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BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
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Requested Action(s)
recommendation
a) ORDINANCE NO. 2147 - Request adoption of an urgency ordinance to implement additional regulations for well permitting for the purpose of protecting the groundwater quality in areas of concern in the Red Bluff, Corning, and Antelope subbasins
1) Accept the introduction of the Ordinance
2) Waive the reading of the Ordinance
3) Receive public comment on the Ordinance
4) Adopt the Ordinance
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Financial Impact:
The well permit applicant will be responsible for the actual costs that may arise as a result of the additional steps to ensure that a well permit is only issued in a manner that is not likely to negatively affect the quality of groundwater.
Background Information:
On May 13, the Board directed the Office of County Counsel to draft language that would trigger similar requirements on local well permitting as paragraph 9 of Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-7-22. In response to the Board's request, it was discovered that areas in the mid to southwestern part of the county have experienced observable land subsidence on a scale that has never been recorded in Tehama County. Land subsidence is a phenomenon where the ground sinks due to excessive groundwater depletions. This was caused by recent drought periods, exacerbated by factors such as changes in agricultural practices, surface water curtailments, and limited recharge potential, attributed to a persistent trend of declining groundwater levels which may have already led to diminished storage capacity. This development raises significant concerns regarding the expansion of agriculture wells in the area. The Tehama County Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), has been actively monitoring groundwater conditions across multiple subbasins, including Red Bluff, Corning, and Antelope which are where the area of concern is located. This Ordinance is intended to protect the status quo of the quality of the groundwater in the area o...
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