The Tehama County Grand Jury released the 2023 Final Report on January 11, 2024. The findings are summarized below, with the full report being available on the attached link.
F1. Inequitable Fees
The Grand Jury finds the procedures for assessing well registration fees to support the GSA and to inventory the County’s wells is inequitable and inconsistent in its implementation and administration.
F2. Inadequate Communication from the GSA
The Grand Jury finds the GSA outreach program was inadequate for broadly informing landowners (large and small) across Tehama County, and therefore ineffective in communicating the status of planned official actions related to implementation of groundwater management
F3. Internal Department Debt
The GSA borrowed $634,000 from the Road Department in FY 22/23 while developing the well registration funding plan. During interviews and recorded meetings it has been stated that repayment would be made from grants, or would come from future landowner fee assessments. The former is an unauthorized use of grant funds, the latter an inappropriate assessment to property owners.
F4. The GSA Extended its Authority Beyond Groundwater Priority Subbasin
The priority groundwater subbasins designated under SGMA are the boundaries where the GSA’s authority ought to be limited. The GSA did not have authority over the entire county until the TCFC&WCD BOD passed Ordinance No. 2118 in May of 2022.
F5. Accountability for Approval of GSPs
The priority groundwater subbasins designated under SGMA are the boundaries where the GSA’s authority ought to be limited. The GSA did not have authority over the entire county until the TCFC&WCD BOD passed Ordinance No. 2118 in May of 2022.
F6. Antelope Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan is Incomplete
Many groundwater wells within the Antelope Groundwater Subbasin have gone dry apparently as a result of the decommissioning of the Diversion Dam. The GSA appears not to have taken into consideration public information regarding the effects the Diversion Dam had on groundwater recharge in the Antelope Subbasin, both during and after its decommissioning, when drafting the Antelope Subbasin Sustainability Plan.