Have thoughts about groundwater cuts in Merced County? The state wants to hear from you
Do you have something to say about the state-mandated sustainability plan that will limit individual and agricultural groundwater consumption in Merced County?
Now is the time to say it.
The Jan. 31 deadline for local agencies to submit their 20-year sustainable groundwater management plan has passed, kicking off a 75-day public comment period before the Department of Water Resources reviews it.
Public comment will be factored into the DWR’s assessment of the plan.
“Groundwater is a critical component of the state’s water supply resources,” said Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources in a news release. “California’s groundwater basins must be managed for long-term sustainability rather than for short-term need.”
Groundwater accounts for 40% of the state’s water use during a typical year and 60% during dry years, which are increasingly common.
“Groundwater storage will become even more important as California’s changing climate produces less snow and more rain,” Nemeth said in the release. “Groundwater acts as a drought buffer by providing water that is available to use when surface water supplies are diminished.”
The Merced Groundwater Subbasin is one of 21 in California identified as critically overdrafted. That means the average amount of yearly groundwater extraction surpasses its water supply. Much of California’s Central Valley is critically overdrafted.
Sacrificing short-term livelihood for long-term sustainability could cut groundwater usage in parts of the county up to 75%. While changes to how the agricultural hub operates over the next 20 years are guaranteed, farmers fear for an uncertain economic future.
The DWR has two years from the January deadline to review the plan, but it has already begun being implemented locally. Water recharge projects, pumping allocations and other initiatives are currently in effect.
The Merced Groundwater Sustainability Plan is available to download online. Public comment ends April 15.
This story was originally published February 12, 2020 at 1:33 PM.
