California farmers in the Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins are required to start reporting groundwater pumping by May 1, but the state's mandatory online system has failed. The state's GEARS reporting portal, criticized as clunky, crashed completely just weeks before the deadline.
Farmers under probation must meter wells, pay fees, and report usage or face fines, but the technical failure prevents compliance. Water Board staff have scheduled emergency workshops in Kings and Tulare counties to assist landowners manually.
With the system inoperable and farmers struggling to comply, state officials face a potential widespread breakdown in groundwater data collection as the enforcement date arrives.