Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—on the road, on your tractor, or at home.
The board approved an amended budget and authorized $63,850 for designing new monitoring wells near the coast to address worsening seawater intrusion, with chloride levels climbing in the deepest aquifer zone and now affecting the B zone as well. They continue processing fee appeals from property owners challenging groundwater extraction charges, while a local grower raised concerns about annual allocation systems that penalize over-usage without crediting under-usage years.
The water district board approved a controversial $21.9 million infrastructure contract despite a local bidder submitting the lowest bid but being disqualified due to a clerical error. The district will transfer up to 7,000 acre-feet of surplus water to another agency for nearly $1 million in revenue, while a major regional reservoir expansion project worth $3.2 billion was suspended due to cost overruns and federal funding issues.
The groundwater sustainability agency unanimously approved a $337,527 contract for the required 5-year periodic GSP evaluation, with costs split among member agencies at approximately $45,000 each over two fiscal years. Three of four major monitoring wells funded by a $2 million state grant are nearly complete, filling critical data gaps and providing hourly water level monitoring. The state approved the agency's 2024 annual report without issues, confirming the basin is meeting sustainability requirements.
The board approved a $1.5 million contract for dam relicensing work through 2027, while the Real Estate Committee reported successful property monetization efforts generating $2,200 monthly from rental income and securing grazing leases. Operations crews completed 51 service line repairs in July, highlighting ongoing challenges with aging infrastructure including tree root damage and poor backfill materials affecting the water system.
The groundwater management agency advisory is going to recommend transitioning from time-based pumping credits to a volume-based "bucket" system that caps credit accumulation at 5 times an entity's sustainable yield allocation. Credits can only be earned through actual water conservation efforts like importing supplemental water or reducing usage below allocated amounts, ensuring they represent real water savings rather than unused allocations. Historical data analysis revealed the basin naturally maintained sustainability over 50+ years without regulations, with pumping fluctuating dramatically during droughts before returning to equilibrium during wet periods.
