- August 27 workshop in Kerman, California supported local well registration.
- All domestic, farm, and industrial wells must be registered.
- Failure to register by November 30 may lead to $100 fines per well.
- Additional workshops and support are being offered this fall.
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 — California’s North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency
(North Kings GSA) held its first public workshop on August 27 at the Kerman Community Center to help well owners comply with a new registration requirement. The workshop marked the beginning of a series of community events designed to support residents before the November 30 registration deadline.
The requirement applies to all private, household, agricultural, industrial, and public system wells within the North Kings GSA service area, which covers the greater Kerman, Biola, Easton, Fresno, and Clovis regions.
Details of the Requirement.
Under the policy adopted by the North Kings GSA board in April, well registration became mandatory on May 1, 2025. By the end of November, all wells must be registered or owners will face a $100 late fee per well.
Agency leaders explained that the registration process will give the community a clearer picture of the number and type of wells drawing from the local aquifer. This information is necessary for groundwater planning under the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, passed in 2014.
Filling In Data Gaps.
North Kings is one of seven agencies in the Kings subbasin, which spans Fresno County. The subbasin’s groundwater sustainability plan was approved in 2023, and agencies are now focused on implementation. Well registration helps fill long-standing “data gaps” that make it difficult to assess how groundwater level declines affect different types of wells.
Information collected through the registry will remain confidential and will only be used by agency managers and consultants. Data will not be publicly tied to individual landowners.
If local agencies do not meet groundwater requirements, state regulators may step in. Intervention by the State Water Resources Control Board could include mandatory metering, registration with the state, annual fees of $350 per well, and pumping charges of $20 per acre-foot of water extracted. Two subbasins in the region, Tulare Lake and Tule, are already on probationary status.
Support for Well Owners.
During the Kerman workshop, agency staff provided on-site computer assistance, multilingual support in Spanish and Punjabi, and guidance on the type of well information needed. Well owners were encouraged to bring laptops or tablets to complete registration on-site.
The registration process is hosted through an online platform called Subcurrent, where owners can enter well details and upload documentation. Technical support is also available during business hours by phone and email.
North Kings GSA has announced that additional workshops and community outreach events will take place throughout the fall to ensure well owners have multiple opportunities to complete the process before the November 30 deadline.
The required information to complete the registration is posted on the North Kings GSA website.
