Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Subsidence Issues Cost Tule Subbasin Landowners & Farmers
The Tule Subbasin probationary hearing took place this past Tuesday, September 17 at the State Water Board in Sacramento. An article by...
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Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Sep 62 min
Some Potential Positive News on the Waterfront
Two weeks ago, I wrote about a big water decision concerning a current endangered species act regulation that requires the release...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Aug 233 min
Big Water Decision Coming Up This Week
Over 350,000 acre-feet of stored northern California surface water is at stake in a decision that will be made by state and federal...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Jun 218 min
SGMA Subbasin Round Up
The implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is a very local endeavor. Of course, the State plays a...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
May 313 min
Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley Builds Momentum
When the state of California began to implement and enforce the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act some nine years ago, it became...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
May 103 min
The Numbers are in; 2023 Water Year was Fantastic
About 90% of California’s dairy industry operates in the San Joaquin Valley. When California passed the Sustainable Groundwater...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Apr 193 min
State Board puts Tulare Lake Subbasin into Probation
A wise man once said, “You have to deal with the world the way that it is, and not the way you wished it would be.” This is the...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Apr 124 min
State Board Probation Hearing for Tulare Lake Subbasin Coming Up
On Tuesday, April 16, 2024, the State Water Resources Control Board will conduct a hearing to consider putting the Tulare Lake Subbasin...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Mar 223 min
Mid-Kings River GSA Holds Meeting Ahead of State Probationary Hearing
It was a big week in Hanford, California for the Mid-Kings River Groundwater Sustainability Agency (MKRGSA), one of the five...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Mar 75 min
Water Muddle
It has been a while since I wrote something on water for the Friday Report. That is not because there is nothing happening, but rather...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Jan 34 min
SGMA & Dairy. What Do You Want to Know?
A few days ago, I had an opportunity to chat with a dairy real estate professional who is a regular reader of the MPC Friday Report.
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Dec 15, 20234 min
Water Policy in California: Lots of Activity; Not Much Clarity
There is a lot going on in California water right now and I will mention a number of things in today’s update. So much of it is a work...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Sep 29, 20231 min
SGMA Happens
The Kern Subbasin GSAs – and there are about 17 of them – have agreed on a common approach to setting minimum thresholds.
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Aug 11, 20232 min
Brief Update on the Progress of the Inadequate SGMA Subbasins
In making the rounds of public meetings of Inadequate Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) over the past couple of weeks...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Jul 20, 20236 min
SGMA Inadequate Subbasins Update
There is intense activity going on right now in the Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) whose plans were deemed “inadequate” by...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Jun 9, 20233 min
The Path Forward for the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
The legislation that launched the state’s comprehensive regulation of groundwater, commonly known as SGMA, was passed in 2014. One of...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
May 19, 20231 min
Colorado River Update
The precipitation this winter has significantly increased the anticipated inflow to the Colorado River system, particularly into Lake...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Apr 28, 20232 min
Lots of Water; No Place to Put It
An enormous amount of water is flowing out of the Delta into the ocean. The two pumping plants that export water to the California...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Mar 31, 20232 min
Our Time to Shine
The illustrated map below was part of a presentation given by state officials this week to bring attention to the tremendous...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Mar 4, 20233 min
DWR Makes Initial SGMA Determinations
Eight and a half years after the passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, the California Department of Water Resources...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Feb 24, 20232 min
Good News on the Water Front
Last week we reported that Governor Newson had issued an Emergency Order that paved the way for the State Water Board to...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Feb 17, 20233 min
Complicated, but Significant Positive News on the Water Front
With the imminent threat of losing hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of stored water to the ocean, Governor Newsom on Monday issued...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Jan 20, 20234 min
Delta Pumping Up 400% Since January 9; Water Blueprint Submits Letter to State Leaders
Some good news to report this week on the water front. Exports scheduled today from the state pumps are 9,500 cubic feet per second...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Jan 13, 20234 min
Water Update
Water was the dominate theme this week in California. After three very dry years, the winter of 2023 is starting to look wet.
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Dec 30, 20223 min
It is Raining and Snowing!
As we end 2022, the weather has turned very wet throughout California. What a blessing. While having a wet winter will not by itself...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Nov 11, 20224 min
Groundwater Sustainability Agency Tidbits
There is a lot of activity going on right now in the Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) I cover for Milk Producers Council.
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Oct 21, 20224 min
Landowners Pushback in Greater Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency
At the end of September, the Board of Directors of the Greater Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GKGSA) took action to...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Sep 30, 20224 min
Greater Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency Board Adopts a Groundwater Allocation
This week, the Board of the Greater Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) adopted a groundwater allocation for landowners...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Aug 12, 20222 min
Governor Newsom Makes a Big Water Announcement
As regular readers of this newsletter know, Milk Producers Council was a strong supporter of the More Water Now initiative effort...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Jul 29, 20223 min
Weekend Water Reading List
There is a lot happening on water right now. What follows is a list of relevant water articles I have read this week. I share them...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Jul 1, 20222 min
Water Blueprint Hosts CDFA Secretary, State Water Resources Control Board, DWR Leaders
The Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley serves as the united voice to champion water resource policies and projects to...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Jun 24, 20222 min
Madera County GSA – A Split Decision on a Big Fee
The Madera County Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) represents the groundwater-only portion of two critically overdrafted...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Jun 10, 20222 min
Water…It’s Complicated
In a dry year like this one, when there is not enough water to go around, who gets what and why is very complicated. The Friant...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
May 6, 20222 min
Valley Leaders, Residents Call for More Action on Water
The Save Our Communities meeting was held in Visalia this morning, with more than 250 people in attendance. Roger Isom, President & CEO...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Apr 15, 20222 min
Drilling Down: What the Governor’s Drought Executive Order Means for New Well Construction
Last week, we sent an e-blast to our members of an article published on Water Wrights providing a great overview of Governor...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Apr 8, 20221 min
New Report & Calculator Quantifies Water Consumption on California Dairy Farms
A very important paper was released this week outlining a dairy facility's water consumption. This is a particularly important paper...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Apr 1, 20225 min
Crisis in California Water
It took me a while, but I finally got through all 122 pages of the court order, issued a few weeks ago by Federal District Court Judge...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Jan 28, 20224 min
Keep an Eye on the Colorado River
While a lot of focus has been on the drought and its impact on water supplies in the Central Valley, there is another major water...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Jan 14, 20221 min
By the Numbers: Current Water Conditions
December was wet. So far, January is dry. The charts below show where we are. The Tulare Lake graph is relevant for the Southern Central...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Jan 7, 20222 min
Very Helpful Paper on Managing Manure Under SGMA
As implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) begins to impose real cuts in groundwater usage, dairy farmers...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Dec 23, 20214 min
Thank the Lord for the Rain and Snow
One of the big realizations for me in relocating from Southern California to the Central Valley is how dependent Valley agriculture is...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Dec 10, 20211 min
East Kaweah GSA Update
The board of East Kaweah GSA meet last Friday and adopted an emergency allocation resolution. Here is what they adopted...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Dec 3, 20214 min
SGMA Starts to Bite
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was passed in 2014 and is designed to eliminate the “undesirable results” of taking...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Oct 29, 20212 min
Here is a Plan to Create More Water for California
As I’ve written about in previous MPC Friday Reports, the “More Water Now” initiative seeks to change California’s decades-old status...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Oct 22, 20213 min
OPEN ET has Launched
It may not mean much at first glance, but a consortium of entities including NASA, The U.S. Geological Survey, USDA, as well as a number...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Oct 16, 20213 min
Greater Kaweah GSA Launches Groundwater Extraction Cap Discussion
At this month’s board meeting of the Greater Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GKGSA), directors began discussions...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Oct 15, 20212 min
"More Water Now" Initiative Effort Underway
A final version of the Water Infrastructure Funding Act of 2022 is under review by the California Attorney General’s office. It...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Oct 1, 20212 min
CDFA Forms a Manure Recycling & Innovative Products Task Force
All California dairy farms operate with permits issued by water quality regulators. One of the
major issues those permits are designed...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Aug 27, 20212 min
Water Infrastructure Funding Act of 2022 Initiative Submitted to State
This week, a citizen initiative was submitted to the California Attorney General’s office for review and “title and summary” designation...
Geoff Vanden Heuvel
Jul 30, 20213 min
Water Tidbits
How dry is it? Look at these three charts from the Department of Water Resources. This is the driest year on record in terms...
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