By Lisa McEwen, SJV Water
Farmers in southeastern Tulare County left hanging after their old groundwater agency disintegrated have new leadership but their path forward will not be easy.
“We’ve got some serious issues to deal with and our groundwater sustainability plan will be brutal,” said Mike George, chairman of the new Tule East Joint Powers Authority Groundwater Sustainability Agency.
He told SJV Water he expects the new GSA will have to fallow at least half its irrigated land.
That will be a huge economic hit to the region.
“I’m prepared for everyone to criticize me,” he said.
The new Tule East GSA was created from lands left behind as water districts fled the Eastern Tule GSA. The exodus began after the state Water Resources Control Board put the region on probation in 2024 and specifically called out Eastern Tule for continued subsidence and what it said were “alarming” groundwater accounting methods.
Eastern Tule had covered 162,000 acres, about 86,000 of which are so-called “white lands.” That means they are not within the boundaries of water districts, which are typically color coded on maps.
It also means white land farmers rely almost exclusively on groundwater. That gives GSA managers few options but to limit pumping in order to comply with the mandates of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) to stop overpumping aquifers.
As Eastern Tule fell apart, a new organization had to take on responsibility for those white lands.
George, a representative of Ducor Water District, was sworn in as chair of the new GSA Sept. 15 with about 20 landowners in attendance.
Also sworn in were Tulare County Supervisor Dennis Townsend, Hope Water District representative Matt Konda and two groundwater-dependent landowners, Bill Bennett and Jeff Giumarra.
“Some say our chances are slim, fat and none. But there is at least a sliver of hope and our board is committed to figuring this thing out,” George said.
After the others were sworn in, he quipped: “I don’t know whether I should give congratulations or condolences.”
Eastern Tule GSA will continue to exist until Tule East GSA is operational in early 2026. Growers must still abide by Eastern Tule’s policies in the interim.
Supervisor Townsend stated he would like the board to consider hiring Eastern Tule GSA general manager Rogelio Caudillo as an interim general manager.
“With the office in place, it makes sense to not reinvent the wheel,” he said.
But that’s where any similarities would stop, George said. Landowners in Eastern Tule complained regularly that leaders did not consider their opinions.
“If we’re not different then they should throw me out or I’ll quit,” George said. “We intend to have growers actually participate in the process. We’ll have to make hard decisions. We all have to engage or it ain’t gonna work.”
