Critical declines in several basins prompted state legislation to ensure water availability
Press release from the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority
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 Indian Wells Valley. At current pumping rates, this basin will likely run out of water within 40 years.
That may seem like an issue for future leaders. Yet the longer the problem is ignored, the more difficult it will be to solve. And this problem has been ignored for decades.
This situation is not exclusive to the Valley — aquifers around the world, in places ranging from Spain and Chile to Iran and China, are among those experiencing rapidly dropping groundwater levels. But according to recent research published in the science journal Nature, the Indian Wells Valley Basin is one of a handful of California regions experiencing some of the world’s most rapidly declining aquifers.
In a 2024 interview with CalMatters, Scott Jasechko, co-author of the study and an associate professor of hydrology, water resources and groundwater at UC Santa Barbara, said, “The rates of groundwater level decline occurring in California really are some of the highest in the world. It’s a sobering finding.”
This is not an unsubstantiated opinion. It is a fact — and a reality those of us living or working in the Valley neglect at our own peril.
The SGMA Solution
The problem in California is so severe that in 2014 the state passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) to address the issue. SGMA established locally based groundwater management authorities and tasked them to devise Groundwater Sustainability Plans to ensure the availability of water in local communities. In 2022, an extensive, 300-page plan for our basin was approved by the state Department of Water Resources for implementation.
In developing the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan, several possible solutions were examined including expanded use of recycled water, pumping optimization and limitations, basin-wide conservation efforts, and mitigation programs for shallow wells and dust control.
After thorough consideration, it was determined that the most feasible and cost-effective long-term solution is to have the ability to import new water by connecting to the California Water Project.
Moreover, partial federal funding for the construction of this Indian Wells Valley Water Replenishment Pipeline has been approved and authorized by Congress.
Forced Delay Through Lawsuit
Years after development and approval of the groundwater sustainability plan, the water district filed a lawsuit (or adjudication) to dispute the legal rights to the basin’s groundwater. In doing so, it began a legal process to use the courts to halt or delay implementation of a groundwater solution – a process that could take up to 10 costly years to reach a conclusion.
The Department of Water Resources and SGMA has in place specific procedures for updating, revising or even challenging the Plan’s recommendations, but the water district decided to file the lawsuit outside of the state guidelines to indefinitely delay any meaningful response to this critical challenge.
“It is unconscionable that our city’s own water district would delay this action when they know overdraft is a real problem and there is no viable alternative to keep water flowing for our residents,” said Scott Hayman, chair of Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority.
Any Solution Will Cost Ratepayers
Unfortunately, there are no cost-free solutions to this long-neglected problem. All parties acknowledge there are expenses associated with importing water into the basin. But delay or obfuscation through adjudication or challenging the Navy’s federal reserved water rights is not a solution but only compounds the valley’s water problems.
A viable groundwater solution has already been postponed for too long. Now is the time to secure the future of the Indian Wells Valley.
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.
