Our Story
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) went into effect January 1, 2015. SGMA requires that local water agencies within all medium and high-priority sub-basins form one or more Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSA) to prepare a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (SGP). GSA’s must be formed by June 30, 2017 and GSPs must be adopted by January 1, 2020. The Tule Sub-basin, as defined in Bulletin 118 is one such Sub-basin.
Since late 2014, the public agencies in the Tule Sub-basin have been meeting to discuss the implementation of SGMA. In order to be in compliance with SGMA, all areas in a sub-basin must be covered by a GSA. If more than one GSA covers a sub-basin, a coordination agreement must be drafted and agreed upon by the GSAs.
Since 2015, the City Of Porterville, Porterville Irrigation District, Saucelito Irrigation District, Teapot Dome Water District, Vandalia Water District, Terra Bella Irrigation District, Kern-Tulare Water District, and the County have been meeting to form the Eastern Tule GSA to cover each District, as well as, white area in the Tule Sub-basin (map). The Boards and Council of county, city and districts approved an MOU (Tulare County Agreement No. 27537) in early 2016 with the intent of forming the Eastern Tule GSA. Thereafter, these agencies approved a Joint Powers Agreement (Tulare County Agreement No. 27912) to officially form the agency on December 6, 2016.
What is the Purpose of the Stakeholder Committee?
The Eastern Tule GSA is looking to identify and engage the varied interests in the Tule Subbasin to ensure that SGMA is implemented effectively and efficiently, and is successful in reaching sustainability. Therefore, the Eastern Tule GSA is working to make sure that through the involvement of the Board of Directors and establishment of various specific committees, the interests of beneficial uses and user of groundwater are involved in the process.
The Stakeholder Committee has been established to play a key role in participating and engaging in the steps the Eastern Tule GSA will perform in the development and implementation of its Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP). The committee is given direction and items to review by the board, and the committee has been given one seat of the Board of Directs so that a representative of their efforts can be a part of the planning and decision making process.
The Stakeholder Committee is made up of a non-voting Chairman from the Board of Directors and ten voting members: one from Ducor Community Service District, one from environmental interests, and eight from agricultural and other local groundwater user interests in the Tule Subbasin. The committee meets at least once a month and sometimes more frequently during specific projects.
Members of the public are encouraged to attend Stakeholder Committee meetings to provide input and comment on the items before the committee.
Those wishing to serve on the committee must submit an application. The Committee is Stakeholder Committee applicants will be reviewed and subject to appointment by the Board of Directors. Members serve for either two or four year terms. The next appointment of new members will occur at the beginning of 2022.
Who should submit an application for the Stakeholder Committee?
Anyone is welcome to submit an application for the Committee. When selecting from the applicants, the GSA Board will be looking to balance the representation of interest of the basin to groundwater use and for individuals that can, based on skills and experience, best contribute to the planning and implementation necessary to manage groundwater in the basin.
Leadership and Committees
Rogelio Caudillo, General Manager
Aubrey Mauritson, Attorney
Porterville Irrigation District
Eric Borba, Chairman
Saucelito Irrigation District
Steven Kisling, Vice Chairman
City of Porterville
Michael Knight
Tea Pot Dome Water District
Matthew Leider
Tulare County
Dennis Townsend
Vandalia Water District
Dyson Schneider
Kern-Tulare Water District
Curt Holmes
Terra Bella Irrigation District
Geoffrey C. Galloway
White Area
John Corkins
Rogelio Caudillo, General Manager
Porterville Irrigation District
Eric Borba, Chairman
Porterville Irrigation District
Sean Geivet
Saucelito Irrigation District
Nick Keller
Vandalia Water District
John Michael Domondon
Tulare County
Denise England
Terra Bella Irrigation District
Glen Fowler
Tea Pot Dome Water District
Eric Limas
City of Porterville
Michael Knight
Kern-Tulare Water District
Vanessa Yap
White Area
Steve Etchegaray
Rogelio Caudillo, General Manager
White Area
Bill Bennett, Chairman
Tea Pot Dome Water District
Matthew Leider, Vice Chairman
Matthew Flynn
Ducor Community Services District
Jim Parsons
Jason Guthrie
Sopac “Soapy” Mulholland
Don Castle
John Gaugel
Julia Inestroza
Mathew Watkins
Tom O’Sullivan
Rogelio Caudillo, General Manager
Saucelito Irrigation District
Steven Kisling, Chairman
Kern-Tulare Water District
Curt Holmes
Vandalia Water District
Dyson Schneider
ETGSA Entity Map
Click the image below to see a map of ETGSA
ETGSA Member Agencies & Their Meetings
- County of Tulare
- City of Porterville
- Kern-Tulare WD
- Porterville ID
- Saucelito ID
- Tea Pot Dome WD
- Terra Bella ID
- Vandalia WD
Board of Supervisors Meetings:
Every Tuesday at 9 a.m.
Contact Information:
2800 W. Burrell Drive
Visalia, CA 93291
(559) 636-5000
https://tularecounty.ca.gov/county/
City Council Meetings:
First and Third Tuesdays of each Month starting at 5:30 p.m. for Closed Session, and 6:30 p.m. for the public meeting
Contact Information:
291 Main Street
Porterville, CA 93257
(559) 782-7499
http://www.ci.porterville.ca.us/
Board Meetings:
Second Thursday of Each Month at 2:30 p.m.
Contact Information:
5001 California Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93309
(661) 327-3132
Board Meetings:
Second Tuesday of Each Month at 9:00 a.m.
Contact Information:
22086 Avenue 160
Porterville, CA 93257
(559) 784-0716
Board Meetings:
Second Thursday of Each Month at 9:30 a.m.
Contact Information:
20712 Avenue 120
Porterville, CA 93257
(559) 784-1208
Board Meetings:
Second Wednesday of Each Month at 9:00 a.m.
Contact Information:
105 W. Teapot Dome Avenue
Porterville, CA 93257
(559) 784-8641
Districts
Board Meetings:
Second Wednesday of Each Month at 9:00 a.m.
Contact Information:
24790 Avenue 95
Terra Bella, CA 93270
(559) 535-4414
Board Meetings:
Second Tuesday of Each Month at 2:30 p.m.
Contact Information:
2032 S. Hillcrest Street
Porterville, CA 93257
(559) 784-0121
The general dates and times of our Member Agencies’ regular Board or Council meetings are listed above. Please call ahead or visit the Member Agency’s website (if available) prior to the meeting to confirm its time and location, as those are subject to change and/or cancellation.
FAQs
The Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency (ETGSA) was formed as a new public agency to implement the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) that was adopted into California State Law in September 2014.
Click: SGMA Groundwater Management (ca.gov) for more information.
The ETGSA has the authority under State Law to implement the requirements of SGMA. Under these laws, the ETGSA, similar to other public agencies, can impose fees and penalties to meet the requirements of the law.
No, the ETGSA is implementing California State Law that applies to all landowners within the State approved boundary.
The California State Law includes all parcels and persons that are within the defined subbasins to participate. Within the ETGSA, if your property does not consume water, or very little, the impacts to you as a landowner will be very minimal for reporting and water usage fees to pay.
The California State Law includes all parcels and persons that are within the defined subbasins to participate. Within the ETGSA, if your property does not consume water, or very little, the impacts to you as a landowner will be very minimal for reporting and fees.
If as a landowner you do not participate, primarily by paying dues or fees, the ETGSA can lien your property, similar to non-payment of a property tax. After a period of time, the lien obligations will need to be paid to avoid loss of the property to collections.
There are three different invoices that may be sent to each landowner.
The first is an invoice that is sent to every landowner in the Greater Tule Management Area referred to as the Water Rate Study Invoice.
The second invoice is for those landowners that are irrigating farmland, referred to as the Transitional Water Consumption Invoice.
The third Invoice is for those landowners that are irrigating farmland who have exceeded the available amount of water available to their account, referred to as the Penalty Invoice.
The ETGSA has hired a consultant that utilizes satellite data, cropping data, and weather stations within the ETGSA to calculate, by field and by parcel the amount of water consumed each month. This data is available approximately 30 days after the end of each month on the landowner online water accounting system.
The surface water available will be added to the online water account (in a separate water bucket) for each landowner based on the surface water allocations from the irrigation districts or any surface water supplies provided by the landowner (validated by ETGSA Staff).
Each parcel will receive an invoice for the annual dues that are based on the precipitation and native safe yield allocated to each parcel. This will be a due invoiced once per year based on the ETGSA Board adopted Water Rate Study.
Only if you utilize the transitional consumption water or penalty water will you receive an invoice charging you for the use of Transitional Consumption Water, which will be billed quarterly. If you do not use Transitional Consumption Water, then no invoice will be sent to you that quarter.
It can be carried over and does not expire. It will be carried over into a separate landowner water bucket that can be used in future years.
Transitional Water is water made available by the ETGSA (overdrafted water) to allow landowners time to transition to sustainability. The charge for using this water is currently set at $245 per acre foot.
The ETGSA has not taken action to limit or charge domestic use at this time.
As solar panels do not consume water, there is less water debited against the consumption on the property. But, if there is still vegetation (weeds, bushes, trees) that consume water, there will still be some debit against the parcel.
Yes, transitional pumping will be allocated to the sinking and holding basins.
The ETGSA sent out a postcard with login information and a temporary password to those lands within the Greater Tule Management Area (not City of Porterville, Kern Tulare Water District, Ducor Community, or Terra Bella Community areas). If you did not receive a post card, please email info@etgsa.com with your name, address, and parcels.
Contact ETGSA at info@etgsa.com, or you can call the office with your member ID, name, and parcel information so our staff can assist you.
Contact ETGSA at info@etgsa.com, or call the office with your member information and we can assist you with any technical questions.
http://etgsa.basinsafe.com/ or www.eaterntulegsa.com and click on “Log In”
The ETGSA will provide a form to complete ((online and hard copy)), that will include the volume of water, member id’s of who is providing and receiving the water, and contact information. After the ETGSA staff verify that the transfer application is complete and approved, the water transfers will be made to the proper accounts.