Friday, September 2, 2022

State lawmakers reject bill to curb farms’ water pumping

 California state lawmakers are pursuing a proposal to limit agricultural groundwater withdrawals as drought extends across California and wells in more than 1,000 homes have run dry.

A bill proposed by Rep. Steve Bennett, D-Santa Barbara, has created more hurdles to obtaining permits to drill agricultural wells. The bill passed the Senate on Monday, but Bennett decided not to take a final vote in the House of Representatives until the legislative session ends Wednesday night. He told California Govt. Gavin Newsom's office said the account is no longer available due to the account being changed.

In one of the driest years in recent history, California lawmakers passed no new laws to improve water supplies or prevent over-pumping, despite programs such as groundwater management and water recycling being budgeted. The bill would be the biggest change to groundwater management in California since the state's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act was passed in 2014 during the last drought, said Roger Dickinson, a former Sacramento Democrat and one of the authors.

Even after the law was passed, over 6,750 new irrigation wells were drilled in the last five years. "You can't achieve sustainability unless you're aware of continued drilling," said Dickinson, director of policy for CivicWell, a nonprofit that advocates for sustainable local policies.

If Bennett's proposal is approved, local groundwater management agencies, primarily in the Central Valley, will have to assess whether new, expanded or reactivated wells will affect local aquifers before local authorities can issue permits. Applicants must also submit surveys by an engineer or geologist demonstrating that the well does not interfere with a nearby well.

The legislation focuses on agricultural wells. Excludes wells for domestic and public water systems that pump less than two acres per year.

The bill had little public debate in the Senate until it passed on Monday. But a few months ago, Central Valley lawmakers protested, sparking heated debate in Congress.

Fresno Republican Congressman Jim Patterson said, "If we continue this tough approach, we will see a day when millions of acres of farmland will go idle and thousands of farm workers will lose their jobs." said in May. "The death of agriculture is only part of these voices."

Congressman Adam Gray, a Democrat from Merced, said the bill would "make a complete statement and reverse the process in Sacramento, regardless of local circumstances."

"Once again we're seeing legislation written and supported by people who are not from the Valley who think they know what's best for us," he said in a statement Thursday.

Business and agriculture groups, including the California Chamber of Commerce and the California Farm Bureau Federation, objected that the measure would affect landowners' rights to use groundwater and would sue the permit decision. Daniel Merkley, director of water resources at the California Farm Bureau Federation, called the legislation "premature" and "overkill."

He said it could interfere with "what we want to accomplish with groundwater in the future" and doesn't address the diversity of California's groundwater basin.

“Some (pools) are in severe overdraft and some are already managed in a sustainable way. This bill made one envelope for all”.

Bennett said farm and business groups strongly oppose the bill. However, the demise was due to an amendment brought to the Senate Appropriations Committee that weakened the provision compared to an order issued by Newsom earlier this year.

The changes removed the permit requirement to demonstrate that their wells do not increase the settlement. Glendale Democratic state Sen. Anthony Portantino's credit chairman did not respond to a request for comment.

Newsom's order, issued after a record start to the year, temporarily prohibits local governments from allowing wells that could damage nearby wells or cause subsidence that could damage structures. "If that doesn't happen and we keep it as strong as an executive order, I'm sure this bill is on the governor's desk and he will sign it," Bennett said. "But instead we have to start all over again next year."

 

Read more: https://calmatters.org/environment/2022/09/california-legislation-water-drought/

State lawmakers reject bill to curb farms’ water pumping

 California state lawmakers are pursuing a proposal to limit agricultural groundwater withdrawals as drought extends across California and w...