Kings Subbasin Stays the Course After a Normal Water Year by North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency May 23, 2025 Member Submitted News The Kings Subbasin is not hitting the brakes after a near-average Water Year 2024. Building on the momentum of the historic 2023 water year, Kings Subbasin groundwater agencies remain committed to driving long-term sustainability under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) through local action and coordination. According to the most recent Annual Report, Water Year 2024 (October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024) brought slightly above-average surface water diversions, reaching approximately 108% of the Kings River’s long-term average. Though not as abundant as the year before, 2024 was classified as a near-average year in terms of water availability. This marked a return to more typical conditions after 2023’s wet year. Water users made efficient use of the available supply. Total water use capped at approximately 2.6 million acre-feet. Of that, 52% came from surface water and the remaining 48% from groundwater. In comparison, groundwater made up 59% of total water use during the dry water year in 2022. Substituting surface water for pumping when available continues to reduce pressure on the aquifer. Groundwater recharge continued even without the bounty of a wet year. 200,000 acre-feet of water was recharged by Kings Subbasin agencies. While the percentage of water dedicated to recharge was lower than in 2023’s historic wet year, the commitment to building groundwater sustainability through recharge remains strong. Between Water Year 2020 through Water Year 2024, the Kings Subbasin has sunk over one million acre-feet of water into the underground aquifer. “We can’t afford to slow down just because we had a more average year. The work to reach sustainability continues every season, no matter the conditions,” said Kassy Chauhan, Executive Director of the North Kings GSA. While Water Year 2024 helped maintain the gains made during the 2023 wet year, it is important to recognize the subbasin continues work to balance overdraft from the 2021 and 2022 dry years. The Kings Subbasin is in a better position than it was just a few years ago, but there is more work to be done before achieving sustainability by 2040, especially when accounting for the probability of dry conditions returning before then. With 2025 shaping up to be a less than average water year and no carryover from a prior wet year, surface water supplies across the subbasin will once again be limited. As a result, opportunities for recharge in some areas will be reduced. Groundwater users are encouraged to minimize pumping wherever feasible to help reduce further groundwater level decline. Regardless of present conditions, the Kings Subbasin will continue to expand surface water capture and recharge capacity through project development. Since 2020, the Kings Subbasin has completed over 30 recharge projects, totaling over 1,110 acres dedicated to recharge; that groundwork has been critical to stabilizing groundwater conditions and advancing sustainability goals. While these infrastructure investments are critical for implementing the Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs), there is no silver bullet solution. Achieving long-term balance by the 2040 deadline will require a mix of other strategies. Continued work and coordination among stakeholders, surface water districts, and the GSAs will be essential to achieve sustainability. GSP Update and Periodic Evaluation Efforts Besides building projects, the Kings Subbasin focused on administrative work over the last year. The group updated their respective GSPs and jointly prepared the first 5-year periodic evaluation. The documents were submitted to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) in January 2025. The GSPs were updated to maintain the plans’ approval status, the fundamental requirement to keep local control over SGMA implementation, by addressing State requested “corrective actions”. Recharge Projects Across the Subbasin Beyond planning, reporting, and studies, the Kings Subbasin has invested considerable effort into building new infrastructure projects to increase surface water capture and recharge capacity since first submitting their GSPs in 2020. And the agencies are getting creative to expand their recharge capabilities. The North Fork Kings GSA broke ground on the Elkhorn Groundwater Banking Project, partnering with Fresno County to transform what was previously a juvenile detention site into a law enforcement training facility, with a portion of the land reserved for a dedicated recharge basin. Project construction of the Biola Groundwater Recharge Project Further north in North Kings GSA, collaborations with Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District, Biola Community Services District, and the City of Kerman enabled new interconnections with Fresno Irrigation District’s canal system so existing storm water basins could receive surface water for recharge when available Similarly, South Kings GSA initiated construction on a conveyance project linking the Garfield Ditch to a stormwater capture and recharge basin along Del Rey Avenue. Central Kings GSA (Consolidated ID) began recharging at four newly constructed recharge basins totaling 160 acres, with plans to develop an additional 200 acres using grant funding from DWR. Kings River East GSA’s member Alta Irrigation District closed on a 40-acre site for its Travor North Recharge Project. These ongoing infrastructure investments continue to build momentum toward the Kings Subbasin’s goal of groundwater sustainability by 2040. “Coordinating a project from concept to construction takes more than just one agency. It takes a shared vision and constant communication,” said Phil Desatoff, General Manager of Central Kings GSA. “You don’t have to be a big district to make a big impact. When everyone plays their part, we all move forward.”
