California drought: Lawmakers consider historic rules to limit groundwater pumping In what would be the most significant water law passed in California in nearly 50 years, lawmakers in Sacramento are working with Gov. Jerry Brown on a landmark measure to regulate groundwater pumping for the first time. With an Aug. 31 deadline until the end of the session and billions of dollars at stake, negotiations among farmers, environmentalists, cities and elected officials are reaching a crescendo. Although landowners who want to divert water from reservoirs and rivers have been required to get a permit from the state since 1914, farmers and cities who tap underground aquifers — California’s largest water source — can pump as much as they want, when they want and with almost no oversight or limits. As a result, decades of intense pumping have dropped water tables dangerously low in places such as the San Joaquin Valley and Paso Robles. Scientific studies show the ground is sinking in many hard-hit areas and that aquifers are at risk of running dry. “It’s like a shared bank account. But nobody ever has to balance the checkbook,” said Lester Snow, former director of the state Department of Water Resources. “We have based a large part of our economy on deficit [...] newsinca/california-drought-lawmakers-consider-historic-rules-to-limit-groundwater-pumping/
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 20:10:44 +0000
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