GEARS reporting is due May 1 (fees $300/well + $20/AF; 25% late penalty). Staff relayed that if you have an irrigation well and a domestic well on the same property, both must be reported. Stakeholders discussed (based on a webinar) how recharge credits may be treated in reporting, and the April 21 exclusion-denial hearing was discussed.
State staff recommended denying Tule Subbasin exclusion requests; PID plans public comments ahead of the April 7 State Board meeting and related staff discussions. Growers must register wells and use GEARS before May 1, 2026. The Board approved a resolution continuing the ETGSA 2024 Amended GSP and 2024 Coordination Agreement as PID’s interim program.
The Basin Safe data migration is delayed due to complications converting water types and field identifiers, temporarily preventing growers from viewing groundwater pumping history. The draft water budget shows the district averaging a net increase of 6,400 acre-feet per year when only in-GSA recharge and pumping are compared, while including subsurface flows shows an average storage decline of 2,200 acre-feet per year. Staff will meet with State Water Board members in February to discuss ...
The Board set the 2026 ET-based Sustainable Yield allocation at 1.01 acre-feet per acre as an announcement and approved two consultant contracts totaling about $51,000 for subbasin hydrogeologic and coordination services. The subbasin remains on probation with the State Water Board, exclusion requests are under review with no specific timeline for a decision, and local coordination meetings are being planned.
The board approved a 0.3 acre-feet per acre Class 2 water allocation at $55/AF for immediate use through February 2026, critical for securing next year's Class 1 supply. Multiple ditch company contracts expiring in 2026 require legal review to determine maintenance obligations for deteriorated diversion structures. Financial performance exceeded budget with $4.5M in year-to-date net revenues, driven by recharge water sales.
