By Natalie Willis, Reporter, Valley Ag Voice
This week, Bakersfield will host the State Water Resources Control Board in two separate events focused on groundwater management within the Central Valley and Kern County Subbasin.
STAFF WORKSHOP
On Aug. 29, SWB staff will lead a second public workshop centered on Kern County Subbasin’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan as well as its draft staff report — a key precursor to the probationary hearing scheduled for Feb. 20, 2025.
The workshop serves as an opportunity for Kern County agricultural leaders to engage with state regulators and influence the future of groundwater management. Despite the progress demonstrated by local Kern Subbasin GSAs in the revised 2024 GSP submitted in May, the SWB’s draft staff report and workshop will focus on a review of the deficiencies present in the obsolete 2020 and 2022 GSPs.
If the Kern Subbasin is placed on probation, it will mark the official transfer of groundwater management from local control to the state. As such, landowners with wells within the Subbasin would be required to register their wells with the State Water Board and pay a minimum fee of $20 per acre-foot of groundwater pumped and a registration fee of $300 per well per year.
The workshop will offer time for public comment on the draft staff report as well as a comprehensive history of the Kern County Subbasin, including groundwater challenges, management efforts, and the role of state intervention under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. A presentation from the Kern County Subbasin GSAs is also scheduled.
The public workshop will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Hodel’s Country Dining, 5917 Knudsen Drive Bakersfield, CA 93308. No regulatory decisions will be made at the workshop.
WATER POLICY INSIGHTS
On Aug. 30, local stakeholders will have another opportunity to engage with the State Water Board at a luncheon at the Stockdale Country Club from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Sean Maguire, appointed to the board in 2018 by Governor Jerry Brown, will be hosted by The Maddy Institute to provide insights into the challenges and strategies involved in managing California’s water resources.
To attend, visit Eventbrite before ticket sales close on Wednesday, Aug. 28.