State water board action may impose pumping restrictions near the Friant-Kern Canal, potentially affecting tens of thousands of acres, with managers working on an alternative proposal for Bryant. Staff said transitional water allocations will likely be eliminated in the October recommendation. The board discussed a fallowing precipitation-credit loophole and agreed to keep the program as-is for now, with possible GPC review and a future proposal.
Staff discussed a potential 2027 shift from ET-based accounting to gross applied water, with an allocation around 0.82 AF/acre and a hard cap TBD. Staff reviewed the State Water Board's phased interim plan (Phase 1 near the Friant-Kern Canal; Phase 2 basinwide) and noted Phase 2 limits could be very low. Growers were urged to seek reconsideration of State invoices if banked/imported water was reported and to request a stay.
Staff reviewed a State Water Board moratorium threat along the Friant-Kern Canal corridor (2–3 mile zone; ~60,000–90,000 acres) and announced an affected-grower meeting for August 28. Staff discussed a proposed shift from ET/consumption accounting to total applied (gross supply) accounting targeted for 2027. Growers receiving State invoices were advised to petition for reconsideration if banked/imported water was reported.
Subsidence thresholds are being used up faster, and staff is developing options that could shift from consumption-based allocations to total applied/total pumped accounting. The board voted on the 2026–2027 assessment after discussion of the CPI-adjusted maximum. Staff reported a July 16 non-public meeting with SWRCB leadership on the Tule Subbasin interim plan and coordination timeline.
Consultants reported the basin is being overdrafted at roughly 1 acre-foot per acre annually, and staff said 2027 pumping allocations will likely change, with specific options to be presented within 30–60 days. Over half of the subsidence management zones have exceeded 50% of their minimum threshold triggers, with conditions accelerating into irrigation season. Staff also reported that the State Water Board is considering a new exclusion application fee ranging from $50,000 to $250,000.
