English | Español

Facebook-f Twitter Linkedin-in Instagram
Login
Donate
Search

NEWS

Madera County project aims to curb groundwater pull by paying farmers to find new uses for land

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
Residents and advocates in the small community of Fairmead have been working for years to find ways to relieve pressure on the area’s aquifer to protect domestic wells. With the latest election, they hope all that planning can finally come to fruition. On Tuesday, Californians voted to approve Proposition 4, $10 billion in bonds for…
Read More

Fresno symposium to focus on water’s impact on farmland values

• by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water
Access to a reliable water supply can make or break an agricultural investment, especially in the San Joaquin Valley where aquifers are coming under intense scrutiny from state and local agencies. Without at least two sources of water, farms and ranches throughout the San Joaquin Valley are quickly losing their value — some by more…
Read More

Challengers seek seats on Tulare County irrigation district boards

• by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water
Board seats on four Tulare County irrigation districts will be on the ballot this election. At least one of the districts has been in the news recently for its connection to a groundwater agency being sued for allegedly not doing enough to stem sinking beneath the Friant-Kern Canal. The Porterville Irrigation District is within the…
Read More

Heated water district race reveals fears that wealthy outsiders are calling the shots, selling water

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
A contentious race for a seat on the Laguna Irrigation District board of directors in Kings County is revealing deep-seated fears that wealthy outside interests are driving district policies tipping the scales against smaller, local farmers. At the heart of those fears is a name that’s well-known in water circles, John Vidovich. Vidovich controls Sandridge…
Read More

San Joaquin Valley well drillers say they are struggling to meet state air regulations

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
Well drillers are having a hard time updating expensive equipment to meet state air quality regulations. Some are giving up the business while others are moving their trucks at night to avoid run-ins with any potential regulators.  It’s a situation that has added further pressure to the drilling business which is already suffering because of…
Read More

Accusations of “extortion” and “bullying” fly in dispute over who should pay for sinking the Friant-Kern Canal

• by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water
A last-resort attempt to shore up funding for ongoing Friant-Kern Canal repairs has run into a buzzsaw of opposition from several irrigation districts that were stuck with the bill – up to $295 million. A letter disputing the fees accuses the Friant Water Authority, which operates the canal, of, among other things, extortion. “What would…
Read More

New UC Davis clinic hopes to give small valley farmers some legal fire power to defend their groundwater stake

• by Hannah Frances Johansson, freelance for SJV Water
Nicole Larson is afraid for small farmers. Before enrolling as a law student at University of California, Davis, she served a term on the Turlock City Council where she was appointed to a committee that would decide how to get local farmers to cut back on groundwater pumping. “Everyone agrees that something needs to change,”…
Read More

Madera County farmland conversion program gets underway with $10 million in state funds

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
Land owners can now officially submit proposals to Madera County to convert their ag land to less water intensive uses under a new program adopted by the Board of Supervisors Tuesday using $10 million in state funds.  The money comes from the state’s Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program, which aims to reduce reliance on groundwater by…
Read More

Most well owners in Kings County will soon have to meter and register wells under local – not state – rules

• by Monserrat Solis, California Local News Fellow
Editor’s note: Monserrat Solis covers Kings County water issues for SJV Water through the California Local News Fellowship initiative. Most Kings County farmers will begin metering and registering their wells by the end of this year even though a court order is holding those exact same requirements by the state at bay pending the outcome…
Read More
Receive the latest news

Don't miss a drop of water news!

Sign up to get our weekly newsletter ‘The Splash’, plus instant news alerts directly to your inbox.