East Kaweah GSA Vice Chair Adds Valley Farming Perspective on Statewide SGMA Summit Panel
Craig Hornung, grower and Vice Chairman of East Kaweah GSA, shared his perspective as a grower and GSA leader on a panel about well mitigation at the Groundwater Resources Association of California’s SGMA Summit & Legislative Forum in May.
He spoke alongside Laurel Firestone, State Water Resources Control Board Member; Tami McVey, Director of Emergency Services at Self-Help Enterprises; and Duncan MacEwan, Principal Economist at ERA Economics. The panel was moderated by East Kaweah GSA’s consultant, Kait Palys, a Water Resources Scientist with INTERA.
The GRA Summit drew water professionals from across the state, and East Kaweah GSA’s involvement on the panel highlighted the GSA’s thoughtful and collaborative approach to groundwater management – especially over the last year as the Kaweah Subbasin revised two draft Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) in a battle to keep local control over SGMA implementation.
The audience included many representatives of GSAs that are in the process of developing their own Mitigation Programs. A well mitigation program is an initiative designed to address and reduce the negative impacts of groundwater level or quality changes on nearby wells, particularly domestic or agricultural wells.
Craig emphasized how the Kaweah Subbasin’s Mitigation Program and East Kaweah GSA’s Mitigation Plan are one piece of the GSA’s intricate puzzle in meeting groundwater sustainability goals identified in the GSP. Also included in that puzzle is establishing groundwater allocations based on the sustainable yield.
As a grower and board member, Craig expressed the need to be sustainable under SGMA and the unique challenges growers face to get there. He conveyed growers need to remain profitable so they can continue to provide job opportunities for those who live in the communities within the Kaweah Subbasin. This becomes challenging when strict groundwater allocations limit growers’ ability to farm from a financial sustainability perspective. Mitigation programs can function as tools to allow more operational flexibility for growers to meet their water demands on the farm, while continuing to protect domestic well users from the impacts of overdraft.
East Kaweah GSA’s insights on the development of a mitigation plan and program served as an example for surrounding subbasins and GSAs to glean from.
Craig and the other panelists left the audience with the following key takeaways for professionals developing Mitigation Programs:
1. Leverage Existing Expertise
Don’t start from scratch—learn from established regional programs. Their staff and successful models can provide invaluable guidance.
2. Engage Stakeholders Early & Broadly
Ensure all affected beneficial users are represented in the planning process. Inclusive development leads to stronger, more equitable programs for all. To see the outreach done during the East Kaweah GSA’s well mitigation effort, check the 2023 Annual Stakeholder Outreach and Engagement Report.
3. Use Well Mitigation as a Strategic Tool
A well-designed program can offer operational flexibility for pumping, with safeguards in place to mitigate impacts on domestic wells at lower thresholds.
4. Prepare for Logistical Challenges
Effective well mitigation requires significant coordination and resources. Preparation alleviates gaps in coordination. Thoughtful planning and collaboration can make well mitigation programs more effective, equitable, and sustainable.
5. Explore Partnerships
If managing logistics internally is unfeasible, consider collaborating with Management Zones, drinking water NGOs, or other experienced organizations to administer your program.
6. Proactive Mitigation Saves Time and Resources
If you have sufficient data and information to assess a high likelihood that a well may be impacted in the future, and that the conditions for the well failure would qualify the household for mitigation under your program, it is often more affordable to “pre-mitigate” during wet years when drilling costs are less competitive.
To view East Kaweah GSA’s mitigation plan, head to ekgsa.org/mitigation.