The new plan includes a $3 million well repair program and aims to meet regulatory requirements to avoid probation. Kern County subbasin approved its fourth Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP). The plan includes a $3 million program to fix domestic wells affected by dropping water tables. Minimum water table thresholds are set at no lower than 61 feet below historic lows. The GSP aims to meet Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requirements and avoid probation. A hearing on the plan is scheduled for February 20th, with potential state intervention if rejected.For your convenience, the skimmable summary above is generated with the assistance of AI and fact checked by our team prior to publication. Read the full story as originally reported below.Broadcast transcript:It's now the fourth time that Kern Water Agencies have come up with a plan to protect groundwater. They're hoping this fourth time works.In 2014, the California Legislature enacted the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA. In brief, this is a plan to manage groundwater, aiming to avoid significant declines in groundwater within a 20-year timeframe. The Kern County Subbasin is the largest in the state, covering about 1.8 million acres. There are 20 Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) that manage the basin. Now, with all the GSAs working together, they are hoping their new Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) will be approved by the state.Kristin Pittack, is the Kern County Subbasin Plan Manager and she says, "This new plan was really designed to meet SGMA regulatory requirements in response to three main deficiencies by the Department of Water Resources. As I had mentioned, coordination was one of the main issues. The subbasin came together and has also been working closely with State Water Board staff to address comments they made in a staff report that came out last July."Kristin Pittack says they're also taking in comments they received from the public on the draft plan that went out in June. Tom McCarthy, the General Manager for the Kern County Water Agency, is one of the 20 agencies working together on this plan. He says this final draft was submitted in December.Tom McCarthy, is the General Manager for the Kern County Water Agency, and he says, "The hearing was scheduled based on the submission of the last plan in May of 2024, the last version or draft. At that time, the recommendation was made for probation. So now, with the submission of the final plan that's been approved by all GSAs, ideally the corrects have been made and we won't go into probation."Kristin Pittack says if the state turns down the plan, the State Water Board could temporarily manage groundwater here in Kern County."They can do things like develop an interim plan that's different than what was developed here locally. Any well owner who extracts or pumps groundwater would have to file an annual extraction report with the State Water Board, and they can be subject to fees for per-acre pumping." Pittack said.If you would like to learn more about the Groundwater Sustainability Plan, you can go to kernGSP.com.The state is reviewing the plan, and a hearing is set for February 20th.BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:Copy and paste the transcription here. Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere: Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube