‘Lost communities’: thousands of wells in rural California may run dry
by Susie Cagle When Carolina Garcia’s well began pumping sand and air instead of water in 2016, she didn’t know where to turn. The Garcias had been living in Tombstone Territory, a quiet four-street community in California’s San Joaquin Valley, for 10 years. In the middle of the state’s historic drought, many of the farms surrounding […]
Gaines Report | So Many Laws Proposed – Guns and Sacramento
The 2020 Session of the California State Legislature – the second year of the two-year 2019/2020 Legislative Session – is nearing the end of its second month and activity at our State Capitol is hectic. With the fate of “two-year” bills lingering from the 2019 Session being determined, and the dust from last Friday’s deadline […]
Homelessness Key Issue at 2020’s First Budget Hearing in California
BY CHRIS KARR The pressing issue of homelessness took center stage at the California State Assembly’s first budget hearing on Jan. 22. Governor Gavin Newsom announced his 2020–21 budget Jan. 10, and will be finalized this summer after a series of hearings examining its proposals. According to Budget Vice Chair Jay Obernolte (R-Big Bear Lake) and legislative analyst […]
California: Water Conservation Legacy of Governor Jerry Brown
By Sheryl Hamlin Not only did Governor Brown sign the landmark Strategic Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014 for the management and sustainability of local groundwater, but in 2018 he signed a pair of laws for the preservation of locally delivered water supplies. From the State website: AB 1668 and SB 606 build on Governor […]
California: Water Resilience Portfolio Released for Public Review
by Sheryl Hamlin Responding to an Executive Order issued in April 2019 by Governor Newsom, a team of State agencies has released a comprehensive inventory of California’s water resources which includes “more than 100 integrated actionable recommendations in four broad areas to help regions build water resilience as resources become available, while at the same […]
The New Era of Sustainability Groundwater Management Act Begins with Problems on the Horizon
By Darin DuPont As the year comes to an end, the beginning of 2020 will bring a multitude of issues and policies to the next legislative session. Groundwater will be one of those issues, as the Sustainability Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) has a deadline of January 31, 2020 for Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP) […]
California Water Resilience Portfolio and Channel Islands
By Sheryl Hamlin An Executive Order (EO) signed in April 2019 by Governor Newsom directed State agencies to recommend a suite of priorities and actions to build a climate-resilient water system and ensure healthy waterways. The official website is: http://waterresilience.ca.gov On September 12, 2019, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LARWQCB) spent three […]
Spotlight | CEO Mike Powers State of the County 2018
By Sheryl Hamlin A sellout crowd exceeding 160 attended CEO Mike Powers “State of the County 2018”. Ron Golden, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ventura County Taxpayers Association and VP/Ventura County Manager of Fidelity National Title, welcomed the audience and thanked the sponsors. The sponsors this year included three Chamber […]
Joint Meeting of Upper and Lower Santa Clara River Watershed Groups
By Sheryl Hamlin About 30 stakeholders of the Upper and Lower Santa Clara River Watershed met on November 1st, 2017 at the Fillmore City Hall to share information on water projects, discuss potential collaboration and learn about funding opportunities. Announcements: Important Forum in Oxnard Lynn Rodriguez, who manages the Watersheds Coalition of Ventura County, reminded […]
Countdown to Sustainability: Forum on Ventura County’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act implementation
Three years ago, California embarked on a new era in water-resource management by enacting the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Since then, agencies and stakeholders throughout groundwater- dependent Ventura County have been pressing forward to comply with SGMA’s requirements. At this forum, you’ll learn about the progress made, and the challenges and opportunities that remain. Topics […]
