1. Overpumping penalties changed to volume-based tiers The board approved a two-tier penalty structure for pumping above an allocation. The first 50 acre-feet of overpumping is subject to $250 per acre-foot; overpumping beyond 50 acre-feet is subject to $500 per acre-foot. The rates apply marginally. Under the former percentage-based structure, a landowner with a 100 acre-foot allocation who exceeded it by 10 acre-feet would reach the higher tier, while a landowner with a 1,000 acre-foot allocation who exceeded it by the same amount would remain in the lower tier. The change applies to the 2026 calendar year and does not automatically sunset. The separate rule debiting overuse against the following year's allocation remains unchanged. Directors discussed revisiting that rule but adopted no change to it.
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