Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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The board approved agreements to facilitate a $25 million Reclamation award to Westlands Water District for groundwater banking and aquifer storage and recovery wells. Staff reported the Delta-Mendota Canal subsidence correction project is about 16% complete, with liner raises expected within roughly 45 days. New DWR Director Tom Gibson visited, emphasizing open collaboration and improved transparency on shared CVP-SWP facilities and costs.
The ad hoc Gradient Facility Committee and staff discussed bringing in Holly Daly and a more collaborative permitting strategy; a proposal will return at the next meeting and could push the timeline to 2028. Staff and the board discussed high drain levels and possible added enforcement teeth for tailwater. A recent court decision was cited that may limit GSA fees on landowners without wells.
Construction bids for the expansion project came in within budget, with splitting work between two contractors totaling roughly $22.1 million. A $10 million state grant tied to work west of Jameson could range from $0 to the full amount, and staff said reassessing the $32.85 assessment is likely unnecessary for now (no board action taken). Staff also warned that around 150 non-compliant landowners face near-term aggressive collection actions, with fines accruing since February 1, 2025.
Committee gave consensus direction for the second cash call to exclude the $75,000 annual-report line item and use one combined invoice. Staff will draft reserve and surplus-handling policies for September. The committee asked its representative to support collecting the full DMJPA budget and to support basin-level grant readiness, with GSA-specific costs borne by project sponsors.
Water quality at all seven North Delta monitoring stations remains well below 1981 contract limits this summer. The Delta Conveyance Project water rights hearing is nearing the end of its evidentiary phase, with final hearing dates set for August and September before closing briefs are filed. Directors raised concerns about spreading submerged aquatic weeds (often called Brazilian waterweed/hydrilla) and golden mussels amid limited control options and insufficient state funding.
