Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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A mandatory well registration policy was approved, tying good standing to allocation eligibility and management tool access. Bulletin 118 modeling found groundwater levels below critical head at 4 of 6 modeled sites in the Kaweah Sub-basin; the first DWR subsidence meeting is targeted for July (date TBD). Kaweah–Tule groundwater banking work continues with Southern California partners, with a Phase 1 report expected June/July 2026.
The board approved continuing Metropolitan's water standby charge for FY 2026-27 and FY 2027-28, a resolution supporting a Proposition 4 funding application for reuse testing facility improvements, and a $26,679,800 seismic upgrade contract for the Weymouth Administration and Control Building. A watermaster representative said the golden mussel issue is challenging groundwater replenishment for nearly 2 million residents.
The board reviewed an early draft five-year budget proposing ~$27.39/acre fixed and ~$14/AF variable fees for 2026, pending a Prop 218 weighted-acreage ballot election with initial outreach starting around June. All five Tulare Lake sub-basin GSAs agreed to submit a single coordinated Groundwater Sustainability Plan targeting Q1 2027, with a groundwater flow model update due November 2026. No votes were taken on the budget; staff will refine figures for the upcoming Engineer's Report.
Groundwater use fee invoices total ~$7M, with ~$4.6M still outstanding; staff is targeting initial non-compliance notices around June 1 (pending May 28 board review) for unpaid accounts without appeals or modifications. Extra documentation for modifications and appeals is due May 18. MLRP pilot project agreements are near execution, with site visits to non-pilot landowners targeted for late May.
Phase one golden mussel treatment achieved 90%+ kill; a phase two September 2026 treatment is recommended at $1.7–$2M, with funding to be considered after July. Water supply remains at 100% allocation; snowpack is nearly zero. Claims approved totaled about $8.1M, driven by water purchases and capital work; supplemental purchases are typical in the long-term budget.
