As Californians pump increasing amounts of water from the ground, sometimes siphoning flows from the rivers above and hurting fish, wildlife and other water users, an old state law is proving to be a new and successful means of reining in excessive pumping. A Superior Court judge ruled [last] week that Sonoma County must do more to ensure responsible groundwater pumping under the state’s Public Trust Doctrine. The historical doctrine holds that rivers, creeks and other waterways must be protected for the public. Groundwater has only recently been considered part of the Public Trust Doctrine, as the hydrological connection between waterways and below-ground water supplies has become clear. The new court decision is likely the first to enforce this.

Related articles:

• Sonoma County Gazette: Judges say Sonoma County’s water policy is a threat to public resources
• Sonoma Valley Sun: Court decision slams the brakes on Sonoma County groundwater extraction
• Western FarmPress: Calif. still barred from collecting pumping data