The State Water Resources Control Board unanimously voted to continue the hearing process for the Kern County Subbasin’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act compliance today, despite community based organizations’ pleas to put the subbasin on probation. The decision comes after Kings County Farm Bureau blocked the Tulare Lake probationary decision, earning a temporary injunction that will stop the board from collecting fees through the first half of 2026. Having reviewed the resubmitted Kern County Subbasin 2024 Draft groundwater sustainability plans, the board staff identified that GSAs have addressed some issues with coordination, but recommended they revise methodologies that could result in incompatible criteria across the GSA and Hydrogeologic Conceptual Model boundaries.

Other groundwater news:

• SJV Water: Kern subbasin given another four months to fix issues with groundwater plans
• San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District: News release: San Bernardino Valley and regional partners celebrate completion of Santa Ana River Enhanced Recharge Project
• MendoFever (Ukiah, Calif.): Opinion: ‘A profound mess’—The truth about a Mendocino water project