By Monserrat Solis, SJV Water
Regulatory challenges and increasing water demands are shifting pressures and creating fierce resource competition in the San Joaquin Valley that will affect Kings County’s future, according to one speaker at the State of Kings County event held Thursday.
“The press for water is giving you more and more depth for individuals running out, you have people that have water supply, people that don’t, and that’s creating a dynamic that is creating some unfortunate competition,” said Steve Haugen, Kings River Watermaster and head of the Kings River Water Association, which serves portions of Fresno and Kings Counties.
Water is, and will continue to be, a driving force in Kings County’s economic well being, according to Kings County Supervisor Doug Verboon.
“Water is the number one topic,” Verboon told the crowd at the Tachi Palace Casino Resort.
“People in leadership positions need to do things for the future,” Verboon said, giving a nod to the event’s theme: Preserving the Past for the Future.
The 2024 State of Kings County event hosted government officials, business leaders, nonprofits and the general public to hear how the county is faring. While most of the event focused on county-wide issues, attendees were treated to a 10-minute water detour by Haugen.
Haugen briefly spoke about the challenges the association faces such as water demand, competitors and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
“It’s creating a big change in how we have to administer water,” Haugen said of SGMA, which aims to have local entities bring aquifers into balance by 2040.
Haugen mostly spoke about the association’s various endeavors including:
- Planning flood releases during wet or dry years.
- Preventing damage to the Pine Flat Reservoir’s dam.
- Groundwater recharge.
- Increasing surface storage by raising the dam.
- Increasing water demand.
The Pine Flat Reservoir was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is overseen by the association. The association hopes to raise the dam by 12 feet, which would increase storage capacity by 120,000 acre feet, Haugen said.
SJV Water is an independent, nonprofit news site covering water in the San Joaquin Valley, www.sjvwater.org. Email us at sjvwater@sjvwater.org
