Thursday May 29, 2025
Action News Now —
A slow but steady sinking of the ground in Tehama County is raising red flags among local officials, who warn that the consequences could be serious — especially for farmers.
“We’re pumping more water out of the ground than is going back in,” said Justin Jenson, Deputy Director of Tehama County Public Works. “That causes the groundwater table to drop. The water moves further and further away from the surface.”
Jenson has been closely monitoring the phenomenon, known as land subsidence, particularly in the county’s central region. As groundwater is extracted at a faster rate than it can naturally replenish, underground pockets of empty space begin to form — leading to a gradual sinking of the land above.
“If the ground level is sinking in an area, it creates a sort of belly,” Jenson said. “You can start cracking bridges, cracking pavement.”
The long-term impacts could reach far beyond infrastructure. Jenson warns that continued subsidence could eventually damage roads, bridges and even compromise agricultural land.