Tuesday Top of the Scroll: Second San Joaquin Valley groundwater subbasin recommended for state takeover
The Friant-Kern Canal was called out specifically as one of the reasons the state should take over pumping in the Tule groundwater subbasin in Tulare County. The recommendation was contained in a recently released staff report to the Water Resources Control Board. While the report stated groundwater management plans covering the subbasin didn’t adequately address subsidence and continued depletion of the aquifer and degradation of water quality in general, it also noted the significant harm to the Friant-Kern Canal, which brings water 152 miles south from Millerton Lake to Arvin. Excessive overpumping caused land beneath a 33-mile stretch of the Friant-Kern Canal to collapse, creating a sag that reduced the canal’s carrying capacity south of Pixley by 60%.
Related articles:
- CA Department of Water Resources: DWR celebrates the hidden water resource beneath our feet during National Groundwater Awareness Week
- Fresno State News: Groundwater Awareness Week shines spotlight on vital water issues