Northern Tulare County groundwater agency makes well registration mandatory

Some landowners in Tulare and Kings counties are facing a mandatory well registration deadline of July 1, 2026. 

The Greater Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency board of directors passed the resolution at its Feb. 9 meeting to gather depth, location, and type on approximately 2,000 wells in its boundaries. 

It is seeking the information on agricultural, domestic, industrial and retired wells that have not been destroyed. 

The Kaweah subbasin GSAs, which also include East Kaweah and Mid-Kaweah, all have well registration programs as part of their groundwater sustainability plan. But Greater Kaweah is the only one to make it mandatory.

“After months of requesting registration, only a small fraction have done so,” said manager Mark Larsen, noting that less than 150 wells had been registered. “The information is critical for understanding and managing the aquifer, particularly subsidence.” 

Subsidence, land sinking, is most pronounced along the GSA’s western boundary, which crosses into Kings County. Most landowners there rely solely on groundwater. 

Larsen said well details will help managers, board members and technical consultants make more informed policy decisions. 

“Wtihout understanding the location of wells and indication of pumping depth, our experts are making assumptions, which leads to best guesses,” he said. 

Those who do not comply will be deemed as not in good standing and will lose the ability to manage their water accounting dashboard, including buying and trading water. 

Larsen said the requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act to avoid damage to infrastructure from subsidence forces managers to make conservative decisions and set policy that errs on the safe side.

“Well data will help us reach our goals and allow us to be more accurate, reduce excessive restrictions and improve our success,” he said. 

North Kings GSA successfully registered about 7,000 wells in 2025. Those who missed the deadline were assessed a fee of $100 per well. 

Mid-Kaweah GSA recently held a string of workshops to walk well owners through the registration process. But low turnout has prompted board and committee discussions about the possibility of mandatory registration.

The Kaweah subbasin avoided state intervention in December, when the state Water Resources Control Board recommended the basin return to the oversight of the Department of Water Resources. 

Well owners can register via a portal on the GSA’s website, https://greaterkaweahgsa.org/well-registration/