They stood elbow to elbow, they spilled out into the hall and they meant business.

Worried farmers and property owners inundated an office room at Hanford's Netto Ag Inc. on Wednesday, and there was one overriding reason -- dropping water well levels they blame on the Kings County Water District.

A newly-formed organization called the Kings River Area Property Owners, with Netto CEO James Netto as its chairman, hosted the meeting, which was a preliminary attempt to figure out what to do about the district operation they say is responsible.

Called the Apex Conjunctive Use Project, the district's operation is pumping water out of a recharge area near the Kings River close to Burris Park and sending it into the People's Ditch system and the Settlers Ditch system, where it is transported and sold to thirsty farmers throughout northeastern Kings County.

The operation is designed to bank water during wet years, floods and off-season flows for pumping during the summer months.

"We're saving water, getting extra water during flood releases," said Don Mills, general manager for the district.

But while the project may be benefiting some users, it's sticking in the craw of landowners closer to the river.

According to James Netto, four district pumps came on a couple of months ago to suck as much as 15,000 gallons per minute out of the ground.

Since then, he said, two residential wells and four farm wells in the area have gone dry.

"Everything was supposed to be really fine. (But) we have wells going dry," Netto said.

Netto is worried that the district is planning to increase its pumping operation.

"We don't have the first (impact) figured out yet," he said.

The packed room of farmers and private well users Wednesday provided evidence many others are also concerned.

So much so, that many signed up to give $10 per acre of land they own to the Kings River Area Property Owners to fund possible legal action against the district.

One of the most eager to sign up was Joe Elliott, who owns three acres of land on Elder Avenue that depend on wells.

Elliott said one of his wells went dry early Tuesday morning.

And he's convinced that the Apex Project is the culprit.

Brad Johns, president of Hugh Johns Inc., which farms 620 acres in the Burris Park area, went so far as to call for the firing of Mills and the replacement of all the members of the district's board of directors.

Netto said that's not what the organization is seeking.

"We want to preserve the watershed along the Kings River," Netto said.

Netto said he is concerned that the district is pumping too much water out of the area.

Netto said he's in favor of the project if it's a "win-win" for everybody, but not if it comes at the expense of Kings River Area Property owners, which he says now numbers some 60 property owners.

With possibly more on the way.

People like Mike Kuckenbaker, who owns 20 acres on Elgin Avenue near Lemoore Naval Air Station.

Kuckenbaker said he wants to "find out what's happening."

"I've got a domestic well that's only got a little bit of water in the bottom of it," he said.

Mills said in a phone interview that the district is working with the Kings River Area Property Owners to determine if the drop in their well levels is due to drought or is directly connected to pumping.

"If some of it is our fault, then we're going to address that," Mills said.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2432

(Aug. 21, 2008)