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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…
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Madera Judge asks for more information in lawsuit over fees for groundwater projects

• by Hannah Frances Johansson, Freelance for SJV Water
Round one of a lawsuit brought by a group of farmers against Madera County over land assessment fees left both sides standing — for now. On June 18, Madera County Superior Court Judge Brian Enos inched forward on the county’s attempt to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the California United Water Coalition. He granted the…
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Kern pistachio farmer ordered to pay $30 million in back fees to high desert groundwater agency

• by Lois Henry
An Orange County court on Friday approved an injunction mandating that Mojave Pistachios LLC pay $30 million in back fees owed to the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority for pumping groundwater without an allocation in Kern County’s eastern desert. That $30 million is the accumulation of a $2,130-per-acre-foot fee for non-allocated pumping that was established…
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Madera farmers and groundwater agency in limbo waiting for court decision on fees

• by Hannah Frances Johansson, freelance for SJV Water
Clarification: The farmers’ lawsuit alleges the county conducted a Proposition 218 election improperly. The original version of this article was unclear on the lawsuit’s main complaint.   The end of a two-year legal fight over who should pay, and how much, to replenish the groundwater beneath Madera County could be in sight. A motion to…
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State Water Board reduces pumping fees by half but some say it’s still too high

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
Members of the state Water Resources Control Board voted unanimously on Tuesday, March 19, to reduce pumping fees for groundwater users in subbasins that come under state control, known as “probationary status.” The controversial fee was lowered from $40 per-acre-foot of pumped water to $20 per acre foot.   The board will hold its first probationary…
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