1. The native groundwater allocation is 0.27 acre-feet per acre; use surface water first. For the GSA year beginning October 1, 2026, the district is applying a native groundwater allocation of 0.27 acre-feet per acre. Manager Sean Geivet described the subbasinwide figure as a starting point that may change as groundwater levels are assessed. The ET-based consumption option no longer applies in the new GSA year. Available surface water and recharge credits are additional supplies under district rules. Metered pumping will guide groundwater management, while Land IQ evapotranspiration (ET) data remains a backup if meter readings are unavailable. Consumption for the prior GSA year is still being reconciled.
Growers who pump beyond their available allocation and credits face a $500-per-acre-foot penalty plus the cost of replacement water. Geivet warned that the total could reach approximately $1,200 per acre-foot or more, depending on the replacement-water cost. He urged growers to use surface water before pumping groundwater. The district reported roughly 17,000 acre-feet of groundwater pumping while nearly 2,000 acre-feet of surface water remained available near season’s end.
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