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Author: Justin Mendes

Groundwater Sustainability Plan Available for Public Review

The North Fork Kings GSA has updated its Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) to address the corrective actions outlined by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The GSA’s primary goal is to maintain state approval of the GSP, ensuring continued local control of groundwater management through a stakeholder-driven process.

The public review draft of the updated GSP is now available for public review and comment as of October 11. The public comment period will conclude on November 20, 2024.

Stakeholders can submit their comments via mail to P.O. Box 158, Riverdale, CA 93656, or through our online form at https://northforkkings.org/gsp/

In 2023, the North Fork Kings GSA received approval from DWR on its GSP, conditional on fixing 12 corrective actions. Since then, it has focused on addressing the 12 required corrective actions outlined by DWR. The GSA has consolidated these actions into three key priorities: implementing a Domestic Well Mitigation Program, conducting a Confined Aquifer Study, and completing an Interconnected Surface Water Study.

Thanks to our landowners and growers who have successfully registered their wells, the North Fork Kings GSA is well positioned with the data to conduct the Confined Aquifer Study and Interconnected Surface Water Study. These studies are vital to improving groundwater management and meeting state requirements.

The North Fork Kings GSA has also adopted rules and regulations for a Domestic Well Mitigation Program and will launch this effort mid-October as the “Dry Well Relief Program” to support households with wells impacted by groundwater decline.


Proposition 218 Passed – What’s Next for the GSA and Landowners

The Proposition 218 results were announced at the June 26th board meeting and public hearing, with 87% of votes received in favor of the assessment. The Board of Directors set a $6 per acre assessment rate for fiscal year 2024-2025.

The Board will set the rate annually, and plans to draw money from reserves to gradually increase the rate until it reaches the approved maximum of $18 per acre in 2027, as detailed in the approved Prop 218 budget. Landowners can expect to see the assessment as part of their county property taxes this fall. The assessment will be payable in December 2024 and April 2025.

The assessment will fund the implementation of the agency’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP), which is essential for keeping the North Fork Kings GSA’s good standing with the State and maintaining local control over groundwater management.

Prop 218 assessments will fund:

  1. Administrative costs: maintain administrative functions, covering expenses related to General Manager duties and future agency staff
  2. Professional services: includes consultants and attorneys that provide a range of services needed for the agency’s operations in support of GSA activities
  3. GSP implementation: expenses for implementing our GSP to meet State sustainability requirements

To learn more about the Prop 218 election and access resources including the approved budget, visit northforkkings.org/218election.

North Fork Kings GSA Will Conduct Groundwater Allocations Pilot on Watermark

The North Fork Kings GSA will conduct a pilot this fall to study groundwater pumping allocations. The pilot will serve as a guide for the future implementation of groundwater allocations in the GSA, and will help the agency work through process and methodology with the input of its landowners. The pilot is a collaborative process between one of the surface water units and its landowners within the North Fork Kings GSA.

Landowners in the pilot will be able to use Watermark to manage their groundwater allocations. On Watermark, these landowners will access and simulate water accounting capabilities, and view information about their water use in relation to their groundwater allocation and surface water supplies, including how much groundwater has been used and how much is available.

An allocation will limit the amount of groundwater that can be pumped per acre over a period of time. Because increasing surface water supply and recharge alone is not enough to fully balance groundwater pumping demands, having allocations in place is an important tool in the GSA’s toolbox to balance groundwater levels and reach sustainability under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).

The GSA is committed to providing landowners with transparent communication and will keep landowners engaged throughout the pilot. After the pilot, the agency will determine a path forward for widescale implementation of groundwater allocations using the Watermark tool.

The Board of Directors recognizes that an allocation will affect landowners’ groundwater use. A stakeholder-driven process will continue to be in place for the development of the Groundwater Allocation Program to give landowners the opportunity to participate in designing an allocation that offers the maximum flexibility possible while meeting sustainability requirements.

To stay updated on the Groundwater Allocation Program, get engaged with us by attending the Board and Committee meetings, and sign up for the email list at northforkkings.org.

Join us at a Well Registration Event

Attend an upcoming well registration event:

August 21, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM – Riverdale Memorial Hall, 3085 W Mount Whitney Ave, Riverdale, CA 93656

September 19, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Laguna Irrigation District, 5056 19 1/2 Ave, Riverdale, CA 93656

Drop-in before our upcoming board meetings:

August 28, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM – Riverdale Education Center, 3160 W Mount Whitney Ave, Riverdale, CA 93656

September 25, 4:30 – 5:30 PM – Riverdale Education Center, 3160 W Mount Whitney Ave, Riverdale, CA 93656

Join us at the Riverdale Swap Meet:

August 17, 3:00 PM6700 W Mount Whitney Ave, Riverdale, CA 93656

Well Registration Now Required in North Fork Kings GSA

As of July 1, 2024, well registration is required for all wells in the North Fork Kings GSA boundary – including domestic and agricultural wells. Inactive wells should still be registered. Registering wells is free until September 30, 2024. The Well Registration Program launched in January 2024 as a voluntary effort for landowners to get a head start registering their wells. Starting October 1, an initial registration fee of $100 per well will be charged.

Landowners are encouraged to register their wells before the September 30 deadline. Registering wells is the first step to ensure eligibility for future opportunities like grant-funded well meter installation and financial assistance for owners of domestic (drinking water) wells impacted by declining groundwater levels.

To register wells, landowners can use the new online tool, Watermark. Landowners who have not registered their wells should have received another mail package in early August. This package includes instructions on how to claim parcels using a unique verification code(s) and register wells using Watermark.

There will be several opportunities to receive in-person support throughout August and September, or you can request a virtual appointment with the North Fork Kings GSA Watermark support team. To schedule an appointment, landowners can call the GSA at (559) 632-7032, email help@northforkkings.org, or complete a digital request form available at northforkkings.org/watermark. Additional resources and more information about well registration are available at the same web address.

The Well Registration Program is one major component of addressing corrective actions the CA Department of Water Resources (DWR) included with our Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) approval. An approved GSP is needed for local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies like ours to keep local control over groundwater management.

Visit northforkkings.org/watermark to register your wells, RSVP for an event, schedule an appointment for one-on-one assistance, or learn more about well registration.

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