MENDOCINO CO., 10/3/24 — It was over three years ago when Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency amidst dire drought conditions. There is no doubt the most recent drought, which according to the U.S. Drought Monitor lasted from autumn 2020 to spring 2023, touched the lives of every California resident.
Even today, the drought monitor reports that 81% of Mendocino County is “abnormally dry,” meaning the county, and much of the state, is either recovering from or at risk of drought. As of today, it means we’re en route to a drought if conditions do not change.
In 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a series of drought emergency declarations asking Californians to reduce water use voluntarily by 15%, state reservoirs to conserve water, bolster funding water conservation projects and increase difficulties for those obtaining well drilling permits in order to procure the rights to drill.
And despite the looming shadow of La Niña, which could bring both drought and extreme storms resulting in floods this winter, last month Gov. Gavin Newsom let the drought emergency declaration expire, canceling out both drilling permit requirements and voluntary requests made to conserve water.
This opens the door for a flood of well requests, which were stymied by what some may call government red tape.
“With the termination of Governor Newsom’s emergency orders for Mendocino County, agricultural and industrial water well applications will no longer face the additional requirements that were imposed under the emergency orders,” 5th District Supervisor Ted Williams said in a post on Facebook on Thursday, “Moving forward, the water well permitting process will return to the standard procedures that were in place before the executive orders.”
According to Williams, Mendocino County Environmental Health will be updating its application forms and documents to reflect the change. Those documents will be available online in the near future. The county will also reach out to well drilling firms in the region about the changes.
This comes at a turning point for Mendocino County. The county was recently named one of the state’s “most at-risk counties for drought impacts” and is predicted to be a “haven” for climate refugees. And don’t forget Mendocino, where wells were running dry and the Skunk Train was proposed to ferry in water to the rescue.
Going forward, Mendocino County has to find the balance between “drill, baby, drill!” and “every drop counts.”
SAVE SCOTT DAM SAVE LAKE PILLSBURY
Thanks for another article about the criminal negligence of the handling of water by the corrupt government of california.
Yes! I agree!
Save rainwater
i guess since the POS BOS finished voting against expansion for the LEGAL, TAXED, cannabis farms using their “our wells are gonna run dry” excuse, they can go ahead and just blatantly admit that ok sure, drought’s over, drill all you want… so what’s really going on? the county’s money is drying up faster than the water ever could and taxes will go up on citizens to make up for the loss in sales tax (the cash infusion cannabis had on this county was the backbone of our economy and it is tanking compounded with the macro-economic crisis) property tax from declining property values, and of course, cannabis cultivation.
black rock will own this entire county soon when no one can pay their mortgages or afford a $1500+ 1br apartment.