An Ordinance Further Amending Articles 4 and 6 of An Ordinance To Establish An Allocation System For The Oxnard and Pleasant Valley Groundwater Basins

The Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency has adopted an ordinance to amend Articles 4 and 6 of the existing allocation system for the Oxnard and Pleasant Valley Groundwater Basins. This action is designed to comply with Los Angeles County Superior Court decisions in the case of City of Oxnard v Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency and ensures alignment with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014. The primary objective is to maintain the basins within their sustainable yield and facilitate the implementation of groundwater sustainability plans for the benefit of all water users in the region. Under the amended ordinance, operators may receive in-lieu delivery adjustments to their base-period allocations if they demonstrate that using alternative water supplies reduced their groundwater extractions. To maintain these adjusted allocations, operators must submit an annual report to the agency within 45 days of the end of the water year, which runs from October 1 through September 30. These reports must include meter readings and volumes in acre-feet detailing total groundwater extractions, in-lieu supplies used, and the volume of in-lieu supplies that specifically replaced groundwater extractions. The ordinance was adopted on May 27, 2026, and became effective thirty-one days later.