As California enters a new water year and eyes look to the skies for the next rains, groundwater recharge is on the minds of many.
Concerns over the pace of permitting filled much of the discussion at a recent ag water summit hosted by The Maddy Institute and the California Water Institute at Fresno State. State Food and Agriculture Board Chair Don Cameron described obtaining permits from the State Water Resources Control Board to divert water for recharge as being expensive, time consuming and taking a lot of energy.
“We definitely need change,” he said, describing the board’s sluggish process. “Everything hits there and just gets stuck. It's like a black hole we can't get out of.”
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That description is “wildly inaccurate, according to Erik Ekdahl, the board’s deputy director for water rights. In an interview with Agri-Pulse, Ekdahl said the board has processed nearly all temporary permits within 120 days, with many within a couple weeks. He explained that standard water right permits take much longer due to state legal requirements. The processes for hearing challenges to the applications and for environmental review can make it feel like a black box, he said.
Ekdahl said the board is working to speed up the process by tapping into better accounting data. He also applauded the Department of Water Resources for functioning as a consultant, providing technical assistance to applicants ahead of time.
