California Attorney General Opinion 24-101

BACKGROUND

The Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency is a special water agency created by the Legislature in 1982 to manage and conserve groundwater resources for agricultural, municipal, and industrial uses, for the common benefit of all water users. 2 The Agency’s formation was prompted by a State Water Board investigation into seawater intrusion beneath the Oxnard Plain Basin in Ventura County. Completed in 1979, the investigation found that seawater intrusion into the Oxnard Plain was affecting 20 square miles of the basin despite continuing local mitigation efforts. To address the seawater intrusion problem, Ventura County and the United Water Conservation District sought and obtained the Legislature’s approval to establish the Agency.

To carry out its mission to preserve fresh groundwater resources, the Agency prepares annual work plans, budgets, and management reports; quarterly work plans and budget status reports; and monthly decision items such as ordinances and resolutions. 4 Since its creation, the Agency has relied on contracts with Ventura County for its staffing needs.

ANALYSIS

The Ventura County Counsel has asked for our opinion as to whether Water Code…