Clunky state groundwater portal grinds to halt as deadline for farmers approaches
The state is demanding farmers in Kings and and parts of Tulare counties begin reporting how much groundwater they pump or face fines starting May 1. But it apparently doesn’t have a reliable system to take in that information. The state Water Resources Control Board’s reporting platform, known as GEARS, had already received criticism for being clunky and hard to navigate. … Then GEARS quit functioning altogether on Monday. …The breakdown comes just weeks before farmers in the Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins are required to begin reporting their pumping as part of being placed on probation by the Water Board in 2024 for lacking a plan that would stop rampant subsidence in the region.
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