Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
Proud Partners of
State Water Board staff outlined an interim plan process that could restrict pumping near the Friant-Kern Canal unless the Tule Sub-basin develops an equivalent approach; a draft is expected January 2027 with adoption targeted for April 2027. The board approved an MOU with Pixley Irrigation District and authorized up to five million dollars toward an NRCS RCPP match for voluntary land repurposing. DWR said Tulare Lake's subsidence management plan was too reactive.
Staff reported that the state is expediting an interim plan and discussed a possible zero-pumping zone near the Friant-Kern Canal to address subsidence. PID and the Tule Sub-Basin are developing an alternative ahead of the January draft and possible April 2027 adoption. Staff said PID wells are generally shallow and subsidence low, but approval is sub-basin-wide. No out-of-boundary transfers are allowed until studies set limits.
The board approved agreements to facilitate a $25 million Reclamation award to Westlands Water District for groundwater banking and aquifer storage and recovery wells. Staff reported the Delta-Mendota Canal subsidence correction project is about 16% complete, with liner raises expected within roughly 45 days. New DWR Director Tom Gibson visited, emphasizing open collaboration and improved transparency on shared CVP-SWP facilities and costs.
The ad hoc Gradient Facility Committee and staff discussed bringing in Holly Daly and a more collaborative permitting strategy; a proposal will return at the next meeting and could push the timeline to 2028. Staff and the board discussed high drain levels and possible added enforcement teeth for tailwater. A recent court decision was cited that may limit GSA fees on landowners without wells.
Construction bids for the expansion project came in within budget, with splitting work between two contractors totaling roughly $22.1 million. A $10 million state grant tied to work west of Jameson could range from $0 to the full amount, and staff said reassessing the $32.85 assessment is likely unnecessary for now (no board action taken). Staff also warned that around 150 non-compliant landowners face near-term aggressive collection actions, with fines accruing since February 1, 2025.
