2026 SWP allocation held at 45%; audit review noted 2025 deliveries ~137,497 AF vs 137,588 AF (2024) and lower supplemental sales reduced revenue by ~$10M. Golden mussel treatment showed 100% kill-bag results; county reimbursement likely excludes private costs. Solar net savings were $2.2M but $8.7M demand charges drove a $12.9M bill.
The board approved 2026 fixed obligation rates at 30% SWP allocation: SWP FO $630/AF (net $562/AF after ~$4M groundwater credits), supplemental FO $445/AF, and melded FO $502/AF (~1.72 AF/acre). A $15/acre OMR rate increase was approved to offset golden mussel treatment costs, with ~50% mussel mortality reported so far. The board also voted unanimously to oppose AB 2447, a bill critics warn could collapse California's irrigated lands regulatory program and agricultural production.
Staff reported precip ~80% of normal but snowpack ~46%, with Delta export constraints; SWP allocation could be ~25–30%. Staff presented the 2025 Ag Water Management Plan update noting ~68,000 irrigated acres (down ~13,000). Board voted to set DCP planning funding at 1% for the 2026–27 window pending unmet conditions.
The Board approved up to $2 million for golden mussel treatment, which could add roughly $30 per acre in O&M charges if fully used. The State Water Project allocation increased to 30%, though DWR's 99% exceedance study showed it could be as low as 13%. A $120,000 sole-source contract was approved to replace the district's aging water database system.
The Board approved a 2026 groundwater service charge of $200 per acre-foot, up from $175, to help offset State Water Project costs. Staff reported a significant decline in water deliveries to 130,000 acre-feet in 2025, well below past patterns and the 10-year average of 141,000 acre-feet, raising concerns about land use changes and groundwater use. Golden mussels have been found in the 850 Canal and related pipelines, prompting collaboration with Kern County Water Agency on treatment ...
