Merced County’s proposed groundwater ordinance is one step closer to becoming law. The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the first reading of the ordinance, setting a second reading and possible adoption for March 17.
The ordinance would regulate groundwater transfers out of Merced County basins through a permitting process, allowing county officials to scrutinize each water transfer individually to determine potential impacts to the county’s groundwater resources.
Under the new ordinance, drilling a new well and exporting or mining groundwater would each require a permit. Replacement wells that don’t increase water pumping activities would be exempt from the permitting process.
The ordinance also identifies other exemptions: wells delivering 2 acre-feet or less per year, groundwater recharge efforts, exporting between two contiguous properties and public water agency conservation efforts, among others.
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