A tiny water district in western Tulare County is poised to nearly triple in size by annexing 13,000 acres of land that has become “the stepchild nobody wants” for its lack of surface water. The Atwell Island Water District, at 7,300 acres, sought the annexation in order to help farmers in the area get access to surface water, said board member Deanna Jackson. Atwell has a small federal contract for water from the Central Valley Project and is a subcontractor for water from the Cross Valley Canal in Kern County as well. Jackson also runs the overarching Tri-County Water Authority Groundwater Sustainability Agency, tasked with bringing the region’s aquifers into balance per the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Atwell is a member agency of Tri-County, which also brought this acreage into its boundaries.

Other California groundwater news:

• The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, Calif.): Paso Robles basin domestic well owners won’t pay water fees​