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 ...
Board approved a 2026 budget featuring approximately $10 per contract acre increases in both O&M and Fixed Obligation rates, driven by a $600,000 increase for equipment inventory and aging infrastructure replacement. A comprehensive groundwater recharge study identified the White Wolf sub-basin as the most suitable location for future recharge projects, with conditions improving toward eastern areas. New environmental law changes now allow remote participation for board members.
The water district board unanimously reaffirmed the engineer-manager's authority to initiate water management activities including recharge operations and exchange programs without requiring additional board approvals for each decision. The district experienced a significant loss of approximately 3,400 acre-feet of stored water in 2023 spill events when carryover supplies weren't evacuated before new water became available. The State Water Resources Control Board approved sending the Kern...
