Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—on the road, on your tractor, or at home.
Board delayed a management area allocation decision until January 2026, pending additional fault investigation, after staff identified material data gaps. A proposed water market policy was sent back for revisions due to unanimous opposition from Advisory Committee and concerns about stakeholder engagement. They also explored options for basin-wide groundwater management outside currently regulated areas, considering hybrid approaches that could include new management zones.
The Madera County GSA will reduce water allocations from 27.1 to 25.2 inches in 2026 (a 1.9-inch drop), marking the transition from 2% to 6% annual reductions through 2040 as planned in the GSP, with allocation charts extending to 2040 approved. Based on survey results showing 52% preference for Hydrosat over 23% for LandIQ, staff will negotiate a 3-year contract with Hydrosat only to reduce costs, eliminating the current dual measurement system while some growers voice concerns about reliability. A proposed farm unit policy for distributing carryover credits was delayed for further review after grower concerns, while three accounting platform demos will be conducted before selection.
The board declared a local emergency following severe August monsoon storms that caused widespread power outages affecting over 8,400 customers and damaged more than 300 power poles, with repair costs estimated at $9-12 million. A 30-year water supply agreement was approved to provide up to 5,000 acre-feet annually to a geothermal facility for renewable energy production. The board also implemented new meeting procedures, moving to one formal business meeting and one informal work session...
The board approved a $4.02 million budget requiring each member district to contribute approximately $164,000 to cover what is not covered by grant funding, though the timing of this cash call remains undetermined. Two of three replacement monitoring wells have been completed with the third expected to finish within 10 days, supporting ongoing groundwater compliance efforts. Groundwater levels remain stable with no threshold violations, including at the previously problematic well which stays above its minimum threshold by about 18 inches.
The water agency received a warning letter for 13 monitoring wells falling below minimum thresholds despite recent wet years, raising concerns about potential state intervention if violations continue. The board approved participating in a regional well mitigation program to streamline assistance for residents with dry wells and decided to continue using the current C2VSIM model for future planning rather than switching to an alternative system.
