Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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Growers were encouraged to use remaining allocation ahead of an early-November drawdown (expected Nov 5–10) after August deliveries were just under 5,000 AF vs. ~8,000 AF expected. The board approved joining North Kern's aquifer injection feasibility study on subsidence along the Friant-Kern Canal. Staff discussed an October treatment window and flushing lines with district water.
Staff said a State Water Board interim plan for the Friant Kern Canal area could result in pumping restrictions within about three miles of the canal, affecting some Tea Pot Dome lands, and Tule Subbasin GSAs are developing an alternative plan. Staff reported one landowner in 16.71 exceedance with 30 days to cure. Friant Water Authority reviewed El Niño scenarios that could trigger uncontrolled-season releases as early as Nov–Dec.
The board adopted the district's draft GSP with an annual pumping cap staff said is well above current use. Staff said the canal will ramp down in late October and shut off Nov. 1; the district expects stored water to cover the outage and a transition to the new canal if operations resume early. Deliveries are 200+ acre-feet below typical, tied to reduced sawmill and pistachio demand, though staff called the shortfall manageable.
The board approved switching to a single-invoice billing system for the emergency ordinance, reducing manual steps since most landowners accept the tiered water allocation. Staff updated the board on four well mitigation cases and a possible proactive re-drill incentive to reduce interim supply costs. Staff reported the Greater Kaweah stakeholder committee recommended replacing overdraft allocation with a supplemental supply allocation.
Staff reported that the MLRP grant was extended one year by the legislature and that up to five full-scale projects may come before the board in September. Growers were reminded to complete self-reporting in the groundwater accounting platform before the end-of-September deadline. Staff also reported coordination between the Erie pipeline project and MLRP efforts to enable data collection and multi-benefit planning on Sand Creek and Mustang Creek.
