Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—on the road, on your tractor, or at home.
The committee received the annual conservation report showing $1.7 billion invested and 8.88 million acre-feet of water conserved or developed since program inception. The enhanced turf replacement program has seen applications surge nearly tenfold to 2 million square feet monthly, though incentives will likely decrease as grant funding commits. Staff presented a new one-year alfalfa early retirement pilot for up to 5,000 acres in Palo Verde Valley.
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.
Consultant presentations on GSA-run modeling indicated that turning off all Upper Valley and Forebay pumping would change simulated seawater intrusion by about 4%, a result that stakeholders debated. Several speakers linked these findings to future Proposition 218 cost-allocation discussions, while staff said the specific runs will not be directly used in GSP implementation. DWR requested additional clarity on progress toward sustainability goals in the critically overdrafted basin.
The Groundwater Accounting Platform launched parcel delineation and well registration features, with a January 31st deadline for marking parcels inactive. A Phase Two fee structure is being developed, with an engineer's report to be released at the February 11th meeting and a Proposition 218 hearing anticipated around April 20th. Staff is processing 72 alternative source water credit forms totaling about 200,000 acre-feet.
The board supported exempting small groundwater users (pumping 2-10 acre-feet annually) from costly five-year meter testing requirements, with a formal ordinance amendment to follow. Staff recommended pausing expensive modeling work on surface water depletion analysis to avoid duplicating efforts already underway in the adjudication process. Updated data shows groundwater extraction projections are 6% lower than originally estimated.
