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Farmers tell Kings County supervisors state groundwater rules threaten local agriculture and could idle acres
Summary
Multiple farmers told the county board that the state Groundwater Sustainability Act and related groundwater management actions are putting pressure on local farms and could lead to idled acres and bankruptcies. Speakers cited filings and regional studies and urged supervisors to consider local impacts.
Two agricultural residents used the public comment period at the June 10 Kings County Board of Supervisors meeting to raise concerns about state groundwater management requirements and their potential economic impact on local farms.
Charles (Charlie) Meyer said that farmers are increasingly filing for bankruptcy and that the state Groundwater Management Act is a contributing factor. "One of the big contributing factors... is this Groundwater Management Act that the state imposed... their solution is to idle about a million acres in the Central San Joaquin Valley," Meyer said, warning of broad food‑production impacts.
Joaquin (last name not specified) — who identified himself as a generation dairy farmer from Hanford — presented more detailed account-level numbers and referenced a Public Policy Institute of California report covering 1980–2021. He described the Kings River as averaging roughly 200,000 acre‑feet per year and said much of that water historically flows to the San Joaquin River and the ocean. Joaquin said local subsidence and declining groundwater levels underscore the pressure on valley agriculture.
Both speakers urged county officials to consider the local consequences of state groundwater policies for farms, local economies and food production. The comments were received during the unscheduled public comment period; supervisors did not take immediate action during the meeting.
