Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—on the road, on your tractor, or at home.
The district approved a new SGMA special assessment of $22.29 per acre to cover compliance costs and recover $1.5 million in reserves. State Board staff recommended the Kern County Subbasin be returned to state oversight rather than remaining under probationary status, citing positive progress on groundwater sustainability planning. Despite Zone 7 not delivering banked water this year, the district maintained its 1.7 acre-foot per acre water allocation through increased city water supplies...
A groundwater authority approved a new executive director and faces an urgent 2026 deadline to spend federal funding on drilling 33 new monitoring wells across member agencies. Each local groundwater sustainability agency has 30 days to review proposed well locations in their jurisdiction, with the project aimed at addressing chronic groundwater declines and improving ecosystem monitoring. The authority is working to fill critical data gaps while coordinating individual agencies to select...
The groundwater sustainability agency approved a $100,000 budget increase to complete critical well mitigation and management programs by the January 2026 deadline. Two key workshops are scheduled for October and November to review draft programs, with documents released at least two weeks prior for public input. The compressed timeline requires both programs to be drafted by January 2026 and implemented by January 2027, creating urgency for member agencies to secure necessary approvals.
The State Water Resources Control Board is expected to approve the Kern Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan on September 17th after addressing most deficiencies. The district exceeded subsidence management thresholds at three in-district monitoring points, triggering mandatory investigations under SGMA requirements. The board approved major financial commitments, including up to $316,000 for a fish-friendly diversion demonstration and participation in basin-wide SGMA expenses, with...
The board postponed new surface water application reviews until November pending completion of a canal capacity study, with 21 applications currently waiting. Progress continues on groundwater basin coordination with preliminary allocation numbers showing 1.65 acre-feet per acre of native safe yield. A $501,558 contract was approved for construction of a second 50-acre recharge basin to expand groundwater replenishment capacity.
