The Board approved a $5.1 million budget for 2025-26, maintaining approximately $3 million in reserves primarily dedicated to helping growers with dry wells. The GSA remains financially stable and well-positioned to support the community.
A new online well registration system will go live in August 2025. Registration takes about 15 minutes per well and will initially be voluntary. Growers are encouraged to participate early, as registration may become linked to future benefits like mitigation assistance and water allocations.
Recent drilling revealed that the protective clay layer is much shallower than previously thought (325 feet instead of 500-600 feet). This means many wells believed to be "shallow" are actually pumping from the deeper aquifer, which has implications for subsidence management. The GSA is working on solutions like targeted surface water deliveries rather than requiring complete shutdowns.
The current water allocation methodology will continue through 2026. A new "Groundwater Accounting Framework" has been developed to provide more stable, 5-year allocation periods starting in 2027, reducing year-to-year uncertainty for growers.
The GSA approved participation in a feasibility study for a new water banking and pipeline project that could bring additional water supplies to the region. While this is a long-term project, it represents one of the few opportunities to increase local water availability.
A new "executive team" management structure is being developed featuring Aaron Fukuda as CEO, Kathy Artis as CFO, and new COO positions for both MKGSA and TID. The proposal aims to reduce Aaron's GSA workload from 80% to 50% while providing more dedicated leadership. Development will occur June-August with board consideration in September.
Due to staffing constraints and pending account adjustments, the deadline for 2025 water year invoice payments has been extended to September 30, 2025.
