California Targets Private Property With Latest Water Well Fees, Charges: Report

[ponytug]

@ericm979 I posted it above, but you can start at
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which has links to the three bills that constitute the new act.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Jstpssng]

Some areas in California are putting water back down the wells during the rainy season to recharge the aquifer. Lack of regulation is limiting that. Why go to all the trouble and expense of recharging an aquifer if the golf course a mile away is going to pump it out for free?

I can think of no bigger waste of water than a golf course. I understand that people want to play, but you can't always get what you want... especially during a drought.

 

[ponytug]

I can think of no bigger waste of water than a golf course. I understand that people want to play, but you can't always get what you want... especially during a drought.

I remember seeing some no water golf courses once; no grass, with rolled and oiled "greens" to keep the dust down. A very different golfing experience...

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Some areas in California are putting water back down the wells during the rainy season to recharge the aquifer. Lack of regulation is limiting that. Why go to all the trouble and expense of recharging an aquifer if the golf course a mile away is going to pump it out for free?

Southern Nevada Water Authority got authority to charge well users in the Las Vegas Basin, recharge fees. They pioneered recharge wells in late 70s, when most geologists and hydrologists were saying it couldn’t be done. They would pump down recharge wells, drilled throughout the valley.

 

[kenmac]

America, Land of the FREE ?

 

[BoylermanCT]

CA has a water usage problem, not a water supply problem. The CA almond industry uses over 1 trillion gallons of water. They grow approx 3 billion pounds of almonds and ship 70% of it overseas. The CA Golf Association estimates each golf course in the state uses 90 million gallons of water a year to keep the grass green. There are 921 golf courses in CA. That's 83 billion gallons of water. Sounds like a usage problem and not a supply problem. How about we stop growing water intensive crops in a desert....

 

[npalen]

I remember seeing some no water golf courses once; no grass, with rolled and oiled "greens" to keep the dust down. A very different golfing experience...

Sand "greens" are fairly common in the midwest. Fairways more than likely buffalo grass requiring no irrigation and, yes, the "greens" are sand. The golfers rake the green after putting to make it smooth for the next group.
Might become a thing on the "left coast"?

 

[ultrarunner]

Courses around here keep closing but a few open ones use treated sewage water…

The thought is reclaiming water helps the SF Bay

 

[Jstpssng]

CA has a water usage problem, not a water supply problem. The CA almond industry uses over 1 trillion gallons of water. They grow approx 3 billion pounds of almonds and ship 70% of it overseas. The CA Golf Association estimates each golf course in the state uses 90 million gallons of water a year to keep the grass green. There are 921 golf courses in CA. That's 83 billion gallons of water. Sounds like a usage problem and not a supply problem. How about we stop growing water intensive crops in a desert....

That makes too much sense. You'd never make it as a politician...

 

[Wakey]

I'm guessing the heads are gear drive and rotate slowly. Would be very odd if none were rotating.

This is what our lawn would look like by mid summer if we didn't irrigate in a normal year:

Awesome yard, love the bridge.