1. Groundwater Conditions Are Favorable — But Context Matters The 2025 Annual Report shows the Vina Subbasin is in good shape: groundwater levels rose an average of ~3 feet over 2024, storage increased by ~44,000 acre-feet in 2025, and groundwater levels were above the sustainable management criteria (measurable objectives and minimum thresholds), with no exceedances for groundwater quality (specific conductivity) and no subsidence indicated. Groundwater use totaled ~262,000 acre-feet, with agriculture accounting for 92% of that. Chair Royer noted that while the 25-year cumulative storage chart shows an ~11,000 acre-foot decline since 2000, the GSA's legal mandate is not to restore levels to 2000 — it is to manage to the measurable objectives, which current levels sit roughly 20 feet above. The Board discussed adding a visual reference to the MOs in future brochures so the public doesn't develop false expectations about what the agency is targeting.
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