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State board puts first groundwater basin on probation

• by Lisa McEwen and Jesse Vad, SJV Water
The State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday voted unanimously to put the Tulare Lake subbasin on probation during a precedent-setting meeting in Sacramento that stretched over nine hours.  “This is a turning point. We are coming to terms with the reality of what this means especially in these areas that are so severely overdrafted,”…
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Sewage backup in East Orosi renews frustration and allegations of dysfunction 

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
Residents in the small town of East Orosi woke up Sunday to backed-up toilets and yards flooded with wastewater. One of the community’s wastewater pumps stopped working, causing sewage backups for two days until workers were able to fix the pump late Monday night.   “It’s really bad. Somebody needs to do something about it,” said…
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New groundwater fee aims to create “equity” among South San Joaquin Valley farmers but some say it will unfairly devalue their farms

• by Lois Henry
A new groundwater fee intended to create “financial equity” between farmers who pay for imported water and those who don’t has stirred anger and concerns about land valuation in the Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District. The new “groundwater service charge” was approved Wednesday by  the Wheeler Ridge board of directors. While this particular issue only…
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A new study helps scientists understand how the Sierra Nevada snowpack affects fluctuations in ground levels on the San Joaquin Valley floor

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
Scientists have figured out how to more accurately understand ground fluctuations in the San Joaquin Valley. It’s hoped the research will eventually become a tool valley water managers can use to predict the effects of groundwater pumping. Up until now, researchers have used satellite technology to collect data on changing ground levels, which can tell…
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San Joaquin Valley groundwater will need more than one epic water year to rebound in the long term

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
With all the flooding, runoff and more snowmelt still to come, everyone’s wondering: How’s the groundwater? Short answer: Better.  Long answer: It’s going to take more than one good water year to reach sustainability. After decades of over pumping and two severe, multi-year droughts within five years of each other, San Joaquin Valley aquifers had…
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Regs relaxed for storing flood water

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
Governor Gavin Newsom is hoping to see the deluge from the ongoing storms socked away for dry times by making it easier to recharge underground aquifers.  The governor issued an executive order Friday suspending some regulatory requirements to divert flood water for groundwater recharge. The hope is to recharge as much water as possible since…
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Some San Joaquin Valley farmers are rebelling against groundwater measures

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
As water managers throughout the San Joaquin Valley scramble to reign in groundwater pumping, they’re running into a serious roadblock: angry farmers.  Across the valley, farmers have decried fees and other measures meant to reduce pumping, threatening not to pay, taking agencies to court and protesting groundwater rules.  In some cases, it’s working.  In the…
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A tractor discs land near a wildlife area. SOURCE: Department of Water Resources

New state program will pay to keep groundwater in the ground

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
The state will likely soon be offering  up more cash to farmers who take their crops out of production. The state Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) new LandFlex program will pay out $25 million to local agencies and ultimately, as an incentive to farmers.  This is different from the Multibenefit Land Repurposing program overseen by…
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