Tulare Lake Decision Gives Communities Hope for Groundwater Protection
For Immediate Release
April 17, 2024
Contact:
Maraid Jimenez, Community Water Center, (559) 809-7646, maraid.jimenez@communitywatercenter.org
Connor Malone, Leadership Counsel for Justice & Accountability, (760) 450-6216, cmalone@leadershipcounsel.org
Tulare Lake Decision Gives Communities Hope for Groundwater Protection
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Yesterday the State Water Board (SWB) made an important decision that sheds light on how the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) protects groundwater in California. The SWB designated the Tulare Lake Subbasin as a probationary basin. The subbasin covers the communities of Corcoran, Lemoore, Hanford, Armona, Home Garden, Stratford, and Kettleman City in Kings County. This action is the first of its kind under SGMA, which establishes groundwater agencies that are charged to develop groundwater plans that manage groundwater in a sustainable way for all Californians.
“Building a resilient San Joaquin Valley requires disrupting historical power dynamics and prioritizing community-led solutions,” says Tien Tran, Senior Policy Advocate at Community Water Center. “We appreciate the SWB leading on a decision that holds groundwater agencies accountable.
Under probation, the SWB has the authority to intervene and ensure groundwater agencies enact needed revisions. Groundwater agencies still have a year to adequately cover groundwater levels, groundwater quality, land subsidence, meaningful participation from interested parties, climate change analysis, and well mitigation programs for drinking water.
“After decades of unregulated groundwater left thousands of households without water and contaminated water, this decision was made possible by community advocacy and longtime leadership,” says Nataly Escobedo Garcia, Ph.D., Water Policy Coordinator for Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability. “This monumental decision in turn reflects the State's commitment to uphold the Human Right to Water for all Californians and protect groundwater uses today and for future generations.”
Community Water Center and Leadership Counsel will continue to ensure groundwater plans reflect community needs. The next basin being considered for probation is the Tule Subbasin (Allensworth, Alpaugh, Ducor, Earlimart, East Porterville, Pixley, Poplar, Cotton Center, Richgrove, Terra Bella, Teviston, Tipton, and Woodville) on September 17, 2024.
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Community Water Center (CWC) works to ensure that all communities have reliable access to safe, clean, and affordable water. Founded in 2006, CWC is a not-for-profit environmental justice organization, whose mission is to act as a catalyst for community-driven water solutions through education, organizing, and advocacy.
Web: www.communitywatercenter.org.
Twitter: @CWaterC
Facebook: @CommunityWaterCenter
Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability works alongside the most impacted communities to advocate for sound policy and eradicate injustice to secure equal access to opportunity regardless of wealth, race, income and place. We work with community leaders throughout the San Joaquin Valley and Eastern Coachella Valley on such issues as safe affordable drinking water, basic transit services, wastewater services, decent affordable housing, and the right to live free from industrial pollution with infrastructure that supports healthy lifestyles. Through co-powerment, organizing, litigation, policy advocacy, and research, we confront California's stark inequalities manifest in too many of California's low income communities and communities of color. Twitter: LCJandA FB: @lcjacalifornia IG: @leadership_counsel Web: leadershipcounsel.org
