Two key state groundwater conservation programs are in the midst of public comment periods, providing stakeholders with important opportunities to help shape these programs.
One is the Department of Water Resource’s LandFlex Program, which will provide immediate drought relief to drinking water wells in drought-stricken communities and limit unsustainable groundwater pumping in critically overdrafted (COD) basins. LandFlex will provide $25 million in block grants to Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to grant to farmers who limit agricultural water use. GSAs would work directly with farmers to identify land that would reduce pumping impacts to nearby dry wells. LandFlex will provide financial incentives to farmers for each enrolled acre. Public comments are being accepted through December 29.
The second program of interest is the Department of Conservation’s Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program, which is working to increase regional capacity to repurpose agricultural land to reduce reliance on groundwater while providing community health, economic well-being, water supply, habitat, and climate benefits. Public comments are being accepted through December 30.