The Board approved a groundwater extraction fee of $6 per acre foot, up from last year's $5. While this remains historically low (rates were previously in the high $30s–low $40s range before grant funding), growers discussed that if the GSA must fully fund an approximately $1.5M budget via fees, rates could be much higher in future years (one director estimated roughly $44/AF using ~34,000 AF as a divisor). Staff and directors emphasized improved communication so ratepayers are not caught off guard by future increases. Commercial users extracting ≤1.5 acre-feet and domestic users extracting ≤2 acre-feet remain exempt.
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