Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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A request to give two water districts permanent board seats failed on a 5-5 tie vote, with board expansion tied to unresolved questions about private pumper representation and legal hurdles. Progress was reported on a local project manager position, with a cost-sharing agreement targeting a county funding vote in late March and potential hiring by summer. The Groundwater Demand Management program continues advancing toward a required January 2027 operational deadline.
Legislative outreach in Sacramento is underway to build support for SB 872, seeking greenhouse gas funds for subsidence and levee stabilization. A new Bay Delta vulnerabilities item was added to the March 24, 2026 Subcommittee on Imported Water agenda. March agendas include proposed committee restructuring and a $250,000 increase in Colorado River legal counsel contracts.
Colorado River negotiation strategy was discussed in closed session with no action taken. During public comment, a speaker said independent economists estimate Delta Conveyance Project costs could reach about 60 billion dollars and urged independent review. SB 827, co-sponsored by Delta advocates and water contractors, was described as supporting inner-Delta levee improvements for long-term water supply reliability.
The board voted 3-2 to impose new contract terms on field employees after failed negotiations with IBEW Local 1245, including a 7-on/7-off schedule and revised overtime and health insurance structures effective March 2026. The 2026 irrigation season was unanimously set to begin March 11, with water flowing into the main canal March 2. Staff also reported re-engaging Division 9 growers following a failed rate vote, with follow-up meetings planned to build toward a revised proposal.
Groundwater pumping remains well below the district's roughly 1.8 million acre-feet in groundwater credits, though transitional pumping limits restrict how quickly those credits can be used. Monitoring shows mostly healthy aquifer levels district-wide, with localized concerns along the southeastern boundary likely linked to neighboring pumping. Subsidence is stable, though one southeastern benchmark has exceeded the annual minimum threshold, attributed largely to neighboring pumping activity.
