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 Amendment No. 4 to its Monterey One Water recycling agreement and continued proposed groundwater monitoring fees and budget changes to its first August meeting. Annual per-well fees would be about $140 to $280, with a separate initial registration charge where applicable. A proposed FY 2025-26 grant credit would cover first-year charges if the board adopts the fees and the agency executes a sub-grant agreement.
The committee discussed billing confusion related to groundwater use fees, upcoming Phase 2 rule changes introducing fallow and recharge credits, and new monitoring infrastructure. Additional updates included MLRP program progress, enhanced monitoring in critical areas, and real-time data tools for growers.
The advisory committee recommended reducing the 2026 allocation to 1.5 acre-feet per acre due to limited recharge while noting that most growers have sufficient credits to maintain operations. The GSA also advanced inter-agency transfers, updated policies on meters and mitigation, and received a staff recommendation to return to DWR oversight.
Board meeting focused on legal challenges affecting all landowners, strong progress on the meter rebate program, and next steps for the water bank project. Key updates included a clean financial audit, continued federal funding, and renewed commitments to public coordination with James Irrigation District.
The committee reviewed multiple groundwater monitoring platform options and recommended a domestic well mitigation fee structure that would be significantly offset by growing penalty revenue collections. Penalty collections increased from $55,000 to $427,000 year-over-year, providing substantial relief for the proposed mitigation fees.
