1. Model Calibration Decision Delayed — Discussion Returning April Meeting The board debated whether to authorize EKI to perform a $525,000 groundwater model calibration this fiscal year or delay one year to collect more metering and well data. The technical ad hoc committee was split roughly 50/50. EKI stressed the current model overestimates subsidence and storage loss, which makes the basin look worse to regulators than it may actually be. There is also a major discrepancy between GSA-reported pumping (~215,000 AF) and model/land-surface estimates (~500,000–638,000 AF). The board tabled the item to the April 2026 board meeting to allow members to consult their home GSA boards; the chair noted it may be treated like a budget-related decision (which in some cases requires unanimity). Growers should be aware this calibration was discussed as improving model defensibility and helping address subsidence attribution questions tied to PRP implementation.
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