BRIEF HISTORY

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• 1942 - 1944

  • The West Basin Water Survey Committee was formed to study the West Basin groundwater conditions as a result of water levels dropping below sea level due to increasing water demands and increased pumping.​

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• October 1945​

  • Legal action was filed to adjudicate water rights in West Basin to control water overdraft.​
     

• 1946​

  • Twenty charter members signed the Articles of Association, forming the West Basin Water Association and an executive committee was elected.
     

• January 14, 1946​

  • Formation of the West Basin Municipal Water D​istrict failed in an election.
     

• November 25, 1947​

  • A successful election was held and the Water Basin Municipal Water District was formed.
     

• March 2, 1948

  • Five directors were elected to the WBMWD Board and formally installed on March 11, 1948.
     

• September 1950

  • Central Basin Water Association was formed.
     

• December 2, 1952

  • A special election was successful in forming the Central Basin Municipal Water District and the new directors were sworn in on December 19, 1952.
     

• November 17, 1959

  • The Water Replenishment District of Southern California was formed and five directors were elected.
     

• August 18, 1961

  • A stipulated Judgment was signed by most of the parties in the West Basin, agreeing to cutbacks in pumping and to the rights as they existed under prescriptive rights in 1949. An exchange pool was formed, and a permanent Water Master was created to carry out provisions of the Judgment.
     

• February 1964

  • An appeal entered by the City of Hawthorne was denied.
     

• April 1964

  • The action was finally determined and settled under an order affirming the action on April 23, 1964. So ended 18 years of negotiation, litigation, and final settlement by stipulation of the parties.
     

• March 1966

  • A second lawsuit, enjoining the new pumpers, was settled under the Adjudication Judgment two years later. Thus the production of water from West Basin was reduced to 64,042 acre feet per year.​​

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• December 2014

  • Following a motion by numerous parties in the West Basin Water Association, the court ​executed an Amended Judgment clarifying issues raised by the parties and ordered the formation of the West Basin Water Rights Panel to help ensure compliance with the Amended Judgment.