Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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Water season may end late July; directors discussed running storage out vs. carrying it over, with a preference voiced to run it out. A ~$10 per-acre assessment increase was floated to fund faster recharge expansion; the 2027 budget public hearing was continued to July 22. Groundwater fell ~2.1 ft last year; El Niño was mentioned as a factor adding urgency to recharge planning.
Staff reported submitting accounting to support treating wellfield pumping as recovered stored surface water vs groundwater, potentially affecting future State Board billing. A July 16 State Board meeting is upcoming. The Board voted to set the 2027 assessment at $267.27/acre and tabled the Tule Basin Water Quality Coalition appointment.
The board discussed golden mussel treatment options, landing on a month-to-month reassessment approach. Friant Class One allocation remains at 100% (~1.12 AF/acre) with no further changes expected. Forecasters report El Niño is developing unusually early, which could disrupt fall canal dewatering and mussel treatment timing.
The district is running ~20,000 acre-feet underrun after submitting a revised water order, with ~95% of DIP contracts executed and 65,000 acres enrolled. The on-farm efficiency program is nearly complete for 2025, with 2026 contracts rolling out soon. The FLOW grant deadline was extended to end of July 2026 to allow local agencies more time for board consideration.
Federal and state drinking water grant funding is projected to fall sharply by FY 2027-28 (84% federal, 79% state), threatening hundreds of failing water systems still awaiting infrastructure solutions. The Board adopted the FY 2026-27 Clean Water SRF Intended Use Plan, lowering small community wastewater construction grant caps from $50M to $30M per project. UCLA's wastewater needs assessment continues, with a final report due June 2027.
