BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Kern River Groundwater Sustainability Agency (KRGSA) adopted their final Kern County Subbasin groundwater sustainability plan Thursday, marking a significant step toward addressing state requirements for water management.
This plan represents years of collaborative work between the KRGSA and 19 other agencies in the Kern Subbasin. It aims to satisfy corrective actions mandated by the State Water Resources Control Board under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
The law requires agencies to develop plans addressing groundwater overdraft and ensuring long-term sustainability of the state's water resources, with goals of preventing water shortages and land subsidence.
"We've evolved this plan several times. We think it's a very robust plan that addresses all of the issues required by SGMA and now this additional review, both by the Department of Water Resources and now the State Water Resources Control Board, so it's our expectation that, you know, they will recommend that we go back to the DWR, the Department of Water Resources, purview," said Steven Teglia.
Teglia, General Manager of the Kern Delta Water District, expressed cautious optimism that the plan adequately addresses issues with the subbasin's groundwater monitoring network, water levels, and water quality.
Bob Smith, Vice-chair of the KRGSA board and Bakersfield City Council member, shared similar confidence about the upcoming meeting with the control board in September.
"It's amazing that all the agencies that have had to come together have come together and created one plan, and we want to be sustainable with our groundwater, and we think we have a plan that works, and so we're going to move forward with the state," Smith said.
While this adoption represents progress, the KRGSA and partner agencies still face a critical meeting with the State Water Resources Control Board about the final draft on September 17.
As your neighborhood reporter deeply connected to water issues affecting our community, I've been following this development closely. More information about the latest groundwater sustainability plan can be found at kerngsp.com.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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