By Monserrat Solis
Incompatible pumping allocations being considered by two groundwater agencies in north Kings County have prompted a blizzard of responses, and even some accusations, from farmers and multiple entities.
The South Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) and Mid-Kings River GSA each had draft pumping allocation policies out for public comment. The GSA boards will likely discuss the policies further at their Dec. 16 and 18 meetings.
The allocation amounts differ significantly, with Mid-Kings proposing to allow its farmers to pump a base amount of 1.43 acre feet per acre of land, which is more than double South Fork’s proposed base allocation of .66 of an acre foot per acre of land.
That discrepancy initiated opposition from South Fork farmers, including Doug Freitas who said the lopsided allocation would essentially give Mid-Kings farmers the benefit of South Kings’ groundwater.
Most of the 150 comments received by both GSAs so far are from farmers concerned about fallowing, recharge efforts, surface water and state mandates.
But a host of other entities also weighed in.
One is Sandridge Partners LLC, controlled by John Vidovich. Sandridge is one of Kings County’s largest farming entities. It owns about 15,000 acres in South Fork GSA, though the company also has crops in Southwest Kings GSA.
The Sandridge letter takes issue with another part of South Fork’s policy, which only allows pumped groundwater to be moved within one mile of South Fork’s borders.
“Sandridge has the largest amount of land and well waters in the South Fork GSA,” the Sandridge letter states. “These lands were purchased so that Sandridge could legally pump water to its crops in the adjoining Basin South West.”
Sandridge threatens to sue South Fork over that part of the policy. The letter also accuses South Fork of “negotiating” with the El Rico GSA on the methodology used to set the pumping allocations. El Rico is controlled by the Boswell Farming Company, which has been in several legal battles with Vidovich over water.
“We find it gross and illegal to maximize pumping for Boswell/El Rico when this pumping has been creating the sinking.” The letter refers to subsidence around the Corcoran area, where Boswell owns most of its land.
Meanwhile, comment letters from the El Rico GSA take exception to the base pumping allocation of 1.43 acre feet being considered by Mid-Kings GSA as well as what’s known as “transitional” pumping above South Fork GSA’s .66 acre foot. South Fork’s transitional amount is double or triple the base amount and decreases to 0 over time.
“The main concern is that the draft allocations are not limitations at all, especially since SGMA was enacted more than 10 years ago,” El Rico GSA states in its letter. It referred to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Plan, which requires local agencies to bring over pumped aquifers into balance by 2040.
The massive Westlands Water District, through its Westside GSA, also had issues with South Fork’s transitional pumping amounts saying it will contribute to subsidence on its southeastern flank.
“Excessive pumping in the SFKGSA as allowed under the draft groundwater allocation policy would adversely affect Westlands’ ability to implement its (groundwater sustainability plan) and achieve its sustainability goal for the Westside Subbasin,” the Westlands’ letter states.
A map showing subsidence between January 2020 and January 2025 “within SFKGSA exceeds at least two feet and likely contributes to subsidence along Westsides’ boundary with SFKGSA,” the letter states.
Comments from groundwater agencies in the Kaweah subbasin just east of Mid-Kings and South Fork urged regional communication.
“Establishing consistent communication pathways would ensure that emerging undesirable results are recognized and addressed jointly,” the Kaweah subbasin letter states.
Issues of coordination and outreach were a reminder that the Tulare Lake subbasin, which covers most of Kings County, is still in the state’s cross hairs for possible intervention and coordination is an absolute must under SGMA.
The state Water Resources Control Board placed the Tulare Lake subbasin on probation in 2024. Under probation, farmers would be required to meter and register wells at $300 each, report extractions and pay the state $20 per acre foot pumped.
For more than a year, those sanctions were paused due to a preliminary injunction that was overturned by the Fifth District Court of Appeal earlier this fall.
The Water Board has since announced that Kings County farmers would be required to report how much they pumped from July 2024 through September 2025 by May 1, 2025.
