Governor signs groundwater legislation that worries farmers

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The drought and lack of surface water has forced Valley growers to rely on their wells to tap the underground water supply, raising fears it will all run dry.

Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation to begin regulating how much can be pumped.

"But today we do set in law a framework that has been resisted for a long long time, since before my father was even governor. So there it is. We're making progress," Brown said.

Farmers are worried it will mean they lose control of their own water, but they are not sure by how much. Fresno Farm Bureau President Ryan Jacobsen said the rules are far from clear.

Jacobsen explained, "The ambiguous language we are seeing at this point is concerning and right now it boils down to we have to find out what this language means."

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors learned the legislation requires local water districts and local governments to come together to figure out where the underground water is, and who will monitor and manage the supply. Supervisor Phil Larson believes the regulations will violate farmers property rights.

Larson added, "When I've got title and deed to my property I got title and deed to the well and that's my well and I think I should be able to use it."

The new laws give water agencies less than three years to come up with a regulatory plan. But it's going to be pumping as usual for quite a while, the plans are supposed to be implanted over 20 years and lawsuits aimed at fighting the regulations are expected.