Initial CVP allocation opened at 15%; staff expects it to rise as March pumping data and conditions evolve. Reclamation announced $540M in California non-reimbursable funding under the Big Beautiful Bill (incl. $235M DMC, $200M Friant-Kern, $50M San Luis Canal, $40M Shasta planning). Board suggested staff to draft land-stewardship-linked allocation rule changes; a draft could return April or May.
Groundwater pumping remains well below the district's roughly 1.8 million acre-feet in groundwater credits, though transitional pumping limits restrict how quickly those credits can be used. Monitoring shows mostly healthy aquifer levels district-wide, with localized concerns along the southeastern boundary likely linked to neighboring pumping. Subsidence is stable, though one southeastern benchmark has exceeded the annual minimum threshold, attributed largely to neighboring pumping activity.
The district expects initial water allocations of 15-25% in late February, with potential to reach 50% if precipitation continues, while an outdated Port Chicago regulation led to about 35,000 acre-feet in export cuts and could have caused far larger storage impacts. The approved 2026-2027 budget reduces O&M rates to $42.02 per acre-foot and land charges to $21.89 per acre. The board also approved a subsidence policy and advanced clean energy infrastructure planning.
The Multi-Benefit Land Repurposing Program received $18.7 million in project applications but only has $7.3 million in implementation funding plus $400,000 for project development and permitting. All funded projects must be completed by December 31, 2026. Lands enrolled in MLRP will not receive groundwater allocation, helping preserve groundwater in the basin.
The district reported significant export gains from Action 5 under President Trump’s executive order, adding about 40,000 acre-feet of CVP exports during the late‑December/early‑January first flush period by operating to less restrictive OMR flows. A Community Benefits Agreement plan for the Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan will involve extensive workshops. Groundwater monitoring shows marked recovery in core areas since 2022.
