2026 Total allocation = 2.12 ac-ft/acre (with precip.) or 1.58 ac-ft/acre (without precip.) Precipitation: 0.54 af/ac (25 year average) : $0/ac-ft Native Yield: 0.38 ac-ft/acre : $0/ac-ft Tier 1: 0.37 af/ac : Surface Water Users $10/ac-ft, Groundwater Dependent Users $160/ac-ft Tier 2: 0.5 af/ac : Surface Water Users $10/ac-ft, Groundwater Dependent Users $210/ac-ft Mitigation: 1 af/ac : $260/ac-ft Penalty: 0.83 af/ac : $500/ac-ft with 1:1 loss of future allocation The Mid-Kaweah GSA started groundwater allocations in May 2022 during an emergency ordinance due to severe drought conditions that dropped groundwater levels by approximately 38 feet in three years. The allocation system uses satellite-based evapotranspiration measurement through LandIQ, with different pricing tiers for surface water users versus groundwater-dependent users, and unused allocation credits can roll over 100% to the following year with credits tracked through their Water Dashboard system.
