Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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The board approved expanding the 2026 land fallowing program to up to $2 million at $400/acre, targeting 5,000 acres. A billing appeal seeking $5,555 in Tier 3 penalty adjustments ($3,825 for WY2024 and $1,730 for WY2025) was tabled for ~90 days for the landowner to provide supporting data (meter or pump test). Monitoring showed groundwater levels up 30–40 ft in some areas since 2023; west/south subsidence continues at ~0.4–0.6 ft/yr.
Modeling found that even eliminating all agricultural pumping in illustrative no-action runs still did not meet seawater intrusion minimum thresholds by 2040. Economic analysis estimated illustrative pumping cuts could reduce irrigated acreage ~11%–17% and gross farm revenue ~10%–13.5%. The updated baseline projects the saltwater front reaching Salinas by ~2060 if current conditions continue, setting the benchmark for evaluating future projects and management actions.
The board unanimously adopted the final Engineer's Report for the Phase 2 Funding Mechanism, establishing a maximum annual charge of $15.11 per acre, and set the Prop 218 public hearing for June 15, 2026 at 6 PM. Written objections under AB 2257 must be received by June 1; written protests under Prop 218 must be submitted before the hearing. Effective precipitation for Water Year 2026 was set at 10 inches, directly reducing groundwater debits from landowner allocations.
The public draft 2026 Water Availability Analysis, released for a 60-day comment period through May 26, 2026, proposes raising the Tier 1 groundwater use criterion on the Napa Valley floor from 0.3 to 0.5 acre-feet per acre for new and replacement wells. The Water Year 2025 Annual Report reported undesirable results for both groundwater storage and interconnected surface water. The draft WAA also introduces new Tier 3 protective standards for wells within 1,500 feet of significant streams.
The district reported it can maintain a **no-prorate condition through February 2027** even if Class 1 allocations drop to 90–80%. March deliveries to growers were approximately **7,100 acre-feet** — about **200% of normal** — driven by heat and dry conditions. The south-of-delta federal allocation rose from **15% to 20%**; San Luis Reservoir federal share storage has peaked with roughly **200,000 acre-feet** of capacity remaining, expected to draw down as agricultural demand increases.
