After a hearing with no objections, the board set the 2027 State Water Project charge at $88 per acre-foot of contract water and the additional water use charge at $71 per acre-foot delivered. District staff targeted $13–$14 per acre-foot for long-term golden mussel treatment; a treatment representative estimated $13–$25. No future increase was adopted. Carryover was projected near 17,000 acre-feet; spreading could resume November 12 despite aqueduct flow limits.
The board adopted a conservative 2027 budget assuming a 50% State Water Project allocation and no banking activity, with projected year-end cash of $6.6 million. The fall survey found about 107,000 irrigated acres, down from just over 115,000 in spring; some row crops had been harvested. The general manager proposed lowering the non-contract water rate from $168 to $100 per acre-foot to encourage local deliveries, but the board did not adopt a rate change.
The board declared a golden mussel emergency and authorized a district-wide STI-62 maintenance-dose treatment program subject to legal review, targeting an Oct. 1 start. A 25 million dollar 10-year fixed-rate note at about 4.4 percent through Webster Bank was approved to bridge TCP facility needs and later support linear generators. Staff reported about 27,000 acres fallowed has substantially reduced overdraft while the district challenges state subsidence modeling under SGMA.
The board approved a standardized landowner recharge agreement formalizing an 80/20 water credit split for landowner recharge facilities. Staff discussed substantial fall recharge interest, with firm requests discussed as roughly 35,000–41,500 acres and additional interest also mentioned, while improved State Water Project modeling signaled a stronger water supply outlook. A canal-wide golden mussel treatment proposal is being evaluated, with a board vote expected in September.
The board approved a just-over-$800K Schuster subsurface recharge pilot (about $8K/acre, far below conventional spreading). Monitoring found an arsenic exceedance at RMW 315 (Primex); 3-mile notifications will be sent and the exceedance was deemed natural. Staff questioned DWR's subsidence analysis inputs and will review data before changing thresholds.
