Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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The basin continues making progress with stabilizing groundwater levels after three favorable water years, though many Eastern Principal Aquifer representative wells remain below minimum thresholds while staying above interim milestones. The 2025 Annual Report is being restructured to better communicate basin conditions to state regulators, with draft review planned for February. Technical work on model updates and revised subsidence criteria is underway.
The board discussed March 4, 2026 as a tentative irrigation season start date, pending weather and construction completion, with final confirmation expected at the February 24th meeting. Full water entitlement is expected for 2026 based on favorable reservoir forecasts, and the BNSF double track project was conditionally approved with a February 27th completion deadline.
The Board received an update on a $7.1M visitor center and trading post project slated for about 15 months of construction, with work expected to begin around March 2026. Despite public opposition from houseboat owners, amendments to the recreation area concession lease were approved, shifting more inspection duties to the concessionaire and increasing fees. A resolution urging equitable groundwater cost allocation passed unanimously.
The Board certified the Environmental Impact Report for the Pure Water Southern California project, which will produce up to 150 million gallons per day of recycled water for approximately 500,000 homes. A public hearing was set for March 10, 2026, to consider proposed water rates for 2027-2028. An agricultural lease agreement for rice farming on District property was deferred.
The District delivered 47,132 acre-feet in January with a 69% delivery rate versus a 30% long-term January average, though the 2026 water year outlook remains highly uncertain with snow water content below average despite near-normal precipitation. County-collected assessments increased collections by about $1.9 million year-over-year and there are currently no delinquencies on first installment payments.
