Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—on the road, on your tractor, or at home.
The board approved granting the General Manager authority to approve non-material Sites Reservoir project share assignments between participants without requiring board approval for each transfer, streamlining processes as the project approaches its 2026 investor commitment deadline. Sites Reservoir construction advances with a contract awarded and completion now expected by 2033. Delta Conveyance financing faces uncertainty after courts rejected the 2020 bond validation attempt.
The Board approved a Groundwater Allocation Policy establishing sustainable yield at 0.86 AF/acre for B and C zones, with decreasing transitional pumping to 2040. State reporting has been reinstated, with reports due May 1, 2026 and a $300 per‑well fee; additional per‑acre‑foot charges are expected. A revised domestic well mitigation program is expected to be presented in February.
The district anticipates substantial unforeseen costs from a July 2027 county road paving project that will likely require adjustments to some water infrastructure, with a five‑year moratorium on non‑emergency road cuts afterward. The new drought relief well construction is substantially complete with pumping to waste planned by end of January. Walker expects the district to remain an independent legal entity for now, noting about $7 million in federal debt as a key factor.
The Board reviewed a proposed $2.8 million mid-year budget adjustment, including added costs for solar-related projects and sewer infrastructure cost-sharing with the Army Corps of Engineers. Solar support work on the PPA is now projected to total about $1.117 million versus an earlier $500,000 planning estimate, while still maintaining an approximate three-and-a-half-year payback. The Desert Grow cultivation facility water connection agreements were also presented and discussed.
The Board set the 2026 ET-based Sustainable Yield allocation at 1.01 acre-feet per acre as an announcement and approved two consultant contracts totaling about $51,000 for subbasin hydrogeologic and coordination services. The subbasin remains on probation with the State Water Board, exclusion requests are under review with no specific timeline for a decision, and local coordination meetings are being planned.
