Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency Act
Legislation
AB-2995 (34 kb) - State Assembly Bill No. 2995 was passed by the California Legislature and approved by the Governor in September 1982. It became effective on January 1, 1983 thus creating the Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency. This original legislation set up the means of administration and the governmental powers of the Agency, including adoption of ordinances.
SB-747 (13 kb) - State Senate Bill No. 747 amended and added to AB-2995 to allow extraction allocations for each water well when it was approved on June 10, 1991. Since it went into effect immediately, the FCGMA Board of Directors now had the ability to increase extraction charges to a maximum of $3.00 per acre-foot of water pumped. Modified powers allowed ordinances to be changed.
AB-2734 (12 kb) - State Assembly Bill No. 2734 was passed by the California Legislature and approved by the Governor in July 2005, which amended Senate Bill No. 747. Since it went into effect immediately, the FCGMA Board of Directors now have the ability to increase extraction charges to a maximum of $6.00 per acre-foot of water pumped.
SB-988 - State Senate Bill No. 988 was approved by the Governor on July 10, 2014. This bill authorizes, for the purpose of investigating compliance with or enforcing any provisions of the act or any agency ordinance, the agency to inspect any extraction facility within the boundaries of the agency. The bill requires the inspection to be made with the consent of the operator of the extraction facility, or, if consent is refused, with a duly issued inspection warrant.
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) - On September 16, 2014, Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill 1739 and Senate Bills 1168 and 1319, creating the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The Act became effective January 1, 2015 and authorizes the formation of a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) for each basin identified by the Department of Water Resources (DWR). The Act further provides that each such basin designated by DWR as being a high or medium priority is required to be managed under a Groundwater Sustainability Plan.
Groundwater legislation signed by Governor Brown on September 16, 2014.
Agency Counsel's presentation on SGMA at the October 17, 2014 Special Board meeting.
Active Ordinances
FCGMA Ordinance Code (78 kb) - Originally passed and adopted by the FCGMA Board of Directors on June 26, 2002, the current Ordinance Code (No. 8.8) was amended and adopted on January 9, 2015, and became effective on the thirty-first day after adoption, February 9, 2015.
Summary of FCGMA Ordinances (a summary listing, download file size: 25 kb )
Emergency Ordinance E - AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE LIMITING EXTRACTIONS FROM GROUNDWATER EXTRACTION FACILITIES, SUSPENDING USE OF CREDITS AND PROHIBITING CONSTRUCTION OF ANY GROUNDWATER EXTRACTION FACILITY AND/OR THE ISSUANCE OF ANY PERMIT THEREFOR
Water Market-AMI Pilot Program - An Ordinance to establish a combined Water Market Pilot Program and Advanced Metering Infrastructure system demonstration project.
Water Market Phase 2 Ordinance Extension - An Ordinance to extend Phase II of the Water Market.
Water Market Phase 2 Extension 2 - An Ordinance to extend Phase II of the Water Market again.
Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) - An Ordinance to require that flowmeters be equipped with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Telemetry.
Ordinance No. 1 - Adopted in May 1983, was the first ordinance adopted by the FCGMA. It is referred to as the "Well Registration, Reporting and Extraction Charge Ordinance." The ordinance requires that all well owners with extraction facilities within the boundaries of the Agency register their wells with the FCGMA, report annual extractions and pay an annual groundwater extraction charge. Initially, the charges were limited to $0.50 per acre-foot (AF) by AB-2995. However, in June 1991, the act was amended to allow for a maximum charge of $3.00 per AF via passage of SB-747.
Ordinance No. 2 - Adopted in October 1983 to amend Ordinance 1.0, it required that semi-annual extraction reports and semi-annual payment of extraction charges replace the annual requirements for reporting and payment required in Ordinance No. 1. This ordinance was later incorporated into Ordinance 1.1 in May 1992.
Ordinance No. 3 - Referred to as the "Metering Ordinance", Ordinance 3.0 was adopted in February 1987. This ordinance requires that all wells extracting more than 50 AF per year be equipped with flow meters. The ordinance provides exemptions where meter installations were not possible or practical.
Ordinance No. 4 - The "North Las Posas Basin Groundwater Extraction Prohibition Ordinance" was adopted in July 1987. This ordinance prohibits any increase in groundwater use or construction of new wells on or above the Lower Aquifer System (LAS) outcrop or other non-water bearing areas within the North Las Posas Basin. All new extraction facilities within the North Las Posas Basin are required to obtain a permit issued by the FCGMA. Ordinance No. 4 was adopted to protect groundwater quality, prevent the expansion of extractions, and to offset projected declines in water levels expected to occur in the North Las Posas Basin.
Ordinance No. 5 - Adopted in August 1990, this was the most significant ordinance adopted to date by the FCGMA. Ordinance No. 5 required reductions in groundwater extractions, with the objective of reducing extractions to a "safe yield" level of 120,000 AF per year (within the Agency) by the year 2010. This was to be accomplished via scheduled five percent (5%) reductions that total twenty-five percent (25%) by the year 2010. Ordinance No. 5 also provided for Historical, Baseline and Efficiency-allocations, plus Credits for under-pumping and penalties for pumping more groundwater than provided by an allocation.
Ordinance No. 6 - Adopted in June 1991, this was an Emergency Ordinance that increased extraction charges from $0.50 to $1.75 per AF effective July 1, 1991. This ordinance was later superseded by Ordinance 1.1, which increased extraction charges to $2.00 per AF effective July 1, 1992. Concurrent with this increase to $2.00 per AF, the Board approved a change to the Ordinance that allowed extraction charges to be set by Resolution.
Ordinance No. 7 - Adopted in July 1991, this document amended Ordinance No. 5.0 to prevent the waste of water by requiring a water well operator to be either sixty percent (60%) efficient or better, or to lose a portion of his historical allocation. This ordinance was later incorporated into Ordinance No. 5.1.
Ordinance No. 8 - Also known as the "Ordinance Code," this is really a conglomeration of all the previous active ordinances (1.3, 3.2, 4.3, and 5.9). Passed by the FCGMA Board of Directors on June 26, 2002, it became law approximately 30 days later on July 29, 2002. The main purpose of combining the ordinances together was to reduce confusion, eliminate redundant text, and to shorten the laws into a more manageable format. Printing costs will also be reduced resulting in a savings to the Agency.
Ordinance to Establish a New Pumping Allocation System for the Oxnard and Pleasant Valley Basins - Adopted October 2019, this ordinance establishes a new pumping allocation system for the Oxnard and Pleasant Valley Basins.
Emergency Ordinance "A" - Adopted January 26, 1990, to prohibit the drilling of new water wells for use on undeveloped property. Prior to expiration of the ordinance on July 26, 1990, it was superseded by Emergency Ordinance "B."
Emergency Ordinance "B" - Adopted July 20, 1990, to replace Emergency Ordinance "A" and extend the prohibition against new water wells for undeveloped property for an additional six (6) month period, allowing the ordinance to expire January 20, 1991.
Emergency Ordinance "C" - Adopted on March 24, 1999, this law set up a moratorium on the construction of new wells within the East Las Posas Groundwater Basin. Meant as a temporary hold on groundwater extractions and a means of preventing further degradation of water quality and quantity, this ordinance expired on September 30, 1999.
Emergency Ordinance 'D'(2196 kb) - The fourth extension to Emergency Ordinance āDā was adopted on March 23, 2011, to impose a temporary moratorium on construction of new wells and to provide an upper limitation to efficiency extraction allocation within the West, East, and South Las Posas Groundwater Basins pending development of a basin-specific management plan. The duration of this Revision No. 4 to Emergency Ordinance āDā shall be from the date of adoption until December 31, 2011. It shall remain in force until the stated date of expiration, unless the effective period is extended by action of the Agency Board of Directors. Emergency Ordinance 'D', originally adopted February 25, 2009, has been extended (4) times by action of the Agency Board of Directors.
Fox Canyon GMA
800 South Victoria Avenue
Ventura, Ca. 93009-1610
Phone: (805) 654-2014
Fax: (805) 654-3350
E-mail: fcgma@ventura.org