State board approves return of Kern subbasin plan to DWR pending three fixes

The State Water Resources Control Board voted unanimously on Sept. 5 to accept staff’s recommendation to return the Kern County subbasin groundwater sustainability plan (GSP) to the Department of Water Resources for final review conditioned on three outstanding items being resolved. The action followed a four‑hour staff presentation and public testimony in Bakersfield and by Zoom.

Board staff told members the draft 2025 GSPs broadly remedy many of the deficiencies identified in earlier reviews but still leave three priorities unresolved: (1) a sufficiently detailed mitigation program for drinking‑water wells affected by contaminants including 1,2,3‑TCP; (2) a clear funding and mitigation path for small state water systems and small public systems affected by declining groundwater; and (3) removal of an agreed sunset provision in a joint powers agreement that would otherwise end coordination in May 2026. Staff said those items must be addressed before the department completes its conformity review.

Why it matters: The Kern subbasin covers a large and…