Any groundwater agency hoping to independently avoid state sanctions under the so-called “good guy” clause of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) will have to pay between $50,000 and $250,000 just to be considered.  That’s how much the state Water Resources Control Board staff says it costs to review the technical and often voluminous exemption requests.  … The Water Board approved the good guy application fees at its Sept. 15 meeting and got an update about how well – or not – Tulare County farmers have been paying other fees. … Exemptions are the only way individual agencies can avoid fees when a subbasin is placed on probation by the Water Board for lacking an adequate groundwater plan. 

Other groundwater news:

• SJV Water (Bakersfield, Calif.): Kings County groundwater agency gains more support for land fee