The state is demanding farmers in Kings and parts of Tulare counties begin reporting how much groundwater they pump or face fines starting May 1. But it apparently doesn’t have a reliable system to take in that information.

The state Water Resources Control Board’s reporting platform, known as GEARS, had already received criticism for being clunky and hard to navigate. So much so, that Water Board staff have scheduled several workshops starting later this week to help farmers learn the system.

Then GEARS quit functioning altogether on Monday, according to an email forwarded by the South Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) to farmers.

“GEARS will be down temporarily. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause,” the email from Water Board staff reads.

The breakdown comes just weeks before farmers in the Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins are required to begin reporting their pumping as part of being placed on probation by the Water Board in 2024 for lacking a plan that would stop rampant subsidence in the region, among other deficiencies.

The Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins cover most of Kings County and southern half of Tulare County’s flatlands. Under probation, farmers must also meter and register their wells at $300 each and pay the state $20 per acre foot pumped. Growers who pump 20 acre feet or less per year are excluded from the reporting and fee requirements.

“As we started digging into this, the whole GEARS portal is a mess,” said Travis Millwee, resources manager for Pixley and Lower Tule River irrigation district GSAs.

Four of 50 Applications Made It Into the Portal

Millwee said his staff tried to upload information from 50 landowners and just four were successful. During an April 8 meeting with state Water Board members and staff, Millwee voiced frustration and suggested other methods of reporting.

“Most of our landowners are earnestly trying to comply, but it is not working,” he said. “I let (state Water Board staff) know come May 1, they’re going to have major gaps in compliance and reporting, and that it’s not going to go the way they think it’s going to go.

“I personally think it’s going to fall apart.”

GEARS Events for Growers

Water Board staff has scheduled several GEARS events for farmers this month in Kings and Tulare counties.

Locations and times:

• Thursday, April 16, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Lemoore Veterans Hall, 411 West D St. in Lemoore
• Friday, April 17, 9 a.m to 12 p.m., Porterville Veterans Memorial, 1900 W. Olive Ave. in Porterville
• Wednesday, April 29, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Veterans Memorial Building, 1000 Van Dorsten Ave. in Corcoran
• Thursday, April 30, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Allensworth Elementary, 3320 Young Rd. in Earlimart

Landowners are strongly encouraged to bring:

• 16-digit correspondence ID
• Laptop
• Well location and pumping data
• Meter data and calibration information

Registration for the events is encouraged and can be found here. GEARS stands for Groundwater Extraction Annual Reporting System.

Spanish-language services will be available. For additional services in other languages, submit a request here, call 916-341-5254 or email languageservices@waterboards.ca.gov.

About the Reporters

SJV Water Reporter Lisa McEwen grew up in Tulare County. She has reported on agriculture and other issues for a wide variety of publications, including, Ag Alert, Visalia Times-Delta, the Fresno Bee and the Tulare and Kings counties farm bureau publications.

Monserrat Solis covers Kings County water issues for SJV Water through the California Local News Fellowship Initiative.

About SJV Water

SJV Water is an independent, nonprofit news site covering water in the San Joaquin Valley, www.sjvwater.org. Email us at sjvwater@sjvwater.org