Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
Proud Partners of
A two-tier groundwater fee was adopted (May 18) and Tier 2 pre-billing corrections are underway for misclassified dry/grazing land. YSGA presented a Hungry Hollow White Paper detailing six voluntary projects with scenarios that could offset the area's modeled groundwater deficit; it is under landowner review. The Board approved a letter to the County on Focus Areas/well verification and coordination on the moratorium.
The board approved contracts for independent groundwater model review and to begin a new Prop 218 funding/outreach process. Members warned a cash shortfall could trigger state intervention, citing the Tule example where state staff discussed ~$35/acre-foot pumping fees plus annual well charges. A Prop 26 extraction fee was discussed as a possible option.
Groundwater level targets were updated and approved, setting measurable objectives to historical averages from 2015–2025 and interim milestones equal to those objectives, reflecting a stable basin with no overdraft. An RFP is underway for ongoing SGMA support; interviews are anticipated mid-August and a contract could be considered at an anticipated special August meeting. Five new monitoring wells and five stream gauges are now online to support recharge projects and groundwater reporting.
Langley’s desktop review found no groundwater-dependent ecosystems of concern in 2015 or 2019–2024; one field assessment scored 60 as a baseline, not a finding of harm. The committee discussed recharge and demand management but approved no projects. Staff reported significantly higher per-connection fees, citing depleted grants, subbasin-specific work and revised pumping attribution.
A ~$100,000 Cortina Creek siphon repair using a spin-cast concrete lining method was approved. Operations are running 2,500 CFS; SCADA shows demand tracking nearly identical to last year. Board gave the GM discretion to select a roofing contractor and proceed, with roof replacement quotes around $163k–$165k plus gutters and roof-extension scope/pricing still being finalized.
