On March 28, 2022, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order (EO N-7-22). This order requires additional review and analysis of applications for new groundwater wells. The EO is effective immediately and, among other things, creates a new review process for issuance of permits for wells in medium and high priority groundwater basins. Yolo County is a high priority basin.
The EO applies only to agricultural wells. Domestic wells, which supply less than two-acre feet of water per year, and public water supply system wells are excluded. A declaration is required for domestic and public water system wells.
The EO requires that all new well permits must meet the requirements under sections 9a and 9b of the EO prior to issuance. The Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Agency (YSGA) is responsible for the verification under section 9a and Yolo County Environmental Health (YCEH) is responsible for the verification of 9b.
Section 9a requires the YSGA to provide written verification that the proposed well will not be inconsistent with the Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) and will not decrease the likelihood of achieving a sustainability goal for the basin covered by the GSP. To assist in the review of section 9a of the E.O. a Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with the well permit application.
Please note that, for purpose of the YSGA's review, for a new agricultural well to be considered a replacement well, a permit application must also be submitted for the abandonment of the existing well.
Section 9b requires YCEH to make a determination that the proposed well is
(1) not likely to interfere with the production and functioning of existing nearby wells, and
(2) not likely to cause subsidence that would adversely impact or damage nearby infrastructure.
YCEH hired Luhdorff and Scalmanini, Consulting Engineers to develop temporary well permitting procedures to ensure compliance with Section 9. Click here for a handout which describes the information required to be included on all agricultural well permit applications.
If a permit application is not able to be approved under the temporary well permitting procedures, or if the applicant chooses so, the applicant has an option to work with a California licensed Professional Geologist with a Certified Hydrogeologist specialty certification or a Professional Engineer to obtain a report that states the proposed well meets the requirements under 9b.
