SGMA plan approved but local farmers face uncertain future

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Kern County leads the nation in agriculture. With the recent SGMA ruling avoiding probation, I wanted to know if it was good news or bad news for local farmers.

Recently, the State Water Board finally accepted a plan by Kern water managers that complies with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Its goal is to halt groundwater overdraft—the condition of withdrawing water faster than it can be replenished.

Now, I wanted to learn what this means for local farmers in Kern County—what’s the benefit, how will it impact the growth of the agriculture industry, and what comes next.

Terry Chicca is a local farmer from Buttonwillow and a member of the Buena Vista GSA. He and his brother run a farming operation their family started in 1906, growing crops like pis