This study reviewed the groundwater policies of USA as a benchmarking for the purpose of improving groundwater polices, regulations, and plans in Korea. Each state of the USA has its own unique groundwater policies. Recently, severe drought in the western parts of the USA resulted in the launch of the California Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring (CASGEM) program. CASGEM classified a total of 515 alluvial groundwater basins of the California State to four prior groups (high, medium, low, and very low prioritization). In Texas, a total of 101 Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCDs) over the state has controlled groundwater pumping amounts in their own management areas and 16 Groundwater Management Areas (GMAs) over the state have directly managed groundwater aquifer. Direct management for aquifers by GMAs would be the most scientific method for groundwater management, which expected to provide water consumers the more advavnced groundwater service. These groundwater management strategies of the USA can be possibly considered in groundwater plans for national and local governmental authorities, which possibly results in more optimal groundwater management in Korea.
Keywords: Groundwater;Management;Policy;USA;Korea;