Proposed Water District Aims to Provide Additional Surface Water for Groundwater Recharge Projects in Kaweah Subbasin

February 2025

California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 35, Number 5

On May 6, 2025, landowners will vote on a proposal to form a new water district over a portion of the critically overdrafted Kaweah Subbasin. The Consolidated Water District (District) would serve approximately 80,000 acres of land and have access to senior surface water rights on the Kaweah and St. Johns Rivers. If formed, the District could provide irrigation water to reduce groundwater demands and facilitate recharge projects in furtherance of recently amended Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Late last year, the Kaweah Subbasin avoided state intervention when the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) canceled a scheduled public probationary hearing after making preliminary findings that the amended GSPs made substantial improvements.

Subscribers to the California Water Law & Policy Reporter can read the full article here.