State regulators appear to be moving ahead with probation fees; staff discussed an estimate of ~$2.3M for Pixley if charged $20/AF on ~118,000 AF of estimated extractions, with a hearing on April 21; Growers are urged to comment. Kaweah/Tule Water Banking Investigation Shows Promise; staff discussed starting allocation talks in June/July aiming for a September decision. The board unanimously approved joining a subbasin-wide effort to consolidate into one Groundwater Sustainability Plan.
Groundwater averaged 173.3 ft depth this spring (vs 175 ft last spring); staff noted spring 2014 was 176 ft. Staff are awaiting a State Board staff report on Pixley’s exclusion request; if not excluded, May 1 reporting applies. The Kaweah/Tule banking investigation aims for a first draft in ~30 days; a joint meeting is tentatively Apr 29.
The board approved $24,000 for a groundwater model update that State Board staff have been pushing for to incorporate recent dry year data. A subsidence management zone study is being developed with a likely per-acre cost split, with details still to be finalized. The district delivered 7,452 acre feet in January and moved its Class II water before the Bureau cut off deliveries early on February 4th due to dry conditions.
Staff briefed State Board members on subsidence management and water reductions but received no clear signal on probation exclusion, though they expect to be back before the Board soon. A new daily ET tool is planned for March via a separate portal with data back to October, and a pilot with six growers comparing metered use to ET beginning around March will inform future allocation decisions.
The Board approved a 2026 groundwater allocation of 1.78 af/ac, cutting transitional (renamed as penalty) water from 0.75 to 0.37 af/ac while signaling it is likely the last year for that tier. A 2026 pilot will compare ET-based and extraction-based accounting, with monthly updates and recommendations targeted by late 2026. Directors discussed ASR feasibility costs and water constraints but took no formal action to proceed or to reject an ASR pilot.
