- Editor’s note: Monserrat Solis covers Kings County water issues for SJV Water through the California Local News Fellowship initiative.
A newly relaunched groundwater agency is looking to form a diverse, 11-member committee made up of land owners to provide input on future water decisions for a large chunk of northern Kings County.
The Mid-Kings River Groundwater Sustainability Agency Board of Directors plans to open a 30-day application process to establish the committee at its next meeting, Sept. 13 at 1 p.m.
The board of directors, which includes Kings County Supervisors Joe Neves, Richard Valle, Doug Verboon, Rusty Robinson, Richard Fagundes and Hanford Vice Mayor Mark Kaires, will each appoint one member from their district, while the remaining five seats will be voted upon by the full board.
Director Robinson wanted to make sure committee members include a variety of landowners in the area. Valle agreed broad representation was needed.
“I just want to see a good diversity on the board,” Robinson said. “I want to see everybody represented in terms of the various factors, whether it’s the tree guys, the row guys, the permanent (crop) guys…. I just think that’s what was lacking before; a diverse group.”
The board unanimously agreed to open applications to property owners or those that lease land within the groundwater agency’s boundaries. That will include growers, ag processors, municipal water systems, irrigation districts, conservation districts, livestock ranchers and even well drillers.
Director Valle was clear he wanted the community to work together to help get the subbasin out of probation. It was placed on probationary status April 15 by the state Water Resources Control Board after twice failing to create an adequate plan that would ensure sustainability in the region’s aquifers.
Probation, which requires well metering, registration and pumping fees and reporting, is the first step toward a possible state pumping take over. Those requirements have been paused for now under court order as part of a lawsuit filed by the Kings County Farm Bureau.
The Mid-Kings groundwater agency had been blamed by several of the other five groundwater agencies for landing the region on probation after its directors refused to sign on to a last minute groundwater plan that the former Mid-Kings manager said allowed far too much continued subsidence, or land sinking.
Since then, the Mid-Kings groundwater agency broke apart and has been relaunched with a new board that hopes to engage landowners in crafting a new groundwater plan.
“I think we were very clear, in the fact, that we wanted to work with the folks, with farmers and the people in our industry to make sure we get that ultimate vote to get off the state’s radar, get off probation and move forward and be a stronger Kings County,” Valle said.
Hanford resident and grower Todd Neves applauded the board for its efforts and urged the board to request a one-year extension from the state
“I think just by this step that you’re making here today shows that we’re, we’re trying to move forward here,” Neves said. “ I would request to immediately ask for a one year extension, April 16, 2026 showing that we’re making efforts.”
Director Verboon responded: “We have been in conversations with DWR (Department of Water Resources) and state Water Resource Control Board since we’ve been in this predicament. So we’re learning as much as we can, they both have offered to come here and assist us.”
In other board action:
- Verboon was appointed chairman and Robinson vice chairman.
- Erik Ureña, the county’s director of finance, was appointed treasurer.
- Meeting times were set for 1 p.m. every second Tuesday of the month.
