Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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A groundwater extraction fee of ~$22.28 per acre-foot is moving toward potential adoption for FY 2026-2027. The fee report must be published by May 7, and adoption could be considered at the May 27 meeting. The fee methodology now uses a water year (Oct–Sep) and charges only on ET of applied water, with a 5% appeals allowance built in. Staff also reported strong early enrollment in the newly launched fallowed land registry, which offers growers key protections.
Despite near-normal precipitation, snowpack is effectively gone after a warm, dry winter, leaving reservoirs without summer replenishment—water users should plan for a dry season. A groundwater model review suggests the district's corner of the Eastern San Joaquin basin is roughly neutral-to-positive in storage, meaning local pumping is not driving regional overdraft. Staff did not propose new Enterprise vehicle purchases in FY 25–26.
The committee approved the prior meeting minutes and unanimously passed two recommendations to the board: (1) that the upcoming GSA's periodic evaluation (PE) state the GSA will develop a well mitigation program within the next five-year implementation period, and (2) that the board dedicate FY 2026–27 budget funds to initiate the planning process in early 2027. Staff analysis estimated ~400–462 sustainably-constructed domestic wells are above the current MT level (24–32%), with worst-case...
73% of registered wells now meet metering requirements. The Board authorized staff and legal counsel to develop template warning letters for Tier 2 and Tier 3 non-compliance, including landowners who never registered wells. SGMA penalties can reach $1,000 per violation plus $100/day for continuing violations. De minimis applies only to wells under 2 AFY solely for domestic use.
Staff reported a county roundabout project near North State Street with ~$6M in preliminary water/sewer relocation estimates and is exploring funding options. Staff said the Water Authority may seek IWPC membership to replace Redwood Valley's individual seat; GSA participation was discussed as a likely future request. Lake Mendocino is tracking lower than the past three years; a hot, dry March offset a wet January, and the district is monitoring Sonoma Water's mid-year report closely
