Errant Water Permit Puts Good Humus Farm at Risk
April 06, 2025
By Scott Steward
Boundary Bend was cited by the County in August 2023 for its non-permitted well drilling in the Hungary Hollow region of Capay Valley. So how, after two years of evidence showing that the well is out of compliance, is County staff recommending upholding Boundary Bends agricultural well permit # 23-022W? The County and Boundary Bend know that the new well is too big and too close to Good Humus farm.
Good Humus and other family farms have already had to modify their wells to sustain their table crop farms. Nearly three generations of care have gone into the land craft of organic farming in Hungary Hollow. Without much help, these farms have entered our region's food markets and succeeded in producing some of the healthiest food on earth. Capay has inspired farm-to-fork land care nationally.
Boundary Bend (application #23-022W) took advantage of one-time replacement well criteria that the county was obliged to put in place for farms and residents short on water following the seven-year drought. Replacement well designation was allowed for existing agricultural operations and drinking water. Boundary Bend did not meet the criteria for a replacement well. Instead of reapplying as a new well, Boundary hired lawyers at Kronick to lean on the county.
Here are some of the facts that show that Boundary Bend application #23-022W did not and does not qualify for the approved "replacement well" status. The application:
- did not qualify for simplified replacement well consideration. The application for the Boundary well was not necessary for established agriculture or drinking water.
- did not verify historical use. The old defunct existing well was known to be out of use for 60 years.
- did request a 12" diameter casting pipe vs. the pre-existing 10" casting pipe, increasing drawing capacity, which contradicts the "replacement" well categorization.
Other disqualifications for Boundary Bends replacement well will be listed in Annie Main's report at Tuesday's April 8th Board of Supervisors meeting (item 21, first item after public comment - likely start about 9:15 am).
Come join what is likely to be a large contingent of public voices who hope to encourage our Supervisors to decline Yolo County's staff recommendation and direct staff to reclassify Boundary Bend's application as a new well with all criteria that apply to new wells.
The county needs the state's legal help to counter what is a run on our regional aquifer. Due to aquifer collapse, sublimation is already more common in Yolo County. Once there is sublimation, there is no recovery of groundwater capacity. It does not take sublimation to ruin a vegetable and fruit farm; it takes just one season for the well to run dry to ruin a farm.
This is our groundwater and our local water and food shed. Speak for your water and our local food producers.
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