The board approved a ~$1.5M FY 2026-27 budget, cutting ~$650K from the draft by deferring most model-improvement studies. The board also approved its formal response to DWR's GSP review, stating nitrate and arsenic conditions will be reviewed annually in annual reports and mitigation evaluated if conditions change. Staff were directed to begin early-stage assessments (Steps 1–3) of two properties showing significant pumping increases outside the Central Management Area.
Staff summarized DWR’s additional information request on the GSP and said draft responses will return May 6 for Board approval. Staff also presented an initial review of potential outside‑CMA pumping and groundwater‑level changes; the analysis is incomplete pending county well‑permit/land‑use data and additional pumping reports.
The Board elected new leadership with Steve Jackson as Chair after three new Cuyama Basin Water District directors joined. A geophysical study showed the Santa Barbara Canyon fault is a complex zone with multiple faults tied to large groundwater elevation differences. The Board approved having the FY 2026‑27 budget process consider a $160,000–$280,000 Ventucopa model recalibration after staff outlined current model limitations.
The committee voted 4-1 to recommend deferring any Venticopa management area allocation decision until the next basin-wide model update in 2028, citing new fault data and current model limits. A fault study showed multiple faults and 600+ foot water level differences. The committee discussed staff’s proposed three-part process to track and address potential problem areas outside the Central Management Area.
Board delayed a management area allocation decision until January 2026, pending additional fault investigation, after staff identified material data gaps. A proposed water market policy was sent back for revisions due to unanimous opposition from Advisory Committee and concerns about stakeholder engagement. They also explored options for basin-wide groundwater management outside currently regulated areas, considering hybrid approaches that could include new management zones.
