Documenter: David Reyna

Here’s what you should know

• The Executive Committee (EC) discussed its Report on the ETGSA Emergency Ordinance No. 2021-01, which addresses drought concerns and impact on the California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The drought will not affect the policies of the SGMA already approved by the ETGSA.

• The Executive Committee discussed the ETGSA Board’s (template) Report on Split Legal Parcel opt-in agreement. This refers to the number of parcels that are split by the East Tule basin (and subbasin) jurisdiction granted to the ETGSA. The Board’s template stated parcel owners should be able to opt-in per water year, or be given a one-time opt-in option.

• The Executive Committee (EC) could not vote on action items because they did not have enough members to form a quorum.

Purpose of Agency

Since late 2014, the public agencies in the Tule Sub-basin have been meeting to discuss the implementation of the California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The act went into effect in 2015 and provides a legal framework to reasonably regulate production of groundwater in California for the first time in State history (surface water has been regulated since 1914). SGMA generally gives local agencies the authority necessary to physically manage groundwater in designated basins or subbasins, and prevent unreasonable physical harm to the basin or the water resource. Additional Information on the meeting

Roll Call: Executive Committee members present via Zoom:

Eric Borba, Chairman, Porterville Irrigation District 

Steve Etchegaray, White Area

John Michael Domondon, Vandalia Water District

Mike Knight, City of Porterville 

Rogelio Caudillo, General Manager 

Not present:

Steve Dalke, Kern-Tulare Water District

Sean Geivet, Porterville, Terra Bella, and Saucelito Irrigation Districts

Nick Keller

Lin Fowler

Eric Limas, Tea Pot Dome Water District

Denise England, Tulare County

The Scene

This meeting was held virtually via Zoom with 15 logged-in attendees (the Executive Committee was all under one account).

Public Comment

There was no public comment.

Announcements

• No new announcements

Action Items

The Executive Committee did not have a quorum so were not allowed to vote on Action Item(s):

Approval of the May 20, 2021 Executive Committee Meeting Minutes 

Policy Issues

a. Report on ETGSA Emergency Ordinance No. 2021-01: This ordinance was passed by the Board in its last meeting. It addresses concerns for the drought by reducing 10% the allotted ground water consumption for water year 2021. This 10% comes out of the transition water and is just for this year. 

Land owners of fallowed non-irrigated parcels can use water allocated for those lands  for other in-use lands.  

Steve (participant) asked how long this will last.

Eric Borba (Chair) said this will most likely last for upcoming years but will need to be added and voted on by the Board for a decision.

Lack of rain water (precipitation) will not affect allocated groundwater.

 b. Discussion on Split Legal Parcel opt-in agreement: At the last meeting, the Board reviewed the template for Split Legal Parcel, which refers to parcels of land that have some but not all of land on the East Tule basin and subbasin. This template is to allow the landowners to fully opt-in to ETSGA. The Executive Committee is reviewing parts of the template that landowners and the Board had: when can they (land owners opt-in) and when can they opt-out? The EC is meant to give feedback. 

Eric Borba: “Doesn’t affect a lot of property, but it does affect some, and [we]

need to figure out how to solve this problem”

David De Groot: It only involves few specific properties and it is pretty clear about

what is expected by both property owners and the ETGSA.

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Todd (Participant) asked about ETGSA Land Subsidence Management Zone Plan Draft. 

Rogelio said there should be more information early next month and as soon as he knows he will send out a “save the date” but will be similar to the Land Owners Workshop.

Todd wants EC to be aware of the July 4th holiday and asks that nothing be scheduled around the holiday. 

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Next Regular Executive Committee Meeting was originally scheduled for Thursday, July 15, 2021 at 2pm; but because the Board meeting was pushed back a week (for the purpose of: The Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency will host an informational workshop for the public on June 8, 2021 on the agency, its rules and regulations, and accounting timeline; which is open to the public) the executive committee thought it best to push back their meeting until July 22nd, 2021 at 2pm.