California farmers depleted groundwater in this county. Now a state crackdown could rein them in

For the first time in California history, state officials are poised to crack down on overpumping of groundwater in the agricultural heartland.  The State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday will weigh whether to put Kings County groundwater agencies on probation for failing to rein in growers’ overdrafting of the underground water supply. Probation —…

Outdoor fires, unsafe drinking water, and more money – and power – for the Fresno City Attorney

A resolution to standardize the enforcement of city laws against open “warming fires” outdoors put Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias at odds with homeless advocates this week. Arias brought forward a resolution to declare outdoor warming fires “a health and safety hazard and a public nuisance,” calling upon the relevant authorities to extinguish them. He…

San Joaquin Valley growers may face probation for failing to protect groundwater

California water officials on Thursday recommended putting several San Joaquin Valley groundwater agencies on probation for failing to develop an adequate plan to stop over pumping their severely overdrafted aquifers. The Tulare Lake groundwater basin — which provides well water to residents and hundreds of square miles of dairies and farms, including land owned by…

Is groundwater trading the future of California water?

A summit in Fresno last week was upbeat on a dour topic: the megadrought of the American West. If the recent blockbuster report about civilization exceeding nearly all of Earth’s natural limits was harsh, the summit – thrown at Fresno State’s newest building, the Resnick Center, named after Stuart Resnick, California’s wealthiest farmer – was…

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