Article excerpts:

“The state Water Resources Control Board exceeded its authority, operated under a web of “underground regulations” and made unlawful demands of Kings County water managers, according to a preliminary injunction that is a near total repudiation of state actions in its attempt to reign in excessive groundwater pumping.

“Clearly, the actions of this state agency have not been transparent, are only known to SWB, and there has been no review, analysis or ability to challenge their conduct,” Kings County Superior Court Judge Kathy Ciuffini wrote in the injunction issued Friday.

The ruling is part of a lawsuit brought by the Kings County Farm Bureau against the Water Board after the board placed the region, known as the Tulare Lake subbasin, on probation at an April 16 hearing.

“Today’s ruling highlights the validity of our claims and showcases our likelihood to win in court in the future,” Dusty Ference, executive director of the Farm Bureau, said in a statement.”

Link to article: HERE