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North Fork Kings GSA Updates

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 PM – 6700 W Mount Whitney Ave, Riverdale, CA 93656

RSVP Here

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.

Well Registration Deadline Set by Board: Register Your Wells with North Fork Kings GSA’s Well Registration Program Before October 1 to Avoid Fees

In January 2024, the North Fork Kings GSA fully launched a Well Registration Program for well owners using the online tool Watermark. Starting July 1, 2024, well registration will be required for all domestic and agricultural wells within the North Fork Kings GSA boundary. Registering a well(s) will be free until September 30. After October 1, an initial registration fee of $100 per well will be charged. The board will consider an escalating fee scale in 2025.

Landowners who register their wells before the deadline will be first in line for future grant opportunities to fund the installation of meters. North Fork Kings GSA is pursuing grants to offer to those who want to install meters to track their groundwater under a future allocation program.

Registration is also a prerequisite to receive any financial assistance for domestic drinking water wells impacted by groundwater level declines under the new Domestic Well Mitigation program, set to launch October 1.

Landowners have been encouraged to take prompt action and participate in well registration to keep local control of groundwater management. Up until July, the program has been voluntary for landowners, starting with an early launch in November 2023, followed by a complete launch to all landowners in January.

Throughout the launching process, the North Fork Kings GSA has provided direct support to landowners at customer support workshops held in February and March and through one-on-one virtual appointments in an effort to help landowners activate their Watermark accounts and register their wells. The agency will continue to provide this support to its landowners through its Watermark support team. 

As of June 2024, 493 wells have been registered, and over 50% of North Fork Kings GSA’s total acreage has been enrolled in the Well Registration Program on Watermark. The Board of Directors determined at the June 26th Board Meeting that well registration must be mandatory to ensure enough participation to complete required groundwater studies.  

The Well Registration Program is closely linked to a state-mandated groundwater study focused on the confined aquifer. This study will allow North Fork Kings GSA to better understand land subsidence and groundwater flows.  The groundwater study must be completed by the fall of this year ahead of the 2025 Groundwater Sustainability Plan update and submittal to the State.

The North Fork Kings GSA strongly encourages well owners to register both agricultural and domestic (private drinking water) wells to avoid fees in October.

To register your wells today and find more information, visit northforkkings.org/watermark. For further assistance, landowners can contact the GSA at (559) 632-7032 or contact the Watermark support team by email at help@northforkkings.org or submit a Freshdesk support ticket within Watermark.

North Fork Kings GSA Proposition 218 Election Passes – Next Steps for the GSA and Landowners

Following the June 26 North Fork Kings GSA board meeting and public hearing, the successful Proposition 218 election results were announced, with 87% of votes in support. Votes in the election were weighted by acreage, and 514 ballots were received. The Board of Directors set the assessment rate at $6.00 per acre for fiscal year 2024-2025.

The agency plans to escalate the rate each fiscal year until it reaches the approved maximum of $18 per acre in 2027, as detailed in the now-approved Prop 218 budget. Beginning this fall 2024, landowners will see the assessment as part of their county property taxes and will be payable in December 2024 and April 2025.

“We appreciate our landowners’ support on the Prop 218 and their trust in our GSA to continue managing our groundwater with local leadership,” said North Fork Kings GSA General Manager Justin Mendes. “This funding is a crucial part of maintaining our approval from the State and will enable us to continue striving for sustainability under local management.”

The assessment will help implement GSP activities and programs that are essential in keeping the North Fork Kings GSA’s good standing with the State. SGMA is an unfunded mandate, leaving it up to the local GSA to generate funding to meet its requirements.

Where will assessments be invested?

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

Most immediately, the funding will help the GSA fund the required work to update its Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for resubmittal in January 2025. The North Fork Kings GSA received conditional approval on its GSP from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) in 2023. The approval was conditional on the grounds that the GSA fix twelve corrective actions provided by DWR.

The North Fork Kings GSA, along with the six other Kings Subbasin GSAs, are working to address the corrective actions to keep State approval and avoid the risk of the probationary process. Passing the Prop 218 election was a critical step to achieve that goal.

The North Fork Kings GSA has been funded through land-based assessments since 2018. That year, the GSA passed a Prop 218 election with 94% of votes in support of the assessment. The previous election authorized the agency to assess up to a maximum of $10 per acre per year but had a five-year sunset concluding with fiscal year 2022-2023. Reserves were used to fund GSA activities in fiscal year 2023-2024. The North Fork Kings GSA is committed to the same financial stewardship it used for the duration of the previous Prop 218 assessment, and will set the rate annually to meet anticipated expenses while keeping assessments as low as possible for landowners.

With continued collaboration with landowners, the North Fork Kings GSA looks forward to operating as a local, stakeholder-driven agency. To learn more about the Prop 218 and for future updates, visit www.northforkkings.org/218election.

Read our Prop 218 Educational Handout and FAQs here.

Learn more about the Prop 218

Update for Kings County Landowners: Groundwater Management Status in the North Fork Kings GSA

KINGS COUNTY LANDOWNERS, you may have seen information published in the news or heard from your neighbors about the State Water Resources Control Board’s (State Board) decision on April 16th to put the Tulare Lake Subbasin on probation, meaning the State Board has intervened to manage groundwater. The North Fork Kings GSA is located in the Kings Subbasin, and currently has an approved Groundwater Sustainability Plan and IS NOT going through the probationary hearing process with the State Board. Groundwater will continue to be managed locally for parcels within the North Fork Kings GSA. If you have questions or concerns, contact the North Fork Kings GSA at our new number (559) 632-7032.

Well Registration Program Update

  • 362 agricultural and domestic wells registered
  • 50% of North Fork Kings GSA total acreage has been enrolled in the well registration program on Watermark
  • 728 parcels have been claimed to Watermark user accounts

Thank you to those who have participated in the new well registration program over the last several months. Well registration is taking place on Watermark, a new online SGMA tool for landowners.

Register your well(s) today! For step-by-step instructions on how to register, visit northforkkings.org/watermark

For more information about well registration, visit northforkkings.org/watermark. If you have any questions, contact the GSA at (559) 632-7032 or help@northforkkings.org.

General Manager’s Note from the Spring Newsletter

Justin Mendes, General Manager

We have finished the first quarter of 2024 and I wanted to provide the latest updates to North Fork Kings GSA landowners. Our top priority is maintaining our approved status with the State, the CA Department of Water Resources (DWR), which we will achieve by addressing the corrective actions they submitted with our Groundwater Sustainability Plan approval letter. Those actions focus on 3 important items:

  1. Domestic Well Mitigation,
  2. Confined Aquifer Study, and
  3. Interconnected Surface Waters.

These items need to be addressed by January 31, 2025, and are crucial to maintaining local control over SGMA regulations. Some neighboring GSAs will be before the State Water Resources Control Board in April for failing to meet DWR’s requirements. While we sympathize with our neighbors, it is not a process we want to endure.

The studies and implementation of the 3 items is going to come at a cost. The Domestic Well Mitigation program itself needs a
dedicated funding stream through at least 2040. The Board of Directors is fully committed to utilizing reserves to keep landowner assessments low, but we will need additional funding to carry out the program to 2040. At the March Board meeting the board voted to conduct a Prop 218 election that will conclude with a Public Hearing at the June 26 Board meeting.

The GSA plans to hold multiple workshops to go over the Prop 218 proposal and the 5-year budget of the GSA. There is no silver bullet solution to groundwater sustainability. The GSA is studying as much as we can to provide quality analysis at an effective cost. I invite you to stay engaged and learn more by signing up for our email list (you can do so at northforkkings.org), attending an upcoming workshop, or giving us a call. Please reach out if you have questions or would like to discuss the election and our priorities as a GSA at (559) 632-7032.

Board moves forward on Proposition 218 election and invites landowners to participate and stay engaged

The North Fork Kings GSA Board of Directors approved the Engineer’s Report at their March 27 meeting, a required initial step of conducting a Proposition 218 (Prop 218) election.

Through this Prop 218 election, landowners are being asked to approve a land-based assessment rate with an $18/acre per year maximum. The Board of Directors will set the rate annually and is planning on drawing some money from reserves to gradually increase the assessment over the next five years. In its proposed budget, the Board plans to start with a rate of $6 per acre in fiscal year 2024-25, escalating each year until it reaches the $18 per acre maximum.

The table below shows the proposed budget and schedule for assessment rates over the next five years and the funding categories.

Funding local groundwater efforts

In 2023, North Fork Kings GSA received approval on its Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), marking a significant milestone for the agency and its landowners by allowing the North Fork Kings GSA to locally carry out sustainability efforts.

This approval gives the North Fork Kings GSA the benefit of implementing its GSP at a pace that allows for landowner and stakeholder input and awareness on future projects and programs. Without pressure of immediate State intervention, the North Fork Kings GSA can develop required management actions, like groundwater allocations, with a measured and methodical multi-year approach.

Although approval of the GSP was received, additional funding is necessary to implement GSP activities and programs essential to keep the North Fork Kings GSA’s good standing with the State. Along with GSP approval, DWR included 12 corrective actions the GSA must address in its 2025 GSP update. SGMA is an unfunded mandate, leaving it up to the local GSA to generate funding to meet its requirements. To adequately address these actions and maintain its approved status, the North Fork Kings GSA needs the funding proposed through this Prop 218 election.

Previous funding efforts

In 2018, the North Fork Kings GSA passed a Prop 218 election with 94% of votes in support of the assessment. The previous election authorized the agency to assess up to a maximum of $10 per acre per year but had a five-year sunset concluding with fiscal year 2022-2023. Reserves were used to fund GSA activities in fiscal year 2023-2024. Due to this sunset of the previous authorization, additional landowner authorization is needed to fund the North Fork Kings GSA’s activities moving forward.

The North Fork Kings GSA has been careful to steward landowner dollars collected from the prior Prop 218 authorization, using funding to initiate the implementation of state sustainability requirements and develop a successful GSP. Additionally, the agency did not collect any assessments in 2023 because it had enough in its reserves for GSA administration, continue GSP implementation activities, and begin work on addressing the corrective actions identified by DWR.

More information coming soon

More information on Prop 218 will be made available soon. Landowners should be on the lookout for the Prop 218 ballot and notice in their mailboxes in early May. Ballots must be submitted by the Public Hearing on June 26.

For more information, visit www.northforkkings.org/218election where you can access the Engineers Report and proposed budget for the Prop 218 election. Additional resources and information will become available on the Prop 218 webpage in the coming weeks. We invite you to stay engaged by signing up for our email list if you have not already (you can do so at northforkkings.org), attending an upcoming workshop, or contacting us with questions at 559-632-7032.

Please also share the news with your neighbor, and invite them to stay engaged.

Join us at an upcoming workshop

Attend an upcoming Prop 218 educational workshop at the Riverdale Memorial Hall, located at 3085 W. Mt. Whitney Ave, Riverdale, CA 93656, to learn more about the Prop 218 election:

Workshop #1: Tuesday, May 21, 5:30 – 7:00 PM (Interpretación disponible en español)

Workshop #2: Wednesday, June 5, 8:00 – 9:30 AM

RSVP for a Prop 218 Workshop
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