vidovich Archives - SJV Water

Kings County judge rules state overstepped by requiring farmers to meter, report groundwater extractions

July 16, 2024

• by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water

The first steps toward possible state control of groundwater pumping in Kings County were derailed under a ruling issued July 15 that said the Water Resources Control Board had overstepped its bounds by requiring meters on wells. The temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction were issued by Kings County Superior Court Judge Kathy Ciuffini in…

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Chaos continues to reign among Kings County water agencies following state action

June 26, 2024

• by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water

It’s been two and a half months since the state brought the hammer down on water managers in Kings County for lacking an adequate plan to stem overpumping in the region and the situation is, in a word – chaotic. One groundwater sustainability agency (GSA) has imploded, leaving the county to potentially pick up the…

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Sinking land, dry wells and accusations are plentiful in Kings County – but no solutions in sight

May 17, 2024

• by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water

Relations among Kings County groundwater entities have gone from bad to worse after the state put the region on probation for its inability to come up with a cohesive plan to curb furious overpumping that has sunk huge swaths of land, dried up wells and caused other problems. After a burst of collaboration to try…

SGMA • Uncategorized

Public mostly mum on prospect of state take-over of Kings County groundwater pumping

November 6, 2023

• by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water

With the state poised to possibly mandate how much water Kings County farmers are allowed to pump, it was surprising how quiet the first public workshop on this contentious issue was. While more than 225 people attended the online workshop Nov. 3, hardly anyone spoke or asked questions of the Water Resources Control Board staff….

SGMA • Uncategorized

California’s “water cop” sets date for the first hearing on one of the valley’s subpar groundwater plans

October 12, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

“Urgent” concerns about rapidly sinking land and potential harm to residential wells pushed the groundwater subbasin covering Kings County to the front of the line among several San Joaquin Valley water regions slated to go before the State Water Resources Control Board. Still, the hearing for the Tulare Lake subbasin won’t come until April 16,…

Floods • Rivers

Not all Kern River water is being counted the same by water districts

July 26, 2023

• by Lois Henry

Farmers in an agricultural water district northwest of Bakersfield may have South Fork Kern River water stored in a local water bank. Or they may not. It depends on who’s counting the water. The Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage district says that since July 5, up to 37 cubic feet per second of South Fork Kern…

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POP QUIZ: How closely have you been reading SJV Water???

January 3, 2023

• by Lois Henry

It’s a brand new year – YAY! Lets see how much water news you retained from 2022. If you’ve been keeping up with the news on SJV Water, this should be a piece of cake. If not, well…you have a whole new year to remedy that. Remember, no cheating with the Google machine (clicking the…

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2022: So. Much. Water. News!

December 27, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Here we are nearing the end of another year. And the SJV Water team has been taking stock, reflecting and pondering the accumulation of news and events that made up 2022. (Really, we’re taking some much needed time off and I’m, personally, “checkin’ the snow pack” – code for skiing – and needed to stockpile…

SGMA

Boswell-Vidovich water war blows up over groundwater

October 12, 2022

• by Jesse Vad and Lois Henry, SJV Water

A long simmering water war between Kings County’s two biggest farming entities blew up Wednesday over groundwater when the state rejected the region’s plan to shore up its declining aquifer. The fallout could be significant if the state pursues enforcement, which could include pumping limits, steep fines and fees for all groundwater users in the…

Groundwater • Personalities

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…

NEWS

Kings County judge rules state overstepped by requiring farmers to meter, report groundwater extractions

Chaos continues to reign among Kings County water agencies following state action

Sinking land, dry wells and accusations are plentiful in Kings County – but no solutions in sight

Public mostly mum on prospect of state take-over of Kings County groundwater pumping

California’s “water cop” sets date for the first hearing on one of the valley’s subpar groundwater plans

Not all Kern River water is being counted the same by water districts

POP QUIZ: How closely have you been reading SJV Water???

2022: So. Much. Water. News!

Boswell-Vidovich water war blows up over groundwater

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

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