Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
Proud Partners of
LGI Homes received a water shortage exception for Castle Oaks Village 10 (54 connections; irrigation removed). The developer disputed the proposed $223,410 Water Demand Reduction Fund condition; the Board approved the exception while deferring the fund/payment issue to June. Staff updated on the February Ione Canal washout and Ione WTP backwash to City sewer.
Water-efficiency rules are being updated to align with tighter state standards, including 42 gpcd by 2030 and reduced outdoor irrigation limits; adoption is scheduled for April 22, 2026. A phased ban on potable water for non-functional turf irrigation runs 2027–2029. Knightsen monitoring well E-log indicates a potential aquifer zone near ~350 feet; water quality results are expected within ~2 weeks.
CVP agricultural allocation increased to 20% (M&I to 70%), adding ~2,200 acre-feet per the GM; further increases may not materialize. Zone 6 demand is already ~75% of summer peak, raising pressure concerns as the season progresses. A catastrophic penstock failure at Yuba County's Colgate Power Plant has put the Yuba water transfer program at risk, potentially limiting supply during future dry years.
A $1.095M bare-minimum compliance budget was unanimously approved for FY 2026-2027. The board gave consensus direction to develop a Prop 26 volumetric fee ($20–$30/AF) using 2025 LandIQ ag ET data, aiming for a May 27 public meeting/adoption timeline. The WY2025 Annual Report was approved; three Alpamar wells remain below minimum thresholds two+ years, and LandIQ lowered estimated ag extraction by ~15,000 AF.
Fall 2025 data showed 35% of Eastern Principal Aquifer wells and 38% of Stanislaus River ISW wells below MTs. Stanislaus County issued an RFP this week for a third-party review to inform the Non-District East Action Plan due to the GSA Nov. 1, 2026. GWMP targets about 16,000 AF average annual reductions over the first 5 years starting Jan. 31, 2027.
