West
Crop-rich California region may fall under state monitoring to preserve groundwater flow
California might step in to regulate groundwater use in part of the crop-rich San Joaquin Valley, which would be a first-of-its-kind move that comes a decade after lawmakers tasked local communities with carefully managing the precious but often overused resource.
At issue is control over a farming-dependent area where state officials say local water agencies haven’t come up with a strong enough plan to keep the water flowing sustainably into the future. The State Water Resources Control Board will hold a hearing Tuesday to decide whether to place the region under monitoring, which would mean state, not local, officials would temporarily watch over and limit how much water could be pumped from the ground.
CALIFORNIA CONSIDERS ADDING TREATED WASTEWATER TO DRINKING SUPPLY THROUGH NEW PROPOSAL
“It’s a huge deal,” said Dusty Ference, executive director of the Kings County Farm Bureau, which represents regional farmers. “What you gain in having local control is the ability to build groundwater recharge projects and some flexibility with how water is used and moved and traded or not.”
Sandbags are stacked around a well in anticipation of flooding of the Kings River in the Island District of Lemoore, Calif., April 19, 2023. California officials are considering whether to take over monitoring groundwater use in the fertile San Joaquin Valley under a landmark law aimed at protecting water flow to homes and farms. The Tuesday, April 16, 2024, hearing before the State Water Resources Control Board is the first of its kind since California passed a groundwater management law a decade ago. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Ference said the state board wouldn’t have the local expertise or staff to do this.
“It will just be, ‘Here’s the pumping amount we authorize. Do with it what you can.’”
The hearing is seen as a test of how California’s groundwater rules are working 10 years after lawmakers passed them. The limits came after years of overpumping and drought led to a host of problems ranging from residential wells running dry to sinking land. The goal was to make the most critically overdrafted groundwater basins sustainable.
Communities have since formed groundwater sustainability agencies and drafted management plans. In the Tulare Lake Subbasin, five local agencies worked on a single proposal, only to see it rejected last year by the state Department of Water Resources over concerns about lowering groundwater levels, sinking land and degrading groundwater quality.
If the state water board steps in after Tuesday’s hearing, officials could require anyone who extracts more than a minimal amount of groundwater to report how much they take and pay fees for it. The state could also require larger pumpers to install and use meters that measure water use.
The Tulare Lake Subbasin covers a stretch of Kings County, which is home to about 150,000 people halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The county is a major producer of milk, pistachios, cotton and processed tomatoes, according to a county agricultural report.
It’s also home to Tulare Lake, a large, dry basin that fills with water in rainy years. The lake most recently reappeared in 2023 after intense winter downpours that flooded farms and roads.
Doug Freitas, an almond grower who owns property in areas governed by three different groundwater agencies, said each agency has been talking about what to do next. He said he knew about the state’s groundwater law, but like most small farmers, he was so busy trying to make ends meet that he couldn’t foresee the impact.
“As a farmer, my opinion is we need more time,” Freitas said. “I would like to go to that meeting and beg for mercy and ask for them to let us come back to the table.”
One of the agencies, the Mid-Kings River Groundwater Sustainability Agency, proposed an April 23 vote on charging landowners fees and limiting pumping. The move has met with some resistance, and agency director Dennis Mills recently told residents something must be done if they want to try to keep the state from stepping in.
“They will not accept more promises at this point,” Mills said. “Just a revised plan is not good enough. They need to see concrete steps as to how we’re addressing these things.”
Then there are people like Joaquin Contente, a longtime dairy farmer in Kings County, who said pumping fees and caps spell trouble for him, whether they are imposed by local or state officials. He relies on groundwater to grow the alfalfa he feeds his 800 cattle.
“I know there’s a lot of people losing sleep over it, because I am one of them,” Contente said.
Ference, the farm bureau director, said he supports local control so that farmers can have a say in what happens and communities can invest in local recharge projects.
“This is a community, countywide issue that, if it’s not managed properly, will be catastrophic,” he said.
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BERNALILLO COUNTY, N.M. — The Bernalillo County Assessor filed an ethics complaint against the treasurer over short-term rentals and allegedly costing the county nearly $2 million.
Assessor Damian Lara accused Treasurer Tim Eichenberg of setting up “NM Property Tax,” a business hired by the owners of at least seven residential properties, to help lower their taxes and represent them before the county’s valuation protest board – as they faced higher taxes for reclassifying their properties as short-term rentals.
While the board sided with the reclassification, Lara accused Eichenberg of ignoring the decision and costing the county “nearly $1.8 million.”
Lara filed a letter with the State Ethics Commission regarding these claims. He’s asking them to investigate Eichenberg’s alleged violations of state law regarding government conduct.
“Lowering the tax liability for these businesses means that the average homeowner has to pick up that cost,” Lara said, “and that’s unfair to all homeowners who have played by the rules.
“The law is clear on this issue: If you operate as a business, you are classified as a business.”
In April, Lara’s office developed a first-of-its-kind policy reclassifying short-term rentals. The policy will classify properties that are rented for fewer than 29 nights-in-a-row as commercial properties.
This new policy affects houses, condos, and apartments but doesn’t include leased apartments or hotels.
In 2023, there were approximately 4,000 properties considered short term rentals. With this new policy, 1,000 are considered short term rentals and the remaining 3,000 are now available as long-term housing.
MORE: Bernalillo County reclassifies short-term rentals
Two days after the 2026 NFL Draft ended, Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Matthew Bedford accepted an invite to the New Orleans Saints’ rookie minicamp, and punter James Ferguson-Reynolds to the New York Giants’ rookie minicamp, according to The Oregonian’s James Crepea.
Bedford started his college career with the Indiana Hooisers and Ferguson-Reynolds with the Boise State Broncos before transferring to Eugene, Oregon.
Offensive Lineman Matthew Bedford
Across his two seasons with Oregon, Matthew Bedford only played eight of the 29 games played after suffering a left knee injury in the fall of 2024.
He was set to be the starting right guard and was only on the offensive line for 84 total snaps during his time with the Ducks.
Punter James Ferguson-Reynolds
James Ferguson-Reynolds, a native of Geelong, Australia, came to the United States in 2020. He was named an Associated Press Third Team All-American in 2023.
In his senior season with Oregon, Ferguson-Reynolds punted 35 times for 1,470 yards, averaging 42.0 yards per attempt. The leftie had 17 punts inside the 20-yard line and six punts of 50-plus yards, with a long boot of 58 yards.
Below are the four other Ducks that will be looking for a shot at a spot at an NFL training camp and an opening-day roster spot.
Running Back Noah Whittington
Noah Whittington is headed to the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent, per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
The Ducks’ leading rusher from the 2025 season was an All-Big Ten Conference Honorable Mention selection with 829 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 129 carries. He finished his college career with 2,950 career rushing yards after starting his career with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers from 2020 to 2021, then moving to the Emerald City from 2022 to 2025.
Offensive Tackle Isaiah World
Isaiah World signed as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Zenitz.
The 6-8, 315-pound giant earned All-Big Ten Conference Honorable Mention honors before suffering a torn ACL in his left knee during the College Football Playoff semifinal loss to the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl. The former Nevada Wolfpack is expected to make a full recovery after not participating in the NFL Combine or Oregon’s Pro Day.
Long Snapper Luke Basso
Luke Basso will sign as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos, reported by Crepea.
The Duck will have the chance to reunite with quarterback Bo Nix, with whom he played alongside during the 2022 and 2023 campaigns at Autzen Stadium. The primary specialist appeared in 39 games, while earning All-Big Ten Conference First Team honors in his redshirt junior season and All-Big Ten Conference Second Team honors during his redshirt senior season.
Kicker Atticus Sappington
Atticus Sappington will be joining the Minnesota Vikings as a rookie minicamp invite, per Crepea.
The former Oregon State Beaver turned Duck went 51-for-61 on his field goal college attempts, turning a 83.6 percentage. On 40 through 49-yard attempts, Sappington knocked through 17-for-21 kicks through the uprights.
With the long distance of 50 yards or more, the Portland, Oregon, native finished 2-for-5 throughout his college career. His longest included a 51-yarder against the Washington Huskies on Nov. 29, 2025, in the rivalry road 26-14 win to cap his Pacific Northwest tenure.
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Utah kept pushing and tied the game 1:45 into the third period with Michael Carcone’s first of the series. Less than five minutes later, Captain Clayton Keller’s goal gave the Mammoth its first lead of the game. Throughout this playoff series, plenty of different players have stepped up in a variety of ways. Having this depth, and plenty of impactful performances, has been a strength of the Mammoth.
“It’s playoff hockey, you kind of expect bigger games from everybody,” Sergachev explained. “And guys are providing, and they’re playing well. (Karel Vejmelka) is standing on his head, saving crazy shots, and facing a lot of traffic in front.”
Brett Howden’s second goal of the night tied the game, 4-4 halfway through the third. After neither team was able to convert in the final nine and a half minutes of the third period, Game 4 went to overtime. Both teams generated multiple chances; however, Shea Theodore’s goal with 52 seconds left in the first overtime period secured the win for Vegas.
“We had lots of good looks early,” Keller said of overtime. “They did too. Lots of back and forth and I think, for a lot of us, it’s probably the first game in overtime we’ve had in the playoffs, and to feel that’s good and it’s experience. It’s only going to help us moving forward.”
As they have done throughout the playoffs and the regular season, Utah will use this experience to their advantage while remaining even-keeled. It’s a best of three series with Game 5 on Wednesday and Game 6 on Friday. The Mammoth have plenty of leaders in their locker room to keep them focused and encouraged moving forward.
“Yeah, that’s something that we’ve worked at all year,” Keller shared. “We’ve gotten better, and this is the time when we need to be even keeled the most, each team is going to have a push, until you rebound and take the other team’s push. I think we’ve done a great job all year, and we’ve got to continue to work at that.”
“There is plenty of hockey left in this series; a tied series going back,” Cole explained. “It’s a three-game series. (We’re) focusing on what we can control and where we stand right now. I think that will do us well.”
Additional Notes from Tonight
- Six of Utah’s 12 forwards recorded over 20 minutes of ice time: Lawson Crouse (28:56), Logan Cooley (27:58), Schmaltz (27:46), Keller (25:40), Dylan Guenther (24:34), and Alexander Kerfoot (21:40). All six of Utah’s defenseman recorded over 20 minutes of playing time. Sergachev led all Mammoth skaters with 30:32 TOI.
- The Mammoth set a new franchise high for hits in a single game with 57. Kailer Yamamoto and MacKenzie Weegar each recorded nine hits, which led the team.
- With three Mammoth defenseman recording points in Game 4, Utah’s blueliners have combined for 11 points (3G, 8A) through the first four games of the series. Sergachev (1G, 2A), Cole (1G), and Sean Durzi (1A) all had points in the loss.
- With three assists in Game 4, Sergachev became the first Mammoth skater to post a three-point game in the playoffs.
Game 5 is on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Game 6 is on Friday at the Delta Center. If Game 7 is needed, the series will shift back to Vegas on Sunday.
Upcoming Schedule
- May 3: UTA vs VGK – TBD
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