In the San Joaquin Valley's Tulare Lake Subbasin, a temporary restraining order has been issued by Kings County Superior Court Judge Kathy Ciuffini, pausing the State Water Resources Control Board's initiative to oversee groundwater usage. This decision, effective until a hearing on Aug. 20, emerged from a lawsuit by the Kings County Farm Bureau, which argued that the plan surpasses the board's regulatory scope.
The controversy centres on a state law aimed at regulating groundwater to address over-pumping and drought impacts, requiring local entities to establish agencies for sustainable groundwater management. Failure to comply results in state intervention, as seen in the Tulare Lake Subbasin's probationary designation earlier this year for not submitting a viable sustainability plan.
This probationary status, now temporarily suspended, would have mandated groundwater pumpers to report usage, a measure deemed crucial by the State Water Resources Control Board for the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act's objectives. This act is instrumental in preserving groundwater resources, which constitute nearly 40% of California's water supply, escalating in significance during drought conditions.
Source: chron.com