Media article – Page 15 – Groundwater Exchange

Stanislaus County appeals ruling that would make it harder for farmers to dig wells

From the Modesto Bee:

“Stanislaus County will ask the state Supreme Court for a ruling on whether environmental review is a necessary step for a new water well.

In August, a state appeals court overturned the Stanislaus Superior Court’s decision in the Protecting Our Water lawsuit, which sought an injunction against county well permit approvals. The plaintiffs claimed the county was violating the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in approving well permits without considering environmental harm. … “

Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Stanislaus County appeals ruling that would make it harder for farmers to dig wells

Public input needed for future of Paso Robles groundwater basin

From KSBY:

“The Paso Robles Groundwater Basin is critically over-drafted and county leaders continue to work on a plan to fix that.

So far, water experts and district leaders have drafted 5 out of 13 chapters of the state-mandated Groundwater Sustainability Plan. They need to submit the full plan to the state by Jan. 31, 2020.

In the meantime, they’re looking for public comment. … “

Paso Robles quiet title trial nears end in Santa Clara

From New Times SLO:

“A jury trial to determine whose groundwater rights should win out in a 5-year-old clash between public water purveyors and private landowners near Paso Robles approached a conclusion in Santa Clara County Superior Court the week of Sept. 20.

In 2013, a small group of North County property owners, led by vintner Cindy Steinbeck, filed a quiet title water rights lawsuit in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, amid anxiety about the drought, its impact on the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin, and the regulations set to curb water pumping. … ”

Read more from New Times SLO here: Paso Robles quiet title trial nears end in Santa Clara

Paso Robles groundwater talks to heat up as state deadline looms

From New Times SLO:

“One chapter at a time. That’s how scientists, water officials, and the public are writing the 20-year sustainability plan for the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin. Five out of the plan’s 13 total chapters are drafted thus far, covering introductions, basin boundaries, and hydrology.

But that was the easy part. Sustainability discussions are about to get a lot more complicated and challenging as the meat of the plan—future groundwater level targets, well monitoring programs, recharge projects, and financing questions—start to take center stage. … ”

Read more from New Times SLO here: Paso Robles groundwater talks to heat up as state deadline looms

Santa Cruz, Soquel Creek Water District anticipate water exchange kickoff

From the Santa Cruz Sentinel:

“A water-sharing project opening a pipeline between Santa Cruz and Soquel Creek Water District may be underway as early as November, serving as a partial solution for the region’s chronic water supply shortage. The two utilities have spent more than a decade researching options for water supply expansion as their populations continue to grow.

Santa Cruz, dependent on river and stream water supplies, does not have enough storage space for its customers’ long-term needs, while Soquel Creek Water District, as with other water agencies in the county, is dependent on underground aquifers that are not refilling as quickly as they are being depleted by well pumping. … ”

Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here: Santa Cruz, Soquel Creek Water District anticipate water exchange kickoff

California’s Plan to Store Water Underground Could Risk Contamination

From KQED:

“As California begins handing out $2.5 billion in state funds for several new water management projects, a shift is taking place in the ways officials are considering storing water. To contend with the likelihood of future extreme droughts, some of these new strategies rely on underground aquifers — an approach far removed from traditional dam-based water storage.

While diversifying the toolbelt of water management strategies will likely help insulate the state against loss, a group of researchers at Stanford University are drawing attention to a risk they say has long ridden under the radar of public consciousness: the introduction of dangerous chemicals into California groundwater, both through industrial and natural pathways. … “

Groundwater managing agencies begin to take shape

From the Chico Enterprise-Record:

“Two of the agencies that will manage the water beneath Butte County began to take shape this week, one with some controversy.

Groundwater sustainability agencies are required under the September 2014 law regulating the state’s aquifers, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

The GSAs are supposed to set sustainability goals for the various groundwater basins in the state, develop plans to reach those goals, and then administer the plans to ensure the goals are met. … “

Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Groundwater managing agencies begin to take shape

Butte County: Groundwater management agencies before board

From the Chico Enterprise-Record:

“The structure of the agencies being established to manage the groundwater beneath Butte County is made clear by two items before the Butte County Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

The board is being asked to approve agreements to set up the Vina Groundwater Sustainability Agency and the Wyandotte Creek Groundwater Sustainability Agency.

Sustainability agencies are required under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which was approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Brown in 2014. … “

Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Butte County: Groundwater management agencies before board

Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority digests water rights

From the Ridgecrest Independent:

“The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority’s policy advisory committee received a comprehensive legal rundown and case history on water rights Thursday night.

In a two-hour meeting, Groundwater Authority special legal counsel Jim Markman highlighted different scenarios, described the difference between overlying water rights (essentially pumping over the land one owns) and appropriators rights (those held by agencies like the IWV Water District), discussed adjudication and possible outcomes for achieving sustainability.

Markman said his task “is to pull all the interests in this basin and have everyone understand their strengths and possible weaknesses of their claims for water production rights,” not advocating for any one group’s water rights or priorities. … “

Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority digests water rights

Grower sees potential for groundwater recharge

From the Western Farm Press:

“Jim Morris had lots of reasons for embracing a University of California research project to use his alfalfa field for groundwater recharge.

His operation, the Bryan-Morris Ranch in Etna, Calif., has emphasized environmental stewardship since his wife’s family started it in the 1850s. The ranch was the site of soil conservation and other studies as long ago as the 1940s. … “

Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Grower sees potential for groundwater recharge