Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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Staff outlined a timeline for the Periodic Evaluation and updated GSP chapters, with public review targeted for fall 2026 and a DWR submission deadline of January 28, 2027. EKI described ISW data gaps and a plan to improve data and modeling; ISW SMC refinement was discussed as a target for the next five-year update (noted as 2032), not a final decision. Prop 4 grants are being explored; scope and budget will return at a future meeting.
The board kept the San Francisquito Creek Project E5 KPI intact and approved a letter proposing a joint working group with the JPA rather than changing the performance target. A $1.34 million payment was approved to advance planning for the B.F. Sisk Dam raise, a key water storage project with a final investment decision expected in 2028. The board also adopted a greenhouse gas reduction plan targeting carbon neutrality by 2045.
The board approved a $2-per-acre benefit assessment for 2026, expected to generate roughly $412,000 to fund groundwater sustainability plan work. An allocation map was reviewed identifying parcels proposed to receive no water allocation, with landowners urged to contact the GSA if their parcel was incorrectly mapped. The board also discussed correcting a state agency claim of low reporting compliance, which the GSA says is based on flawed well data.
Staff reported true-up collections just under $5M, with about $2M outstanding and 70 accounts headed to county tax rolls. July 14 minutes were deferred (not distributed) to September. Staff previewed targeted Version 4 Rules and Regulations cleanup edits headed to the board. Growers were reminded cover cropping and fallowing must be re-reported for 2026 by Sept. 30.
The board approved an allocation of recharge water at $135 per acre-foot, with parcels of five acres and above receiving one acre-foot per acre and parcels below five acres eligible for up to three acre-feet per acre, through October 31, 2026. A 142-acre property was purchased for development into a future recharge basin, with construction expected to begin in phases over roughly five years. Discussion also addressed risks around potential local pumping restrictions.
