California water regulators have placed the Tulare Lake basin on probation due to insufficient action against excessive groundwater pumping, risking further environmental damage.
The State Water Resources Control Board's decision marks a first in using state authority to directly manage groundwater depletion in California.
Affected farmers must now report water usage and incur fees, aiming to foster more sustainable water management practices.
Local plans deemed inadequate by the state have led to significant land subsidence, prompting urgent calls for revised groundwater management strategies.
Key quote:
"The reality is that probation is a step. It’s a process that ultimately is about local control."
— Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board
California's blockbuster wet season, with another powerful bomb cyclone currently swirling off the coast, has built up a near-record-large Sierra Nevada mountain snowpack.
