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Kings County growers nix local groundwater fees as they face state actions aimed at curbing excessive pumping

• by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water
Hundreds of landowners in the Tulare Lake groundwater subbasin overwhelmingly rejected proposed pumping fees this week that would have added thousands of dollars on top of fees they’re expected to start paying the state in coming months. The fee showdown at the Mid-Kings River Groundwater Sustainability Agency meeting April 23 came just a week after…
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Infrastructure the main topic at Kern’s annual water summit

• by Lois Henry and Jesse Vad, SJV Water
With nature providing plenty of water – finally – this year, and groundwater regulation well underway, water managers, farmers and others turned their focus to infrastructure at Thursday’s Water Summit put on by the Water Association of Kern County. Early in the day’s line up of speakers, Edward Ring, senior fellow with the California Policy…
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MEETING NOTES: Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa board members question best approach for new groundwater plans required by the state

• by Sonia Lemus, freelance for SJV Water
* “Meeting Notes” is a new feature focused on Kern County water districts, funded through a grant from the James B. McClatchy Foundation. Please consider supporting SJV Water to continue this important coverage. Meeting: Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa board of directors Date: January 10, 2024 Agenda and Packet: CLICK HERE Major topic: Updates on Kern Subbasin  Background:…
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State’s groundwater enforcement timeline is “not nearly as ambitious” as originally envisioned

• 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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Will a pending water rights bill on Gov. Newsom’s desk be a game changer in California water? It depends

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
A water rights bill that made it through the Legislature this year is, arguably, a much weakened version of its original form, but the fact that it addresses senior rights at all is a significant step, according to experts. Senate Bill 389, which clarifies the state Water Resources Control Board’s ability to investigate senior water…
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Speaker: Government control creeping ever further into water rights

• by Lois Henry
In a fast-paced trip through the evolution of California’s water rights, attorney Valerie Kincaid explained how the system has gone from the “wild, wild west” to one pervaded by ever greater government creep. By expanding its authorities under what had been thought of as several limited court decisions, state government is now essentially dictating operations…
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VIDEO: What is 2nd Point on the Kern River?

• by Lois Henry
This is the third in a series of videos attempting to break down and explain who owns the Kern River. Structures along the river measure its flows and then divvy it up between its historic owners. So, it’s important to understand these structures, where they are and how they work. We looked at First Point…
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