The board advanced the Prop 218 special benefit assessment update, approving the engineers report subject to revising the golden mussel cost component, and set a Dec. 15, 2026 public hearing with Oct. 7 and Oct. 21 workshops. Staff reported copper treatment on laterals 4 Left and 7R reached 100% mortality at monitoring sites at about $130,000 and will return next month with a multi-year treatment plan given the districts 64 laterals.
Four priority MLRP projects previously approved by the Westlands Board are moving into contracting. Staff reported that DOC Prop 4 Round 3 guidelines may come out in one to two months and encouraged continued concept form and application intake. Community feedback from the August 4 meeting generally aligned with the five draft regional goals; specific suggestions will be incorporated into plan strategies and co-benefit sections rather than altering goal language.
The CVP water allocation increased to 28%, with staff working to secure an additional 2% increase supported by current storage levels. The board authorized execution of the $25 million non-reimbursable IRA FLOWS activity agreement for groundwater recharge and ASR infrastructure, requiring no local match. Staff reported Fall X2 will not be implemented this year; combined regulatory benefits were estimated at at least 265,000 acre-feet.
CVP allocation is reported at 25%; staff said Shasta inflows are tracking above the 90% forecast and Westlands is advocating for an increase. The board approved pre-allocating 15,000 AF of supplemental water to offset peak-season pumping and approved new land stewardship rules requiring proper maintenance and district inspection access, with non-compliance risking restricted water allocations including groundwater.
Four land repurposing projects—including groundwater recharge and community resilience initiatives—have received conditional DOC approval and are scheduled to be presented to the Board of Directors for consideration on July 21st. Regional goals covering community health, water supply, habitat, and climate resilience are near-final, with public feedback still accepted via survey through August 7th.
