The California State Water Resources Control Board voted Dec. 2 to return oversight of the Kaweah Groundwater Subbasin to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) after progress under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
The decision removes the Kaweah subbasin from SGMA probation, eliminating potential state fees and additional reporting requirements for groundwater pumpers. Like the Kern County and Chowchilla subbasins, the Kaweah subbasin will now implement its groundwater plan under DWR oversight while demonstrating progress toward sustainability.
Since the referral, the Kaweah agency has addressed declining groundwater levels, impacts on domestic wells, land subsidence, groundwater quality concerns and surface water connections.
