Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—on the road, on your tractor, or at home.
The board is considering reallocating water between categories to increase transfer flexibility while maintaining current penalty rates of $150-$500 per acre-foot for overages. A popular $400 per acre land fallowing program has received over $1 million in applications, potentially requiring additional funding beyond the current $1 million budget. Water allocations for 2026 are expected to decrease, which could result in higher penalty costs of approximately $100 per acre for growers...
A data correction issue with water usage calculations resulted in higher-than-expected charges for Quarter 3, which will be corrected in upcoming invoices. The Board will consider a hardship case for a residential well user facing financial difficulties with unpaid groundwater extraction fees. Landowners have until September 30th to submit all required forms for the 2025 water year, including pre-purchase allocations and exemption applications.
The board unanimously approved a major overhaul of 40-year-old underground storage tank regulations, modernizing rules with 27 amendments and extending compliance deadlines to January 2027. A statewide water supply modeling program is rapidly expanding to 18 watersheds, building sophisticated drought management tools based on successful Russian River work. Environmental groups are pushing for more time to comment on the Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan update, arguing the current...
The region is preparing to transition from water authority management to independent operations by March 2026, requiring new administrative systems and a finalized Joint Powers Agreement. Three northern monitoring wells exceeded water quality thresholds and require investigation, while data quality issues were identified with incorrect historical records. Staff developed a task matrix to clarify consultant and agency responsibilities for groundwater sustainability program implementation.
Board delayed a management area allocation decision until January 2026, pending additional fault investigation, after staff identified material data gaps. A proposed water market policy was sent back for revisions due to unanimous opposition from Advisory Committee and concerns about stakeholder engagement. They also explored options for basin-wide groundwater management outside currently regulated areas, considering hybrid approaches that could include new management zones.
