Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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At its October 6 meeting, Oakdale Irrigation District heard public comments on regional water supply and farm-water outreach, then recessed ahead of a scheduled labor-negotiations closed session. The agenda included a Proposition 218 hearing on proposed Improvement District 48 rates for 2027–2031, FY 2027 budget and agricultural water rate discussions, and possible canal-project awards involving proposed 2026 budget increases totaling $4.45 million.
The board adopted an AI policy requiring human review and agency-procured tools for staff and directors. It extended Palm Springs International Airport’s non-functional-turf irrigation deadline to January 1, 2030; the airport plans to remove roughly 330,000 square feet. Staff outlined limits on the agency’s authority over AI data centers and new requirements for water supply assessments and certain facility-related infrastructure costs.
The board weighed a proposed three-year Land IQ renewal and the existing district cost-sharing approach; a motion carried after the discussion, though its terms were not stated. An approximately $999,000 DWR grant reimbursement arrived after August’s low cash balance, and DWR approved moving about $115,000 to ongoing grant work. Staff discussed CDFW’s groundwater-plan comments. A hearing and possible adoption are planned for November 3 at 7:30 a.m. at the Arvin-Edison office.
The conservation baseline covers fiscal years 2023–24 through 2025–26; the report for its final baseline year is due January 1, 2027. Staff are processing 201 Ordinance 80 turf self-certifications ahead of January 2027 enforcement for applicable properties; qualifying school district properties have an extension. Preliminary two-week readings at the new CIMIS station were about 6–7% above Indio 2, potentially raising the agency’s urban water use objective.
Groundwater storage missed its target in 2015 and 2016 but is healthy now; the 2026 management plan is set for a November 10 board hearing. Llagas agricultural pumping rose about 5% over 20 years, while total Coyote Valley pumping nearly doubled, largely due to municipal and industrial use. Staff reported about 90% fewer encampments on Valley Water property and less debris, although cleanup costs remain relatively fixed. The committee approved a January 25 special meeting.
