Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
Proud Partners of
Board gave consensus direction to use Option 1 (system-wide) for proposed water capacity fees. Proposed fees discussed: wastewater $25,388/EDU, treated retail water $26,776/EMU, and treated wholesale water $21,085/EMU (all not yet adopted; public notice/approval required). Board also supported transferring Pine Grove cell-tower lease revenue to the County for park maintenance as part of the Pine Grove CSD reorganization (LAFCO) process.
North Kern (~2,000 AF) supplemental water may be offered pro‑rata once pricing is finalized (letter pending). Deliveries are currently ~1.6 AF/acre, but landowners were notified to plan on 1.5 AF/acre due to a Buena Vista payback from a 2023 spill; the final allowable amount may change. Staff will research white‑area demand management options used by neighboring districts and report back.
Groundwater consumption fees for 2026 were approved at $167.20/AF for the transitional tier. The resolution reinstates a one-for-one future-year allocation reduction for exceedances. District staff relayed that SWRCB is developing an interim plan that could include allocation limits or a moratorium if coordination fails by end of 2027.
Water season is underway with projections pointing to a late-July shutoff (August extension unlikely) as May 1 snowpack is ~22% of the April 1 average. The board approved a 5-year, 2,100 AF/yr water sale to Hills Valley at $850/AF (~$1.4M/yr). Staff said waiting until Apr. 1 could have triggered ~12,000 AF of FID spill.
Spring 2026 groundwater monitoring shows 13 Eastern Principal Aquifer wells (33%) below minimum thresholds, matching fall 2025 levels. Stanislaus County aims to start a consultant by June 29 to develop the Non-District East action plan, due November 1, 2026. OID's Paulsell Lateral Expansion Phase 1 is in final stages of completion, expanding canal capacity from 30 cfs toward 180 cfs and expected to improve delivery and groundwater recharge.
