Fox Canyon GMA

FCGMA

Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency

Oxnard and Pleasant Valley Basins (OPV)

The Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency Board of Directors adopted the initial Ordinance, known as An Ordinance to Establish an Allocation System for the Oxnard and Pleasant Valley Groundwater Basins (OPV Allocation Ordinance) on October 23, 2019. The new allocations are effective as of October 1, 2020. Notification of New Extraction Allocation letters were sent to all owners and operators currently registered with the Agency with wells in the basins providing notification of the new initial extraction allocation assigned to each well. To facilitate transition to the new allocation system during the initial water year beginning October 1, 2020, surcharges will only be imposed on extractions exceeding the greater of the new allocations or an operator’s reported extractions which did not incur surcharges in calendar year 2018 for M&I and domestic operators and crop year 2017/18 for agricultural operators.

The OPV Allocation Ordinance includes a process for owners and operators to submit an application for a variance to the requirements of the ordinance. The deadline for submitting applications for variance effective in the water year beginning October 1, 2020, was June 30, 2020. Variances may be applied for by June 30 for use in the following water year.

The Agency Board of Directors adopted Resolution No. 2020-03 establishing policies and procedures for granting certain variances to the OPV Allocation Ordinance. The Resolution established an OPV Allocation Variance Review Committee to review and provide recommendations to the Board on requests for new and additional allocation above that which has been previously extracted during the allocation base period. The Board appointed seven-members to the Committee.

Current OPV Ordinance

On March 27, 2024, the Board passed and adopted An Ordinance Amending Articles 4 and 6 and Rescinding Section 10.2 of An Ordinance to Establish an Allocation System for the Oxnard and Pleasant Valley Groundwater Basins to comply with the Los Angeles County Superior Court’s peremptory write of mandate issued August 31, 2023, and to ensure the continued applicability and viability of the OPV Ordinance and the sustainable management of the OPV Basins in accordance with SGMA. 

Previously Adopted OPV Ordinances

Ordinance to Establish a New Pumping Allocation System for the Oxnard and Pleasant Valley Basins – Originally passed and adopted by the FCGMA Board of Directors October 2019, the Ordinance was amended and adopted on October 2020 and March 2021, and became effective on the thirty-first day after adoption, this ordinance establishes a new pumping allocation system for the Oxnard and Pleasant Valley Basins.

Transition Allocation Ordinance – Adopted May 27, 2020, An ordinance to adjust extraction allocations to facilitate the transition from calendar year to water year reporting of groundwater extractions.

 

Las Posas Valley Basin (LPV)

Please visit the LPV Watermaster section of the FCGMA website to learn about allocation in the Las Posas Valley Basin. The LPV Adjudication Judgement and Exhibits are listed and available for download. 

LPV Ordinance History

The Agency Board of Directors adopted An Ordinance to Establish an Extraction Allocation System for the Las Posas Valley Groundwater Basin (LPV Allocation Ordinance) on December 14, 2020. The ordinance was based on the “Las Posas Valley Basin Groundwater Pumping Allocation System White Paper” dated June 16, 2017, developed by the Las Posas Users Group. The new allocations took effect October 1, 2021, when the reporting period transitioned to the water year (October through September) for all operators. A summary of the ordinance is available for download.

A table of Initial Well Allocation for all wells in the Las Posas Valley Basin was made  available for download. Notifications of New Extraction Allocation were sent to all owners and operators registered with the Agency with wells in the Las Posas Valley Basin. To facilitate transition to the new allocation system during the initial water year beginning October 1, 2021, surcharges were only imposed on extractions exceeding the greater of the new allocations or an operator’s reported extractions which did not incur surcharges in calendar year 2018 for M&I and domestic operators and crop year 2017/18 for agricultural operators.

The LPV Allocation Ordinance included a process for owners and operators to submit an application for a variance to the requirements of the ordinance. The deadline for submitting applications for variance effective in the water year beginning October 1, 2021, was June 30, 2021. Variances could be applied for by September 30 for use in the following water year.

The Agency Board adopted An Ordinance to Adjust Extraction Allocations in the Las Posas Valley Basin to Facilitate the Transition from Calendar Year to water Year Reporting of Groundwater Extractions (LPV Transition Ordinance) on February 24, 2021. For agricultural operators, the  LPV Transition Ordinance set allocations for the two-month period of July 1, 2021, through September 30, 2021, at 35% of an operator’s Crop Year 2019/2020 Annual Efficiency Allocation and for municipal and industrial operators sets allocations for the period of January 1, 2021, through September 30, 2021, at 76% of an operator’s Temporary Extraction Allocation (TEA). For domestic operators, the Transition Allocation Ordinance sets allocation for the period of January 1, 2021, through September 30, 2021, at an operator’s historical or baseline extraction allocation.

Previously Adopted LPV Ordinances

An Ordinance to Establish an Extraction Allocation System for the Las Posas Valley Groundwater Basin –  Originally passed and adopted by the FCGMA Board of Directors December 2019, the previous Ordinance was amended and adopted on February 2021, and became effective on the thirty-first day after adoption. This ordinance established a new pumping allocation system for the Las Posas Valley Basin.

Transition Allocation Ordinance – Adopted February 24, 2021, An Ordinance to Adjust Extraction Allocations in the Las Posas Valley Basin to Facilitate the Transition from Calendar Year to water Year Reporting of Groundwater Extractions.

 

Arroyo Santa Rosa Valley Basin (ASRV)

Operators in the Arroyo Santa Rosa Valley Basin at this time remain on the extraction allocations established under Emergency Ordinance E. Agricultural operators must file annual Irrigation Allowance Index (IAI) applications.

Irrigation Allowance Index (IAI) ToolsCrop Year 2020/2021 Irrigation Allowance Index (IAI) Application Fallow or Non-Irrigated Land Allowance Application (Crop Year 2015/2016)Training VideosWater Planning Tool (Starting Crop Year 2014/2015)Crop Year Irrigation Allowance Table  (Starting August 1, 2014)Example IAI Map (Using the GIS Mapping Tool –Step-by-Step Instructions)Example Calculations for Determining Exceedance of Agency-Wide CapIrrigation Efficiency Task 2.1Irrigation Efficiency Task 2.2
Workshop InformationIrrigation Allowance Index Workshop Presentation (January 30, 2015)Irrigation Allowance Index Workshop Presentation (July 10, 2014)Topics discussed at the workshops were the following:
  • Irrigation Allowance Index program
  • Irrigation Allowance Index Applications
  • How to calculate surcharges for overpumping
  • Fallow Land Allowance
  • Resources available to you
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