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 approved paying Terra Bella’s 2.9% (~$21,676) share of Thomas Harder’s sub-basin hydrogeologic services. A severe ground squirrel infestation threatening livestock was reported, and the board agreed to jointly explore control options, including bait station permits. The district described a shift to simplified groundwater management with no transfers or complex accounting systems.
The Board approved hiring a municipal financial advisor to help plan financing for up to 1,000 acres of new recharge basins, estimated at about $60 million in capital costs. Staff reported the reverse land auction program to buy basin sites closes January 30th with limited submissions so far. A draft subbasin framework estimates CID’s native safe yield at 1.6 acre-feet per acre, the highest in the Kings Basin.
The board formed a committee to expedite development of a groundwater banking policy for landowner-funded recharge facilities, responding to urgency from stakeholders ready to invest private capital. The district reported retiring nearly 19,000 acres and reducing demand by over 54,000 acre-feet since 2017, though supplemental water acquisition remains below targets. All monitoring wells showed groundwater elevations above minimum thresholds, demonstrating SGMA compliance.
The Board approved the 2026 budget with no increases to water rates or assessments, maintaining strong reserves while planning for future canal repair costs. The District is aggressively recharging available Class 2 water, including renting pumps at Dresser, to move water before potential allocation changes. Gold mussels in nearby Friant facilities prompted intensified monitoring and review of copper treatment options in coordination with other agencies.
TAC recommended two task orders totaling $206,400 to revise subsidence management criteria and update the groundwater model for more accurate basin management. Groundwater storage declined by 40,000 acre-feet in water year 2025 as pumping increased to 393,000 acre-feet during drier conditions. Current subsidence standards risk triggering non-compliance despite minimal actual subsidence, prompting the approved criteria revision.
