Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—on the road, on your tractor, or at home.
A water agency held a poorly attended public workshop on rate adjustments, prompting discussion of additional community outreach efforts. The Pine Grove Community Services District formally requested the agency take over their water services due to rising costs and governance challenges. Staff identified $6 million in potential project savings through value engineering by deferring non-critical capacity expansion components at treatment facilities.
The board discussed a significant $200,000 budget increase required for mandatory 5-year GSP update, despite the basin's stable condition with 75% capacity and balanced pumping-to-recharge ratios requiring no significant changes to plans. Members expressed frustration with costly reporting requirements that provide little value for consistently well-managed basins. The agency is pursuing legislative relief through coalition efforts to exempt small, stable basins from expensive compliance mandates.
The board approved comprehensive Phase 2 rules establishing new self-reporting deadlines for cover crops, fallowing, surface water use, and recharge activities starting in 2026, with a different reporting window applying for 2025. A self-reporting workshop will be held immediately following the September 25th meeting to demonstrate the groundwater accounting platform. The board also discussed appeals from growers with approximately 110 acres who object to Category 1 water deposit fees for fields they don’t plan to irrigate, with final consideration scheduled for next month’s meeting.
The advisory committee recommended rejecting a proposed water market policy due to concerns about equity and inadequate stakeholder engagement, with members worried small farmers couldn't access water from large corporate sellers. Staff presented mixed results from a Ventucopa area assessment showing stable groundwater levels despite data gaps, while a critical fault investigation was delayed until January, pushing back allocation decisions. The committee also reviewed new procedures for responding to groundwater threshold violations and considered a variance request due to alleged calculation errors. The final decision will be made on the September 3rd Board Meeting.
The board approved significant budget revisions for the Friant-Kern Canal project, deferring pump station construction to avoid a $6 million payment while maintaining contingency funds for outstanding contractor claims. The fiscal year 2026 operations budget was unanimously approved following the mandatory review period. Water supply conditions remain strong with full Class 1 allocations maintained and reservoir storage performing above forecast levels.
