Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—on the road, on your tractor, or at home.
The district anticipates substantial unforeseen costs from a July 2027 county road paving project that will likely require adjustments to some water infrastructure, with a five‑year moratorium on non‑emergency road cuts afterward. The new drought relief well construction is substantially complete with pumping to waste planned by end of January. Walker expects the district to remain an independent legal entity for now, noting about $7 million in federal debt as a key factor.
The Board reviewed a proposed $2.8 million mid-year budget adjustment, including added costs for solar-related projects and sewer infrastructure cost-sharing with the Army Corps of Engineers. Solar support work on the PPA is now projected to total about $1.117 million versus an earlier $500,000 planning estimate, while still maintaining an approximate three-and-a-half-year payback. The Desert Grow cultivation facility water connection agreements were also presented and discussed.
The Board set the 2026 ET-based Sustainable Yield allocation at 1.01 acre-feet per acre as an announcement and approved two consultant contracts totaling about $51,000 for subbasin hydrogeologic and coordination services. The subbasin remains on probation with the State Water Board, exclusion requests are under review with no specific timeline for a decision, and local coordination meetings are being planned.
The Board approved a contract extension for administrative services through 2027 and adopted a legislative policy platform. Staff provided updates on the Russian River Watershed Resilience Plan, a state pilot due in April 2026 that will guide future climate funding applications. Multiple conservation pilots are showing promising results.
The Board elected new leadership with Steve Jackson as Chair after three new Cuyama Basin Water District directors joined. A geophysical study showed the Santa Barbara Canyon fault is a complex zone with multiple faults tied to large groundwater elevation differences. The Board approved having the FY 2026‑27 budget process consider a $160,000–$280,000 Ventucopa model recalibration after staff outlined current model limitations.
