Staff reported over 150,000 acre-feet brought into the district this season (including a Jan–Feb run), with demand dropping earlier than usual. MID celebrated a ~60-acre recharge facility near the Fermi community now recharging water, and the board approved applying to LAFCo to annex APN 027-172-010. Staff reported 23 capital projects completed since 2019, with two more pipelines planned this off-season.
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.
The District dedicated a plaque honoring Professor Richard Luthy at a new groundwater recharge research basin and launched a monitoring project with Stanford University. District landowners secured $4.5 million in NRCS funding through the Water Spawn Initiative, being one of only three priority areas in the western U.S. The domestic well mitigation program advanced with an RFQ for well drillers expected to yield contracts by early March 2026.
Board approved recharge water rates of $10 per acre-foot inside the district and $20 outside as deliveries begin Thursday through the Air Canal system. The district received a 10% Class 2 water allocation (18,600 acre-feet) from the Bureau of Reclamation that is planned to be moved by the end of February, depending on conditions. Growers interested in receiving recharge water must submit new signup applications to participate.
The board voted to withdraw from a state construction cost accounting program after determining it wasn't suitable for the district, reversing policy changes made in 2023. DWR issued a second consecutive inadequacy letter regarding the district's annual groundwater report, citing deficiencies in water quality monitoring and plan implementation. The district secured nearly $1 million in federal NRCS funding for pipeline infrastructure projects after completing required cultural resources...
