Newman Council unanimously adopts Delta Mendota Subbasin groundwater plan

The Newman City Council voted unanimously Aug. 20 to adopt a resolution submitting the Delta Mendota Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan to the State Water Resources Control Board.

A representative of the city’s Groundwater Sustainability Agency told the council the plan dates to 2014 and was revised after the state requested consistent terminology and methodology across the San Joaquin Valley. “This is a repeat item. It dates back all the way to August of 2014,” the GSA representative said, and described the subbasin plan as the result of coordinated work among cities, irrigation districts and other local agencies.

The presenter said the state provided a March 2023 letter finding the earlier submission inadequate, and that agencies in the Delta Mendota Subbasin then worked together to standardize metrics and methods. The representative told council members the revisions are intended to manage groundwater quantity and avoid long-term depletion of the water table, adding that the plan focuses on sustainable yields and monitoring rather than water quality standards.

A council member moved to adopt the resolution and another seconded; the motion carried 4-0. The action directs the city’s Groundwater Sustainability Agency to submit the adopted plan to the State Water Resources Control Board for review.

The action implements the city’s participation in the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) framework; council members did not request additional study or amendments during the meeting. The resolution and the GSA representative’s presentation were the substantive items for the agenda entry.

The council took no separate fiscal action at the meeting tied to the plan; the GSA representative noted the plan was developed in cooperation with irrigation districts and other local agencies. The council adjourned after remaining agenda items and routine updates.