Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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Staff said draft GSP amendments and a periodic evaluation are expected Sept. 14, with public comment through Oct. 26 and LML-specific comments requested by Oct. 14. The board discussed revisiting Alternative 3 alongside Alternatives 1 and 2 and the non-dry year language at the Oct. 14 meeting. Public commenters said current minimum thresholds could allow about a third of wells to go dry before corrective action.
Consultants presented modeling estimating sustainable yield at 235,000 AFY, about 32,000 AFY lower than the GWMP figure of 267,000. Seven projects were described as providing about 64,000 AFY combined average yield at full buildout, with questions raised about AAA Ranch assumptions. Commenters flagged $237–$268M in estimated mitigation costs and urged agencies to brief their boards on potential financial impacts.
Staff reported a net cash position of about $26.01 million for August activity, and discussed Bureau of Reclamation billing changes and credits that could reduce water expenses versus budget. Subsidence and canal-related cost exposure were discussed, including a hotspot near Dairyland. The Army Corps is shifting dam projects to a Section 203 district-led approach; staff plan to attend a workshop.
Staff reported the State Water Board may propose an interim plan for the Tule Subbasin including a pumping moratorium near the Friant Kern Canal, with notices beginning in January and a possible April public hearing starting next year. Counsel reviewed the Tulare Lake case where plaintiffs were deemed likely to succeed but must still pay fees during litigation. Storage was about 29,919 AF as of Sept. 6; options for remaining water were discussed.
The board declared a golden mussel emergency and authorized a district-wide STI-62 maintenance-dose treatment program subject to legal review, targeting an Oct. 1 start. A 25 million dollar 10-year fixed-rate note at about 4.4 percent through Webster Bank was approved to bridge TCP facility needs and later support linear generators. Staff reported about 27,000 acres fallowed has substantially reduced overdraft while the district challenges state subsidence modeling under SGMA.
