Western Growers staff testified in support of AB 2528 (Arambula) this week when it was heard in the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee. AB 2528 provides a streamlined Williamson Act cancellation option to facilitate faster siting of energy infrastructure on former agricultural parcels and provide relief to landowners and local communities. Simplifying Williamson Act cancellations on…
Water Board staff have stated that compliance levels for required annual surface water diversion and use reports are low for reporting period October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023. Reminder notices will be coming soon followed by Notices of Violation for noncompliance. This data is critical for protecting senior water rights holders and ensuring compliance with permit terms and…
On Wednesday, August 31, WG-opposed AB 2201 died on the Assembly floor during the final hours of California’s legislative season. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Steve Bennett (D-Ventura), would have created an unworkable process for farmers to replace or drill a new well. A broad coalition of business and agricultural organizations argued that AB 2201 ...
On Wednesday, August 31, WG-opposed AB 2201 died on the Assembly floor during the final hours of California’s legislative season. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Steve Bennett (D-Ventura), would have created an unworkable process for farmers to replace or drill a new well. A broad coalition of business and agricultural organizations argued that AB 2201 ...
On a 76-0 vote, the California Assembly passed a bill (AB 1390 – Alejo/Gomez ) that makes improvements to the process governing judicial proceedings related to groundwater adjudications. The changes reduce the burden of groundwater adjudications on both the courts and claimants without altering the law of groundwater rights and without disrupting the Sustainable Groundwater ...
Western Growers successfully led a coalition of agricultural organizations in stopping the administration’s proposal to increase water rights fees by $4.1 million to pay for the completion of the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. This proposal would have resulted in a significant increase in water rights fees especially for growers in the Imperial Valley and ...
Despite significant opposition to the Sacramento River Temperature Management Plan, on July 7, the executive director of the State Water Resources Control Board approved the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s temperature management plan for the Sacramento River. The plan restricts summer water releases from Shasta Dam to preserve cold water for winter-run Chinook salmon and increases ...
In the final hours to sign or veto bills sent to him by the California Legislature, Governor Brown vetoed AB 313 by Assemblymember Adam Gray, a Western Growers-supported bill that would have inserted much-needed balance into the state’s water rights enforcement activities. The current system gives the State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) authority ...
After a marathon hearing, the State Water Resources Control Board adopted an order revising agricultural requirements for the East San Joaquin River watershed on February 7. This order adds additional reporting requirements, many of which set precedents for other irrigated lands programs throughout the state. The order affects growers who are members of the East San ...
In February 2018, the State Water Board revised the Waste Discharge Requirements (Order) for the Eastern San Joaquin River Watershed. The revised Order includes a new drinking water well monitoring requirement. Beginning on January 1, 2019, East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition (ESJWQC) members must monitor drinking water wells on their enrolled parcels for nitrates. ...
Brownstein’s California Water Group has released their California Water Rights: Compliance Checklist for 2019, which provides a summary of state water rights reporting requirements and applicable deadlines for water users in California. Water users should be mindful of the possible changes to the State Board’s administration of water rights in the next year. To mitigate ...
Last Thursday, the Department of Water Resources hosted their public Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) Forum for GSA members and stakeholders. The Forum included panel discussions with representatives from various GSAs in California discussing how their respective GSA has approached communication, coordination, engagement and outreach. The video recording of the Forum is now available on…
On April 2, 2019, the California State Water Resources Control Board adopted the “State Wetland Definition and Procedures for Discharges for Dredged or Fill Material to Waters of the State.” The rule clarifies what is considered a wetland for the entire state and establishes permitting procedures for discharged materials from or to areas considered a ...
The California State Board of Food and Agriculture announced this week that they will host a public listening session on California’s Water Future on July 2, 2019, in San Luis Obispo. The session is for state agencies to gather input from Californians on creating a roadmap for meeting future water needs and ensuring environmental and ...
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) recently announced the opening of the Sustainable Groundwater Management (SGM) Grant Program’s Proposition 68 Planning—Round 3 grant solicitation. This grant program offers $47.75 million in competitive grants, primarily funded by Proposition 68, which makes $46.25 million available for Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSA) or GSA…
Just hours after California lawmakers passed SB 1 last week, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he plans to veto SB 1 – a bill that would set state environmental rules and regulations in stone as they existed at the end of the Obama administration, ignoring new science and facts. “We applaud Governor Newsom for pumping ...
Yesterday, the California State Water Resources Control Board adopted a resolution approving the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board’s amendments to the Sacramento and San Joaquin Basin Plan and the Tulare Lake Basin Plan to incorporate a Central Valley-wide Salt and Nitrate Control Program. With the approval, Central Valley farmers are now required to ...
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is soliciting comments on Groundwater Sustainability Plans. All plans are available for viewing on the DWR SGMA Portal and open to public comment until April 15, 2020. Information on how to comment on a plan is available here. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires local water users ...
Today, the Bureau of Reclamation announced the initial 2020 water supply allocation for California’s Central Valley Project contractors. Allotment amounts are based on an estimate of water available for delivery for Central Valley Project water users and reflect current reservoir storages, precipitation, and snowpack in the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada. “Today’s allocation comes on…
The California Assembly is currently considering SB 54 (Allen – Redondo Beach), the California Circular Economy and Pollution Reduction Act, which would ban most single-use packaging and products that are not recycled (not just recyclable) by 2030. SB 54 aims to achieve a 75% reduction in the waste generated from single-use packaging and products, which ...