Press release from the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority
As the Indian Wells Valley groundwater basin continues to face critical water reliability challenges, the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority (IWVGA) is supporting two key pieces of legislation currently moving through the California legislature: AB 1413 (Papan) and AB 1466 (Hart). These bills aim to protect the water rights of people not just in the City of Ridgecrest and surrounding communities but throughout the entire state.
The Indian Wells Valley groundwater basin is the only current source of water for Ridgecrest, the U.S. Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, and the entire region. At current pumping rates, this basin could run out of water within 40 years, underscoring the urgent need to implement the region’s state-mandated Groundwater Sustainability Plan.
“These bills help protect our local groundwater sustainability plan, which is designed to ensure Ridgecrest has water for generations to come,” said Scott Hayman, chair of the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority. “This gives us and other groundwater authorities throughout California the certainty we need to keep moving forward to protect our drinking water supplies without consumers shouldering the high costs of legal challenges.”
Why Ridgecrest Residents Should Care
Ridgecrest’s water security depends on implementing the region’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan or GSP, which was developed with the oversight and approval of representatives from Kern County, Inyo County, San Bernardino County, Ridgecrest and the Indian Wells Valley Water District. It was approved by the California Department of Water Resources in early 2022 under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The GSP identifies how much water can be sustainably pumped and what measures are needed to keep the basin healthy.
Unfortunately, these locally generated GSPs are at risk from lawsuits and adjudications by deep-pocket large groundwater users throughout the state, and here locally, also the Indian Wells Valley Water District. AB 1413 and AB 1466 are designed to keep those efforts on track:
• AB 1413 ensures challenges to the GSP are handled through a dedicated court process, preventing duplicative or conflicting litigation that could delay sustainability measures.
• AB 1466 directs courts to use a “Substantial Evidence” standard when reviewing a GSP’s decisions.
This respects the technical and scientific work that went into the plan, rather than letting the courts second-guess it entirely. The bill also makes sure small farmers and disadvantaged communities who depend on affordable water rates can still have their say in court.
A Local Example of Statewide Importance
The regional groundwater plans are designed to address critical overdrafting, but deep-pocket litigants have found a loophole that would allow them to bypass these local plans entirely by placing the court in the position of re-evaluating complex technical decisions. This has not only created uncertainty but threatens funding for essential water infrastructure projects aimed at ensuring future water reliability.
“These bills ensure that all people including small farmers and disadvantaged communities throughout the state can still make their voices heard in court, while also making sure that the science and local decision-making at the heart of our sustainability efforts are respected,” said Hayman.
AB 1413 and AB 1466 work together to give local agencies like IWVGA the certainty needed to protect water supplies for everyone in Ridgecrest and beyond.
