Mountain View
SJV Water
Madera farmers and groundwater agency in limbo waiting for court decision on fees
The end of a two-year legal fight over who should pay, and how much, to replenish the groundwater beneath Madera County could be in sight. A motion to dismiss the lawsuit by a group of farmers against the county is set to be heard June 18. The outcome could determine...
Two Tulare County water agencies vote to take control of their own groundwater destiny
Two water districts voted to break away from the Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency Monday, June 3, clearing a path for them to form their own agencies and groundwater plans in the next six months. The move allows the Tea Pot Dome and Vandalia water districts to distance themselves from...
Money available for wetland owners, applications closing soon
There’s a new opportunity for private wetland owners to make money from their land. The BirdReturns program pays wetland owners to flood their land and provide habitat for birds in the Central Valley. The program offers seasonal participation and is currently accepting applications for fall participation. Applications close on June 9.
Counting groundwater: The devil is in the details
A lengthy complaint alleging secretive, self-dealing on the part of a prominent farmer and board member on a key Tulare County groundwater agency slogged through a Fair Political Practices Commission investigation over the past four years resulting in, essentially, a slap on the wrist late last month. Eric L. Borba,...
Kings County farmers frustrated with water district’s latest move worry it will hasten state pumping takeover
Ignoring a letter signed by more than 200 landowners that requested their resignation, the Kings County Water District board of directors not only kept their seats but voted unanimously to remove the district from the Mid-Kings River Groundwater Sustainability Agency within 60 days. That throws another curveball into an already...
Powerful Kern water agency paid more than $600,000 to oust its longtime attorney
A settlement agreement obtained by SJV Water shows the longtime attorney for the Kern County Water Agency was paid $640,000 when she was fired in March. The agency voted to fire Attorney Amelia Minaberrigarai after a March 18 special meeting. She had just three months left on her contract. The agency stated she was not fired for cause, which meant she was entitled to be paid for the remaining months on her contract, or about $80,000.
Kings County farmers face probation as state demands well registration, detailed pumping reports
Probation has started for the Tulare Lake subbasin and farmers will be getting a list of “to-dos” in the mail this week. The State Water Resources Control Board is sending step-by-step instructions of what’s expected under this historic designation, in which board staff will begin collecting pumping information. The board declared the region under probation at an April 16 hearing after water managers failed to come up with a coordinated plan to get pumping in check to stop subsidence and better protect domestic wells.
Last year’s groundwater recharge numbers were impressive but what about this year?
This current, remarkably average water year – not last year’s barn burner – will be the true test to see how well groundwater agencies are rejuvenating the San Joaquin Valley’s withered aquifers, longtime water managers say. Yes, 2023’s historic wet year did a lot to help...
Groundwater agency sues Delano over Niagara water bottling plant
Concerns over how a newly built water bottling plant will impact the already over drafted aquifer prompted the Southern San Joaquin Municipal Utility District to sue the City of Delano last month. The district is asking that approvals for the Niagara water bottling plant be set aside and, ultimately, that...
Rehearing on Kern River rejected by appellate court. Next step could be the California Supreme Court
The 5th District Court of Appeal denied a petition Friday to rehear the court’s earlier decision to put a hold on a Kern County court’s order that had required the City of Bakersfield keep enough water in the Kern River for fish to survive. Both plaintiffs in the...
Cover crops could enhance groundwater recharge – a lot – but agencies aren’t embracing the concept
Cover crops could be an important tool in groundwater management but are being unintentionally disincentivized by groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs,) according to a new study. GSAs haven’t done enough analysis or incentivization of cover crops, according to authors of the study. In fact, the study suggests some GSAs are putting...
Dana Munn, longtime water engineer and former Kern River Watermaster, dies at 66
The Kern County water world was deeply saddened to learn that Dana Munn, a fixture in local water for decades, died May 8 after a three-year battle with brain cancer. He was 66. Munn was extremely well regarded among water managers and engineers both at the local and national levels...
MEETING NOTES: North Kern concerned the subbasin’s revamped groundwater plan – now seven plans – won’t pass muster with the state
Meeting: North Kern Water Storage District board of directors. Main topic: Submission of a revamped groundwater sustainability plan for the Kern subbasin to the state Water Resources Control Board to avoid probation. Background: Two previous groundwater plans for the Kern subbasin were rejected by the state as inadequate to protect...
Kings County Farm Bureau blames one local water board for state intervention; demands heads roll
The fallout and recriminations in Kings County continue over the state Water Resources Control Board’s historic decision to place the Tulare Lake subbasin on probation for failing to come up with a cohesive plan to protect the region’s groundwater. The Kings County Farm Bureau, which has already sued...
MEETING NOTES: Accusations of secrecy, slander and horse “pucky,” pervade high desert groundwater discussions
Meeting: Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority board of directors. First topic: Reassessment of importing water from Little Lake, an area north of the Indian Wells Valley in Inyo County. Background: The Indian Wells Valley is a critically overdrafted basin in eastern Kern County. Its residents and businesses require 28,000 acre...
Sinking land, dry wells and accusations are plentiful in Kings County – but no solutions in sight
Relations among Kings County groundwater entities have gone from bad to worse after the state put the region on probation for its inability to come up with a cohesive plan to curb furious overpumping that has sunk huge swaths of land, dried up wells and caused other problems. After a...
Kings County Farm Bureau sues state for placing the region on probation because of groundwater woes
The Kings County Farm Bureau and two of its farmer members have filed suit against the state Water Resources Control Board, claiming the board exceeded its jurisdiction when it placed the Tulare Lake groundwater subbasin on probation April 16. A writ of mandate was filed May 15 in Kings County...
Report shows inflation has boosted the delta tunnel cost to $20 billion – or more
The controversial Delta Conveyance Project will cost $20.1 billion according to a new cost-benefit analysis released by the state on Thursday. That’s up from the previous cost projection of $16 billion. Almost all of that increase is because of inflation, said David Sunding, emeritus professor at UC Berkeley, who...
MEETING NOTES: More Kern water districts approve new groundwater plan in hopes of avoiding state intervention
Arvin-Edison Water Storage District Agenda: CLICK HERE. Major topic: Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District, Arvin-Edison Water Storage District, and Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District all met this week to pass five motions in relation to a new Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) that water managers in the Kern subbasin hope to submit to the state Water Resources Control Board staff by May 28.
Fresno water district plans to use a $5 million federal grant to sink more water
Fresno Irrigation District (FID) received $5 million from the federal government for recharge projects. It’s the largest grant FID has ever received and staff were overjoyed when they heard the news. “We were elated,” said Bill Stretch, general manager of FID. “That’s a huge shot in the arm for...
SJV Water
616+
Posts
754K+
Views
SJV Water is an independent, nonprofit news site dedicated to covering water in the San Joaquin Valley.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.