tulare lake Archives

State hears from the public on potential take over of groundwater pumping in the Tule subbasin

April 5, 2024

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

The Tule subbasin is next up to face the state in a groundwater probation hearing. Staff from the state Resources Water Control Board held a public workshop on Friday to go over its recommendations and hear from the public prior to the hearing on September 17. Probation is the first step toward possible state takeover…

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VIDEO: Exploring the south valley’s wetlands, preserves and habitat sanctuaries – a mini tour

April 2, 2024

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

In late February, the nonprofit Central Valley Joint Venture took a group of environmental scientists, advocates and nature enthusiasts on a tour of successful wetland restoration projects in the south San Joaquin Valley. The tour focused on the efforts to reclaim agricultural land for habitat and the possibility of returning more of the valley to…

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Kings County farmers suffer sticker shock over proposed fees even as state takeover looms

March 27, 2024

• by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water

Kings County growers are organizing to stop a set of groundwater and land fees they say will wipe out small farmers, even as the drumbeat of a looming state takeover grows louder. Managers of the Mid-Kings River Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), which covers the northern tip of Kings County, have been holding a flurry of…

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State Water Board reduces pumping fees by half but some say it’s still too high

March 19, 2024

• 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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State board to vote on reducing extraction fees for probationary basins

March 13, 2024

• by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water

On the eve of its first subbasin probationary hearing, the state Water Resources Control Board announced it will vote on whether to reduce a controversial groundwater extraction fee. The board will vote at its March 19 meeting on whether to cut the fee from $40 to $20-per-acre-foot for well owners in a subbasin placed on…

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Planning and coordination kept Porterville dry during floods but the rest of the San Joaquin Valley remains fragmented

January 8, 2024

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

How did Porterville, where a then raging Tule River cuts through the town, stay dry while so many other San Joaquin Valley communities got flooded out last spring? Planning, coordination and permits. Sounds simple, but it took officials from the city, irrigation district, Tulare County and federal offices years to establish. It paid off as…

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State’s groundwater enforcement timeline is “not nearly as ambitious” as originally envisioned

December 20, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

State staff revealed it will be well into 2025 before all of the “inadequate” groundwater subbasins will start probationary hearings. The state Water Resources Control Board held a meeting on Tuesday where staff discussed the tentative schedule and heard from water agencies and members of the public. The Water Board is the enforcement arm under…

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Former Kern River Watermaster recognized for his leadership and legacy in Kern County water

November 9, 2023

• by Lois Henry

The usually unflappable Mark Mulkay found himself at a rare loss for words as he accepted both the Water Leader and Water Legacy awards from his peers at the annual Water Association of Kern County dinner held Nov. 8. The recently retired Kern River Watermaster had to take a moment before addressing the audience, made…

Floods

State is working to contain bird disease in flooded Tulare Lake

August 21, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Avian botulism, a lethal disease for birds, has been found spreading throughout Tulare Lake. The disease is caused by bacteria that thrive in shallow, warm waters with decaying organic matter. The bacteria that causes the disease is found naturally in wetland soil. But it doesn’t produce the toxin that causes the disease unless environmental conditions…

Floods

Vast stretches of water that have refilled sections of the old Tulare Lake are actually changing nearby weather

June 30, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

The partially refilled Tulare Lake is so large, with so much water spread over so much land, that it’s changing nearby weather. The lake stretches across the horizon as far as the eye can see in many places and is now about the size of Lake Tahoe. The vast amount of water has started to…

NEWS

State hears from the public on potential take over of groundwater pumping in the Tule subbasin

VIDEO: Exploring the south valley’s wetlands, preserves and habitat sanctuaries – a mini tour

Kings County farmers suffer sticker shock over proposed fees even as state takeover looms

State Water Board reduces pumping fees by half but some say it’s still too high

State board to vote on reducing extraction fees for probationary basins

Planning and coordination kept Porterville dry during floods but the rest of the San Joaquin Valley remains fragmented

State’s groundwater enforcement timeline is “not nearly as ambitious” as originally envisioned

Former Kern River Watermaster recognized for his leadership and legacy in Kern County water

State is working to contain bird disease in flooded Tulare Lake

Vast stretches of water that have refilled sections of the old Tulare Lake are actually changing nearby weather

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