Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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Staff discussed a recent State Water Board meeting and said a coordinated single GSP targeted for March or April 2027 may help avoid a state interim plan that could arrive by end of 2027 and rely on demand reduction. Subsidence was described as the key compliance issue under stricter probation standards applied to Tulare Lake. The groundwater flow model is about a month and a half behind schedule, with parallel 1D modeling underway to keep the overall timeline on track.
Staff reported a 28–30 hour O'Neill Pumping Plant recommissioning window starting Sept. 23 that will leave very little water to meet demands for upper DMC users and Mendota Pool diverters. The board approved a CDM Smith task order (up to $887,617) for DMC subsidence program management. Staff urged infrastructure inspections ahead of rainy season due to worsening golden mussel buildup. AB 2032 awaits action at the Governor's desk.
Metropolitan and IID managers said they would not proceed with Californias uncompensated 440,000 AF conservation under the current framework, aligning with PVIDs no compensation, no conservation stance. PVID discussed Metropolitan fallow-program interpretation disputes and compensation concerns. The board declared Chad Elliott and Grant Chaffin elected and chose Michael Mullion as president and Grant Chaffin as vice president in a 4-3 vote.
Agencies reported 500+ recharge projects in GSPs could yield 1.5 million AF/year. The State Water Board said expired executive orders ended CEQA suspension for temporary permits and that Water Code 1242.1 flood diversions may be difficult for many this winter without a qualifying local plan. Tulare and Madera described recharge-credit and allocation approaches that drove strong grower participation in 2023.
Staff and GSI reviewed draft Chapters 2–4 of the GSP 5-Year Periodic Evaluation (water years 2019–2025), noting brief minimum-threshold exceedances in some representative wells during critical/below-normal years that later recovered. Five DWR recommended corrective actions were discussed, with updates anticipated ahead of the 10-year review. Board discussion noted pumping management as a key lever for groundwater storage recovery.
