Basin Planning

Southern Lost Hills Oilfield Beneficial Use Evaluation

Evaluation of Municipal and Domestic Supply (MUN) and Agricultural Supply (AGR) Beneficial Uses in Groundwater within a Portion of the Southern Lost Hills Oilfield.

In order to ensure appropriate beneficial use protection, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central Valley Water Board) adopted an amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Tulare Lake Basin (Basin Plan) to remove MUN and AGR designations from a horizontally and vertically delineated portion of the groundwater in the Southern Lost Hills Oilfield.

The Board is continuing a multi-year process under which it is evaluating the beneficial uses assigned to surface and groundwaters by the Board's Basin Plans. As a part of that process, the Board:

  • Evaluated whether a portion of the groundwater in the Southern Lost Hills Oilfield actually supports the Municipal and Domestic Supply (MUN) beneficial use, and determined it is eligible for de-designation consistent with State Water Board Resolution No. 88-63 (Sources of Drinking Water Policy).
  • Evaluated whether a portion of the groundwater in the Southern Lost Hills Oilfield supports the Agricultural Supply (AGR) beneficial use and determined de-designation is appropriate.
  • De-designated the MUN and Agricultural supply (AGR) beneficial uses from groundwater in portions of the Southern Lost Hills where those beneficial uses have not been historically supported and/or where those beneficial uses are not currently supported.
  • Considered the adoption of site-specific objectives where a full range of AGR beneficial uses (for example, irrigation of salt-sensitive crops using groundwater) have not historically been supported and/or where a full range of AGR beneficial uses are not currently supported.

State Water Resources Control Board Approval of Basin Plan Amendment

Basin Plan Amendment and Draft Staff Report - Public Comment Period 25 March to 9 May 2022

Amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Tulare Lake Basin

The deadline to submit written comments on the Proposed Basin Plan Amendments is 5:00 pm on 9 May 2022.

No comments received.

Copies of the reports and other appendices are available upon request. To request a copy please contact Jennifer Fuller at Jennifer.Fuller@waterboards.ca.gov.

Meetings

30 November 2020 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM – CEQA Public Workshop and Scoping Online Meeting

4 March 2020 - Tribal Consultation

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