County supervisors on Tuesday approved a groundwater pumping reduction plan for an area in Stanislaus’ West Side in hopes of preventing intervention from the state. The Delta-Mendota Groundwater Subbasin is considered to be critically overdrafted, according to the California Department of Water Resources, raising concerns about ground subsidence near the Delta-Mendota Canal and California Aqueduct. Affected parties in the Delta-Mendota groundwater subbasin, in west Stanislaus and Merced counties, developed six coordinated groundwater sustainability plans, which were deemed incomplete by the state after a two-year review and declared inadequate after amendments were submitted to address deficiencies in 2022. Faced with a perceived three-strikes rule, the local agencies decided to work with a consultant on a single plan for reduced pumping, along with well metering and monitoring, which was approved by Stanislaus supervisors Tuesday.