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Consultant: state interim plan for Tule subbasin signals serious subsidence action; Mid Kings GSA urged to finish local plan
Summary
Consultant Amer Hussain told the Mid Kings River GSA the State Water Board's interim plan for the Tule subbasin focuses on subsidence and could include a 2-mile pumping moratorium along the Frank Kern Canal; he warned the state may apply similar measures in the Tulare Lake subbasin if local plans are not ready.
Amer Hussain, the consultant to the Mid Kings River GSA, told the board the State Water Board is moving forcefully on subsidence in the Tule subbasin and described a two-phase interim plan that places subsidence control as Phase 1. "They are talking about a pumping moratorium along a 2 mile corridor of the Frank Kern Canal," Hussain said, reading from a state slide deck.
Hussain said the state is treating Tule as a priority and that the state’s first-phase actions are focused on subsidence impacts to critical infrastructure and supply wells. "They came in with some very serious, first step[s]," he said, adding that affected areas along the canal showed 1–3 feet of subsidence in places and that some areas in the GSA already exceed those amounts.
Why it matters: a state-imposed interim plan that includes a pumping moratorium would directly limit groundwater extraction in a corridor along the canal and could have near-term consequences for irrigation, groundwater allocations and the timeline for local GSP adoption. Hussain told the board the Tule sequence — draft, rapid adoption and moratorium potential — is an example of what could occur in Tulare Lake subbasin if the GSA does not finish a locally acceptable GSP.
Board and public reaction: participants expressed concern about infrastructure implications (including the Corcoran levee and other critical works) and urged the GSA to accelerate coordination with state staff to minimize risk. Garrett (online participant) said the moratorium could affect critical infrastructure beyond the canal and underscored the need to 'get moving really hard with the state' to reduce impacts.
Next steps: Hussain said the GSA will continue to press for monthly meetings with state staff, present its proposed compliance approach to DWR at a scheduled meeting, and prioritize finishing the Tulare Lake GSP to preserve local control.
