California farmers in the Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins face a critical deadline to report groundwater pumping, but the state's mandatory online system has failed. Farmers in Kings County and parts of Tulare County must report pumping by May 1 or face fines, as part of a 2024 probation order for inadequate groundwater management.
The state's GEARS reporting portal, already criticized as clunky, crashed completely on Monday, just weeks before the deadline. Local water managers report the system is dysfunctional, with only 4 out of 50 upload attempts succeeding, predicting major compliance gaps.
The State Water Board has scheduled emergency in-person workshops in locations like Lemoore, Porterville, Corcoran, and Earlimart to help farmers navigate the broken system. With the reporting system offline and farmers struggling to comply, widespread non-compliance and administrative chaos appear likely as the fast-approaching deadline arrives.