Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
Proud Partners of
The District dedicated a plaque honoring Professor Richard Luthy at a new groundwater recharge research basin and launched a monitoring project with Stanford University. District landowners secured $4.5 million in NRCS funding through the Water Spawn Initiative, being one of only three priority areas in the western U.S. The domestic well mitigation program advanced with an RFQ for well drillers expected to yield contracts by early March 2026.
The district discussed disputed NRCS comments on its watershed plan for canal infrastructure and is pursuing clarification. The board discussed a possible $100,000–$150,000 Environmental Impact Report to prepare future conservation programs if new Colorado River transfer options emerge. The Colorado River system is at 38% capacity with 2026 flows projected at 68% of normal.
The board approved granting the General Manager authority to approve non-material Sites Reservoir project share assignments between participants without requiring board approval for each transfer, streamlining processes as the project approaches its 2026 investor commitment deadline. Sites Reservoir construction advances with a contract awarded and completion now expected by 2033. Delta Conveyance financing faces uncertainty after courts rejected the 2020 bond validation attempt.
The Board approved a Groundwater Allocation Policy establishing sustainable yield at 0.86 AF/acre for B and C zones, with decreasing transitional pumping to 2040. State reporting has been reinstated, with reports due May 1, 2026 and a $300 per‑well fee; additional per‑acre‑foot charges are expected. A revised domestic well mitigation program is expected to be presented in February.
The district anticipates substantial unforeseen costs from a July 2027 county road paving project that will likely require adjustments to some water infrastructure, with a five‑year moratorium on non‑emergency road cuts afterward. The new drought relief well construction is substantially complete with pumping to waste planned by end of January. Walker expects the district to remain an independent legal entity for now, noting about $7 million in federal debt as a key factor.
