After A Century+ Of Overpumping, CA Suddenly Realizes Regulating Groundwater Might Be Good Idea
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Decades of intense pumping have dropped water tables dangerously low in places such as the San Joaquin Valley and Paso Robles. Scientific studies show that the ground is sinking in some places and that aquifers are at risk of running dry. "Some people have had the attitude that our groundwater will be here forever," said John Garner, who grows rice and walnuts on 600 acres in Glenn County, 80 miles north of Sacramento.
"But now they realize that 'Holy crow, we could have an impact here and to protect ourselves -- although not everybody is there yet -- they realize they probably really should start better management.'"
Over the past six months, farmers, environmentalists and urban water districts have been holding workshops, hearings and private meetings in Sacramento to discuss how to preserve the state's depleted groundwater. In years past, the Farm Bureau and other powerful agricultural groups fought nearly every attempt at statewide rules.
"Opponents have attacked it as an attack on property rights," said Lester Snow, former director of the state Department of Water Resources. "But the irony is that you need rules to protect property rights. Today there is a whole different tone in this conversation." Now, for the first time, some farm groups are open to discussing measures to require landowners to report the amount of groundwater they pump, probably to local agencies. The rules could require installing meters on some wells and even limiting how much water is taken out of the ground.
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Ed. - But what about FREEDOM? And what about the children? I believe the children are the future. I believe I can fly. I believe for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows.
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_25453902/california-drought-after-years-overpumping-groundwater-state-may?source=rss
= new reply since forum marked as read
most of it watered during the day, sometimes even between 10am-2pm. Often times you'll see a big brown section as the sprinkler head shoots the water into the street. At home I see residents cleaning the grass clippings from their drive with a hose. What's wrong with a broom? It was about 10 years ago our city had a water restriction of 2 hours of watering a week. Yep, 2 hours. It was the same two hours for an entire section of town, so the water pressure that time sucked. As soon as they lifted the restriction in September, three of my neighbors had their lawn removed & installed sod & watered the hell out of it to get it to take. 
And now they want to run a pipeline across one of the biggest aquifers. 
Gee, what could go wrong?