Well ordinance tough, but necessary
While we certainly understand opposition to the proposed Tulare County ordinance which will place restrictions on the drilling of new wells on previously non-irrigated land. However, in light of the five dry years we had and the over dependance on underground water, we feel the ordinance is necessary.
County officials and ag leaders are weighing in on the ordinance which covers the drilling of wells. It is not to be confused with the recently passed ordinance which regulates the construction of new wells.
The well ordinance has been kicked around for some time and its fate is uncertain. At least two members of the board of supervisors have gone on record against a moratorium on new wells being drilled where the land has not been irrigated before and one member has expressed his support for the restriction. The Tulare County Farm Bureau has understandably gone on record opposing the ordinance, saying it is a land rights issue and a property owner should have the right to drill a well if they feel it is needed. However, even the Farm Bureau admits some farmers are in favor of some limitations on new wells.
The ordinance is not very lengthy and only deals with the drilling of wells where the land has not had a well or has not had surface water in the past. That basically covers much of the area of the county where what is called dry land farming occurs.
The argument for the ordinance is the county cannot continue to allow more straws to be placed in the ground. It does not prohibit wells where the land has been irrigated in the past, either with well water or surface water.
During the drought, thousands of wells around Tulare County went dry. Many of those were domestic wells and growers had to scramble to deepen their ag wells. Some families were without a working well for years.
Much of the dependence on well water was caused by state and federal officials who cut off all delivery of surface water. Because of the lack of snowfall, for the first time in more than 60 years of the Friant-kern Canal, officials did not send any water to growers, even though in previous dry years that did occur. Farmers, especially those with permanent crops like oranges, were forced to pump water from the ground. We do not blame them.
The moratorium will be in effect for probably just two years until the Groundwater Sustainability Management Act goes into effect and that will have ramifications for everyone — from farmers to cities. Holding off on new wells where irrigated crops were not grown before is not that big of a price to pay now.