Groundwater Use Fee Bills Have Been Sent
Deposit invoices for Category One water users are now out with mid-August payment deadlines. Over 60 help requests received, mostly from landowners confused about fees or who received bills for non-irrigated land. Contact the GSA helpline if you need help with reclassification or understanding your bill.
New Phase 2 Rules Coming in August with Fallow Credits
Phase 2 rules will be adopted in August, introducing self-directed fallow field credits for zero groundwater use, cover crop adjustments for higher effective precipitation, and project areas for incentivized programs where allocation is traded for potential credits.
Recharge Facilities Can Generate 87.5% Maximum Credits
New recharge credit framework allows up to 87.5% credit rate (12.5% stays for basin benefit). Facilities can be registered through project agreements or self-attestation. Credits appear as supply on water account statements using simple input/output calculations.
MLRP Program Advancing
First stakeholder meeting held with 30 attendees. Next meeting July 28th at Burroughs farm. Full project applications open January–March 2026.
Priority Action Area GSA-08 Under Special Monitoring
One area with groundwater levels below milestones receiving focused attention with property owner meetings and additional well evaluations.
New Monitoring Wells Operational
DWR installed nested wells now visible on SGMA data viewer. Data confirms expected drawdown patterns with shallow wells showing higher levels than deeper wells.
Fallow Field Verification Process Set
GSA will monitor ET year-round, then verify fallow status at year-end. Fields not meeting thresholds charged for actual measured groundwater use.
Open ET Tool Available for Real-Time Data
Free Open ET tool provides daily field-level data for growers wanting real-time monitoring, though it differs ~10% from official Land IQ billing data.
