Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—on the road, on your tractor, or at home.
The Bureau of Reclamation approved the Sites Reservoir project, completing a critical environmental review milestone for California's water storage needs. State Water Project allocation increased to 30 percent, above the 20 percent staff expected, providing significant additional water supply. A catastrophic polyethylene service line failure at the airport exposed mapping issues, prompting investigation into detection methods for remaining unidentified lines.
The GSA is discussing potential changes to sustainable management criteria for groundwater dependent ecosystems that appear disconnected from the principal aquifer and influenced primarily by precipitation. Land subsidence criteria are being developed using a 0.09 feet per year planning rate with focus on California Aqueduct protection. An ad hoc committee recommended keeping arsenic and nitrate as key concerns and dropping selenium from the constituents of concern list.
The basin reached approximately 90% capacity following exceptional rainfall of 22.67 inches (exceeding the annual average), resulting in a 75.77-foot rise in water levels. Significant concerns were raised about stream gauge data accuracy, with readings showing errors of nearly 10 times actual flow values. The board reviewed the basin's 'high priority' classification under SGMA, identifying potential inaccuracies that could warrant reclassification to 'medium priority.'
The Board reviewed and gave direction on a new two-part regulatory fee structure concept that would charge both taxable and non-taxable parcels, with a flat parcel fee plus usage-based fees for agricultural cropped land and domestic users. The Board also supported continuing to explore reduced Part 2 fees for parcels using imported Feather River water. A draft five-year budget uses about $470,000 annually as a planning target to support SGMA compliance operations.
The Board completed governance training and adopted new meeting procedures to improve efficiency. They approved transitioning to Five Star Bank, saving approximately $106,000 annually through reduced fees and higher interest earnings. The income assistance program was expanded to include qualifying nonprofits at a 50% discount, estimated to cost $12,513 annually.
