Monterey Herald
The two agencies – the Monterey County Water Resources Agency and the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency – have separate missions but both are concerned with water quantity and quality within the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin, which is a series of smaller aquifers that span the entire 90 miles of the Salinas Valley.…
Read the full article at Monterey Herald
aginfo.net
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**A new report from the California Natural Resources Agency found subsidence, or the sinking of land, in the Central Valley caused by the over-pumping of groundwater has restricted the amount of water the state can deliver each year by 3%.…
Read the full article at aginfo.net
aalrr.com
This alert provides an overview of the ongoing implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). It details the status of Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs), recent and pending actions by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB or State Board) concerning probationary designations, developments regarding fee and reporting exclusions, SGMA-related litigation, and pertinent legislative activity.
I. SGMA Implementation: A Critical Juncture…
Read the full article at aalrr.com
salinasvalleytribune.com
SALINAS VALLEY — Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) has announced the launch of its Water Efficiency Pilot Program to help rural residents improve water efficiency and contribute to sustainable groundwater management.
The Salinas Valley, like much of California, relies on groundwater for residential, commercial and agricultural uses. In rural areas, communities are often at a greater risk of losing their water supply, due to dependence on a single source, limited conveyance infrastructure and financial resources.…
Read the full article at salinasvalleytribune.com
theava.com
Mushrooming population, developers’ zeal, pressure for more housing, agricultural subsidies, pesticides, and other forms of pollution only partially explain the persistence of environmentally destructive water practices. The entire body of water law itself has been—and remains—a major culprit because of flawed statutes and legal principles out of step with the times. Also behind the confusion is the badly fragmented water management system that, along with the patchwork of laws, has emerged from the California cauldron of legislative and court battles over a century and a half.
Typical is the status of groundwater which is of crucial importance to the ecological and economic health of California. The state’s groundwater reserves are enormous, although the usable capacity is less than half that amount because of quality considerations and the cost of extraction. Underground supplies presently account for about 30% of the water used in the state and much more than that amount during drought periods, Despite the immensity of groundwater reserves, the volume extracted greatly exceeds the rate of natural replenishment during dry years and even in normal years exceeds that rate with a considerably greater overdraft for aquifers in highly developed urban and agricultural areas. Careful management to control overdrafts is a self-evident need, but the reality is that groundwater has seldom been subject to meaningful management and remains at the whim of contradictory laws.…
Read the full article at theava.com
ca.gov
A recently released technical report concludes that the sinking of land in the Central Valley due to over-pumping of groundwater, referred to as subsidence, has restricted the amount of water the State Water Project (SWP) can deliver in a year by 3 percent. By 2043, if no action is taken, the current trajectory of subsidence, combined with climate change, could reduce deliveries by 87 percent. The SWP, one of California’s primary water storage and delivery systems, helps supply water to 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland and businesses throughout the state.
The technical report, an addendum that builds on the Delivery Capability Report (DCR) released in 2024, analyzed the capability of the SWP to deliver water under both current and potential future conditions in the year 2043. The new findings underscore the importance of eliminating groundwater overdraft in the Central Valley and repairing existing damage to the state’s main water-delivery arteries.…
Read the full article at ca.gov
scienmag.com
In California’s Central Valley, groundwater depletion has reached a critical point, threatening the stability of communities, agricultural productivity, and delicate ecosystems in one of the most fertile and economically vital regions of the United States. This expansive valley, responsible for producing a substantial portion of the nation’s fruits, vegetables, and nuts, faces the relentless challenge of over-extracting its underground water reserves faster than natural processes can replenish them. However, recent advancements in geophysical imaging provide a promising pathway to address this escalating crisis by identifying where the valley’s land is most suited for recharging its aquifers.
The central dilemma in groundwater recharge strategies is the heterogeneous nature of subsurface sediments across the Central Valley. Beneath the surface lies a dynamic stratigraphy, ranging from porous sands and gravels—remnants of ancient streambeds capable of transmitting water rapidly—to dense clay layers that act as impermeable barriers to infiltration. These clay-rich strata not only prevent water from percolating downward but also cause excess water to linger on the surface, leading to evaporation losses and potential damage to crops sensitive to flooding.
To navigate this intricate underground architecture, the Stanford team utilized electromagnetic (EM) geophysical data collected via a helicopter-mounted sensor array. This system emits inducible magnetic fields, enabling the measurement of electrical conductivity variations up to approximately 300 meters below ground. Since different sediment types conduct electricity differently—clays tend to be conductive while sands and gravels resist electrical flow—this data can be interpreted to produce detailed maps of sediment composition and distribution. By overlapping these geophysical patterns with well log data that record subsurface geology, the researchers developed predictive models tying electrical conductivity profiles to recharge potential.
An innovative product of this research is “fastpath,” a web application designed to aid groundwater managers, farmers, and consultants in pinpointing zones of rapid water infiltration. Fastpath synthesizes EM data and sediment correlations into usable, spatially explicit maps that highlight “flow pathways,” or subsurface conduits where water can swiftly journey from the land surface to underlying aquifers without impediment. These flow paths are critical because thin layers of clay, which may not be easily discernible at larger scales, can drastically alter infiltration dynamics by forcing water to detour or pool.
The research team’s comprehensive analysis indicates that up to 13 million acres of the Central Valley exhibit characteristics favorable for groundwater recharge. Notably, the bulk of this suitable land coincides with active agricultural fields, including orchards, vineyards, and row crops. This overlap suggests an exciting opportunity to integrate groundwater recharge into existing land-use frameworks, leveraging periods of excess surface water—such as during wet seasons—to augment aquifer levels without compromising crop health.
A nuanced aspect of this study is its recognition that recharge suitability is context-dependent. Not all porous terrains are equal in their capacity for recharge; while some areas can allow rapid infiltration minimizing surface ponding, others might facilitate slower water movement, which, although still beneficial, requires careful management to avoid adverse impacts on crops. The fastpath application addresses this variability by offering users multiple metrics, including sand and gravel percentages, exact lengths of subsurface fastpaths, and distances to subsurface clay barriers or the water table. Such granularity provides stakeholders with tailored information essential for optimizing recharge projects, balancing the hydrological benefits while mitigating agricultural risks.
This research responds to a growing urgency in California, where overpumping has not only diminished the volume of recoverable groundwater but also triggered land subsidence—a recession of the ground surface caused by the compaction of drying sediments. Subsidence poses serious threats to infrastructure, reduces aquifer storage capacity, and disrupts ecosystems that depend on stable water tables. By identifying recharge hotspots, the Stanford team’s work offers an invaluable tool to recharge groundwater in a way that can ameliorate these cascading effects.
Importantly, the team’s datasets and analytical tools are publicly accessible via an online platform, fostering transparency and broad utility. Water agencies, researchers, policymakers, and landowners alike can harness these resources to inform strategic planning, design targeted recharge interventions, and ultimately contribute to a more sustainable water management regime in the Central Valley. This open-access approach underlines a commitment to democratizing scientific knowledge and empowering local actors in water stewardship.
The methodological approach combining helicopter-based electromagnetic sensing, well log calibration, and computational modeling marks a significant advancement in hydrogeophysical research. This multi-disciplinary integration enables a spatially comprehensive and finely resolved understanding of subsurface hydrology over one of the largest agricultural regions in the country. Such innovation is emblematic of how geophysical imaging technologies can move beyond academic novelty to practical, high-impact environmental solutions.
Looking ahead, senior author Rosemary Knight and her team plan to expand their work by applying electromagnetic data towards other pressing groundwater challenges. Potential research avenues include identifying optimal sites for active injection of water to reverse ongoing land subsidence and enhancing environmental flows that sustain freshwater ecosystems. These pursuits reinforce a broader vision: transforming voluminous geophysical datasets into actionable strategies that not only mitigate the current groundwater crisis but also foster resilience in the face of climate variability and human pressures.
Integrating such geophysical insights with agricultural practices could redefine land and water management paradigms in dry regions. The ability to identify and manage rapid subsurface flow paths could lead to innovative practices allowing farmers to recharge groundwater without sacrificing crop yields or soil health. This synergy between geoscience and agriculture charts a promising course towards sustainable resource management—an imperative as droughts intensify and water becomes ever more precious.
Ultimately, the Stanford team’s work embodies a pioneering leap in understanding and harnessing the Central Valley’s hidden hydrological potential. By illuminating the complex subterranean landscape through electromagnetic imaging, they have equipped stakeholders with the knowledge to rejuvenate vital water reserves, secure agricultural productivity, and safeguard environmental integrity—underscoring the transformative power of science in addressing one of California’s most urgent challenges.
Subject of Research: Groundwater recharge potential assessment in California’s Central Valley using electromagnetic geophysical imaging.
Article Title: Harnessing the Power of Geophysical Imaging to Recharge California’s Groundwater
Kang, S., Knight, R., et al. “Harnessing the Power of Geophysical Imaging to Recharge California’s Groundwater.” Earth and Space Science, vol. 17, Apr. 2025, DOI:10.1029/2024EA003958.
Knight, R., et al. Prior related work on Central Valley electrical conductivity interpretation. DOI:10.1111/gwat.12656.
Keywords: Groundwater recharge, Central Valley, California, Electromagnetic geophysical imaging, Aquifer sustainability, Subsurface sediments, Agricultural water management, Land subsidence, Hydrogeophysics, Fastpath application, Recharge mapping, Water resource resilience.…
Read the full article at scienmag.com
San Luis Obispo Tribune
No water in wine country: How SLO County residents survive when their wells go dry
Two scruffy dogs spilled onto the porch when Candy Nachel opened her front door. She stooped to pick up a fluffy Chihuahua named Poppy, then looked out across the property east of Templeton that she’s owned since 1996.
Each year, she watches her neighbor’s vineyards grow heavy with wine grapes. Each year, pickers toil to harvest the bruise-purple fruit fattened with water from the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin.
But Nachel can’t enjoy the view.
In fact, these days, she can’t even enjoy a glass of wine. Because it reminds her that the vineyards have water — while she has none.
The problem is, with so many people sipping at a limited source, the waters of that giant subterranean lake are receding from the underground shoreline.
When that happens, the shorter straws in the shallower areas — typically those owned by individual homeowners — begin sucking nothing but dirt and dust.
Meanwhile, farms and vineyards that typically own deeper wells can still reach the dwindling water supply in the basin.
California’s longtime water policies give property owners the right to pump groundwater for “beneficial uses,” despite the fact that groundwater isn’t contained by property lines. Those with the funds to dig deeper wells are able to access water — reaching into the supply that their neighbors might need but can’t afford to reach.
Since the summer of 2014, 337 dry wells in the Paso basin have been reported to the California Department of Water Resources Courtesy of San Luis Obispo County Dry wells in Paso Robles wine countryDeep in wine country, Nachel lives among the vineyards on El Pomar Drive with her son and 12-year-old granddaughter.
Her 5-acre property sits on the western edge of the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin, a shallow area where “the aquifer feathers out to nothing,” Reely said.
Wells in this part of the basin often go dry first, because there’s less water there to begin with, he said.
Originally, these properties were sold to cattle ranchers, dry farmers and residential developers whose operations didn’t require as much water, Reely said.
“It felt comfortable, where somebody could come and visit and you weren’t taking your shoes off at the door,” Nachel said. “That, to me, is important.”
All was good until 2017, when her first well went dry, so she connected to another well on the property.
About two years later, that well dried up too, and she discovered that her third well didn’t contain enough water for use — so she had to start ordering water.
Sometimes, the supply isn’t enough to last the whole month.
“When I run out of water, when I’m waiting for a water truck, I feel confined,” she said. “Honestly, it feels like somebody’s got me in shackles.”
It’s also forced her to change her habits.
Nachel washes dishes differently now — soaping all of the dishes before briefly running them under the faucet. She takes short showers and only does bulk loads of laundry.
“It’s just changed my life in every way,” Nachel said. “You don’t waste water on things that aren’t necessary, and if they are necessary, you’re just careful on how you use it.”
The limited water supply also affected one of her favorite hobbies: gardening.
That used to be her preferred way to decompress after a long day. When her wells held water, she tended to more than 100 rose bushes. When her wells ran dry, she ripped the rose bushes out.
Nachel even had to close her boarding kennel, because she didn’t have enough water to bathe the dogs or wash down the facility.
“The solution is we have to reduce pumping,” Reely said. “It’s achievable.”
San Luis Obispo County, the city of Paso Robles, the Shandon-San Juan Water District and the Estrella-El Pomar-Creston Water District recently formed a Joint Powers Authority, which will have the power to levy water use fees in all of the basin except areas served by a fifth entity, the San Miguel Community Services District.
Entities that use water commercially, like farms, vineyards and breweries, will be charged the fee on their property taxes. Domestic well owners will not be charged.
Reely hopes the fees will motivate growers to make their operations more efficient so they can reduce their water use, he said. Meanwhile, those fees will fund programs designed to balance the basin.
One such program is the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin Multibenefit Irrigated Land Repurposing Program, also known as the MILR Program.
Through the program, a staff member will support irrigators who want to pivot to farming practices that use less water. This could look like changing the property’s irrigation system so it is more efficient, changing farming practices, or converting irrigated farmland to dry land farming, open space or a project like a solar farm.
Right now, it’s too expensive to connect to the State Water Project or use recycled water to recharge the basin, but those projects could become viable in the future, Reely said.
If farmers don’t voluntarily reduce pumping over the next few years, the Groundwater Sustainability Agencies governing the basin may need to implement pumping restrictions — an action authorized by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
“We have that hammer if we ever need it. We just are hoping — and have been working towards a strategy where — we don’t pull that hammer out of the tool kit,” Reely said.
Carol Rowland used to garden with her late husband Harold Rowland. Now water is in short supply. She struggles with sinking water level in the well at her Creston area home. Courtesy photo Creston resident had water before the vineyards arrivedLike Nachel, Creston resident Carol Rowland, 84, also misses gardening.
As the water levels in her well dwindled, she stopped irrigating her experimental garden, where she grew flowers, plump heirloom vegetables and dye plants that she used to color her home-woven tapestries.
The 80-foot-deep well on her 14-acre O’Donovan Road property goes dry intermittently, and she’s worried she’ll soon have to start buying water.
“It’s just really scary, because I live on such a fixed income,” she said.
Her husband bought the house in 1975, and she only started having problems with her well during the past few years, she said.
Sure, the well is shallow. But “it used to be fine for us before all the vineyards came in,” she said. “It’s just so unfair.”
Unlike the El Pomar area, the Creston area of the groundwater basin is in good shape, Reely said.
Meanwhile, the Wonderful Co., which owns Justin Vineyards, planted drought-tolerant rootstocks in Paso Robles and used precision irrigation to avoid wasting water, according to Justin Vineyards director of grower and community relations Molly Scott.
“We are constantly focused on the long-term sustainability of the basin and participating in efforts to protect it,” she said in a statement.
But the Wonderful Co. declined to share how much water they apply to each vineyard, so there’s no way to tell how much water is saved by their efforts.
Justin Vineyards & Winery in Paso Robles is owned by the Resnicks’ Wonderful Co. Courtesy photo SLO County Farm Bureau executive director Paul Clark said the agriculture industry acknowledges that it uses the vast majority of water pumped from the basin. As a result, many farmers and vintners are prepared to pay the water use fees proposed by the Joint Powers Authority.
If those fees are passed, “agriculture is going to be paying the lion’s share of the cost” of improving the basin’s sustainability, Clark said.
He expects the fees to prompt a reduction in irrigation, but he can’t promise that this will improve water levels significantly enough to restore dry wells.
“Groundwater is a very complicated, and, at times, a very mysterious science. So it’s hard to say specifically, if you do x than y is going to happen,” Clark said. “It’s going to take awhile for these areas to recover.”
Single mom searching for solutionsSara Maciel never leaves the faucet running at her Paso Robles home.
She takes short showers, limits water use while brushing her teeth or doing the dishes and only runs full loads of laundry. She thinks about water every day — and that’s because she doesn’t have any.
Maciel’s 450-foot well went dry two years ago.
Now, she pays $500 per month to have water delivered, which she stores in a 2,500-gallon storage tank. She waits in suspense each month for the tank to run out before calling in a new delivery.
“When it does run out, it’s, like, that gut-wrenching feeling,” Maciel said. “You don’t know when it’s going to happen. You turn on the faucet, and there’s just nothing.”
When Sara Maciel’s 450-foot well went dry two years ago, she started ordering water deliveries to her house. Courtesy of Sara Maciel
Maciel moved to the 1-acre property on Jardine Road about six years ago with her three children, now ages 10, 15 and 17.
At first, her well dried up during the summer and was replenished by winter rains. But for the past two years, it stayed dry.
“The situation for me right now is a little scary,” she said.
There’s a residential subdivision in the Jardine area full of homes that rely on individual wells, Reely said.
Homes on the southern end of the subdivision were built during the 1950s when water levels were higher, so wells were only built to be about 200 feet deep, he said. Many of those wells have now gone dry.
As the subdivision developed north, people drilled deeper wells that can still access water. The northern part of the subdivision also borders a river that recharges the basin, providing more support for their wells.
Meanwhile, the Jardine area — like other rural neighborhoods in the North County — is surrounded by vineyards, Reely said.
Maciel blamed dwindling water levels on agricultural pumping.
Could the county pay for water delivery?All three homeowners The Tribune spoke to urged the county to support a water delivery service for people with dry wells.
Maciel supports a water-use fee, as long as the rates are reasonable. The fee could fund a program that reimburses domestic well users when they have to buy water, she said.
“I’m just wanting to survive,” Maciel said. “I’m not trying to get rich. I’m just trying to keep water for my family.”
Similarly, Nachel urged the county to operate a water truck that delivers water to residents with dry wells for free — or at least at a reasonable price.
“Nobody’s making the vineyards stand up to the plate and go to their neighbor and say, ‘I’m sorry. I understand that my pumps could have made your wells go dry,’” Nachel said. “None of them are taking accountability.”
Stephanie Zappelli is the environment reporter for The Tribune. She grew up in San Diego, and graduated from Cal Poly with a journalism degree. When not writing, Stephanie enjoys reading and exploring the outdoors.…
Read the full article at San Luis Obispo Tribune
GV Wire
Video Shows Search for Missing Gaza Paramedics Before Israelis Shoot Rescuers
European Countries Vow Billions in Military Support for Ukraine as US Envoy Meets Putin
China Hits Back at US and Will Raise Tariffs on American Goods From 84% to 125%
Trump Repeals Biden-Era Limit on Water Flow in Shower Heads
Trump and Netanyahu Steer Toward an Ugly World, Together
Trump’s Approval Rating Sinks as Trade Policies Take Center Stage
Trump Renews Call to End Clock Changes, Keep Daylight Saving
Immigration Judge Finds That Columbia University Activist Mahmoud Khalil Can Be Deported
Video Shows Search for Missing Gaza Paramedics Before Israelis Shoot Rescuers
European Countries Vow Billions in Military Support for Ukraine as US Envoy Meets Putin
China Hits Back at US and Will Raise Tariffs on American Goods From 84% to 125%
Trump Repeals Biden-Era Limit on Water Flow in Shower Heads
Trump and Netanyahu Steer Toward an Ugly World, Together
Trump’s Approval Rating Sinks as Trade Policies Take Center Stage
Trump Renews Call to End Clock Changes, Keep Daylight Saving
Immigration Judge Finds That Columbia University Activist Mahmoud Khalil Can Be Deported
Video Shows Search for Missing Gaza Paramedics Before Israelis Shoot Rescuers
European Countries Vow Billions in Military Support for Ukraine as US Envoy Meets Putin
China Hits Back at US and Will Raise Tariffs on American Goods From 84% to 125%
Trump Repeals Biden-Era Limit on Water Flow in Shower Heads
Trump and Netanyahu Steer Toward an Ugly World, Together
California
U.S.
World
Education
Sports
Entertainment
Opinion
Contact
Our Team
Careers
Awards
Advertising
Contribute
Support GV Wire
Subscribe
Porterville Irrigation District Kills Partnership Amid Accusations of Power Mongering
Porterville Irrigation District abruptly ends its groundwater management agreement with the city, sparking outrage among local growers. (SJV Water/Lisa McEwen)
PID board votes to exit city partnership, plans hearing to form its own groundwater agency amid grower criticism.
Accusations of power seeking and lack of transparency dominate the contentious PID board meeting with growers.
Past controversies involving PID leadership in the Eastern Tule GSA fuel distrust among Porterville farmers.
Less than two months after agreeing to join forces with the city of Porterville to manage area groundwater, the Porterville Irrigation District board voted Tuesday to abandon the partnership and hold a public hearing on whether to form its own groundwater agency.
That hearing will be held May 13.
The move provoked anger among growers who crammed into the irrigation district’s tiny board room to ask pointed questions and have their say.
“Everything seemed fine, and now things have changed,” said dairyman Matt Kidder. “You even voted to move ahead with the city. You want the power. That’s the problem.”
“Well, yeah!” responded Sean Geivet, general manager for the irrigation district. “I am comfortable with this board. They are elected by all of you guys. So that’s who I represent.”
Porterville Vice Mayor Ed McKervey said the only power struggle he saw was between the irrigation district and its own growers. He accused the board of deciding to kill the city partnership before Tuesday’s meeting even got underway.
“I’m looking at you guys thinking I don’t want to be involved with you,” McKervey said.
Partnership Dissolves Amid Anger
The breakup is a continuation of the strife that has dogged the Tule subbasin as it struggles to comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which mandates aquifers be brought into balance by 2040.
Squabbles and lawsuits have centered on the southeastern portion of the subbasin where some growers are blamed for overpumping so much that the ground has collapsed, sinking a 33-mile section of the Friant-Kern Canal.
“I like control.” — Sean Geivet, general manager of Porterville Irrigation District, on the benefit of the district forming its own groundwater agency without the city of Porterville
All of this is playing out as most of the subbasin was scheduled to begin adhering to sanctions issued by the state Water Resources Control Board after it placed the region on probation last September. Those include that growers meter their wells, report extractions and pay an annual $300-per-well registration fee plus $20 per acre foot pumped. Farmers in two Tule GSAs were excluded from those reporting and fee sanctions.
Those exemptions didn’t include Porterville Irrigation District farmers.
In an attempt to get out from under state sanctions, water districts and GSAs have been frantically revamping plans and management structures.
Board Makeup Becomes Sticking Point
But the partnership with the City of Porterville, seen as advantageous to both entities when it was approved in February, suddenly soured for board members of the Porterville Irrigation District.
The point of contention, apparently, was the make-up of the board for the nascent Porterville Groundwater Sustainability Agency. The city and irrigation district would each fill two director seats, while a fifth seat had yet to be determined.
Irrigation district legal counsel Aubrey Mauritson had said the fifth board member couldn’t be an irrigation district board member as that would violate the Brown Act, which prohibits a majority of board members from discussing district business outside of noticed public meetings.
Growers wanted someone from their ranks to fill that seat but that idea apparently didn’t fly and the irrigation district wanted out.
Dairyman Matt Kidder. (SJV Water/Lisa McEwen)
Geivet said separating from the city would allow the irrigation district to tailor its own groundwater agency.
“I don’t see any downside to it,” he said of dumping the city. “I like control.”
McKervey said the irrigation district’s fear of losing control was “more perception than reality.”
“I think it’s wrong what you’re doing,” he told board members at Tuesday’s meeting. “We thought we had synergy and optimism. But this power struggle thing I don’t understand.”
Regardless of whether the city and district form a joint GSA, the two entities still need to work together as parts of the city are in the irrigation district’s boundaries and the city buys surface water from the irrigation district.
Transparency and Representation Concerns Raised
Grower Armando Leal said after the meeting that he is in favor of the irrigation district forming its own GSA, but feels the GSA board should not be a carbon copy of the irrigation district’s.
“We need more outside representation. Who’s going to do that? If it is only the district board, I have issues with that,” Leal said.
But irrigation district board member Brett McCowan pointed out it’s common practice for water district boards to also run GSAs. That’s how the Lower Tule River, Tea Pot Dome, Vandalia and Delano-Earlimart irrigation districts all operate.
“For speed, efficiency and agility, it’s a lot simpler if, as a continuation of this board meeting, we hold our GSA meeting,” McCowan said. “You guys are making this seem like we’re doing this differently than anyone else.”
Growers at Tuesday’s meeting don’t feel the irrigation district board is transparent enough nor representative of their needs.
“We came up with the rules that most people liked. What did you want us to do, stop everybody that was pumping and let them go broke to satisfy Friant? We compromised and Friant still sued.”
Porterville Irrigation District Board President Eric Borba on the Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency’s groundwater crediting system, which he helped create and which Friant Water Authority alleged caused overpumping that damaged the Friant-Kern Canal.
They also pointed to both Geivet’s and irrigation district board president Eric Borba’s involvement in the embattled Eastern Tule GSA as reasons they didn’t want them running the new GSA.
The irrigation district had been a member of the Eastern Tule GSA.
Borba had been that board’s president when Eastern Tule created a groundwater crediting system that allegedly allowed farmers to continue overpumping, exacerbating subsidence on the Friant-Kern Canal. The Friant Water Authority sued Eastern Tule.
“We came up with the rules that most people liked,” a clearly irritated Borba snapped. “What did you want us to do, stop everybody that was pumping and let them go broke to satisfy Friant? We compromised and Friant still sued.”
That didn’t strike growers as a successful groundwater management strategy.
“That’s the confidence factor you can give us?” dairyman Kidder asked. “That makes no sense.”
With Porterville Irrigation District and the City of Porterville likely to form their own GSAs, that will bring the Tule subbasin GSA count to 13. It started the SGMA process back in 2020 with six GSAs.
Lisa grew up in Tulare County. She has reported on agriculture and other issues for a wide variety of publications, including, Ag Alert, Visalia Times-Delta, the Fresno Bee and the Tulare and Kings counties farm bureau publications.
First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close
Lucid Motors to Acquire Nikola’s Arizona Facilities in $30M Deal
Trump HHS Eliminates Office That Sets Poverty Levels Tied to Benefits for at Least 80 Million People
Porterville Irrigation District Kills Partnership Amid Accusations of Power Mongering
This Easy Crumble Has Peanut Butter-and-Jelly Vibes
How to Ease Your Money Anxiety When the Economy Is Stressing You Out
U.S. Holds Talks With Iran Over Its Nuclear Program
Fear Shadows Many Children in Immigrant Families
Intellectually Disabled Teen Shot by Idaho Police Dies After Being Removed From Life Support
In South Carolina, a Once Thriving Textile Hub Is Baffled by Trump’s Tariffs
Israel Cuts Off Gaza’s Southern City of Rafah and Vows to ‘Vigorously’ Expand in the Territory
Trump HHS Eliminates Office That Sets Poverty Levels Tied to Benefits for at Least 80 Million People
Porterville Irrigation District Kills Partnership Amid Accusations of Power Mongering
This Easy Crumble Has Peanut Butter-and-Jelly Vibes
How to Ease Your Money Anxiety When the Economy Is Stressing You Out
U.S. Holds Talks With Iran Over Its Nuclear Program
Fear Shadows Many Children in Immigrant Families
Intellectually Disabled Teen Shot by Idaho Police Dies After Being Removed From Life Support
In South Carolina, a Once Thriving Textile Hub Is Baffled by Trump’s Tariffs
Israel Cuts Off Gaza’s Southern City of Rafah and Vows to ‘Vigorously’ Expand in the Territory
Judge Relaxes Ban on DOGE Access to Sensitive US Treasury Information
Judge Relaxes Ban on DOGE Access to Sensitive US Treasury Information
This Easy Crumble Has Peanut Butter-and-Jelly Vibes
Trump Administration Says It Will Exclude Some Electronics From ‘Reciprocal’ Tariffs
This Easy Crumble Has Peanut Butter-and-Jelly Vibes
How to Ease Your Money Anxiety When the Economy Is Stressing You Out
U.S. Holds Talks With Iran Over Its Nuclear Program
Fear Shadows Many Children in Immigrant Families
Intellectually Disabled Teen Shot by Idaho Police Dies After Being Removed From Life Support
In South Carolina, a Once Thriving Textile Hub Is Baffled by Trump’s Tariffs
Israel Cuts Off Gaza’s Southern City of Rafah and Vows to ‘Vigorously’ Expand in the Territory
Judge Relaxes Ban on DOGE Access to Sensitive US Treasury Information
This Easy Crumble Has Peanut Butter-and-Jelly Vibes
Trump Administration Says It Will Exclude Some Electronics From ‘Reciprocal’ Tariffs
This Easy Crumble Has Peanut Butter-and-Jelly Vibes
How to Ease Your Money Anxiety When the Economy Is Stressing You Out
U.S. Holds Talks With Iran Over Its Nuclear Program
Fear Shadows Many Children in Immigrant Families
Intellectually Disabled Teen Shot by Idaho Police Dies After Being Removed From Life Support
In South Carolina, a Once Thriving Textile Hub Is Baffled by Trump’s Tariffs
Israel Cuts Off Gaza’s Southern City of Rafah and Vows to ‘Vigorously’ Expand in the Territory
Judge Relaxes Ban on DOGE Access to Sensitive US Treasury Information
This Easy Crumble Has Peanut Butter-and-Jelly Vibes
Trump Administration Says It Will Exclude Some Electronics From ‘Reciprocal’ Tariffs
Lucid Motors to Acquire Nikola’s Arizona Facilities in $30M Deal
Lucid Motors is set to acquire certain facilities in Arizona previously owned by Nikola, according to Engadget.
Nikola, an electric truck ma…
Balderrama Investigation
Biden Administration
Lucid Motors to Acquire Nikola’s Arizona Facilities in $30M Deal
Trump HHS Eliminates Office That Sets Poverty Levels Tied to Benefits for at Least 80 Million People
Porterville Irrigation District Kills Partnership Amid Accusations of Power Mongering
This Easy Crumble Has Peanut Butter-and-Jelly Vibes
How to Ease Your Money Anxiety When the Economy Is Stressing You Out
U.S. Holds Talks With Iran Over Its Nuclear Program
Fear Shadows Many Children in Immigrant Families
Intellectually Disabled Teen Shot by Idaho Police Dies After Being Removed From Life Support
Video Shows Search for Missing Gaza Paramedics Before Israelis Shoot Rescuers
‘Independent’ Vang Starts Work as New Fresno Councilmember. Cancels Tavlian Contract.
Wired Wednesday: Fresno DA Warns New Copper Theft Ordinance Could Clash with State Law
Fresno County Passes Ordinance to Punish Copper Wire Thieves
Madera Community College Unveils New Multicultural and Veterans Center
Local
World
California
Opinion
Local
World
California
Opinion
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Cookie Notice
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Cookie Notice
Copyright © 2024 GV Wire, LLC, All Rights Reserved.
Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.
Send this to a friend…
Read the full article at GV Wire
