State staff outlined a timeline toward a Tulare Lake interim plan by late 2027 that would raise pumping fees from $20 to $35 per acre-foot. New fees include $100/year for certain domestic wells and about $200,000 to apply for an exclusion, plus $50,000/year to maintain it. El Rico GSAs proposed 10-foot subsidence allowance was raised as a concern, with other GSAs prepared to pursue exclusion requests if it blocks basin-wide plan approval.
Staff reported that the state's Tule interim plan could impose a two-mile pumping moratorium along the Friant-Kern Canal by April 2027, and staff noted the framework could be analogized to the Tulare Lake Subbasin's subsidence issues. A court ruling may allow probation billing to proceed for some GSAs; the state also pushed back on the well mitigation plan and DWR called the subsidence approach too reactive.
The board approved contracts for independent groundwater model review and to begin a new Prop 218 funding/outreach process. Members warned a cash shortfall could trigger state intervention, citing the Tule example where state staff discussed ~$35/acre-foot pumping fees plus annual well charges. A Prop 26 extraction fee was discussed as a possible option.
The board approved Option 2 of the FY 2026–27 budget with $520K for well mitigation (not to be spent without outside funding) and discussed a $16/acre-foot sustainable yield reservation fee concept. Staff said the Tule Southeast interim plan is targeted for June 2027 and Tulare Lake may follow; a revised GSP is slated for March 2027. The board also amended its allocation policy, removing export restrictions and replacing them with detailed reporting requirements.
The board's proposed meter policy requiring flow meters on wells pumping over 2 acre-feet failed after Director Neves said he would vote no over document quality concerns; a revised version is expected in June. The board approved releasing an RFQ to hire a consultant for Prop 218 fee election administration. Staff reported that all five sub-basin GSA managers have agreed to coordinate on a single Groundwater Sustainability Plan targeting submission in Q1 2027.
