A new proposed Butte County Water District; groundwater a key concern - Action News Now

A new proposed Butte County Water District; groundwater a key concern | News | actionnewsnow.com

DURHAM, Calif. - The group Groundwater for Butte is a new committee going against the Butte County District in moving forward with water sustainability issues.

Groundwater for Butte is concerned about water overdraft, drawing more water from wells than is flowing into the aquifer. The proposed landowner-based Tuscan Water District could be a better idea.

State-regulated groundwater must have groundwater sustainability agencies to prevent water overdrafts.

This is because we’re using more groundwater than is naturally recharging yearly throughout the state.

Groundwater for Butte says this is taking away public control of groundwater and that they don't have any plans to pay for it.

Action News Now spoke with the director of Groundwater of Butte, Jeffrey Obser, who says they leave many homeowners with no say over it.

“I want to stay in my home I don't want to face the death of my home because of the well going dry, and it could mean that for any or all of my neighbors," said Obser.

Putting the public groundwater in the hands of the Tuscan Water District, the committee fears local farms and families will have their land taken by corporations.

However, the project manager for Tuscan Water District, Tovey Giezentanner, said there needs to be a plan rather than waiting.

"If we do nothing, we're going to get 15 from 20 years from now and not have projects in place to bring in more water, and we're just not going to have any plan, and we will be stuck. That's not good for us, for the groundwater ecosystem, or for anybody."

Butte County Supervisors plan to approve the Tuscan Water District in the fall.

Those opposed to the district proposal are meeting to do a fake ballot question that the worried people want to know.

Obser said he wants the Tuscan Water District to let people know that their plan is in the people's best interest.

The Groundwater For Butte plans a news conference at the Durham community park Tuesday morning at 10:30 a.m. to voice their concerns.

The Butte County Board of Supervisors plans to make the decision in either late November or early December.