner or operator of the well. Where the well is located on HOA common area, or is otherwise owned and operated by the HOA, the HOA is responsible. If the well is located on an individual member's parcel but is owned and operated by the HOA, the HOA should be identified as the operator on the registration and accepted by the EMA GSA. If you received a mailer with a verification code for an HOA owned well on your property, please contact your HOA administration to facilitate registration. If you do not have a well on your parcel, complete a "No Well" registration form. 

Who has access to my well registration information? 

All well registration information input in the EMA GSA Watermark Portal becomes the intellectual property of the EMA GSA and is only accessible by EMA GSA staff. This data will be treated as confidential in a manner consistent with applicable law and any rules, regulations, ordinances, or policies adopted by the EMA GSA Board of Directors. 

METERING AND FEES 

I already received a bill for groundwater extraction before submitting my well data. How was the water usage calculated if we do not have a meter?  

Groundwater extraction fees are currently charged on a volumetric rate basis. For Fiscal Year 2025-2026, effective July 2025, the rate was $39.50 per acre-foot, and those charges have already been billed and reflected on your property tax bill. For Fiscal Year 2026-2027, effective July 2026, the rate is $41.50 per acre-foot. These charges will appear on your property tax bill this year. Groundwater usage in the EMA is currently based on usage reporting data provided by Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District, usage reporting available from California Division of Drinking Water, or estimated based on satellite evapotranspiration data, or assumed de-minimis rural domestic use. Well registration, metering, and reporting efforts will provide more accurate water usage information for future monitoring and fee calculations. For more information, please visit EMA GSA's Groundwater Extraction Fee webpage. 

Who is responsible for paying for a meter if we are required to have one? 

The well owner holds all fiscal responsibility for meter installation and maintenance. If the well serves multiple users, the well owner may allocate those costs among the users at their discretion. 

To support sustainable groundwater management efforts, the Santa Barbara County Water Agency (SBCWA) has created the Well Metering Assistance Program (WMAP), which offers up to $500 to qualifying landowners for the purchase and installation of water well meters in the EMA and other Santa Barbara County groundwater basins.   

How much does it cost to install a meter? 

The costs to install a meter vary based on meter size, well type, and level of labor complexity. Please contact a local pump vendor to inquire about meter costs. . 

Do De Minimis users have to pay for a meter?   

No, De Minimis groundwater users who extract 2.0 acre-feet (652,000 gallons) or less per year, for domestic purposes, are not subject to well metering and reporting requirements of EMA GSA Ordinance 2025-03. However, all groundwater extraction facilities or wells within the EMA GSA jurisdiction, including De Minimis users, are subject to the well registration requirements and must complete the De Minimis Self-Certification process. 

What documentation counts as self-certification for De Minimis users?  

De Minimis users are exempt from the metering and reporting requirements of EMA GSA Ordinance 2025-03 but are encouraged to voluntarily participate in the metering and reporting program for the EMA. De Minimis users must self-certify that they pump less than 2 acre-feet of water per year for domestic purposes in the Well Registration Form, as required by the EMA GSA’s Well Registration Ordinance. As part of the self-certification, extractors must provide some form of technical justification (for example: metered well production records; aerial photographs of irrigated area; electrical usage; or other technical data) in the Watermark platform to support the proposed De Minimis self-certification. 

COMPLIANCE & SUPPORT 

Are there any fines or penalties for those who fail to comply? 

Failure to comply with well registration and/or reporting requirements may result in administrative and civil penalties or other remedies in accordance with Water Code Section 10732, as may be determined by the EMA GSA’s Board of Directors. 

What if I do not have an email or use any technology?    

If you do not have access to an email account to register a Watermark account, call EMA at (805) 457-5065 or mail P.O. BOX 7098, LOS OSOS, CA 93412 for assistance. 

 

Following well registration, property owners/operators must install a well meter (i.e., Flow Meter) that meets the standards set by the EMA GSA and submit the accompanying Flow Meter Installation and Compliance Form by June 30, 2027.

Once installed, property owners or operators must record the Flow Meter totalizer monthly. Beginning on October 31, 2027 and on at least a biannual basis (twice per year) thereafter, the property owner/operator must submit a Groundwater Extraction Form reporting monthly meter readings. Monthly readings for April and July through September are due by October 31, and monthly readings for October through March are due by April 30 of each year.