Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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The Board approved 7 new surface water service applications while wait-listing 12 others pending a canal capacity study, and denied two requests to exit the water service system. Directors authorized up to $200,000 in additional funding for a measurement weir project to address issues with an old sand trap structure discovered during construction. The district is also moving forward with acquiring 100 acres for recharge basins using reserve funds and plans to implement a reverse auction process for competitive property purchases.
Board approved a $16.9M investment in a 4-megawatt linear generator facility that will cut power costs in half with a 4-year payback period. Water charges for 2026 were formally adopted, setting rates at $83 per acre-foot for State Water Project water plus $60 per acre-foot for delivered water. The updated SGMA Dashboard was approved for full public release, giving growers online access to their water budgets, consumption data, and compliance status through an interactive platform.
District welcomed a new Operations Manager with existing leadership transitioning to a support role. Board approved purchasing 2,700 acre-feet of water at $450/acre-foot through the MA-2 program using available reserves, with letters sent to growers offering direct purchase opportunities. District expects maximum carryover and receiving an additional 13,000-16,000 acre-feet through transfer agreements—representing approximately 60% above base allocation.
State pumping fees have been delayed until May 2026 due to ongoing legal challenges, though appeals may cause further delays. A revised Groundwater Sustainability Plan with updated management criteria is due in March 2026, which could potentially allow escape from the probationary fee structure. Additionally, a new water allocation framework is under development that would distribute the basin's sustainable yield across all management agencies, with allocations based on historic pumping data.
Groundwater management coalition hit a milestone with 21 of 23 agencies committing to join the new joint powers authority. With 2026 implementation deadlines approaching, all wells must be registered and metered as pumping reduction requirements begin, transitioning from planning to active management. Multiple wells exceeded water quality and groundwater level thresholds, triggering mandatory notifications to nearby domestic well users and requiring increased monitoring and remedial actions.
