Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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73% of registered wells now meet metering requirements. The Board authorized staff and legal counsel to develop template warning letters for Tier 2 and Tier 3 non-compliance, including landowners who never registered wells. SGMA penalties can reach $1,000 per violation plus $100/day for continuing violations. De minimis applies only to wells under 2 AFY solely for domestic use.
Staff reported a county roundabout project near North State Street with ~$6M in preliminary water/sewer relocation estimates and is exploring funding options. Staff said the Water Authority may seek IWPC membership to replace Redwood Valley's individual seat; GSA participation was discussed as a likely future request. Lake Mendocino is tracking lower than the past three years; a hot, dry March offset a wet January, and the district is monitoring Sonoma Water's mid-year report closely
The Board set surface water rates at $110/acre-foot with water orders accepted starting April 29 and first deliveries estimated around May 4. Staff expressed confidence Class 1 allocation will hold at 100% after April storms, though storage is tighter than last year. Crops are about two weeks early, prompting plans to maximize deliveries.
Staff reported a 61% April–July runoff forecast, low snowpack, and issued a proration letter with estimated amounts by service area. District storage accounts are very close to caps (with Stine and Farmers over cap), so BV/Stine/Farmers canals are running now to draw down ahead of summer. Staff does not anticipate near-term banking activity with Metropolitan Water District
Record-low upper basin runoff may force Glen Canyon Dam releases down to 6 million acre-feet as early as May, with California's 440,000 acre-feet conservation share still unresolved. A two-year labor agreement was approved with $0.50 and $0.75/hour raises. CEQA review is advancing, and farmer input on the project description was requested.
