West side lands are sinking, damaging public infrastructure

Massive overpumping of groundwater on the Valley’s west side for the last four years has caused subsidence that must now assuredly be causing damage to roads, bridges, cement canals and the state aqueduct.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has done a good job of monitoring the subsidence, which reached 13 inches in eight months at one location.

This damage to public works is being caused by private well owners and the wells can easily be located on county property records. Who will pay to make the repairs? Fresno County needs to make sure the taxpayers do not end up funding the repair bill for private well owners who are causing the damage.

Is anyone in Fresno County government even studying the JPL subsidence records and is there a plan to recover repair costs?

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 6:38 AM with the headline "West side lands are sinking, damaging public infrastructure."