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 22 meeting, the board awarded a $435,000 Phase 2 monitoring-well contract within a $750,000 total project budget. Draft SGMA grant guidelines describe more than $360 million in funding, with the Kings Subbasin able to seek up to $15 million; the basin plans to gather project submissions in January. Staff expects a state review of the subbasin’s five-year evaluation by early 2027 and anticipates possible GSP revisions.
At its October 22 meeting, the Kern County Water Agency board entered closed session on three existing litigation matters, two potential suits and price-and-terms negotiations involving State Water Project water and the Rio Bravo Hydroelectric Project. Other scheduled items included golden mussels, 2026 State Water Project and Central Valley Project allocations and operations, water banking and local State Water Project operations.
Staff is focused on GSP amendments and periodic evaluations due in January 2027. Members discussed how to review project ideas; Harmon suggested revisiting the process in January, but no procedure was approved. Board development, including SGMA education, was raised as a future topic. The committee approved a remote-meeting option, subject to Board authorization renewed at least every six months, the committee’s 2027 quarterly schedule and February meeting minutes.
Montecito outlined a proposed $40 million sale of about 42% of its State Water Project interest, plus Semitropic storage-and-recovery rights and stored water; the board took no action. Staff discussed potential spill risk to some of the roughly 44,000 acre-feet in San Luis Reservoir. The board accepted a DWR charges audit report. DWR calculated a potential $7.9 million debt-service benefit that requires updating for 2028 before implementation.
RP2026 self-directed fallowing and cover-crop reports are due by the end of November; surface-water reports are due December 31. A draft five-year GSP review puts groundwater levels above 2027 milestones and begins a 30-day public comment period. The board authorized a monitoring-well easement, gauging agreements subject to legal review, and pursuit of a Water Resources Analyst hire. Counsel clarified restrictions on board members holding MLRP contracts.
