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Tulare County water commission: well permits down to 72 in 2025; staff drafting urgency ordinance to preserve GSA input
Summary
Commission received a drought update reporting 72 well permits in 2025 and 257 drought-related households in the county’s bottled-water program. Staff described a draft urgency ordinance to preserve GSA input on well permits after the governor rescinded an earlier executive order.
Tulare County Water Commission staff reported that well-permitting activity has declined for 2025 and described ongoing drought-assistance enrollments and a draft county urgency ordinance intended to preserve Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) input on well permits.
At the meeting staff said well permits for the calendar year 2025 have declined to 72. In the county’s drought-related bottled-water program staff reported 257 households were enrolled for drought-related reasons; staff said the program’s remaining enrollments were due to contamination issues rather than drought. The staff member said the county did not receive updated Self-Help program data for tanks and hauled water.
Staff warned that state budget scrutiny has repeatedly put the Self-Help funding stream under review. The county noted that last summer it “dodged the bullet” and said it hopes the program will continue to be funded, but no new funding commitments were announced.
In staff reports the commission was told the governor rescinded a 2022 executive order that had required counties to provide well-permit notices to GSAs for input. To preserve the county’s prior practice, staff said they have drafted an urgency ordinance that would mirror aspects of the rescinded executive order and allow GSAs to opt into a county notification process. The draft ordinance incorporates feedback from GSA managers and, if adopted, would allow GSAs to continue participating in the well-permit review process that formerly operated under the executive order.
Commission staff also reported several administrative items: the legislative subcommittee will meet April 2 to review bill lists and prioritize advocacy; several commissioners’ terms (Blattler, Wash, Feeneau and Snyder) expire April 30 and staff encouraged early reappointment applications; and Form 700 reporting (FPPC disclosure) was discussed, with the meeting noting a referenced deadline but giving inconsistent dates during discussion. The transcript records a staff comment that the Form 700 filing was “due April 1, I believe. Thirtieth,” and staff said they would confirm filing details with the clerk of the board.
Why it matters: the number of well permits, the status of drought-assistance programs, and a county-level urgency ordinance shaping GSA access to well-permit information all affect groundwater management, local water availability and the ability of GSAs to plan under SGMA.
The commission scheduled its next meeting for April 14, 2025. Staff said the urgency ordinance language would be circulated to GSA managers for additional feedback before being brought forward to the commission.
