Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—on the road, on your tractor, or at home.
The committee reviewed draft budget plans for fiscal year 2026 and approved enhanced outreach activities for the domestic well mitigation program to demonstrate proactive community engagement to state regulators. Multiple groundwater monitoring exceedances were reported across several districts, requiring mitigation plans within 60 days under existing agreements. Staff will issue budget pricing requests by month's end with final approval expected in January for March implementation.
The board reviewed governance issues including incorrect membership documentation that needs correction and challenges with the environmental representative selection process due to inactive nominating organizations. South County cities requested changes to their board representation method, arguing that non-member cities currently have inappropriate influence over their representative selection. The committee also established new leadership and approved a quarterly meeting schedule while...
The Technical Advisory Committee discussed a new daily evapotranspiration tool costing $60,000 annually that would provide real-time water usage data to help growers manage irrigation, though some questioned its value. Staff presented a preliminary budget requiring assessment increases from $7.35 to approximately $26-27 per acre for fiscal year 2027 to fund plan updates, well mitigation programs, and implementation costs. The State Water Resources Control Board has still not scheduled a...
FID approved 2026 budget featuring $25.1 million in assessment income with a $2.4 million increase, while maintaining zero job vacancies across all 90 budgeted positions under new state legislation. The water season concluded successfully with late-summer storms adding nearly 10,000 acre feet to projected entitlements, generating $8.2 million in total water revenues. Board members allocated most of $6.3 million in net water revenues to future capital improvements.
The board approved moving forward with a massive $632 million to $1.48 billion seawater intrusion project that would extract and treat brackish water to push back saltwater contamination threatening local groundwater supplies. Board members expressed significant concerns about the enormous local cost burden, which could double irrigation costs for farmers and increase residential water rates by 25-50%. Staff also presented a comprehensive demand management framework outlining potential...
