By Monserrat Solis, SJV Water
A proposal for the state Water Resources Control Board to exclude “small pumpers” in both the Tule and Tulare Lake subbasins from the groundwater reporting and fee requirements required under probation, elicited strong reactions from some Kings County farmers.
“It’s just a divide and conquer BS strategy, that’s all they’re trying to get at,” said Frank Coelho Jr., at the March 5 South Fork Kings GSA’s grower advisory group meeting. He recommended the GSA send a letter to the Water Board opposing the exclusion.
South Fork General Manager Johnny Gailey speculated that the state is considering letting small fry pumpers off the hook because it doesn’t have an efficient way to corral that many people.
“I think they know how much of a challenge it’s going to be to chase everyone down,” Gailey said.
Both subbasins, which cover most of Kings County and the southern half of Tulare County’s flatlands, are on probation for lacking groundwater plans that would stem damaging subsidence, among other deficiencies. Probation requires farmers to meter and register wells at $300 each, report extractions and pay the state $20 per acre foot pumped.
The proposed exclusion would apply to those who pump less than 20 acre feet per year. The proposal states those pumping under 20 acre feet a year only make up 1% of water use in each region.
The proposal estimates 44% of groundwater pumpers in the Tulare Lake subbasin and 49% of pumpers in the Tule subbasin would fall under the exclusion.
Excluding that many small pumpers would unfairly saddle others with probation costs, board members said at the March 10 El Rico GSA meeting.
“If we’re all in this together and these fees cover the cost of building this database, then why aren’t the small users doing it? They’re one line item just like we’re one line item,” El Rico chair Jeof Wyrick said.
Like Gailey, El Rico board member Dominic Sween felt the state may be trying to clear work off its plate.
“It would seem based on their little deal here that they’re trying to wipe out half of the people that they have to deal with because it’s like 1% or less of the whole volume,” Sween said.
The El Rico board voted to send a letter to the Water Board suggesting the exclusion only apply to those pumping less than two acre feet per year, not 20.
