Basin at Near-Capacity Following Exceptional Rainfall: The Ojai Basin has experienced remarkable recharge with 22.67 inches of rainfall on the valley floor since October 1st (already exceeding the 21.25-inch annual average) and 43.62 inches on the ridge top. This has resulted in a 75.77-foot rise in water levels at the key monitoring well, bringing the basin to approximately 90% capacity with 72,000 acre-feet of stored water. General Manager Jordan Kear emphasized that the basin still has some capacity to accept additional infiltration from creek flows, though the perched aquifer system is showing artesian conditions in some wells.
Significant Data Accuracy Concerns Raised for Creek Flow Monitoring: Jordan Kear highlighted serious inaccuracies in publicly available stream gauge data that could impact groundwater management decisions and legal proceedings. The automated gauge at San Antonio Creek at Camp Comfort reported 198 cubic feet per second (cfs) when actual flows were approximately 20 cfs—an error of nearly 10 times the true value. These preliminary data from county gauges, originally installed for flood warning rather than precise flow measurement, may not be corrected until 2027, raising concerns about their potential misuse in the ongoing groundwater adjudication process.
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