Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—on the road, on your tractor, or at home.
Board approved recording liens/notices for a landowner owing ~$745,000 in delinquent charges, without issuing a cease-extraction order; pumping may continue but at the $500 rate/level while credits remain frozen. The board adopted an updated subsidence map and approved a Southern Land Subsidence Study, expected to expand sub-basin-wide.
Federal funding announcements of ~$750M One Big Beautiful Bill Act plus ~$750M aging infrastructure were described as imminent; ~$650M IRA drought funds face a Sept. 30 obligation deadline. Golden mussels are colonizing facilities; response is mitigation-focused and vulnerability assessment final report is pending. Ops: federal San Luis just under 700,000 AF, exports ~4,200 cfs; Vernalis inflows declining; April–May restrictions remain a concern.
The district successfully managed a major snowstorm with minimal service disruptions, though roughly 19 homes lost water for about a week due to inaccessible main breaks. A compensation study found salaries run 5-6% below market average, while benefits remain competitive — findings that will inform upcoming labor negotiations. The annual audit was accepted with a clean opinion and no material findings, aside from a prior-period adjustment of $431,000.
Committee voiced support for proceeding with groundwater model calibration in 2026 rather than waiting, a perspective Vice Chair Lucchesi will bring to the JPA Board meeting the following Monday. Significant basin‑wide pumping data discrepancies were flagged, with a push for more consistent estimation methods across GSAs. Staff also noted the State Water Board is scheduled April 7 to act on returning the subbasin's GSP to DWR, increasing pressure to have defensible data and tools in place.
Staff summarized DWR’s additional information request on the GSP and said draft responses will return May 6 for Board approval. Staff also presented an initial review of potential outside‑CMA pumping and groundwater‑level changes; the analysis is incomplete pending county well‑permit/land‑use data and additional pumping reports.
