Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Groundwater Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State Water Board votes to return Delta‑Mendota subbasin to DWR oversight
Summary
After a staff review found most technical deficiencies addressed, the State Water Board voted unanimously to return the Delta‑Mendota subbasin to Department of Water Resources jurisdiction; staff highlighted ongoing concerns about subsidence, TDS exceedances and groundwater‑surface water connections.
The State Water Board voted unanimously on March 2, 2026, to adopt a staff resolution returning the Delta‑Mendota groundwater subbasin to the jurisdiction of the Department of Water Resources (DWR). The board’s action followed a staff presentation summarizing the subbasin’s geography, pumping variability and how the 2024 single Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) addressed many prior technical deficiencies.
Natalie Stork, who introduced the staff team from the Office of Sustainable Groundwater Management, said the board’s March 2026 draft evaluation and a 30‑day public‑comment period led staff to conclude the GSP addressed most concerns and supported return to DWR oversight. Staff geologist John Cuban presented maps and data showing large interannual pumping swings and localized subsidence, noting some locations recorded more than five feet of subsidence over nine years.
The staff presentation highlighted water‑quality issues as well: historic data for the upper aquifer showed that about 54% of wells in an earlier period exceeded the total dissolved solids secondary maximum contaminant level of 1,000 mg/L. Staff also summarized that agricultural users account for the majority of groundwater extractions in the subbasin.
Public commenters were split. Nate Kane, representing the Alliance for Recreational Fishing Protection, urged more stringent oversight and argued that thresholds and surface‑water interconnection analyses still have gaps, saying the plan’s metrics “do not meet existing regulations” and recommending provisional designation under DWR supervision. By contrast, representatives of local GSAs, including Chase Harley, president of the Pacheco water district and president of the subbasin, described extensive coordination and supported staff’s assessment.
Board members acknowledged implementation and equity challenges but emphasized progress in coordination among 23 GSAs. After roll call (Tyler; Firestone; Muire; Morgan; Vice President Adamo; President Esquivel), the board voted unanimously to adopt the resolution returning the Delta‑Mendota subbasin to DWR jurisdiction. The board recorded the action as a formal resolution adoption and concluded the agenda item.
