MEETING NOTES: Kern groundwater agencies want to push back subbasin’s probation hearing date

October 10, 2024
Sonia Lemus, freelance for SJV Water
by Sonia Lemus, freelance for SJV Water
CVP: Central Valley Project. CVC: Cross Valley Canal. KCWA SWP: Kern County Water Agency, State Water Project.
Sonia Lemus, freelance for SJV Water
Sonia Lemus, freelance for SJV Water

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Meeting: Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District board of directors

Date: October 8, 2024

Agenda and Board packet: CLICK HERE

Kern subbasin hopes to push back groundwater hearing date

Dan Bartel, Rosedale-Rio Bravo’s engineer-manager, informed the board that the Kern subbasin is looking to push back the February 20th hearing date before the state Water Resources Control Board on its groundwater plan.

Water Board staff have recommended the region be put on probation for not having an adequate plan. Probation would include requirements for pumpers to meter and register their wells at $300 each, report extractions and pay $20 per acre foot for  what they pump. That would be on top of fees farmers already pay to their water districts and groundwater agencies.

If the subbasin can’t work up an adequate plan a year after being put on probation, the state would issue pumping allotments.

The Kern subbasin submitted a new plan in 2024, but Bartel explained that Water Board staff have not provided a “red flag” review of that plan and have postponed technical meetings with the subbasin’s working group.

Bartel noted that Water Board staff have only done a preliminary assessment of the subbasin’s 2024 plan and recommended the region be put on probation based on its obsolete 2022 plan.

Without the red flag review, water managers in the subbasin do not know what needs to be changed in the plan. The technical meeting that were postponed were meant to assist the subbasin with resolving any problems in the plan in order for the subbasin to avoid probation. 

Bartel noted that while the postponed meeting is only the second scheduled meeting out of six, missing even one makes it difficult for the subbasin to be ready in time for the February 20 hearing.

Bartel said attorneys are preparing a letter seeking a new probation hearing date.

Fall X2 Actions Suspended for 2024

Water resources manager for the Rosedale Rio-Bravo Water Storage District Trent Taylor, informed the board that Fall X2 actions would be suspended for 2024.

Fall X2 is the action of releasing a pulse of water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta through the months of September and October to aid the delta smelt. Fall X2 is typically done when the state experiences wet and above normal water years. 

When more water is needed for Fall X2, it means less water is available to export to contractors south of the delta. For example, water users were only give 40% of their contracted amounts despite this being a strong water year with mostly full reservoirs.

The reason was fish, according to a DWR press release issued in April.

The presence of the fish in certain parts of the delta  “triggered state and federal regulations” that put an automatic crimp on pumping, the release stated.

Taylor informed the board that the State Water Contractors and various entities had submitted letters to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) requesting Fall X2 actions be suspended for this year. Upon review DWR took the request to fish agencies which agreed.

“It is extremely encouraging that the fish agencies agreed to suspend the Fall X2 action. It does open the door for future discussion on whether the Fall X2 action is that beneficial and potentially considering moving that action in the future,” stated Taylor.

How to attend: Rosedale- Rio Bravo meets at 8 a.m. on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at their district office located at 849 Allen Road.

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Sonia Lemus, freelance for SJV Water

SJV Water is an independent, nonprofit news site dedicated to covering water in the San Joaquin Valley. Get inside access to SJV Water by becoming a member.

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