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 reviewed an early draft five-year budget proposing ~$27.39/acre fixed and ~$14/AF variable fees for 2026, pending a Prop 218 weighted-acreage ballot election with initial outreach starting around June. All five Tulare Lake sub-basin GSAs agreed to submit a single coordinated Groundwater Sustainability Plan targeting Q1 2027, with a groundwater flow model update due November 2026. No votes were taken on the budget; staff will refine figures for the upcoming Engineer's Report.
Groundwater use fee invoices total ~$7M, with ~$4.6M still outstanding; staff is targeting initial non-compliance notices around June 1 (pending May 28 board review) for unpaid accounts without appeals or modifications. Extra documentation for modifications and appeals is due May 18. MLRP pilot project agreements are near execution, with site visits to non-pilot landowners targeted for late May.
Phase one golden mussel treatment achieved 90%+ kill; a phase two September 2026 treatment is recommended at $1.7–$2M, with funding to be considered after July. Water supply remains at 100% allocation; snowpack is nearly zero. Claims approved totaled about $8.1M, driven by water purchases and capital work; supplemental purchases are typical in the long-term budget.
Surface water allocation was set at 0.55 AF/acre for a June 15 water run at $100/AF. The GSA adopted Res. 2026-5-1 fees at maximum rates ($1.27/AF base; $810.84/AF exceedance; $500/AF penalty) with no transitional credits for 2026. Staff warned SWRCB is developing an interim plan and agencies have roughly 12–18 months to coordinate a single GSP.
Despite critically low snowpack at 18% of average, Don Pedro storage is ~92% with an improved year-end forecast. Baker Tilly issued an unmodified clean opinion; two recurring material weaknesses remained unchanged. The Board honored former Director Dr. Tom Van Groningen (d. Apr 28; 20 years of service); celebration of life May 30. Three directors were present (Byrd, Keating, and the Board President); Directors Boer and Ott were absent.
