The Porterville Irrigation District board directed staff to keep recharge water available for purchase through December 31; about 1,500 of 17,000 acre-feet credited to accounts had been claimed. The board voted to open water banks for remaining CVP supply, with irrigation first. Service Area 3’s first-phase pipeline could go to bid after easement sign-off, and the redesigned P1 and Porter Slough Ditch project is expected to bid in November.
Staff plans to bring PID GSA’s draft groundwater plan to its Board, but the committee did not recommend adoption; a member sought water-budget clarification. State officials may propose Friant-Kern Canal-area pumping restrictions for possible implementation in April 2027; no moratorium was adopted. Mandatory well metering remains under discussion. Staff reported replacing a 34-year rolling-average precipitation allocation with actual monthly credits going forward.
Staff reported that the Tule Subbasin is prioritizing a local alternative to a potential state pumping moratorium, with a technical meeting set for September 30. Allocation figures discussed included 0.27 AF/acre for metered pumping extraction and 0.15 AF/acre native sustainable yield under ET-based accounting. Starting October 2026, accounting shifts from an allocated precipitation amount to actual precipitation received. The PID GSP draft is posted for review ahead of an October 1 stakeholder meeting.
Board gave consensus direction to open CVP water ordering wide open/first-come, first-served to move about 11,000 AF by Oct. 31. Staff said most canals would run except East Poplar; water could be used for irrigation or sunk/recharged, with discussion of $205/AF current-year water and separate $135/AF recharge invoices (prior-year blend) expected soon after parcel-split fixes.
The board adopted a groundwater extraction fee of $50.67 per acre per year (based on 0.15 AF/acre Native Sustainable Yield) to fund PID GSA operations, separate from PID district assessments. Staff reported that a potential State pumping moratorium near the Friant-Kern Canal is still conceptual, with no draft released. Staff also noted that state GEARS invoices began mailing August 6 and that growers have 30 days from receipt to petition for reconsideration of incorrect extraction figures.
