groundwater Archives - Page 10 of 20

Fallout from Kings County water war continues as state mulls groundwater plan

August 29, 2022

• by Lois Henry

There’s no word, yet, of state intervention in the ongoing water war between two of Kings County’s largest growers – John Vidovich and the J.G. Boswell Company – but there has been fallout. Kimberly Brown, a board member of the Southwest Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency, resigned August 10 in protest of last-minute language added to…

Personalities • Policy

Not so new “newcomer” vies for seat on powerful Kern water board

August 19, 2022

• by Lois Henry

The usually sleepy race for the Kern County Water Agency board of directors perked up this month after a challenger filed papers to run for the Division 4 seat. Division 4 Incumbent Director Philip Cerro will face challenger Eric Averett in the November 8 election. Cerro, a longtime area farmer, has served on the board…

SGMA

Will Kings County be the first region sent to state’s groundwater “cop”?

August 8, 2022

• by Lois Henry

The prospect of being sent to California’s “groundwater cop” strikes dread in the hearts of most water managers. But for John Vidovich, having the Tulare Lake subbasin come under the glare of the State Water Resources Control Board may be the only way to end an irrigation practice by the J.G. Boswell Company that he…

Rivers

Effort to bring South Fork Kern River water to valley farmland buffeted by lawsuits, called a “joke”

August 3, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Drought cut short a pilot program to bring South Fork Kern River water through Lake Isabella and down 60 miles to farmland northwest of Bakersfield. Now, a raft of lawsuits could upend the environmental impact report in support of the project, which has been a goal of the Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District since it…

Drinking Water

SJV water managers know the pain of slow state response to failing water systems

August 3, 2022

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Water managers in the San Joaquin Valley who regularly work with residents of poor, rural communities facing water insecurity are applauding last month’s sharply critical audit of the state Water Resources Control Board. The California State Auditor’s report found a serious lack of urgency on the part of the water board, which is tasked with…

SGMA

Desert groundwater agency to pay $8,500 per acre foot for valley water rights

August 2, 2022

• by Lois Henry

The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority in eastern Kern County has signed a “letter of intent” to buy the rights to 750 acre feet of state water for $6,396,000 from a State Water Project contractor in Kings County. The purchase is part of the authority’s plan to bring that overdrafted groundwater basin into balance. The…

Personalities • SGMA

Latest blow in Boswell-Vidovich water war could bring state control over region’s groundwater

July 25, 2022

• by Lois Henry

The latest blow in an ongoing water war between two Kings County agricultural titans may put control of the entire region’s groundwater into state hands. The J.G. Boswell Farming Company and Sandridge Partners, controlled by John Vidovich, have been scuffling over water in court, on ditch banks and even in the air with accusations on…

Drinking Water • Drought

Even emergency water suppliers are close to tapped out as more valley towns go dry

July 19, 2022

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Groundwater levels are dropping and domestic wells throughout the San Joaquin Valley are going dry as California’s third year of drought grinds on. That includes entire towns, such as East Orosi and Tooleville in Tulare County, which both went dry last week. It’s bad. But it may get worse. Area water suppliers are “locking down”…

SGMA

Vulnerable domestic wells will be focus of $10 million farmland retirement grant in Madera County

July 14, 2022

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Three San Joaquin Valley water agencies are gearing up to spend $10 million each in grant funding from the state Department of Conservation to retire or repurpose farmland. Valley agencies that received grants so far include the Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District, Pixley Irrigation District Groundwater Sustainbility Agency (GSA) and Madera County. SJV Water will…

SGMA

Will $10 million “make a dent” in Tulare County groundwater use?

July 7, 2022

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Three San Joaquin Valley water agencies are gearing up to spend $10 million each in grant funding they received from the state Department of Conservation to retire or repurpose farmland. Valley agencies that received grants so far include the Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District, Pixley Irrigation District Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) and Madera County. SJV…

NEWS

Fallout from Kings County water war continues as state mulls groundwater plan

Not so new “newcomer” vies for seat on powerful Kern water board

Will Kings County be the first region sent to state’s groundwater “cop”?

Effort to bring South Fork Kern River water to valley farmland buffeted by lawsuits, called a “joke”

SJV water managers know the pain of slow state response to failing water systems

Desert groundwater agency to pay $8,500 per acre foot for valley water rights

Latest blow in Boswell-Vidovich water war could bring state control over region’s groundwater

Even emergency water suppliers are close to tapped out as more valley towns go dry

Vulnerable domestic wells will be focus of $10 million farmland retirement grant in Madera County

Will $10 million “make a dent” in Tulare County groundwater use?

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