Basin Planning

In order to ensure appropriate beneficial use protection, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central Valley Water Board or Board) is evaluating for consideration an amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Tulare Lake Basin (Tulare Lake Basin Plan) to potentially remove MUN and AGR designations from a horizontally and vertically delineated portion of the groundwater in an area adjacent to the administrative boundaries of the South Belridge, Monument Junction and Cymric Oil Fields in Kern County.

The Central Valley Water 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, including the Tulare Lake Basin Plan. As a part of that process, the Board is:

• Evaluating whether groundwater within a portion of the area adjacent to the administrative boundaries of the South Belridge, Monument Junction and Cymric Oil Fields in Kern County actually supports the Municipal and Domestic Supply (MUN) beneficial use and determine if it is eligible for de-designation consistent with the Tulare Lake Basin Plan and State Water Board Resolution No. 88-63 (Sources of Drinking Water Policy).
• Evaluating whether groundwater within a portion of the area adjacent to the administrative boundaries of the South Belridge, Monument Junction and Cymric Oil Fields supports the Agricultural Supply (AGR) beneficial use and determine if de-designation is appropriate.
• Potentially De-designating the MUN and AGR beneficial uses from groundwater within an area adjacent to the administrative boundaries of the South Belridge, Monument Junction and Cymric Oil Fields where those beneficial uses have not been historically supported, are not currently supported and/or are not anticipated to be supported in the future.
• Potentially considering 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, are not currently supported and/or are not anticipated to be supported in the future within a portion of the area adjacent to the administrative boundaries of the South Belridge, Monument Junction and Cymric Oil Fields.