Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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Staff noted record-low Lake Mead and Lake Powell levels and briefed Reclamation's FEIS preferred post-2026 adaptive framework (2027–2036), with the ROD and 2027–2028 guidelines not yet signed. Staff briefed proposed COA amendments for IRWD's bank; board action is expected in September. Bay-Delta principles were reviewed; directors urged a clearer strategy.
The board approved the Patterson Reservoir Remediation Project, which will add berms to restore required freeboard and is intended to support a higher operating level after construction, targeted for spring-summer 2027. Staff referenced 5.0% and 5.5% annual rate increase options from the July 30 workshop, with more workshops set for August 27 and September 24. Incoming Finance Director Rick Bruneau was also introduced and will start August 24.
The board approved a new groundwater quality monitoring network covering three aquifers and testing for constituents including nitrate, arsenic, and uranium, at a cost of roughly $17,000 every three years. Subsidence criteria were also approved, limiting ground elevation changes near critical infrastructure to six inches over 20 years (2022–2042), using satellite data rather than groundwater levels as a proxy. Staff reported that GSP updates will be released for public review in October 2026.
Board approved procuring Symmetrix mag meters for all active grower wells and tying them into district telemetry for real-time access. Staff said growers would handle ongoing upkeep (calibration/batteries) and discussed coordinating antenna placement. Staff flagged a very strong 2027 El Niño potential and said Franklin Canal may go offline in early Nov., returning in Jan. (with early reopen possible).
The board voted 10–1 to select Portfolio 3A as the preferred implementation pathway for addressing seawater intrusion. A draft funding memo showed illustrative costs of roughly $600–$1,200 per irrigated acre per year (2036 dollars) under high external funding assumptions; a director warned these figures could exceed farm profits. Agricultural demand management, assumed at a 10% reduction, drew significant concern, with some directors pushing for flexible, incentive-based approaches.
