Fourth San Joaquin Valley groundwater region avoids state intervention
The state Water Resources Control Board unanimously approved releasing the Delta-Mendota subbasin from potential enforcement actions at its April 7 meeting.
“The metrics I think about, and that I’ve mentioned at a number of other probationary discussions, is: progress, not perfection is what we’re looking for,” Water Board member Sean Maguire said before the vote.
“I think what we’ve seen here from the basin is a willingness to coordinate amongst 23 different groundwater sustainability agencies.”
Landowners in the region will escape probation, which requires growers to meter wells, register them at $300 each and pay $20 per acre foot pumped.
In order to avoid state sanctions, the 23 Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) that cover the Delta-Mendota subbasin submitted one coordinated groundwater plan that addressed negative impacts, such as land sinking and decreased water levels.
“The coordination deficiencies identified by DWR for the 2022 (groundwater plans) were resolved by adopting a single (groundwater plan) in 2024,” Engineering Geologist for the Water Board Hannah Dailey said at the meeting. The subbasin will return to oversight by the Department of Water Resources.
Groundwater level deficiencies and other issues were addressed in the 2024 groundwater plan, which aided the Water Board’s staff recommendation to avoid state enforcement.
Delta-Mendota is the fourth subbasin in the San Joaquin Valley to avoid state intervention, following the Chowchilla, Kaweah and Kern subbasins.
