FRESNO, Calif. — The California State Water Resources Control Board voted unanimously Tuesday to place the Tulare Lake Subbasin on probation over concerns with subsidence that come from excessive groundwater pumping.
It was a first-of-its-kind hearing, and the decision came after a nearly 10-hour meeting. Several growers and residents from the San Joaquin Valley attended the hearing in Sacramento.
The probation designation is allowed under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA. It will force those who pump within the subbasin, which is located in Kings County, to pay penalty fees that could collect millions of dollars based on the amount of water pumped.
The fees were the subject of widespread criticism from Kings County growers. Small farmers criticized the region’s plan, arguing that fees favored larger operations.
"I believe that thousands of family farms and people dependent on groundwater will be displaced and homeless if we don’t take action on these excessive costs … It’s dire," Doug Freitas, a Valley grower, said during the hearing.
State officials argue probation is necessary because locals can’t agree on a plan to voluntarily rein in pumping. Other basins in the area are also being watched closely by the state.
The ultimate goal of the probation status is to bring the basin into compliance with groundwater standards set nearly 10 years ago.
An analysis by the state water board previously found the basin's 2022 groundwater plan was inadequate.
Estimates say about 700 domestic wells — though the exact number is not known — are at risk of drying up due to subsidence, which is the sinking of land when too much water is extracted.
Over-pumping has also caused damage to levees and canals in the area. The most severe subsidence is on the north end of the water basin, near the cities of Lemoore, Hanford and Corcoran.
During the probationary period, growers will begin reporting how much water they pump starting in July.
Groundwater pumping needs to be reduced by 40%, according to the state.
The basin was a hot spot of flooding last year when historic snowfall and winter storms caused major flooding and caused the resurgence of the ancient Tulare Lake along the southern part of the basin. The lake rekindled a relationship with the Tachi Yokut Tribe, which calls the lake Pa'ashi — meaning "big water."
The lake is mostly dried up today, but it drowned thousands of acres of farmland, and spurred bird flu. The ground below the lake includes clay sediment that prevents the water from draining quickly.
Growers called for more time to submit a revised pumping plan before moving into probation, and criticized the state for delays in scheduling meetings and review.
State water board member Laurel Firestone said during the hearing the board didn't have much of a choice but to move toward probation because groundwater conditions and the climate have taken drastic turns.
"This is the new reality," she said.
State officials said the state will work with local agencies and small farmers to eventually return the basin to local control.
