1. Draft groundwater plan amendments are open for comment. The Monterey Subbasin draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) amendments are posted on the Salinas Valley Basin GSA website. Comments received by November 18, 2026, can be included in materials for the December 10 board meeting; that date is not the end of public comment. Salinas Valley Basin GSA plans a public hearing on adoption in January 2027. Marina Coast Water District GSA, the lead agency for the jointly managed plan, also plans a January hearing. A further 90-day comment opportunity follows submission to the state Department of Water Resources.
2. Agency-wide costs were estimated, but who pays remains unresolved. Staff presented a supplemental memo with Salinas Valley Basin GSA-wide implementation estimates extending through 2042. Those figures had not yet been combined with Marina Coast Water District GSA’s estimated costs for the shared plan. The agency-wide SGMA implementation estimate starts at roughly $4.5 million a year, based on the fiscal year 2027 budget and escalated for inflation. A separate section estimates costs for the preferred portfolio of projects and management actions. Its debt-service calculations use illustrative 30-year bond terms at 4% interest; no bond type or financing decision was announced. Staff cautioned against dividing agency-wide figures equally among the six subbasins. Staff has begun preliminary legal and rate work, with budget and fee discussions anticipated in January–March 2027. Project-specific cost allocation requires further analysis. Staff is evaluating whether existing regulatory fees could support preliminary project work; Proposition 218 and a possible assessment district were discussed as potential approaches to project funding. No project financing mechanism was selected. Members urged staff to consider correlative water rights as that work advances.
Already have an account? Sign In
