For Immediate Release
Contact: Elizabeth Jonasson
(559) 241-6233
Westlands Water District Receives Recommendation for Approval to Advance Groundwater Storage and Sustainability Efforts
Fresno, CA — Today, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced the recommendation of approval for the Westside Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (Westside GSP). Westlands Water District (District) is proud to have a plan for management of groundwater that provides a detailed blueprint for achieving long-term groundwater sustainability in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley’s prime farmland while avoiding undesirable impacts to the Westside Subbasin and to infrastructure critical to California.
“We are grateful that DWR staff believe the District has taken sufficient actions to address the deficiencies DWR previously identified, and are now preparing to recommend approval,” said Jeff Fortune, president of Westlands’ Board of Directors. “This result reflects a great deal of time and dedication from Westlands’ staff and Board of Directors who worked diligently and collaboratively with DWR to build a groundwater sustainability plan that will achieve the Westside Subbasin’s sustainability goals.”
Jose Gutierrez, the District’s interim general manager, stated “The value of DWR’s support – both technical and financial – cannot be understated. We look forward to a continued partnership with DWR as we roll up our sleeves and implement the plan, with the goal of ensuring a sustainable water future for the District’s nearly 700 family-owned farms that feed the world and support the hard-working people who live in the San Joaquin Valley.”
Enacted in 2014, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) establishes a framework to help protect California’s groundwater resources by requiring local groundwater sustainability agencies to develop and implement groundwater sustainability plans. DWR supports SGMA implementation by providing regulatory oversight through evaluation and assessment of groundwater sustainability plans and providing ongoing planning, technical and financial assistance to local water districts.
Pursuant to the Westside GSP, the District and its landowners have and will continue to use advanced monitoring, data, metering, and innovative groundwater recharge programs to avoid undesirable results from use of groundwater. As a living document, the Westside Subbasin GSP will be updated, at least every five years, based on data collected during its implementation.
“Farmers in the District rank among the most productive and water efficient in the world, and the District has long been recognized as a leader in agricultural water conservation,” added Gutierrez. “The District is pleased to reach the next phase in the process as we work to combat the impacts of climate change on our most precious resource.”
###
About Westlands Water District
Westlands Water District is recognized as a world leader in agricultural water conservation and has served the farmers and rural communities on the west side of Fresno and Kings counties for more than five decades. As stewards of one of California’s most precious natural resources, Westlands continually invests in conservation and champions farmers deploying innovative irrigation methods based on the best available technology.