Groundwater management coalition hit a milestone with 21 of 23 agencies committing to join the new joint powers authority. With 2026 implementation deadlines approaching, all wells must be registered and metered as pumping reduction requirements begin, transitioning from planning to active management. Multiple wells exceeded water quality and groundwater level thresholds, triggering mandatory notifications to nearby domestic well users and requiring increased monitoring and remedial actions.
The committee reviewed draft budget plans for fiscal year 2026 and approved enhanced outreach activities for the domestic well mitigation program to demonstrate proactive community engagement to state regulators. Multiple groundwater monitoring exceedances were reported across several districts, requiring mitigation plans within 60 days under existing agreements. Staff will issue budget pricing requests by month's end with final approval expected in January for March implementation.
The groundwater sustainability agencies are moving to an independent governance model under a new Joint Powers Authority (JPA) that will take effect on March 1, 2026. This marks a major transition away from current oversight arrangements and will centralize decision-making for the Delta-Mendota Subbasin. In addition, the agencies approved a Domestic Well Mitigation Policy after extensive negotiations with state regulators, meeting a critical requirement for groundwater management implemen...
The coordination committee approved moving forward with a Joint Powers Agreement that all 23 groundwater agencies must adopt by Thanksgiving 2025 to create unified governance. With $7.62 million in grant funds requiring expenditure by year-end, agencies requested project scope changes to ensure full utilization of allocated resources. Water quality monitoring revealed concerning threshold-exceedances at multiple wells, prompting voluntary pumping reductions in affected areas.
