Workshop about future land uses in southern Tulare County held Tuesday

Farmers, landowners, water managers, members of Native American tribes and conservation groups interested in future land uses in the Tule subbasin are invited to attend a workshop 5-7 p.m. Tuesday at the International Agri-Center in Tulare.

Dinner will be served, and Spanish interpretation will be provided. 

The workshop, titled “Your Land Repurposing Priorities,” is part of the Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP), a state-funded initiative established by the Department of Conservation that encourages voluntary transition of agricultural land to new uses that benefit both the environment and the community. 

Input gathered Tuesday will be used to inform local groundwater sustainability agency (GSA) leaders as they assemble a subbasin-wide plan to help growers meet new groundwater pumping allocations.

Attendees can use the workshop to:

• Discuss the pros and cons of various land uses, such as temporary fallowing programs, recharge basins, low-water crops, grazing, solar farms and more. 
• Learn about the solutions and strategies local GSAs consider to be the most likely in the Tule subbasin.

The Tule subbasin covers the southern half of Tulare County’s valley portion down to the Kern County line.

It is estimated that more than 900,000 acres of productive land throughout the San Joaquin Valley will need to be retired to comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, the state’s groundwater law passed in 2014. SGMA mandates that aquifers be brought into balance by 2040.

The majority of land likely to be fallowed – 600,000 acres –  will be in Tulare, Kings and Kern counties. 

A second workshop is set for 4-7 p.m. June 10. 

For more information, contact Nicolia Mehrling at nicolia@aginnovations.org or Laima Diaz Vepstas at laima@aginnovations.org for Spanish assistance.