State Water Board Denies Tule Subbasin Relief Request Ahead of May 1 Reporting Deadline
Published Friday, April 24, 2026
Following a five-hour hearing on April 21, the California State Water Resources Control Board denied a request from eight groundwater sustainability agencies, or GSAs, in the Tule Subbasin of Tulare County, seeking “good actor” exceptions while the basin remains in probation.
The requested exemptions would have relieved owners within those GSAs from state-imposed groundwater reporting requirements and associated fees—$20 per acre-foot pumped and $300 per well annually. The board indicated it will revisit the fee structure in September to evaluate potential adjustments.
Absent an exemption, well owners in the subbasin must begin reporting groundwater use by May 1 through the board’s Groundwater Extraction Annual Reporting System, or GEARS, platform. To assist with compliance, the board is hosting in-person “office hours” to support onboarding and reporting. Meetings are scheduled for April 29 in Corcoran and April 30 in Lemoore and Allensworth.
Staff contact: Alex Biering, abiering@cfbf.com.
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