The board adopted the 2027 groundwater allocation at 0.82 acre-feet per acre with a $500/acre-foot overage penalty, and approved placing $451,650 in unpaid fees on the county tax roll for collection. CDFW advised emergency stream work may start immediately for imminent threats, with notice due within 14 days.
The board discussed a potential legal counsel transition that would maintain current rates while expanding the water law team. All three Kaweah Sub-basin GSPs have been submitted to DWR, starting a 75-day public comment period. A Prop 218 rate study is in progress, with a preliminary range of about $3–$25 per acre and a draft expected next month.
The Board approved a budget with about $245,000 in governance revenue and increased partnership investments, including $27,500 for basin-wide grant support and doubled funding for economic analysis. The State Water Resources Control Board recommended against probation and returned jurisdiction to DWR, which expects review to take about a year to 18 months. Emerging critical groundwater pressure requirements may force modifications to sustainability criteria, potentially requiring higher ...
The groundwater sustainability agency received a clean financial audit showing strong fiscal health with $3.6 million in assets and over $1 million in net position. The 2026 budget projects a $450,000 deficit due to ongoing costs for updating the groundwater sustainability plan, which requires substantial work for state approval. A new daily evapotranspiration monitoring tool will be implemented at $55,000 annually to help growers improve irrigation efficiency by up to 15% through real-time..
The Technical Advisory Committee discussed a new daily evapotranspiration tool costing $60,000 annually that would provide real-time water usage data to help growers manage irrigation, though some questioned its value. Staff presented a preliminary budget requiring assessment increases from $7.35 to approximately $26-27 per acre for fiscal year 2027 to fund plan updates, well mitigation programs, and implementation costs. The State Water Resources Control Board has still not scheduled a...
