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Kings County growers nix local groundwater fees as they face state actions aimed at curbing excessive pumping

• by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water
Hundreds of landowners in the Tulare Lake groundwater subbasin overwhelmingly rejected proposed pumping fees this week that would have added thousands of dollars on top of fees they’re expected to start paying the state in coming months. The fee showdown at the Mid-Kings River Groundwater Sustainability Agency meeting April 23 came just a week after…
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Woodlake residents sue government entities over flood damage; glad to see progress on infrastructure projects

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
More than a year after floods devastated the small town of Woodlake in Tulare County, residents finally feel hopeful about the future thanks to new infrastructure projects and an ongoing lawsuit they are bringing against local governments and other agencies.  In March of 2023, homes in northwest Woodlake were hit with floods after historic storms…
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MEETING NOTES: Kern water managers concerned about new well permitting bill; “produced” water report and a new water/solar agreement

• by Sonia Lemus, freelance for SJV Water
Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District Date: April 10, 2024 Agenda and Packet: CLICK HERE Main topic: Concern over proposed new well permitting regulations Steve Torigiani, the district’s attorney, said Assembly Bill 2079, which would add new requirements to agricultural well permitting, could pose problems for the district. Torigiani expressed three main issues with the bill. …
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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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Report highlights strong interest in farmland transition funds

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
There was no shortage of interest in the $90 million in state funding made available through the new Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program, according to the first report released this month on the effort to transition irrigated farmland in overdrafted groundwater basins to less water-intensive uses.  The program was created through a 2021 bill authored by…
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A Tulare County groundwater agency on the hot seat for helping sink the Friant-Kern Canal holds private tours for state regulators

• by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water
As the date of reckoning for excessive groundwater pumping in Tulare County grows closer, lobbying by water managers and growers has ramped up. The Friant Water Authority, desperate to protect its newly rebuilt –  yet still sinking – Friant-Kern Canal, has beseeched the Water Resources Control Board to get involved. Specifically, it has asked board…
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