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 voted 18-5 to proceed with a Proposition 26 regulatory fee pathway starting in FY 2026/27, aiming for first collections in late 2026. It directed staff to use a draft two-tier fee concept (Tier 1 at $1.50 per parcel plus $0.76/acre and draft Tier 2 ag rates of $2.78/$7.94 per cropped acre) and a draft $1.6 million annual budget for the next five years as the basis for the upcoming fee study and public outreach.
Staff presented feasibility studies on Salinas River diversion concepts to help address seawater intrusion, noting potentially usable volumes from several thousand to tens of thousands of acre-feet annually depending on diversion size, with major storage likely needed. A project concept was discussed to serve the coastal area between CSIP and Salinas. Staff said the April 30 DWR response will focus on the decision-making process, not final project selection.
The Board approved a July 1st deadline for mandatory well registration, with account lockouts for non-compliance among an estimated 2,000 wells. Water credit management options to prevent overdraft remain under legal review with no immediate action taken. Staff is developing management areas to allow more localized groundwater and subsidence management.
The Committee approved expanding Pumping Reduction Plan Dashboard access so all GSAs can view basin-wide data across zones for better coordination. The Bureau of Reclamation will end its twice-yearly subsidence monitoring program, and the technical ad hoc committee will explore alternative monitoring options. A $407,482 budget was approved for Northern Delta-Mendota GSAs with an initial $203,741 cash call.
The State Water Project allocation increased from 10% to 30% (approximately 570,000 acre-feet), though it remains subject to change based on hydrologic conditions. The Upper Colorado River Basin is tracking toward its driest year on record with snowpack at only 58% of median, complicating negotiations. Basin states face a February 14, 2026 deadline to reach consensus on post-2026 Colorado River operations, with major disagreements over how reductions should be shared.
