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 Option 2 of the FY 2026–27 budget with $520K for well mitigation (not to be spent without outside funding) and discussed a $16/acre-foot sustainable yield reservation fee concept. Staff said the Tule Southeast interim plan is targeted for June 2027 and Tulare Lake may follow; a revised GSP is slated for March 2027. The board also amended its allocation policy, removing export restrictions and replacing them with detailed reporting requirements.
New water hookups in Redwood Valley remain at least 10 years away due to infrastructure bottlenecks and state moratorium requirements. The SAFER program is pushing consolidation of local water districts, with staff expressing concern that roughly $75M in potential funding could be at risk if consolidation expectations aren't met; a key August meeting was discussed.
The Advisory Committee reviewed three groundwater portfolios with preliminary capital costs of roughly $620 million to $1.5 billion. Portfolio 4 did little to curb seawater intrusion, and all three modeled agricultural demand management. Members requested fuller financing and local-impact estimates before a possible July recommendation for August board consideration. The committee approved the May 15 minutes but did not select a portfolio.
Groundwater fees were held flat for FY 2027 at current rates, and the FY 2027 budget includes funding for a $150,000 fee study that could inform changes as early as FY 2028. A regional water bank update raised ag questions about in-lieu recharge terminology and precedent-setting concerns. The board approved an MOU amendment redistributing costs among remaining sub-basin members after Sloughhouse RCD exited as a GSA.
Board unanimously adopted the 2026 Cost of Service Rate Study and Resolution 2026-08, setting notice/hearing procedures for proposed delivered water and augmentation charge updates that could take effect Dec. 1, 2026 if later adopted. Delivered water would rise $501→$639/AF over five years (~5%/yr for delivered water; other categories vary). Rural residential bills may initially drop due to a 0.5→0.4 AF estimate.
