IWVGA to discuss Searles nonpayment of replenishment fee
The fate of Searles Valley Minerals may hinge on a special virtual meeting of the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority later this week, at least according to SVM’s Camille Anderson. The meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday. At it, the IWVGA will discuss how to respond to SVM’s non-payment of the authority’s groundwater replenishment fee. … The groundwater authority was formed in response to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014, which requires all California basins to eventually achieve sustainability. The replenishment fee is part of the IWVGA’s long-term plan to reach sustainability, but has proven wildly controversial for some.