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...
The board approved a new land-based assessment funding mechanism and set 2026 water allocations at 1.54 acre-feet per acre while addressing revenue shortfalls. Several landowner variance requests were granted and unpaid fees will now go directly to the county tax roll for more efficient collection.
The advisory committee reviewed positive developments including state approval of groundwater sustainability plans and successful water conservation efforts showing reduced consumption. Key ongoing initiatives include enhanced groundwater quality monitoring, well inventory programs, and continued restrictions on overdraft pumping for 2026.
The committee received positive news that State Water Resources Control Board staff is developing a report to recommend moving the subbasin to DWR oversight, expected for a November 4th hearing. The committee also approved 2026 water allocations with no changes from 2025 levels and discussed significant budget increases through a proposed Proposition 218 land-based assessment that could raise rates from $7.45 to as much as $27 per acre maximum.
