California cracks down on water withdrawals from agricultural areas: “The ground is collapsing'' California
After two consecutive wet years, California's water wars are far from over. On Tuesday, state water officials took the unprecedented step of intervening in the destructive pumping of depleted groundwater in the state's vast agricultural heartland.
The decision would place the agricultural area known as the Tulare Lake Groundwater Basin, which includes about 837 square miles of rural San Joaquin Valley, on “probation” in accordance with the Sustainable Groundwater Use Act passed a decade ago. . Large water users would be charged fees and face state oversight of pumping.
Water officials have reassured farmers that the measure, the first of its kind, will be lifted if local agencies make progress in developing stronger sustainability plans to alleviate the problem. , it has taken many years to realize this. Over-pumping of groundwater in this region causes the land to collapse faster than almost anywhere else in the country, sinking more than a foot each year in some places. Officials say the Tulare Lake groundwater basin has failed to provide adequate planning to alleviate well-known water problems for years.
Such plans are required under California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 (SGMA). The law is a landmark 2014 law that requires local governments to develop their own long-term strategies to curb over-extraction, and empowers the state to oversee and enforce them. Probation is an essential measure to get lagging local institutions back on track and achieve sustainability goals that need to be achieved by 2040.
The Tulare Lake watershed is one of six watersheds in the San Joaquin Valley, the engine of California's more than $50 billion agricultural industry, on probation by the state for poor planning. be. The crackdown here has been met with strong opposition.
The decision came after a nine-hour public hearing on Tuesday, during which farmers protested the economic devastation it was having on their industry. They pump expected fees as a devastating blow to the work they are doing and their ability to do it in the future.
“We all know that some big farms have gone bankrupt over the past few months. It's a tragic situation,” Doug Freitas, a third-generation farmer with 700 acres in the watershed, said at Tuesday's hearing. Told. “I believe that unless action is taken to address these excessive costs, thousands of family farms and those who rely on groundwater will be displaced and made homeless,” he added.
Meanwhile, the decision was prompted by clean water and environmental activists who have been calling for more steps to be taken to curb dangerous overuse of groundwater.
“I understand where the sensitivities are, but they have to remind themselves,” Big Valley Pomo Tribe Representative Fred Briones said before the vote, referring to Tulare Lake. We are farming on the lake.'' vast freshwater lake It was drained to make space for agriculture. Indigenous peoples who once thrived on these lands no longer have water rights there, he added. “As we watch farmers fight each other, the ground is crumbling beneath their feet.”
Tensions were on full display at the hearing, as generations of farmers, dairy ranchers and local water authority representatives spoke at length, asking the board to postpone the probation.
One local elected official, Kings County Supervisor Doug Barboon, called for the state to take action and said he has been threatened over his position. “It's hard to stand up here because there are people behind me who want me to stay silent,” he said.
Meanwhile, the board stated its position as gently as possible throughout the hearing, reminding excited attendees that probation is temporary. But the law says that if groups across the San Joaquin Valley don't make enough progress within a year, further pumping restrictions could be imposed.
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Currently, landowners must install meters that indicate how much water is pumped and pay a groundwater fee. During the trial period, pumpers will be charged a base fee of $300 per well and $20 per acre-foot of water extracted each year. An acre-foot is a measurement used for large amounts of water; one foot of water is approximately the same amount of water needed to cover one acre of land. Adding up these costs, we get expected to reach millions of people.
“We do not take this decision lightly at all,” state Water Resources Control Board Chairman Joaquín Esquivel said at the beginning of the hearing, adding that the associated fees imposed on water abstractors “are not meant to punish watersheds, but to pay for them. It's for that purpose,” he added. for additional workload.”
At Tuesday's public hearing, farmers also He spoke at length about the efforts they have made to curb the overexploitation of groundwater and the difficult climate and economic conditions facing farmers across the country.
Greg Gatzka, city manager of Corcoran, which is listed by the state as a highly disadvantaged area, told the board that the city's city residents, who rely on the local economy supported by agriculture, will He urged them to consider the unintended consequences of their actions. “We are the most vulnerable city that could be affected by this,” he said, noting that things like sales taxes on farm equipment could be lowered.
California Congressman Devon Mattis, who represents districts affected by probation, submitted a statement outlining the future implications of this decision. “Food grows where water flows, and my district supplies water to the state,” he said, adding that local water managers across the state will be watching closely to see what happens. “We would like to remind you who the stakeholders are and the negative impact that state-mandated probation will have on the agriculture industry.”
The fee, which has been cut in half from the amount originally proposed, will require landowners to record mining operations and is expected to begin in mid-July. Progress reporting from the watershed will also be required annually starting in December.
Summarize this content to 100 words After two consecutive wet years, California's water wars are far from over. On Tuesday, state water officials took the unprecedented step of intervening in the destructive pumping of depleted groundwater in the state's vast agricultural heartland.The decision would place the agricultural area known as the Tulare Lake Groundwater Basin, which includes about 837 square miles of rural San Joaquin Valley, on “probation” in accordance with the Sustainable Groundwater Use Act passed a decade ago. . Large water users would be charged fees and face state oversight of pumping.Water officials have reassured farmers that the measure, the first of its kind, will be lifted if local agencies make progress in developing stronger sustainability plans to alleviate the problem. , it has taken many years to realize this. Over-pumping of groundwater in this region causes the land to collapse faster than almost anywhere else in the country, sinking more than a foot each year in some places. Officials say the Tulare Lake groundwater basin has failed to provide adequate planning to alleviate well-known water problems for years.Such plans are required under California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 (SGMA). The law is a landmark 2014 law that requires local governments to develop their own long-term strategies to curb over-extraction, and empowers the state to oversee and enforce them. Probation is an essential measure to get lagging local institutions back on track and achieve sustainability goals that need to be achieved by 2040.The Tulare Lake watershed is one of six watersheds in the San Joaquin Valley, the engine of California's more than $50 billion agricultural industry, on probation by the state for poor planning. be. The crackdown here has been met with strong opposition.The decision came after a nine-hour public hearing on Tuesday, during which farmers protested the economic devastation it was having on their industry. They pump expected fees as a devastating blow to the work they are doing and their ability to do it in the future.”We all know that some big farms have gone bankrupt over the past few months. It's a tragic situation,” Doug Freitas, a third-generation farmer with 700 acres in the watershed, said at Tuesday's hearing. Told. “I believe that unless action is taken to address these excessive costs, thousands of family farms and those who rely on groundwater will be displaced and made homeless,” he added.Meanwhile, the decision was prompted by clean water and environmental activists who have been calling for more steps to be taken to curb dangerous overuse of groundwater.”I understand where the sensitivities are, but they have to remind themselves,” Big Valley Pomo Tribe Representative Fred Briones said before the vote, referring to Tulare Lake. We are farming on the lake.'' vast freshwater lake It was drained to make space for agriculture. Indigenous peoples who once thrived on these lands no longer have water rights there, he added. “As we watch farmers fight each other, the ground is crumbling beneath their feet.”Tensions were on full display at the hearing, as generations of farmers, dairy ranchers and local water authority representatives spoke at length, asking the board to postpone the probation.One local elected official, Kings County Supervisor Doug Barboon, called for the state to take action and said he has been threatened over his position. “It's hard to stand up here because there are people behind me who want me to stay silent,” he said.Meanwhile, the board stated its position as gently as possible throughout the hearing, reminding excited attendees that probation is temporary. But the law says that if groups across the San Joaquin Valley don't make enough progress within a year, further pumping restrictions could be imposed.Skip past newsletter promotionsUS Morning Briefing breaks down the day's big stories and explains what's happening and why it mattersPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may include information about charities, online advertising, and content funded by external organizations. For more information, see privacy policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google. privacy policy and terms of service Apply.After newsletter promotionFarmers in California's Central Valley face anticipated fees for water use, devastating their jobs. Photo: Robin Beck/AFP/Getty ImagesCurrently, landowners must install meters that indicate how much water is pumped and pay a groundwater fee. During the trial period, pumpers will be charged a base fee of $300 per well and $20 per acre-foot of water extracted each year. An acre-foot is a measurement used for large amounts of water; one foot of water is approximately the same amount of water needed to cover one acre of land. Adding up these costs, we get expected to reach millions of people.“We do not take this decision lightly at all,” state Water Resources Control Board Chairman Joaquín Esquivel said at the beginning of the hearing, adding that the associated fees imposed on water abstractors “are not meant to punish watersheds, but to pay for them. It's for that purpose,” he added. for additional workload.”At Tuesday's public hearing, farmers also He spoke at length about the efforts they have made to curb the overexploitation of groundwater and the difficult climate and economic conditions facing farmers across the country.Greg Gatzka, city manager of Corcoran, which is listed by the state as a highly disadvantaged area, told the board that the city's city residents, who rely on the local economy supported by agriculture, will He urged them to consider the unintended consequences of their actions. “We are the most vulnerable city that could be affected by this,” he said, noting that things like sales taxes on farm equipment could be lowered.California Congressman Devon Mattis, who represents districts affected by probation, submitted a statement outlining the future implications of this decision. “Food grows where water flows, and my district supplies water to the state,” he said, adding that local water managers across the state will be watching closely to see what happens. “We would like to remind you who the stakeholders are and the negative impact that state-mandated probation will have on the agriculture industry.”The fee, which has been cut in half from the amount originally proposed, will require landowners to record mining operations and is expected to begin in mid-July. Progress reporting from the watershed will also be required annually starting in December.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/17/california-water-drought-farm-ground-sinking-tulare-lake California cracks down on water withdrawals from agricultural areas: “The ground is collapsing'' California
