Press release from the Indian Wells Groundwater Authority:
The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority supports the U.S. Navy’s request for relief regarding Phase 2 discovery deadlines to accommodate the 43-day federal government shutdown, from October 1 through November 12, 2025.
The government shutdown directly affected Department of Justice attorneys representing the Department of Navy; however, the Indian Wells Valley Water District is the only entity to file a formal opposition against the Navy’s request to extend discovery deadlines. Notably, the Navy did not seek to extend the trial date of June 1, 2026; rather, the request involves pre-trial deadlines to account for the time that the government was closed.
The relief request is related to the adjudication lawsuit filed by the Indian Wells Valley Water District against all water users in the Indian Wells Valley basin, which includes the U.S. Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.
“It’s hard to understand why a local water district would oppose the U.S. Navy’s request for a temporary stay due to the federal government’s longest shutdown,” said Scott Hayman, chair of the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority. “It’s not the kind of message you would think we should be sending to a mission-critical military base responsible for thousands of jobs for people who live on and off the base in Ridgecrest and surrounding communities.”
Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority has reached formal agreements with Searles Valley Minerals and Mojave Pistachios to drop lawsuits on one another, leaving the water district as the lone entity continuing with lawsuits.
“IWVGA has an approved Groundwater Sustainability Plan in place and we should be working together with the water district to implement long-term sustainability solutions rather than having to fight them in court,” said Hayman. “The more money we spend on legal fees, the more all of us will pay in water rates to cover the costs.”
The Authority continues to advocate for sustainable, equitable groundwater management that supports civilian and military needs now and in the future.
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.
