Proposal to Meter Wells: California S.B. 820 (Kuehl) has just passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and is ready to be considered on the floor of the Assembly. Currently, in four Southern California Counties, groundwater users of more than 25 acre-feet must report their use to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) through a “groundwater extraction notice.” The bill would expand this requirement to all of California starting in 2007.

Of course, the well user would be responsible for installing a meter on his pump to measure that use and for paying a processing fee to the SWRCB for filing the notice. Estimates of what it will cost users initially for equipment to collect the information could be as high as $250 million dollars. The filing fee itself is estimated to raise $2.5 million in revenue to the SWRCB to offset costs. (No doubt this includes horrendous overhead as was experienced in the attempt to jack up watermaster fees.)

In addition to fines for non-compliance, the Bill states that failure to report will be considered equal to nonuse of the right during that year. (As groundwater use rights are considered a “riparian” right belonging equally to overlying land and not lost from nonuse, it is not certain what the implications of this penalty could be.)

The need for metering wells is supposedly to determine the status of existing water supplies and project future water supply needs. This is questionable as data from current reports in the four counties are not being used for any purpose. The Bill is looked upon in the agricultural community as a first step by the State to assert control over groundwater and to limit its use. Groundwater use is currently under the jurisdiction of the Counties.

Fish and Game Warning: A second letter from the CA Dept. of Fish and Game has been sent out to agricultural water diverters in the Scott and Shasta Valleys who failed to either: (1) submit a “Letter of Intent” indicating interest in participating in the Programmatic 1602 (permit to substantially divert water) and Incidental Take Permit (ITP – permit to take an endangered species) process being developed through the Resource Conservation Districts; or (2) obtain their own individual 1602 and ITP.

The letter states that diverters who are not in compliance will be subject to enforcement action. Penalties for violation of 1602 include up to $25,000 and/or a misdemeanor. Violations of the California Endangered Species include a fine of up to $1,000 and statutory fees and/or imprisonment in county jail for up to six months.

Recovery Happens: Anyone interested in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and recovery process from substance abuse is invited to attend an informational event on Saturday, September 10 at 10:00 a.m. in Miner’s Street Park in Yreka. There will be informational booths, speakers and food. The event is being organized by the local recovery community.

Local MADD Chapter: Jim and Tami Foster are working to establish a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) chapter in Siskiyou County. They can be contacted at 468-2379. (More about this at a later date.)