Pumping allocation workshops open to public, farmers in Kings County

• Editor’s note: Monserrat Solis covers Kings County water issues for SJV Water through the California Local News Fellowship initiative. 

Two Kings County water agencies are holding public workshops Nov. 12 and 14 to explain their pumping allocations.

The Mid-Kings River and South Fork Kings groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) both passed draft sustainable yield pumping allocations for their farmers in October. Sustainable yield is the amount that can be pumped without causing negative impacts to the aquifer, such as drying wells or causing land to sink. 

But South Fork farmers objected to Mid-Kings’ allocation of 1.43 acre feet per acre of land, which is more than double what was set in South Fork at .66 acre foot per acre of land.

Both policies are now going through a 45-day public comment period.

Mid-Kings will host its in-person event Nov. 12 at 1:30 p.m. at the Kings County Board of Supervisors administrative building, 1400 W. Lacey Blvd.

South Fork will host its in-person event Nov. 14 at 1:30 p.m. at the county’s agricultural commissioner’s conference room, 680 N. Campus Dr. 

Both GSAs will also hold online workshops, which will be announced in the coming days.

This disagreement between neighboring GSAs erupted as the region has come back under state scrutiny over its groundwater use.

The Tulare Lake subbasin, which covers most of Kings County, was placed on probation by the state Water Resources Control Board in April 2024 for lacking a cohesive and protective groundwater plan.

Probation typically comes with sanctions including requiring farmers to meter and register their wells at $300 each, report extractions and pay the state $20 per acre foot pumped. Those measures were held at bay for more than a year after the Kings County Farm Bureau sued the state and obtained a preliminary injunction against the sanctions.

That injunction was overturned by the 5th District Court of Appeal in late October and the Water Board has already announced that Kings County farmers must begin reporting extractions by May 1. 

Fees will not be far behind.

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