Press release from the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority:
In recognition that the county’s groundwater supply continues to face severe challenges due to long-term overdraft, the Board of Supervisors will consider a Letter of Support at a special meeting on Monday, May 5 in support of local groundwater management.
Specifically, the letter will be in support of two Assembly bills that would strengthen current efforts to bring overdrafted water basins into balance, directly affecting the San Joaquin Valley Groundwater Basin (and its many sub-basins). The declining water table has resulted in numerous domestic and agricultural wells going dry, impacting communities that rely on groundwater for drinking and irrigation.
AB 1413 and AB 1466 speak to how courts should address legal challenges to groundwater sustainability agencies. These locally established agencies – overseen by board members representing elected officials from counties, cities and water districts — are responsible for implementing state-mandated plans to replenish groundwater basins. Recent success in the San Joaquin Valley basin with groundwater recharging is an example of why these plans are essential.
However, in some cases there have been litigation efforts aimed at circumventing groundwater sustainability plans. This litigation not only puts the water rights of small water users at risk, but the very future of communities. For example, in the Indian Wells Valley, groundwater is the only source of water for the city of Ridgecrest, the U.S. Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, and the farms and businesses located throughout the valley. At current pumping rates, this basin will likely run out of water within 40 years.
“The work that our local groundwater sustainability agencies are doing to ensure the sustainability of our water supplies couldn’t be more important to our residents, agriculture and economy,” said Kern County District 1 Supervisor Phillip Peters, and board member of the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority. “Despite there being a legal recourse built into law for anyone challenging elements of the groundwater sustainability plans, there are entities that are trying to circumvent with lengthy, costly litigation.
“This letter of support for these two bills is a message to the courts that Kern County is committed to
protecting water rates, our small farmers and landowners, and the ability for us to locally manage our
groundwater resources.” Sup. Peters said. “Make no mistake, the cost of this litigation falls to county
residents as part of their water rates. The bottom line is that there are some actors that would choose to
force these costs on to county residents rather than address their concerns in the legal process
established by the Department of Water Resources.”
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About the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority: The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority (IWVGA) is the groundwater sustainability agency for the critically overdrafted Indian Wells Valley groundwater basin. The basin spans portions of Kern, Inyo, and San Bernardino Counties. It is home to the City of Ridgecrest and the U.S. Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, a critical low-flight, weapons development, and testing facility. The groundwater basin serves approximately 38,000 residents.
IWVGA is a joint powers authority that includes representatives from Kern County, the City of Ridgecrest, Inyo County, San Bernardino County, and the Indian Wells Valley Water District. Two federal agencies, the United States Navy and the Bureau of Land Management, are also represented as ex-officio members of the IWVGA Board.
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