Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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The groundwater sustainability agency received a clean financial audit showing strong fiscal health with $3.6 million in assets and over $1 million in net position. The 2026 budget projects a $450,000 deficit due to ongoing costs for updating the groundwater sustainability plan, which requires substantial work for state approval. A new daily evapotranspiration monitoring tool will be implemented at $55,000 annually to help growers improve irrigation efficiency by up to 15% through real-time..
The board approved canceling November and December meetings due to holidays and scheduled a special meeting for December 15th at 8:00 AM. The Landowner Assessment Committee received guidance on using the Proposition 26 process for implementing assessments through a protest-based election system. Technical assistance applications are being processed and coordinated with the agency's technical advisor, showing active landowner engagement in groundwater sustainability projects.
At the Forebay committee’s October 27 meeting, staff described the demand management framework as a planning tool, not an immediate pumping restriction. Members praised the Forebay and Upper Valley technical advisory committee but questioned how it would work alongside the framework. They also warned that restrictions farther north could shift production and pumping south. Staff said its economic analysis will assess potential shifts and regional impacts.
The water authority faces a critical infrastructure crisis with subsidence damage threatening to eliminate water delivery capacity by 2043, requiring $4 billion statewide to repair the State Water Project. The agency is advocating for $150 million annually from California's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to address these massive repair costs. Despite the infrastructure challenges, current water supply remains stable with approximately 39,000 acre-feet available for delivery and storage...
The Board approved a major milestone for the Friant-Kern Canal Pump-Back Project, formally adopting environmental documentation and authorizing implementation to restore water delivery capabilities affected by subsidence. Water operations achieved nearly double the previous year's volume through the Cross Valley Canal, totaling approximately 34,000 acre-feet with extensive quality monitoring. The ongoing federal government shutdown is significantly impacting water infrastructure projects...
