The Kings County Farm Bureau’s lawsuit challenging the State Water Resources Control Board’s decision to place the Tulare Lake Subbasin on probation is awaiting a court ruling following two days of proceedings in Kings County Superior Court.
According to a news release from the Kings County Farm Bureau, attorneys for both sides presented arguments Oct. 6 and 7 in Hanford before Judge Burns, who took the matter under submission without announcing a timeline for his decision.
What happened during the hearing
Attorneys representing the Kings County Farm Bureau presented their arguments Oct. 6, challenging the State Water Board’s decision to designate the Tulare Lake Subbasin as probationary under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
Attorneys for the State Water Board responded Oct. 7, followed by rebuttal arguments from the Farm Bureau’s legal team.
Following the proceedings, Burns took the case under submission, meaning the court will issue a decision after considering the arguments presented.
Lawsuit challenges groundwater probation decision
The Kings County Farm Bureau filed the lawsuit in May 2024, challenging the State Water Board’s decision to place the Tulare Lake Subbasin on probation.
The legal dispute centers on the board’s probationary designation under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which governs groundwater management in California.
The case has continued for more than two years, according to the Farm Bureau.
We’ve spent more than two years challenging the State Water Board’s decision, and this hearing was an important step in that process, said Dusty Ference, Executive Director of Kings County Farm Bureau. Both sides have now presented their arguments, and we look forward to the court decision.
What’s next for the Tulare Lake Subbasin lawsuit
The court has not established a timeline for issuing its ruling.
The decision will determine the outcome of the Farm Bureau’s legal challenge to the State Water Board’s probationary designation, subject to any further legal proceedings.
Kings County Farm Bureau said it will provide additional information when the court issues its ruling.
