(a) The Legislature finds and declares that groundwater is a valuable natural resource in California, and should be managed to ensure both its safe production and its quality. It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage local agencies to work cooperatively to manage groundwater resources within their jurisdictions.
(b) The Legislature also finds and declares that additional study of groundwater resources is necessary to better understand how to manage groundwater effectively to ensure the safe production, quality, and proper storage of groundwater in this state.