The fifth of five groundwater agencies in Kings County officially committed to a region-wide planning effort that water managers hope will fend off the potential of state regulators mandating how much farmers can pump. Over the summer four of the five GSAs in the Tulare Lake subbasin, which covers most of Kings County, agreed to work on a single groundwater management plan and hired two engineering firms to get the job done. The Southwest Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) was the final GSA to agree. At its August 7 meeting, Southwest agreed to join the region-wide effort, rather than writing its own plan. The board agreed unanimously and without comment.

Other groundwater news:

• Public Policy Institute of California: Blog: Charting a path for the San Joaquin Valley
• San Francisco Chronicle: Part of California suddenly sank — and it’s irreversible