Many Chico residents are concerned about the future of the area’s groundwater, and that’s due to the formation of a newly created water district.
The Tuscan Water District was established earlier this year and covers more than 100,000 acres of land west of Chico. Proponents of the district say it will protect groundwater — as required by the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act or SGMA. But others are worried it will open the door to a state water grab that could leave the county’s trees without water to survive and lead to desertification in the Butte County.
In today’s interview, NSPR’s Ken Devol spoke with Jim Brobeck, a water policy analyst with AquAlliance. Brobeck says the Tuscan Water District said the district will significantly influence the future quality of life in the North State. One of his main concerns is the plans calls for draining the area’s aquifer below historic lows.
“These extreme declines would take the water level below the rooting depth of even the deepest roots plants, like the Valley Oaks trees for instance.”- Jim Brobeck, water policy analyst for AquAlliance
“Allowing for such deep declines in the aquifer would create a world we’ve never seen up here. A world that would be more close to what we see in Fresno,” Brobeck said. “A tree in Fresno needs to be watered, it costs about $300 per year. In Chico, we don’t need to water the trees.”
But Brobeck said that could change due to the formation of the district.
“These extreme declines would take the water level below the rooting depth of even the deepest roots plants, like the Valley Oaks trees for instance,” he said.
Landowners are currently voting on whether to fund the district. While Chico and Durham depend on the same groundwater subbasin as the Tuscan Water District, residents in those cities can’t vote on the issue. That’s because only those who own land in the district can vote on decisions and votes are weighed by the number of acres owned.
Headlines is NSPR’s daily news podcast. It’s published every weekday morning by 8:30 a.m. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and NPR One.
