Mar 12, 2026 GSA Meeting

[00:00:15]

HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE MARCH 12TH MEETING OF THE MERCED SUBBASIN GSA.

WE HAVE OUR INTERNET UP HERE OFF OF A TETHER.

I GUESS THE COUNTY SYSTEM IS DOWN. THERE WAS SOMEBODY CUT THE FIBER OPTIC BETWEEN TURLOCK AND MODESTO.

SO ANYWAYS, ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE'LL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.

[1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL]

BOARD MEMBER PARK. HERE. BOARD MEMBER GIAMPAOLI.

HERE. BOARD MEMBER NERVINO. HERE. VICE CHAIRMAN MARCHINI.

HERE. CHAIRMAN PAREIRA. PRESENT. MR. CHAIR YOU HAVE A QUORUM.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE HAD A CLOSED SESSION AT 1:00, AND STAFF WAS GIVEN DIRECTION.

NOW WE'LL DO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. AND JEANNIE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAD US? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES.

ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM FOUR, WHICH IS PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

THE PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST WITHIN THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION, INCLUDING ITEMS ON THE BOARD'S AGENDA. TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.

IS THERE ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT? GOOD AFTERNOON, MR.

[4. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ]

SO WONDERING IF YOU'D BE WILLING TO PERHAPS CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE ANY ACTION IS ACTIONS TAKEN BEFORE WE MOVE ON FROM THAT, I WILL. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. ANY OTHERS? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED.

I WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM FIVE, THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

[5. CONSENT CALENDAR ]

ALL RIGHT. IS THERE A SECOND? I HAVE A MOTION BY DIRECTOR MARCHINI AND A SECOND BY DIRECTOR GIAMPAOLI.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN.

OH. OH. ALL RIGHT. WE CAN DO THAT. SO THE MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO WITH ONE ABSTENTION.

MR. GALLO. ALRIGHT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX.

WE HAVE A VERY FULL AGENDA TODAY. SO FOR THOSE OF YOU PRESENTING, I'M SURE LACEY HAS ALREADY ASKED YOU, BUT IF YOU COULD BE PRETTY PRECISE, WE'D APPRECIATE IT.

AND ITEM SIX IS THE GRASSLAND ECOLOGICAL AREA CONSERVANCY.

[6. GRASSLAND ECOLOGICAL AREA CONSERVANCY ]

HELLO. HELLO. THANK YOU. YOU'RE ON. ALL RIGHT.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME. I'M RICK ORTEGA, I'M THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE GRASSLAND WATER DISTRICT TO OVERSEE THE GRASSLAND RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT, AND THE GSA OVER ON THE WEST SIDE, IN THE DELTA-MENDOTA SUBBASIN.

HERE TODAY TO BRIEF YOU ON A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT'S BEEN INTRODUCED BY SENATOR ANNA CABALLERO.

SENATE BILL 1108 WOULD ESTABLISH THE GRASSLAND ECOLOGICAL AREA CONSERVANCY.

AND SO THIS WOULD BE A NEW STATE CONSERVANCY JOINING THE 11 CONSERVANCIES THAT EXIST TODAY.

JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT A WHAT A CONSERVANCY IS.

CONSERVANCIES ARE A NON-REGULATORY STATE AGENCY UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE CALIFORNIA NATURAL RESOURCE AGENCY THAT PROTECTS, RESTORES, AND MANAGES SPECIFIC NATURAL RESOURCES, LANDSCAPES, AND WATERSHEDS.

WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED, I THINK I LOST POWER.

CAN YOU ADVANCE THE SLIDE? SOMETIMES TURN IT OFF AND TURN IT BACK ON.

YEAH, SURE. IF YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS.

OH. ONE MORE. THANKS. OH. TWO MORE. THE OTHER WAY.

THE OTHER WAY. HERE WE GO. OKAY, SO WHAT'S WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED? IS THIS IS A ESSENTIALLY A NEW STATE AGENCY COMPLETELY VOLUNTARY, INCENTIVE BASED CONSERVANCY THAT WOULD BE ESTABLISHED IN THIS VICINITY. AND SO WHAT, WHAT THIS IS, IS I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE COUNTY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE WETLAND

[00:05:07]

AND THEN ABOUT 160 DUCK CLUBS ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN.

AND THEN WE'VE GOT SOME DUCK CLUBS ON THE EAST SIDE AS WELL.

AND SO THIS, THIS ESTABLISHED ECOLOGICAL AREA IS, IS INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED.

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PUBLIC INVESTMENT YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL U.S.

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE HOLDS CONSERVATION EASEMENTS IN THIS GENERAL VICINITY.

BUT AND THEN AROUND THE ECOLOGICAL AREA IS WHAT WE REFER TO AS A GRASSLAND FOCUS AREA.

I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS WORKING OR NOT. CAN YOU ADVANCE ME TO THE FIRST MAP JUST SO WE CAN SEE THE.

THERE WE GO. OKAY, SO THE PURPLE AREA IS A LONGTIME ESTABLISHED GRASSLAND ECOLOGICAL AREA.

AND SO WHAT WHAT THE CONSERVANCY IS, WOULD BE A NEW A NEW AGENCY THAT WOULD HAVE JURISDICTION OVER THAT GREEN AREA, THE GRASSLAND FOCUS AREA. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IN THE COUNTY GENERAL PLAN, WE'VE ACKNOWLEDGED, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FOCUS AREA AND THE ECOLOGICAL AREA REALLY FROM A LAND USE AND PLANNING PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS A COMPLETELY SEPARATE EFFORT. THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HAS NEVER REALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THESE BOUNDARIES.

AND ALTHOUGH THEY OWN SOME PROPERTIES, THERE'S A STATE PARK OUT THERE.

THEY, THERE'S A FEW STATE WILDLIFE AREAS MANAGED BY CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE.

AND THERE'S A FEW EASEMENTS THAT THEY'VE HELD WITH, SAY, THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD.

THERE HASN'T BEEN A FOCUSED EFFORT TO BRING PUBLIC RESOURCES TO, TO MERCED COUNTY.

FOR, FOR THE GOOD OF, FOR THE GOOD OF THE REGION.

SO SENATOR ANNA CABALLERO, SHE APPROACHED, SHE APPROACHED US.

THIS IS HER FINAL TERM AND SAID SHE'D REALLY LIKE TO TO PROVIDE SOME SOME MONETARY ASSISTANCE TO THE REGION.

AND, AND WAS, YOU KNOW, TALKING WITH US AND SAYING, WELL, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO, TO GO ABOUT THAT? AND SO WE, WE THOUGHT OF THE IDEA OF THE CONSERVANCY.

AGAIN, IT WOULD BE A VOLUNTARY BASED, INCENTIVE BASED, INCENTIVE FOCUSED AGENCY.

THAT WILL BE HEAVILY WEIGHTED. THE BOARD OF NINE WOULD BE HEAVILY WEIGHTED BY LOCALS IS WHAT IS WHAT THE INTENT IS HERE.

WE REALLY WANT TO ESTABLISH A FRAMEWORK, ESTABLISH A BOARD, A LOCAL BOARD WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE GSA, FROM, FROM THE COUNTY SUPERVISORS, FROM THE LOCAL WATER INTERESTS, FROM THE FROM THE FARMING INTERESTS.

WE, WE'LL HAVE A SEAT FOR, FOR YOU KNOW, MORE OF THE DUCK CLUB FOCUSED FOLKS.

AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A FEW YOU KNOW, DIRECT APPOINTMENTS FROM, FROM, FROM THE STATE.

SO THE ADMINISTRATION, THE ADMINISTRATION, THE GOVERNOR WOULD HAVE AN APPOINTMENT. WE HOPE THAT THAT WOULD BE A RESIDENT OF MERCED COUNTY AND A LANDOWNER WITHIN THIS BOUNDARY.

SECRETARY OF NATURAL RESOURCES WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO APPOINT SOMEONE AS WELL.

AND SO WE'RE WE'RE BRINGING THIS TO YOU TODAY.

JUST MORE, MORE FROM AN INFORMATIONAL STANDPOINT AND DO EXPLAIN THAT, THAT IT IS IN FACT A VOLUNTARY INCENTIVE BASED PROGRAM REALLY FOCUSED ON KEEPING THE RANCH'S RANCHING TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE AND THE FARMS, FARMING TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE.

WE'RE WELL AWARE OF THE, THE PRESSURES, THE REGULATORY PRESSURES THAT ARE, THAT ARE TAKING PLACE AND THE FUTURE OF THIS, THIS LAND USE GOING FORWARD. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO TO, TO BRING MORE ATTENTION TO THE REGION.

SO SO THAT WE CAN WRANGLE MORE PUBLIC RESOURCES TO, TO HELP FOLKS OUT.

CAN YOU ADVANCE ME TO THE, THE NEXT SLIDE? SO THAT'S, I THINK YOU FOLKS ARE FAMILIAR WITH, WITH THIS BOUNDARY, THIS THIS PINKISH COLOR. THIS IS YOUR ADOPTED MLRP WILDLIFE CORRIDOR BOUNDARY.

THAT HAD A LOT OF INPUT INTO THAT DEVELOPMENT.

AND SO THIS IS, THIS ALIGNS WELL WITH THE ESSENTIAL HABITAT CORRIDORS THAT HAVE BEEN PRIORITIZED BY THE STATE, CDFW, CALTRANS THE MLRP PROCESS, THE RCIS PROCESS.

AND IF YOU COULD JUST ADVANCE ME AGAIN, SO THIS SHOWS THE ESSENTIAL CONNECTIVITY CORRIDORS.

AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S DRIVEN THE, THE BOUNDARY, ESPECIALLY EAST OF 99 IS TO, TO YOU KNOW, COINCIDE WITH, WITH THE EFFORTS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE, HAVE PUT FORWARD TO, TO TRY AND ROUTE MORE RESOURCES TO, TO AN AREA THAT WE KNOW IS GOING TO HAVE SOME PRETTY SEVERE PUMPING REDUCTIONS AND ALSO SOME LAND RETIREMENT.

THE, SO THE GRASS AND WATER DISTRICT IS A AS A SPONSOR.

AND, AND WE, WE ARE SUPPORTERS, BUT WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN FEEDBACK, ESPECIALLY FROM THIS GROUP.

WE MET WITH THE FARM BUREAU JUST PRIOR TO THIS.

WE WANT TO GET SOME LOCAL FEEDBACK TO, TO, SORT OF TEST THE WATERS.

SO THE BILL HAS BEEN INTRODUCED. IT WILL GO BEFORE THE SENATE NATURAL RESOURCE COMMITTEE'S ON MARCH 24TH.

[00:10:07]

WE CAN EVEN, YOU KNOW, DO SOME BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS WITH THE MAP.

AND YOU KNOW, FURTHER EMPHASIZE THE, THE BENEFITS OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.

YOU KNOW, I THINK WE REALLY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT AGRICULTURE AS A, AS A PURPOSE TO, TO HELP ACHIEVE THE MSGSA GOALS.

AND, AND MORE STATE HELP FRANKLY, WE NEED, WE NEED TO, TO DRAW MORE ATTENTION.

THERE'S A LOT OF ACRONYMS THAT ARE THROWN AROUND AND A LOT OF INITIATIVES AND, AND THINGS, BUT WE'RE NOT SEEING A LOT OF DOLLARS COME WITH THOSE.

AND SO THIS, THIS REALLY IS AN EFFORT TO, TO, TO STEER MORE RESOURCES TO AN AREA THAT WE KNOW IS GOING TO GO THROUGH SOME, SOME FAIRLY STRESSFUL TIMES. THE BILL IS SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATIONS.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO STAND UP A NEW STATE AGENCY.

I THINK THAT CAN BE DONE WITH LESS THAN HALF $1 MILLION A YEAR.

BRINGING ON AN EXECUTIVE, BRINGING ON YOU KNOW, SOME CONSULTANTS.

AND THEN, AND THEN IT'S, YOU KNOW, THEN IT'S GO TIME WHERE WE START TO ESTABLISH SOME POLICIES AND SOME PRIORITIES.

AND, AND THEN START CHASING MONEY. IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE OTHER STATE CONSERVANCIES, THEY BASICALLY GET PROGRAMED MONEY OUT OF, OUT OF, OUT OF BONDS, WHETHER THAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, THE PROP FOUR, CLIMATE BOND THAT PASSED THIS PAST YEAR.

MOST OF THE CONSERVANCIES RECEIVE 10 TO $15 MILLION RIGHT OFF THE BAT AS A LINE ITEM.

AND SO THERE'S REAL POTENTIAL TO, TO, TO WRANGLE SOME RESOURCES AND TO, TO STEER THIS IN A WAY THAT, THAT BEST SUITS THESE WORKING LANDS AND THESE WILDLIFE BENEFICIAL LANDSCAPES.

SO AGAIN, COMPLETELY VOLUNTARY BASED, INCENTIVE BASED AS THE LANGUAGE IS WRITTEN.

THE CONSERVANCY WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO HOLD EASEMENTS, VOLUNTARY EASEMENTS, WORKING WITH LANDOWNERS TO ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, ADD CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, NOT, YOU KNOW, SO, SO ALTHOUGH IT WOULD ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO DO HABITAT WORK AND RESTORATION WORK. THE REAL FOCUS IS, IS WHERE THE BIGGEST NEED IS RIGHT NOW.

AND THAT'S FACING ALL OF THIS, THIS LAND USE RETIREMENT.

CAN YOU ADVANCE THE SLIDE? I REALLY LIKE THIS SLIDE BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT THERE'S A COMPLETE ALIGNMENT AND AGREEMENT WITH ALL OF THE AGENCIES THAT THE BIG, THE BIG AGENCIES IN CALIFORNIA THAT ARE LOOKING AFTER NATURAL RESOURCES.

SO EACH ONE OF THOSE LAYERS REALLY SIGNIFIES A PRIORITY OR A STUDY AND AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT THIS, THIS WILDLIFE CORRIDOR LINKING THE SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILL TO THE ECOLOGICAL AREA AND THEN ON TO THE COAST RANGE IS IS IN LINE WITH WHERE EVERYBODY'S THINKING AND WHERE THE GOALS ARE. SO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 30 BY 30. AND YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE'VE SEEN OUTLAID.

THE WAY I SEE THIS IS THESE ARE ALL POTENTIAL FUNDING RESOURCES, RIGHT? SO ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT EFFORTS ARE DRIVEN BY THESE AGENCIES.

AND I THINK IT REALLY MAKES A VERY STRONG CASE TO SAY THAT THIS IS WHERE WE SHOULD BE DIRECTING AS MANY RESOURCES AS POSSIBLE TO, TO KEEP THE LANDSCAPE AS IT IS. THE LANDSCAPE IS ALREADY AS IT STANDS.

IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AN INCREDIBLE CORRIDOR. YOU, YOU LANDOWNERS, YOU, YOU, YOU RANCHERS, YOU FARMERS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS THING EXISTS AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PRESERVE.

KEEP THESE LANDS TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE, DOING THE SAME THING THAT THEY'VE DONE FOR 100 YEARS AND MANY GENERATIONS.

AND IF THERE'S NO QUESTIONS, I'LL WRAP IT UP.

ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH. GO AHEAD. RICK, JUST CONSIDERING WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR FIVE YEARS.

WORRIED ABOUT WATER. WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO OUR WATER SUPPLY? I WOULD SAY THERE'S, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY. I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO, TO LEVERAGE YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DISCRETION AND REGULATORY IMPLEMENTATION.

AND SO EXPLAINING THAT THIS ISN'T JUST A FARM, THIS ISN'T JUST A RANCH, THIS ISN'T JUST A PASTURE.

THIS IS AN AREA A HIGH PRIORITY OF THE STATE THAT PROVIDES FOR A, A WILDLIFE CORRIDOR.

IT'S PROVIDING ALL OF THESE OTHER ANCILLARY BENEFITS.

BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW THE CONSERVANCY COULD ASSIST OUT HERE, IT COULD BE BRINGING IN DOLLARS TO UPGRADE YOUR PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU KNOW, REPLACEMENT OF WATER CONTROL STRUCTURES, MAKING, MAKING THINGS MORE EFFICIENT OUT HERE IN THIS NECK OF THE WOODS.

AND FRANKLY, TRYING TO, TRYING TO DEVELOP THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT, THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO OPPORTUNISTICALLY CAPTURE THOSE THOSE RARE OCCASIONS WHERE WE HAVE FLOOD CONDITIONS, RIGHT? AND THAT 1 IN 5 YEARS, WE HAVE THE LANDSCAPE SET UP TO TO CAPTURE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, GET IT BACK INTO THE GROUND AS OPPOSED TO IT, YOU KNOW, RUSHING THROUGH US, CAUSING FLOODING ISSUES. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT.

THE THIS IS, AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A FRAMEWORK AND, AND TO BE DEVELOPED AND TO BE SORT OF CUSTOMIZED BY THE LOCALS TO,

[00:15:07]

WOULD WE HAVE SENIORITY OVER THE PRIORITIES OF THE WATER USAGE? OR WILL YOU BEING PART OF A STATE GROUP, HAVE SENIORITY OF US AND WE'RE GOING TO BE BOUND DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, NO. SO THIS THIS WOULDN'T THIS WOULDN'T HAVE ANY REGULATORY ARM.

THIS WOULDN'T HAVE ANY INTIMATE DOMAIN. NO, NO.

SO NO REGULATORY PRESSURE WHATSOEVER. AND SO IT WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SAY WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE PRIVATIZATION OF WATER SUPPLY WOULD NOT BE A FUNCTION AS THE BILL IS WRITTEN. I THINK IT WOULD BE SORT OF INDIRECT BENEFITS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO ACHIEVE GOALS.

AND SO THERE'S NO NO PRIORITIZATION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.

AGAIN, JUST A FRAMEWORK TO TO BRING INCENTIVES TO FOLKS THAT SO CHOOSE TO PURSUE THOSE.

YEP. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR RICK. IS THERE A PROBLEM? I MEAN, WOULD THERE BE? IS THERE AN ISSUE IF A PUBLIC AGENCY IS BISECTED BY THAT GREEN LINE LIKE SUCH AS AN IRRIGATION DISTRICT OR A WATER DISTRICT? I DON'T BELIEVE SO. BECAUSE IT IS VOLUNTARY. RIGHT? AND SO WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT DICTATING LAND USE OR, OR ANY SORT OF REGULATORY YOU KNOW, ARM IN THAT PERSPECTIVE.

AND SO, YEAH, SO IT DOES THAT, THAT FOCUS AREA, THAT OUTER BOUNDARY, IT DOES STRADDLE YOU KNOW, THE GRASS AND WATER DISTRICT IS WHOLLY WITHIN IT, BUT THERE'S SOME CCID LAND IN THERE.

THERE'S SOME HMRD LAND UP NEAR MERCED. YOU'VE GOT SOME MID LAND.

THIS NEW EXTENSION, THE EAST OF 99, IS KIND OF A NEW AREA OF ABOUT 40,000 ACRES, AND WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS THAT ON THE WHITE AREA, ON THE ON ACTUALLY THE GSA BOUNDARY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE FEEL THE BIGGEST NEED IS.

AND SO WE DID STAY OUT OF LA GRANDE AND MID INTENTIONALLY BECAUSE WE THINK THAT'S WHERE THE BIGGEST NEED IS.

AFTER I WAS AT THE FARM BUREAU MEETING, AS YOU KNOW I DID NOTICE ON THE MAP A PID, PLAINSBURG IRRIGATION DISTRICT IS BISECTED IF WE CAN SOMEHOW GET IT EITHER ALL IN OR ALL OUT. YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. SO YEAH, WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. ANYBODY SEEING NONE? WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU RICK.

APPRECIATE YOU COMING DOWN AND SHARING THE PLAN WITH US.

ALL RIGHT. OKAY. WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM SEVEN, WHICH IS THE MLRP PROGRAM.

[7. MULTIBENEFIT LAND REPURPOSING PROGRAM ]

I'LL TRY TO MOVE RELATIVELY QUICKLY. IF THE BOARD DOES WANT CLARIFICATION OR WANTS ME TO PAUSE TO GO THROUGH ANYTHING, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DO THAT. BUT I AM MINDFUL OF THE AGENDA TODAY.

JUST A QUICK REMINDER WITHIN THE MERCED SUBBASIN IN THE MLRP PROGRAM, THERE ARE FIVE IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS.

CURRENTLY, FOUR OF THEM ARE IN SORT OF IN HAPPENING, RIGHT? SO THEY'RE ALREADY IN CONTRACT. WE EITHER HAVE EARTH MOVING OR WE HAVE SOIL CORES HAPPENING.

SO WE HAVE FOUR PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY MOVING FORWARD.

THE INTENT WAS TO HAVE A FIFTH CONTRACT BEFORE THE BOARD TODAY.

WE'RE PUSHING THAT BACK BECAUSE OF SOME NEGOTIATIONS.

WE'RE PUSHING BACK ONE MORE MONTH TO, TO GET THAT CONTRACT IN FRONT OF THE BOARD NEXT MONTH.

IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TO ASK THEM.

I'LL LEAVE SOME SPACE AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION.

HERE'S JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THOSE FIVE PROJECTS WITH THAT FIFTH POTENTIAL PROJECT.

SORT OF STILL IN FLUX. ALL RIGHT. FOR TODAY'S BOARD MEETING, WHAT WE ACTUALLY NEED IS A BOARD ACTION.

RIGHT NOW THIS, IT SAYS APPROVING SIX PROJECTS FOR DEVELOPMENT WORK.

WE'RE ACTUALLY ONLY GOING TO PUT FORWARD FOUR PROJECTS FOR DEVELOPMENT WORK.

SO WE JUST GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MINUTES REFLECT ACCURATELY THAT FOUR PROJECTS WILL BE REQUESTED TO MOVE FORWARD TO CONTRACTING BY THIS BOARD TODAY.

FOR A REMINDER, THE, THE MLRP PROGRAM HAD THOSE FIVE IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS.

THOSE ARE SORT OF TWO EARTH MOVING BUILD PROJECTS ON GROUND ACTIONS.

THE PROGRAM ALSO FUNDS DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECTS AND THAT INCLUDES DESIGN, ENGINEERING, PERMITTING SORT OF ALL THOSE SOFT THINGS, EVERYTHING SHORT OF PUTTING A SHOVEL IN THE GROUND.

EARLIER OR LAST FALL, WE SUBMITTED, OR WE OPENED UP A SOLICITATION FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT FUNDING TO BE RELEASED TO THE COMMUNITY.

THOSE PROJECTS HAVE GONE THROUGH A SERIES OF REVIEW STAGES.

JUST A REMINDER, THEY GO THROUGH AN ELIGIBILITY SCREENING.

I KNOW THIS SLIDE SHOWS UP TOO MANY TIMES, BUT WE'RE HERE.

WE GO THROUGH AN ELIGIBILITY SCREENING WHERE VALLEY ECO GOES THROUGH AND ENSURES THAT THE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS ARE MET THROUGH THOSE PROJECTS.

THEN IT GOES THROUGH TWO ROUNDS OF SCORING. THE SCORING CRITERIA ARE ACTUALLY BUILT BY THE REGIONAL PARTNERS BASED ON DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION GUIDELINES.

[00:20:08]

IT'S BASED ON COMMUNITY INPUT AND REGIONAL INPUT.

TO GET TO THE SCORES THERE ARE TWO PHASES, AND THIS GOES FOR BOTH IMPLEMENTATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.

IT GOES THROUGH A FIRST ROUND OF COMMUNITY SCORING. THEY GIVE FOUR SCORES.

THEN IT GOES TO A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THIS BOARD THAT GIVES THREE SCORES.

HOPEFULLY NONE OF THIS IS TOO NEW. I LIKE HOW POWERFUL MY VOICE IS IN THIS MIC, BY THE WAY.

IT'S LIKE AH. AFTER YOU GET THOSE SEVEN SCORES, THEY GO TO A STAKEHOLDER REVIEW.

WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE HIGHEST SCORING PROJECTS OBJECTIVELY TO THAT STAKEHOLDER REVIEW, THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND YOU'LL SEE IT TODAY TO MAKE REQUESTS OF THOSE CONTRACTS. THEY'LL SAY OFTENTIMES THEY'LL ASK FOR THINGS LIKE SOIL SAMPLES, WHICH IS MAKES A TON OF SENSE, RIGHT? MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE SORT OF DOING DUE DILIGENCE ON THESE PROJECTS. AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IN SOME OF THE REQUESTS TODAY.

WHERE ARE THESE, ALL THESE PROJECTS ARE? WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT CODES ON THE MAP HERE.

THE IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS IN THE PROGRAM ARE ACTUALLY IN RED.

THOSE ARE SORT OF TRACKED THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THE SUB BASIN. BUT THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TODAY ARE ALL IN YELLOW.

THE TWO PROJECTS THAT WE ARE NOT PUTTING FORWARD TODAY ARE PROJECTS ONE, WHICH IS YOU CAN SEE SORT OF CENTRALIZED THERE ALONG SANDY MUSH, AND THEN TWO OR NUMBER 12, EXCUSE ME. SO ONE AND 12 ARE BEING PULLED FROM THE DOCKET.

WE'VE GOTTEN TWO REQUESTS FOR CHANGES FROM THOSE LANDOWNERS, SO WE'RE GOING TO PUSH THOSE BACK ONE MORE MONTH. HOPEFULLY NOTHING TOO CRAZY, BUT JUST WANT TO GIVE ENOUGH TIME TO GO THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES.

IN GENERAL 12 APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED. TWO WERE INELIGIBLE.

WERE FOUND INELIGIBLE BY VALLEY ECO REVIEW. ONE PROJECT ACTUALLY OVERLAID SPATIALLY OR TWO PROJECTS OVERLAID.

SO ONE WAS RESCINDED. WITHIN THIS PROGRAM, WE'RE AIMING TO FUND $750,000 OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS FOR ALL, AND THAT'S ACROSS ALL SIX PROGRAMMATIC PROJECTS.

ALL RIGHT. THE TWO, THERE ARE A FEW REQUESTS THAT WERE MADE IN THE REVIEW PROCESS FOR ALL CONTRACTS.

SO WHEN THESE GO INTO REVIEW, THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE CAN MAKE REQUESTS OF ALL PROJECTS.

THE MSGSA SUBCOMMITTEE CAN MAKE REQUESTS AND THE STAKEHOLDERS CAN MAKE REQUESTS OF THOSE PROJECTS.

SOME OF THEM ARE UBIQUITOUS. ONE OF THE REQUESTS IS THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY REMAINS THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF THE GSA.

THIS HAS A LOT OF ADVANTAGES BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE CAN BE SEEN AS PILOTS.

SO ANY COOL ENGINEERING STRATEGIES WE MIGHT GET TO SOME OF THESE LIKE AGROVOLTAIC ENGINEERING DESIGNS, HAVING THOSE SORT OF AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC CAN ACTUALLY GIVE US MORE OUT OF THAT INVESTMENT.

THE ADDITIONAL SORT OF STOP, THIS IS LIKE A QUALITY CONTROL OR FINANCIAL CONTROL MECHANISM.

IS THAT THAT GSA OR ITS AGENT HAS THE ABILITY TO REVIEW ANY SUBCONTRACTS THAT COME THROUGH, MAKING SURE THAT IT'S SORT OF A CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE FINANCIALLY REASONABLE AND THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ADEQUATELY MEET THE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.

SO WE HAVE WE WANT ALL PROJECTS. SUBCONTRACTS TO GO THROUGH THE GSA OR ITS AGENT AS PART OF THE PROJECT SCOPES.

WE ASKED FOR ALL PROJECTS THAT INCORPORATE RECHARGE TO TAKE SOIL SAMPLES.

RIGHT? SO SOME OF THIS IS JUST SOIL CORING. SOME OF THIS IS INFILTRATION RELATED.

SOME OF IT IS CHEMICAL RELATED. JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T BUILD SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T USE EITHER EFFECTIVELY OR EFFICIENTLY.

ALL RIGHT. JUST A QUICK I'M GOING TO RUN THROUGH THESE VERY QUICKLY. THE FIRST PROJECT IS SUBMITTED FOR 165 ACRES OF PERMANENTLY NON-IRRIGATED PASTURE CONVERSION. THEIR INTENT IS TO CONVERT 150.

I APOLOGIZE, 150 PREVIOUSLY IRRIGATED ACRES OF LAND AND TRANSITIONED THEM TO NON IRRIGATED LAND USES WITHIN THAT 60 ACRES WILL TRANSITION TO LOWER IRRIGATION WATER USE. THE, THE PROGRAM WILL ESTABLISH A FIVE ACRE SURFACE WATER AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION SITE FOR DOING PROJECTS LIKE IRRIGATION EFFICIENCY, SOIL MONITORING EQUIPMENT OPERATION, HARVESTING STRATEGIES FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS.

AGAIN, THESE HAVE GONE THROUGH MULTIPLE ITERATIONS OF A REVIEW, BUT I RECOGNIZE THIS IS A LOT FOR THE BOARD TO TO TAKE ON ALL AT ONCE.

IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO STOP ME. THE PROJECT DELIVERABLES ARE A CONCEPTUAL LAND USE AND PHASING PLAN TO TRANSITION THE PROPERTY.

THE DEVELOPING THE AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION SITE AND POLLINATOR DESIGNS.

THE CEQA COMPLIANCE FOR ANY, AND HOPEFULLY I THINK A LOT OF THESE WILL GO THROUGH NOTICE OF EXEMPTION PROCESS, BUT CEQA COMPLIANCE IS BUILT INTO THIS PROJECT.

RENEWABLE ENERGY FEASIBILITY MEMO. THESE ARE AGAIN, SOME OF THESE ARE BUILT ON THE SCOPE AND THE DESIGN.

[00:25:05]

AND THEN THOSE LAST FOUR ITEMS I JUST REALIZED BECAUSE OF TIME, I'M PROBABLY NOT GOING TO READ THROUGH ALL THESE DELIVERABLES EACH TIME UNLESS THE BOARD SO REQUESTS. ON THE BOTTOM OF THESE SLIDES, YOU'LL ALSO SEE THESE PROJECT MODIFICATION REQUESTS.

AND SO WHAT THAT ESSENTIALLY IDENTIFIES IS EITHER THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE, THE GSA SUBCOMMITTEE, OR THE STAKEHOLDERS HAVE SAID SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT INCLUDED IN THIS PROJECT IN ORDER FOR THIS PROJECT TO GET CONTRACTED.

THOSE ARE SORT OF THE CRITERIA THAT HAVE TO BE MET AND AGREED TO IN ORDER TO PROCEED.

SO I'LL KEEP MOVING AND MAYBE WE'LL FIELD QUESTIONS ALL AT ONCE.

THE NEXT PROJECT IS ALONG BEAR CREEK ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE GSA.

THE APPLICANT IS A NONPROFIT, AND THEIR OBJECTIVE IS TO DO A HABITAT RESTORATION ALONG THE CREEK THERE.

THE PROJECT WILL REMOVE 120 ACRES OF ORCHARD IN EAST MERCED COUNTY, INCLUDING THE CONVERSION OF CONVERSION TO DRY PASTURE. PLANTING PLANS WILL THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP PLANTING PLANS FOR BOTH THE WETLAND AREAS AND RESTORATION SITE AND UPLAND GRASSLAND HABITAT.

IT WILL ALSO INCLUDE METHODS TO INCREASE WATER RETENTION ON SITE.

SO POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES TO INCLUDE RECHARGE AS PART OF THE HABITAT MANAGEMENT.

THIS IS GENERALLY NOT ATYPICAL FOR RESTORATION ALONG RIPARIAN STREAMS. IT BENEFITS BOTH THE HABITAT AND THE RECHARGE WITHIN THESE AREAS.

THIS IS WHY YOU SEE THIS RIPARIAN RECHARGE OVERLAY.

THE PROJECT DELIVERABLES ARE 65% ENGINEERING PLAN, DRAFT RESTORATION PLAN OF THE SITE RESTORATION AND PERMIT APPLICATIONS FOR THE PROJECT AND ANY OTHER PERMITTING DOCS THAT THEY NEED TO PROCEED WITH THE PROJECT.

NEXT PROJECT IS NEXT TO THE COTTONWOOD CREEK.

JUST TO ORIENT FOLKS, THAT'S SANDY MUSH ROAD ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THAT RED BOUNDARY.

ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BOUNDARY, YOU'LL SEE SOME WETLAND AREAS.

THAT IS THE MERCED NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE WEST SIDE OF THAT UNIT IS ACTUALLY THE COTTONWOOD CREEK UNIT, WHICH IS A PUBLIC ACCESS SITE OF THE MERCED NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.

THIS PROJECT IS PUT FORWARD BY A LANDOWNER FOR $150,000.

THE SITE IS 65 ACRES TO CONVERT THE PROPERTY, VERY SIMPLY TO CONVERT THE PROPERTY INTO A WILDLIFE FRIENDLY RECHARGE SITE.

ANY QUESTIONS? CAN YOU BACK TO THAT SLIDE? YES, APOLOGIES.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO EVERYONE THAT THIS PROJECT IS NOT ACTUALLY CONVERTING 65 ACRES.

IT'S A PLAN TO MAKE. RIGHT? OH, I APOLOGIZE. YEAH.

SO ALL OF THESE PROJECTS, JUST TO THANK YOU. JUST ALL THESE PROJECTS IS A QUICK REMINDER.

CANNOT BUILD THEM. THAT'S ALSO ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE CAN DEPLOY A LITTLE FASTER.

THESE ARE DESIGN ENGINEERING PERMITTING ACTIONS.

THERE, THE FUNDING SOFT COSTS TO GO IN THOSE.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU NICK. THAT'S A GREAT CATCH. APOLOGIES. SO WE'RE NOT PAYING FOR THE CONVERSION.

WE'RE PAYING FOR THE DESIGN AND ENGINEERING AND PERMITTING UP TO THAT CONVERSION.

IT'S A GREAT CATCH. THE PROJECT AND IT'S KIND OF NESTED HERE IN THE DELIVERABLES.

THE PROJECT DELIVERABLES ARE A SITE SUMMARY, INCLUDES THE SOIL AND HYDROLOGY EVALUATIONS OF THE SITE, A DESIGN PLAN AND HABITAT LAYOUT, VEGETATION AND PLANTING PLAN, SUBMISSION OF PERMITS, COST ESTIMATES FOR PHASING, FOR PHASING OF THE PROJECTS. LAST ONE FOR TODAY AT LEAST FOR.

YES, LAST ONE FOR TODAY IS ACTUALLY AGAIN ON THE NORTH, SORT OF IN THE AMSTERDAM REGION OF THE, OF THE GSA, SORT OF IN THE NORTHEAST AREA. THE PROJECT IS A PRIVATE LAND IS REQUESTED BY A PRIVATE LANDOWNER.

THE PROJECT AIMS TO MOVE TOWARDS CONVERTING 67 ACRES OUT OF WALNUTS INTO GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AND WILDLIFE HABITAT ADJACENT TO THAT NEARBY SORT OF HOLDING RESERVOIR.

THE PROJECT DELIVERABLES, OUR SITE ASSESSMENT SUMMARY AGAIN VERY SIMILAR TO THESE OTHER SITES WHICH WHICH ILLUSTRATE WHAT THE PROJECT CONSTRAINTS ARE SOILS, HYDROLOGY, EXISTING LAND USE, POINTS OF DIVERSION, ETC..

THE PROJECT WILL DELIVER A SITE PLAN INCLUDING ORCHARD REMOVAL AND HABITAT LAYOUTS, NATIVE PLANTING PLAN, SUBMIT AGAIN, SUBMISSION OF PERMITS, COST ESTIMATES FOR FINAL EXECUTION OF THESE PROJECTS TO BUILD.

WE'RE GOING TO PASS ON PROJECT 12, AGAIN IT'S IN HERE.

BUT WE GOT INFORMATION TODAY THAT SORT OF REQUIRED ME TO PULL IT FROM THE BOARD AS WE ENTER FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS.

SO ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? I KNOW THAT WAS A WHIRLWIND.

ALSO HAPPY TO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT. ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?

[00:30:05]

ALL RIGHT. SO THIS IS TO AN ITEM TO APPROVE THE FOUR PROJECTS.

GIVE ME THE NUMBERS OF THE FOUR AGAIN. FOUR PROJECTS ARE PROJECT SEVEN, SIX, FOUR AND TWO.

ALRIGHT. THE ACTION IS NOT TO GO INTO CONTRACT.

THE BOARD WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE CONTRACTS.

THE ACTION IS TO APPROVE ENTERING THAT THAT CONTRACTING PHASE.

SO THIS ISN'T A THIS IS TO APPROVE THE PROJECTS.

OKAY. BUT NOT TO ADOPT ANY CONTRACTS. SO THE CONTRACT WILL COME BACK HERE FOR.

EXACTLY. YEAH. WHAT'S THE PLEASURE? SO MOVED.

OKAY. I HAVE A MOTION BY DIRECTOR MARCHINI AND A SECOND BY DIRECTOR NERVINO.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? MOTION CARRIES SIX ZERO.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM EIGHT, WHICH IS OUR PHASE TWO FEE ENGINEER'S REPORT.

[8. PHASE 2 FEE ENGINEER’S REPORT ]

ADRIELL WOULD BE SHARING A SCREEN. YES. GOOD AFTERNOON.

BOARD. WE ARE HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PHASE TWO ENGINEER'S REPORT, AND THERE WILL BE A COPY OF A PRESENTATION BROUGHT UP ON SCREEN IN JUST A MOMENT. AND WE'LL RUN THROUGH THIS.

WHAT IS THE ULTIMATELY THE ACTION BY THE BOARD IS TO, IF THEY ARE SO INCLINED TO DECIDE TO RELEASE THIS REPORT PUBLICLY AND SCHEDULE WORKSHOPS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT RELEASE OF THAT REPORT.

SO WE ARE NOW GOING TO GO OVER WHAT THE REPORT ENTAILS.

MAKE SURE YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH IT, AND IF SO, IT WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE PROBABLY AS EARLY AS TOMORROW THROUGH THE WEBSITE AND OTHER SOURCES. THANK YOU. SO DISCUSSION ITEMS FOR TODAY.

WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER THE REPORT OUTLINE, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT THREE PRIMARY FUNDING MECHANISMS. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE ELIGIBLE PARCELS, AND SO WHO IS GOING TO BE CONTRIBUTING TO THE FEE REVIEW OF BUDGETS AND THE POTENTIAL MAXIMUM ANNUAL CHARGE, REVIEW OF HISTORIC PER ACRE COSTS AND FEES ASSOCIATED WITH SOME OF THE OTHER EXISTING AND RECENTLY SUNSETTED MECHANISMS. AND THEN THE NEXT STEPS AND KEY DATES, INCLUDING A WORKSHOP.

SO LET'S JUMP TO THE NEXT SLIDE. SO AS WE CAN SEE HERE, THE OUTLINE, THAT'S A FIVE CHAPTER DOCUMENT.

IT'S GOT AN INTRODUCTION. IT'S GOT A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE GSA.

THE PRIMARY FOCUS IS ON SECTION THREE THE PROPOSED FUNCTIONS AND ACTIVITIES TO BE FUNDED.

AND THERE'S THREE PRIMARY CATEGORIES CATEGORY ONE, ADMINISTRATIVE AND GOVERNANCE FUNCTIONS.

THAT WOULD INCLUDE THINGS LIKE STAFFING FACILITIES, ACTIVITIES, FUNDING THE GROUNDWATER ACCOUNTING PLATFORM.

SOME OF THOSE ACTIONS. CATEGORY TWO MONITORING DATA MANAGEMENT AND TECHNICAL STUDIES THAT WOULD ALLOW SUPPORTING ONGOING CLOSURE OF THE DATA GAPS, INSTALLING MONITORING WELLS, CONTINUING THE HIRING OF STAFF OR SORRY.

HIRING OF OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS FOR TECHNICAL STUDIES THAT MAY BE NECESSARY.

AND CATEGORY THREE IS ABOUT DOMESTIC WELL MITIGATION THAT WOULD SUPPORT THE RECENTLY ADOPTED AND APPROVED DOMESTIC WELL MITIGATION PROGRAM THAT WAS THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED JOINTLY WITH MIUGSA AND WITH TURNER ISLAND.

AND SO THAT SECTION THREE DISCUSSES THE BASIS FOR ALL OF THOSE FEES AND CHARGES.

AND WE'LL LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS HERE IN A MOMENT. SECTION FOUR TALKS ABOUT THE BENEFIT DETERMINATIONS, WHO IS BENEFITING FROM THOSE. SECTION FIVE THE PROPOSED CHARGES INCLUDING ESTIMATED MAX ANNUAL PER ACRE CHARGE.

THE DOCUMENT WILL ALSO HAVE AN APPENDIX LISTING ALL THE BENEFITING PARCELS SO PEOPLE CAN GO LOOK UP THEIR PARCEL, SEE AND UNDERSTAND IF THEY ARE RECOGNIZED PARTICIPATING PARCEL.

GENERALLY THE PARTICIPATING PARCELS WILL BE EVERYBODY WHO IS AVAILABLE TO RECEIVE AN ALLOCATION.

THAT WOULD INCLUDE LANDS THAT HAVE RECENTLY OPTED IN THROUGH THE OPT IN PROCESSES OUTLINED IN YOUR RULES AND REGULATIONS.

NEXT SLIDE. SO STARTED TO TOUCH ON THIS CATEGORY ONE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL HERE WOULD BE ALLOWING THE FUNDING OF AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TECHNICAL STAFF, OFFICE SPACE.

WE'LL HAVE A OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS FUTURE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE AND LEGAL DEFENSE.

WE KNOW THERE'S ONGOING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ADDITIONAL SGMA REQUIREMENTS THAT MAY COME DOWN.

[00:35:03]

THIS IS ONE THAT WILL BE PUT IN PLACE AND THEN AVAILABLE TO FOR THE BOARD TO MAKE ANNUAL DECISIONS TO SET THE TO COLLECT FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE BUDGET NEEDS FOR EACH YEAR ON INTO THE FUTURE. SO THIS IS NOT UNLIKE PRIOR FUNDING.

THIS IS NOT SUNSETTED LIKE THE PHASE ONE IS. THIS IS PLANNED IN ONGOING FEE.

THAT WOULD BE DETERMINED, THE VALUE WOULD BE DETERMINED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AS PART OF YOUR BUDGETING PROCESS IN MAY AND JUNE.

SO CATEGORY ONE ALSO HAS OPPORTUNITY TO FUND GRANT WRITING SERVICES, WEBSITE MAINTENANCE AND UPDATES, AND THE FUNDING OF THE GROUNDWATER ACCOUNTING PLATFORM, WHICH HAS A SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE AND SOME CUSTOMIZATION SUPPORT.

CATEGORY TWO, AS WE TALKED ABOUT, WOULD ADDRESS TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND STUDIES, ALTERNATIVE REMOTE SENSING SERVICES TO THE GAP THAT WOULD SUPPLY DATA TO THE GAP IF THAT IS CHOSEN BY AFTER TIME, THE BOARD WANTS TO GO THERE.

AND THEN ALSO ADDRESSING THE DATA GAPS, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE HELPING FUND MONITORING WELLS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE GAPS ANALYSIS ASSOCIATED WITH THE GSP REPORTING. CATEGORY THREE IS THE DOMESTIC WELLS MITIGATION PROGRAM, SO EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLY ASSISTANCE, THE MITIGATION PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION, AND ACTUAL LONG TERM SOLUTIONS WHICH ARE OUTLINED IN THAT PROGRAM ITSELF.

NEXT SLIDE. SO THE FEE WILL BE IMPOSED ON PARCELS RECEIVING A GROUNDWATER ALLOCATION AS SPECIFIED IN SECTION TWO, ONE OF THE GROUNDWATER ALLOCATION RULE, WHICH YOU ADOPTED LAST FALL IN ITS FINAL FORM.

AND HERE IS A ROUGH MAP. AGAIN, THERE ARE DETAILED MAPS IN THE REPORT, PLUS THE APPENDIX A LISTS EVERY PARCEL ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

EVERYTHING YOU SEE IN GREEN THAT'S WITHIN THE TEAL BOUNDARY ARE LANDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY RECOGNIZED TO RECEIVE AN ALLOCATION, INCLUDING SOME LANDS THAT HAVE OPTED IN AS WELL AS SOME LANDS THAT MAY HAVE OPTED OUT.

THE GSA CURRENTLY HAS 186,315 ACRES THAT WILL RECEIVE THE GROUNDWATER ALLOCATION.

SO THE BUDGET'S ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE THREE CATEGORIES WOULD BE ASSESSED TO ALL 186,000 ACRES.

NEXT SLIDE. SO THIS IS APOLOGIZE FOR THE SMALL FONT HERE.

IT'S HARD TO READ. AGAIN, WE'RE HAPPY TO TALK MORE DETAILS ABOUT THIS AS WE WILL TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE THERE WILL BE PUBLIC WORKSHOPS TO GO INTO THESE IN MORE DETAIL, BUT YOU CAN SEE CATEGORY ONE HAS A FUNDING BUCKET OF ABOUT 1.25 MILLION THAT WOULD ADDRESS ALL THE ITEMS WE JUST TALKED ABOUT IN CATEGORY ONE, AND THE BOARD WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO FLEXIBLY MOVE THOSE THOSE FUNDS WITHIN THAT BUCKET TO THE ACTIONS IDENTIFIED IN THAT CATEGORY.

CATEGORY TWO THE BUDGET IS 840,000. AGAIN, THESE ARE ANNUAL MAX BUDGETS.

CATEGORY THREE IS THE DOMESTIC WELL MITIGATION PROGRAM, WITH AN ANNUAL BUDGET OF 725,000 FOR A TOTAL OVERALL OPERATING BUDGET ON AN ANNUAL BASIS OF 2.815 MILLION. IF YOU DIVIDED IT BY THE CURRENT ELIGIBLE ACRES OF 186 315, WHICH MAY VARY A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THIS, IF THIS IS TO BE APPROVED AND AND ADOPTED BY THE BOARD LATER THIS YEAR, THAT FEE WOULD BE SPREAD ACROSS THOSE ACRES AS WHATEVER THOSE FINAL ACRES ARE.

AT THAT POINT IN TIME, IT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $15.11 PER ACRE AS AN ANNUAL MAX VALUE.

NEXT SLIDE. SO TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT, THE, THERE ARE CURRENTLY AND THERE HAVE CURRENTLY BEEN TWO FEES ASSOCIATED WITH OPERATIONS OF THE GSA.

ONE IS WHAT'S CALLED THE 2019 FEE. IT WAS APPROVED BACK IN 2019, AND IT HAS BEEN THE BASIC FUNDAMENTAL UNDERPINNING OF THE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE GSA THAT SUPPORTS THE ANNUAL REPORTS THAT REPORT THAT SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GSP, THE UPDATES TO THE GSP, ALL THE INTERACTIONS WITH THE STATE THAT ARE NECESSARY IN COORDINATION OF THOSE ACTIVITIES WITH OUR PARTNER GSA'S IN THE SUB BASIN.

SO THAT 2019 FEE HAD TWO CATEGORIES IRRIGATED AND UNIRRIGATED.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE MAX ANNUAL FEE WAS FOR THE IRRIGATED SIDE SET AT $4.

AND THE MAX FOR THE UNIRRIGATED WAS $0.50. WE HAVE HERE A LIST OF DIFFERENT OF THE ACTUAL APPROVED BUDGET NUMBER FOR A NUMBER OF THE YEARS. YOU CAN SEE IT INITIALLY WAS AROUND $2, THEN $1, THEN A BUCK 75, THEN NEARLY FOUR FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

AND LAST YEAR WAS BACK OR THIS CURRENT YEAR, THIS FUNDING CYCLE RIGHT NOW THAT'S OPERATING WAS BACK TO $1.

LIKEWISE THE THERE'S A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP. SO THE NON-IRRIGATED LAND FEES WOULD BE RELATIONAL TO WHAT WAS DEVELOPED.

[00:40:07]

SO YOU SEE A LIKEWISE VARIANCE THAT OCCURS. WHAT THAT JUST DEMONSTRATES IS THE BOARD'S CONSTANT CONSIDERATION OF WHAT THEY NEED FUNDS FOR AND TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ONLY COLLECTING DOLLARS TO FUND THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO CONTINUE FUNCTIONING THE GSA FOR THE PURPOSES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED UNDER THAT FEE STRUCTURE. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE PASSED THE PHASE ONE FEE, WHICH WAS INTENDED TO BE A SUNSETTING FEE.

SO IT NOW THIS WAS THE LAST YEAR, THE LAST TAX DOLLARS ARE BEING COLLECTED FOR THAT FEE.

AND YOU CAN SEE IT HAD A MAX NUMBER AND IT HAD TWO CATEGORIES ONE FOR IRRIGATED AND ONE THAT WAS ASSIGNED TO PARTICIPANTS IN A WATER RIGHTS APPLICATION. THOSE FEES WERE MAXED AT $24.94 AND $1.67.

THAT FEE WAS NOT IN PLACE IN THE 2019 2020 FISCAL YEAR NOR IN THE NEXT COUPLE FISCAL YEARS.

AND YOU SEE IT START IN FISCAL YEAR 22-23, WHERE IT WAS PUT AT ITS MAX, AND THEN THE SUBSEQUENT YEARS, BECAUSE OF THE DOLLARS COLLECTED. AND A LOT OF THAT MONEY WAS FOR THE TEMPORARY LAND REPURPOSING PROGRAM, THE INITIAL LOCALLY VOLUNTARILY FUNDED OR, EXCUSE ME, VOLUNTARILY SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS FOR THAT LAND REPURPOSING PROGRAM.

WE WENT THEN FROM 24 IN THAT FIRST YEAR DOWN TO 11 FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.

IN THIS CURRENT MOST RECENT BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR WAS $6.65 AND NOTHING FOR THE WATER RIGHTS FEE.

SO THAT AGAIN, IS DEMONSTRATION OF HOW THE BOARD HAS WHILE THERE'S A MAX NUMBER AVAILABLE, YOU'VE BEEN COLLECTING WHAT'S NECESSARY TO FUND THE ACTIVITIES.

SO NEXT SLIDE. AND IN CONTEXT WE NOW ARE TALKING ABOUT A NEW PHASE TWO FEE.

SO THE PHASE ONE FEE IMPORTANTLY, IN THE BOTTOM OF THIS TABLE SAYS IT HAS EXPIRED.

IT'S NO LONGER APPLICABLE. SO NOW WE HAVE A REPLACEMENT PHASE TWO FEE WHICH IS ANTICIPATED AS A MAX OF $15.11.

THE 2019 FEE CONTINUES FORWARD. THIS WOULD BE A NEW FEE THAT WOULD JOIN THE 2019 FEE TO FUND THE THINGS WE JUST DISCUSSED IN THOSE THREE CATEGORIES.

NEXT SLIDE. A COUPLE OF KEY DATES. SO IF THE BOARD CHOOSES TO RELEASE THIS PUBLICLY TODAY, WE WOULD MAKE THIS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE GSA'S WEBSITE AND POTENTIALLY OTHER MECHANISMS. MAYBE HAVE A LOCAL VERSION AVAILABLE SO SOMEBODY COULD INSPECT HERE.

AND THEN WE WOULD ALSO BE LOOKING TO SCHEDULE TWO PHASE TWO WORKSHOPS, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE MORE DETAIL IN THE NEXT SLIDE AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.

SO ON THE 26TH AND 31ST ARE CURRENTLY BEING TARGETED.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE LOCATIONS AND THE TIMES.

AND THEN ON APRIL 9TH, WHICH WOULD BE THIS BOARD'S NEXT MEETING, THERE WOULD BE A VOTE TO ADOPT THE FINAL PHASE TWO ENGINEERS REPORT, APPROVE THE NOTICING AND THE SET THE PROPOSITION TO 18 PUBLIC HEARING DATE.

THAT IS PART OF THE FORMALITIES OF A PROPOSITION 218 FEE PROCESS, WHERE ONCE YOU ACCEPT THE ENGINEER'S REPORT, YOU NOW SET FORTH A 45 DAY PERIOD WHERE YOU NOTICE EVERYBODY THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A PROCEDURE, INCLUDING NOTICING AND HOW YOU PURSUE OR PROCEED WITH THE PROP 218 ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL FOR A PROTEST VOTE AND HOW THAT FUNCTIONS SO THAT STAFF WOULD LIKE TO START MAILING THOSE 45 DAY HEARING NOTICES OUT ON APRIL 10TH.

AND THAT WOULD THEN SET FORTH WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A PROP 218 PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THIS FEE, WHICH WOULD LIKELY BE LATE IN MAY, 45 DAYS AFTER MAILINGS ARE OCCURRING.

NEXT SLIDE. SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE PROPOSING THREE DIFFERENT WORKSHOPS.

THE FIRST WOULD BE ON MARCH 26TH OUT AT THE LA GRANDE COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT.

01:30 TO 3 IN THE AFTERNOON. THE NEXT WORKSHOP WOULD BE ON THE 31ST IN THE AFTERNOON.

ALSO, THIS WOULD BE OUT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION FACILITY OUT BY THE AIRPORT.

THAT WOULD ALSO HAVE A VIRTUAL COMPONENT AND WOULD BE RECORDED.

SO IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE TO FOLLOW UP AND LISTEN.

IF THEY COULDN'T MAKE ANY OF THESE WORKSHOPS IN PERSON OR, OR ATTEND VIRTUALLY AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME FRAME.

THEN WORKSHOP THREE WE'RE CONFIRMING LOCATION, BUT WOULD BE IN THE EVENING ON THAT SAME MARCH 31ST DATE.

SO THERE WAS, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A LOCATION. IT MIGHT BE AT THE SCHOOL.

WE'RE CHECKING LOCATION AVAILABILITY. AND THAT IS THE CONCLUSION OF THIS PRESENTATION.

[00:45:05]

SO THAT'S THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY CAVEAT. SO WHAT IF WHAT IF A PROPERTY DOESN'T HAVE ACCESS TO GROUNDWATER BUT IRRIGATES? DO THEY HAVE TO PAY THE FEE? THEY ARE CONSIDERED AN IRRIGATED LAND AND THE FEE IS APPLICABLE.

CORRECT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? WE'VE ALL HEARD THIS TODAY. SO ANYWAYS I'LL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR. NICE TO SEE YOU. AND DIRECTORS, MY NAME IS CAITLIN BURSEY OF BAKER MANOCK AND JENSEN IN FRESNO.

AND OUR OFFICE WANTED TO FLAG A FEW CONCERNS FOR THE BOARD THAT WE HAVE, BOTH WITH APPLICATION OF THE PHASE ONE FEE, BUT REALLY FOCUSING ON THE PROPOSED PHASE TWO FEE THAT WAS PRESENTED TODAY.

SO NOW, OBVIOUSLY, AS THE BOARD'S AWARE THAT THE ALLOCATION RULE IS BEING IMPLEMENTED THROUGHOUT THE GSA, OUR CONCERN IS THAT THERE ARE INEQUITIES WITH CHARGING THE SAME FEE OR THE SAME AMOUNT TO ALL PARCELS.

YOU KNOW, IN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE PHASE TWO FEE THAT ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE AN ALLOCATION.

GIVEN THAT THE ALLOCATIONS AVAILABLE VARY BASED ON LAND CLASSIFICATION.

SO JUST TO PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE WITH THE OPT IN PARCELS.

SO UNDER THE ALLOCATION RULE, AN OPT IN PARCEL IS ENTITLED TO A LESSER ALLOCATION THAT HAS MORE RESTRICTIONS COMPARED TO THE LARGER ALLOCATION, WITH FEWER RESTRICTIONS THAT THE IRRIGATED AG PARCELS HAVE.

AND AS WE'VE HEARD TODAY MENTIONED, PROPOSITION 218 IS THE LAW THAT THAT GOVERNS ADOPTION OF RATES IN THIS PARTICULAR CONTEXT.

AND SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S THE AUTHORITY BEING USED FOR THE PROPOSED PHASE TWO FEES.

ONE OF THE KEY REQUIREMENTS OF PROPOSITION 218 IS THAT THE FEES CHARGED TO EACH INDIVIDUAL PARCEL BE PROPORTIONATE TO THE COST TO THE GSA IN THIS SITUATION TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE TO THAT PARCEL.

SO THAT'S REALLY WHERE KIND OF THE KEY CONCERN LIES WITH CHARGING THE SAME FEE AMOUNT TO EVERY PARCEL ELIGIBLE FOR AN ALLOCATION, EVEN THOUGH BY THE ALLOCATION RULE THEY MAY BE ENTITLED TO USE LESS GROUNDWATER AND HAVE MORE RESTRICTIONS THAN SOME OF THOSE OTHER PARCELS.

NOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH GSA COUNCIL TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE GSA'S POSITION AND APPLICATION WITH RESPECT TO THOSE PHASE ONE FEES, AND HOPE TO CONTINUE DISCUSSING THAT WITH THE PROPOSED PHASE TWO FEES.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, OUR OFFICE REPRESENTS LANDOWNERS IN THE SUB BASIN, BUT ALSO REPRESENT GSA IN OTHER AREAS THROUGHOUT THE VALLEY.

SO WE CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THE CHALLENGE THAT IS DEVELOPING FEES AND IMPLEMENTING SGMA.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO REVIEWING THE DRAFT ENGINEER'S REPORT OR FEE STUDY THAT'S RELEASED AND, YOU KNOW, ARE HAPPY TO PROVIDE FURTHER COMMENT, STAY ENGAGED WITH THE GSA THROUGHOUT DEVELOPMENT OF THE PHASE TWO PROCESS.

SO WITH THAT, I'LL JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. YOU'RE WELCOME.

THANKS. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY. SEEING NONE, WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND I'LL BRING THE ITEM BACK TO THE DAIS FOR THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD.

ANY OR ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? NO. OKAY.

REPORT. SECOND, THAT. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY DIRECTOR MARCHINI AND A SECOND BY DIRECTOR GALLO.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES SIX ZERO. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. GREG. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM NINE, WHICH IS A BEAR CREEK RANCH PROJECT.

[9. BEAR CREEK RANCH PROJECT LETTER OF SUPPORT ]

THANK YOU. I HAVE A QUESTION, JEANNIE. SHOULD I LEAVE THE ROOM? OKAY. JUST. YEAH, JUST GO BACK THERE. YEAH. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE THEM A COFFEE.

[00:50:04]

THE RESTORATION AREA WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE DIVERTED FLOODWATER, WHICH WILL PROVIDE FLOOD PROTECTION FOR NEARBY COMMUNITIES.

RIVER PARTNERS AND RECLAMATION DISTRICT 2092 ARE SUBMITTING AN APPROPRIATIONS REQUEST OF 7.5 MILLION TO CONGRESSMAN ADAM GRAY FOR FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT. AND THE LETTER IN YOUR PACKET IS TO CONGRESSMAN GRAY IN SUPPORT OF THIS APPROPRIATIONS REQUEST.

AND SO THE ACTION IS LOOKING FOR APPROVAL TO SEND THE LETTER AND AUTHORIZATION FOR THE CHAIR TO SIGN.

THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS OF LACEY? NOPE. I'LL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO SUPPORT THE LETTER TO CONGRESSMAN ADAM GRAY FOR THE BEAR CREEK RANCH.

IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. HAVE A MOTION BY DIRECTOR MARCHINI, A SECOND BY DIRECTOR GIAMPAOLI.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. JEANNIE, DO I NEED TO LIST MIKE AS AN ABSTENTION OR? NO, BECAUSE.

YEAH. AND ONE ABSTENTION, MR. DIRECTOR. GALLO.

ALL RIGHT. WE WILL MOVE TO ITEM TEN AFTER APPROVING ITEM NINE.

[10. SUBSIDENCE MONITORING LETTER TO CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES ]

OKAY. IN FEBRUARY OF 2026, WE LEARNED THAT THE US BUREAU OF RECLAMATION WILL NO LONGER BE CONTINUING THEIR SUBSIDENCE MONITORING ALONG THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER FOR THE RIVER RESTORATION PROGRAM.

THE MERCED SUBBASIN GSP GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY PLANS SUBSIDENCE MONITORING NETWORK INCLUDES ALL 71 SUBSIDENCE CONTROL POINTS MONITORED BY THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION AS PART OF THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER RESTORATION PROGRAM.

HISTORICALLY, THE SITES HAVE BEEN MONITORED SEMIANNUALLY.

SO IN JULY AND DECEMBER, AND FOUR OF THE MONITORING NETWORK SITES WERE SELECTED IN THE MERCED SUBBASIN GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY PLAN AS REPRESENTATIVE MONITORING SITES WITH SUSTAINABLE SUSTAINABILITY CRITERIA.

SO THEY HAVE MINIMUM THRESHOLDS AND MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES ATTACHED.

SO IN RESPONSE TO THIS NEWS, THE MERCED SUBBASIN GSAS, INCLUDING MERCED IRRIGATION, URBAN GSA, THE MSGSA AND TURNER ISLAND WATER DISTRICT GSA JOINED FOUR OTHER GROUNDWATER BASINS ALONG THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER IN A LETTER TO THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES STATING THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS DATA SET AND REQUESTING DWR IMMEDIATELY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONTINUED MONITORING.

THE LETTER TO DWR WAS LED BY A CONSULTANT IN THE CHOWCHILLA SUB-BASIN, AND HE HAS ALREADY RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM DWR THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING THIS REQUEST. BECAUSE THE LETTER HAD AN URGENCY TO IT WE DID GO AHEAD AND SIGN ON TO THE LETTER WITH THE OTHER GSA'S IN THIS BASIN. AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR RATIFICATION OF SIGNING THAT LETTER.

ALSO FOR YOUR INFORMATION, IF THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER RESTORATION PROGRAM SUBSIDENCE MONITORING IS NOT CONTINUED, THEN THE MERCED BASIN WILL HAVE TO LOOK AT OTHER SUBSIDENCE MONITORING ACTIONS, SUCH AS USING THE INSAR DATA.

BUT A CHANGE TO A DIFFERENT MONITORING METHOD WOULD MEAN A CHANGE IN THE GSP AS WELL.

AND SO THE ACTION TODAY IS RATIFYING JOINING THIS LETTER TO DWR THAT WAS SENT PREVIOUSLY.

OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS OF LACEY? ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE RATIFY THE LETTER.

SECOND. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY DIRECTOR PARK AND A SECOND BY DIRECTOR NERVINO.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE AYE AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. MOVE ON TO ITEM 11.

[11. MERCED MAR PRESENTATION ]

[00:55:16]

ALTHOUGH WE CAN'T. OH, YOU'RE ON MUTE, DOMINIC.

OH, HE UNMUTED HIMSELF, I BELIEVE. WE STILL CAN'T HEAR HIM.

IT'S RIGHT HERE. GIVE US ONE MINUTE DOMINICK. I THINK HE CAN HEAR US.

THEY'RE HEARING HIM ONLINE, JUST NOT ON OUR SIDE.

OKAY? OH.

NO. I BET YOU THAT IT'LL END AT ONE, BY 1:54.

HOUR AND 54 MINUTES. ADJOURNED [LAUGHS] WE GOT MORE AGENDA.

OH. FOR THE PRESENTATION. OH, YEAH. YEAH. YEAH.

OH, OKAY. OH, YEAH. [INAUDIBLE]ASK THEM TO BOTH OF THEM AGAIN.[INAUDIBLE]DOMINICK, CAN YOU SAY SOMETHING? YEP. YEAH. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. SORRY. IS THAT A IS THAT A YES OR GOOD? YES. WE'RE GOOD. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE'RE GOOD.

SORRY ABOUT THE SLIGHT DELAY. ANYWAY, SO I'LL KIND OF GET STARTED AGAIN.

SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR JOINING ME.

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD FOR HEARING THIS PRESENTATION.

WHAT I'D LIKE TO KIND OF PRESENT OVER THE NEXT FEW MINUTES IS TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN UPDATE OF A PROJECT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS CALLED THE MERCED MANAGED AQUIFER RECHARGE PROGRAM. AND SO ULTIMATELY, WHAT THIS PROJECT OR PROGRAM IS, IS UTILIZATION OF A DWR SGMA IMPLEMENTATION GRANT THAT WE APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED BACK IN WELL, THE FUNDING WAS PASSED BY THE STATE IN 2021. WE RECEIVED THE GRANT IN 2023 AND BEGAN DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROGRAM.

EFFECTIVELY WHAT MERCED MAR IS, IS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU AND THE OTHER GSA'S WITH THE HYDROLOGIC TOOLS TO DO AN ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORT AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WHAT IS CALLED FLOOD-MAR, FLOOD MANAGED AQUIFER RECHARGE.

AND SO THE FIRST QUESTION THAT YOU MAY BE ASKING YOURSELF IS, WELL, REALLY WHAT IS FLOOD-MAR? AND SO AT ITS CORE, FLOOD-MAR IS THE IDEA OF, OF TAKING, OF TAKING HIGH HIGH FLOW WATER FROM THE RIVER SYSTEM AND CAPTURING THAT AND MANAGING THAT TO A MEANS OF APPLYING THAT ON AGRICULTURAL WORKING LANDSCAPES TO SUPPORT RECHARGE INTO THE AQUIFER SYSTEM. AND SO EFFECTIVELY WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE IS DEVELOPING KIND OF AN INTEGRATED, VERY DETAILED TOOL SET TO SIMULATE ALL KINDS OF CONDITIONS, EVERYTHING FROM UPPER WATERSHED RAINFALL AND PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE RESERVOIR SYSTEM INTO PRINCIPALLY THE MERCED RIVER, BUT ALSO SEVERAL OF THE OTHER TRIBUTARIES, THE ABILITY TO CAPTURE AND DIVERT THAT WATER SO THERE'S A CONVEYANCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMPONENT TO IT AS WELL, AND ULTIMATELY HELP INFORM WHERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST EFFICIENT AND MOST CAPABLE AREAS THAT WE CAN RECHARGE TO CREATE BENEFICIAL IMPACT IN OUR AQUIFER SYSTEM. SO OVERALL, I THINK THE NEXT MAJOR THING IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS? AND I WANT TO KIND OF JUST OUTLINE SOME OF THE, OUR OVERALL GOALS.

AND SO, AS I'M SURE EVERYONE IS AWARE, IS A, IN GENERAL AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE IMPETUS OF SGMA IS THAT THE MERCED SUBBASIN HAS BEEN IN A LONG TERM STATE OF OVERDRAFT AND SO ARE REALLY, OUR GOAL WITH THIS EFFORT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET THESE TOOLS AND TO SUPPORT THE PROJECTS AND MANAGEMENT ACTIONS OF THE BASIN TO MITIGATE THAT OVERDRAFT AND ACHIEVE OUR SUSTAINABILITY GOALS.

AND SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT OVERALL PRINTS FIRST AND FOREMOST AS A MANAGED AQUIFER RECHARGE PROGRAM OUR GOAL IS TO INCREASE RECHARGE AS OUR, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE GET MORE WATER INTO THE BASIN TO BRING UP OUR STORAGE AND OUR GROUNDWATER LEVELS?

[01:00:02]

AND SO OVERALL, I'M SURE MANY FOLKS HAVE SEEN THIS CHART BEFORE.

EFFECTIVELY, THIS IS A WATER BUDGET FOR THE MERCED SUBBASIN WHERE YOU CAN SEE HERE, EVERYTHING KIND OF IN THE UPPER SECTION IS REPRESENTS WATER THAT KIND OF GOES INTO OUR BASIN. AND YOU KNOW, WHICH IS INCLUDES THINGS LIKE STREAM AQUIFER INTERACTION, DEEP PERCOLATION, RECHARGE, AND IN THE SOUTHERN OR THE LOWER HALF, WE SEE WATER EXITING THE BASIN.

SO THAT'S PRINCIPALLY GOING TO BE GROUNDWATER PUMPING. AND ULTIMATELY THOUGH, ALL OF THIS BOILS DOWN TO THE KIND OF THIS BIG BLACK LINE HERE IN THE CENTER THAT SHOWS OUR CUMULATIVE CHANGE IN STORAGE, RIGHT? AND SO AS LONG AS THAT, OUR GOAL IS TO EITHER, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS PROJECT AS WELL AS I'M SURE A SUITE OF OTHER OF OTHER EFFORTS IS TO MITIGATE THAT LONG TERM DECLINE OVERALL.

SO WE'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A LOT OF THE TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO NOT ONLY ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY, BUT I WOULD LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL OF THIS REALLY IS TO PUT THE, THESE MODELS INTO THE HANDS OF THE GSA STAFF OR THE GSA IN GENERAL TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THESE MANAGEMENT DECISIONS ON THEIR OWN. RIGHT? THE GOAL IS WE DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE A BIG YOU KNOW, CONCENTRATED LABORIOUS EFFORT EVERY TIME YOU WANT TO, YOU KNOW, CONSIDER A RECHARGE EVENT OR ASK KIND OF QUESTIONS.

HEY, SHOULD WE PUT RECHARGE IN LOCATION A OR LOCATION B? WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A TOOL SET THAT IS VERY SIMPLE, EASY TO USE AND IF TIME EFFICIENT, SO THAT THE GSA'S HAVE THE ABILITY TO OPERATE THEM ON THEIR OWN AND MAKE QUALITY MANAGEMENT DECISIONS.

SO TO GIVE YOU KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THIS TAKES FROM THE TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE OVERALL, THIS PROJECT FIRST AND FOREMOST STARTED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES WATERSHED STUDIES.

AND THAT'S GOING TO HAVE HERE IN THIS FIRST BOX AND EFFECTIVELY WHAT THAT WAS, WHAT THAT WAS.

AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT DWR TOOK PROVIDED US WITH A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION AND DATA TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS.

AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THEY PROVIDED A LOT OF CLIMATE HYDROLOGY DATA THEY HELPED DEVELOP RESERVOIR OPERATIONS MODELS AND LOOKING AT SOME OF THE STREAM DYNAMICS.

AND THEY KIND OF CREATED THE GENERAL FRAMEWORK OF THE INFORMATION THAT WOULD GO INTO THIS TOOL.

AND SO WHAT WE DID IS WE'RE ABLE TO LEVERAGE A LOT OF THAT GOOD DATA AND THEN TAKE THAT DATA AND PUT IT INTO TWO SEPARATE MODELS.

BOTH THE MERCED WRM, WHICH IS YOUR INTEGRATED GROUNDWATER MODEL THAT WE'VE BEEN UTILIZING TO QUANTIFY WATER BUDGETS, TO QUANTIFY WATER DYNAMICS IN THE AQUIFER SYSTEM AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION.

AND WE ARE GOING TO LINK THAT MODEL WITH GRAT, WHICH IS KNOWN AS THE GROUNDWATER RECHARGE ASSESSMENT TOOL.

AND EFFECTIVELY, WHAT THAT DOES IS IT HELPS US, THE GRAT TOOL HELPS US OPTIMIZE WATER RECHARGE LOCATIONS OF RECHARGE ON THE SURFACE LEVEL, AND THEN WE CAN INTEGRATE THAT WITH THE WRM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE FULL RANGE OF HYDROLOGIC IMPACTS AND CONDITIONS.

AND SO WE CAN TAKE BASICALLY A LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE AND ULTIMATELY THOSE TWO TOOLS COMBINED TOGETHER, INTEGRATED AS ONE, WILL BE WHAT IS KNOWN AS MERCED MAR AND THEN THAT IS WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO GET INTO YOUR HANDS TO SUPPORT YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR POLICY. AND THEN SO, YOU KNOW, AS A KIND OF A VERY, VERY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW FOR WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE, EACH OF THOSE TWO MODELS, THE WRM HAS AGAIN, HAS BEEN A TOOL IN THE POCKET OF THE SUBBASIN FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS NOW.

AND EFFECTIVELY PART OF THIS EFFORT AND ALSO PART OF THE FIVE YEAR UPDATE, WHAT WE DID IS WE UPDATED THIS MODEL TO THE LATEST AND GREATEST DATA AND NOT JUST FOR THE WRM, BUT ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT IT ALIGNS WITH A LOT OF THE OTHER TOOLS YOU'RE USING TO, TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL AREAS OF THAT I WOULD SAY IS ARE KIND OF IN TWO MAIN CATEGORIES.

FIRST IS WE WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR EVAPOTRANSPIRATION AND YOUR DEMAND USE.

WE REALLY, REALLY WANTED THAT YOUR WMR TO MAKE SURE THAT IT ALIGNED WITH THE WATER COUNTING PLATFORM, RIGHT? AND HOW YOU'RE IMPLEMENTING YOUR ALLOCATION SYSTEM AND REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THOSE KIND OF IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS HAVE THE ABILITY TO TALK TO EACH OTHER.

AND, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THE SAME THE SAME ESTIMATES FOR ALL FOR BOTH YOUR SUPPLY AND DEMAND DATA, BASICALLY OUR ABILITY TO SIMULATE YOUR LAND SURFACE.

AND THEN THE OTHER MAJOR CONDITION WE HAVE HERE, KIND OF IN THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND CORNER, YOU CAN SEE IS WE UPDATED A LOT OF THE AQUIFER PARAMETERS. AND AGAIN, THIS IS FROM A DIFFERENT DWR EFFORT.

THE AIRBORNE ELECTROMAGNETIC SURVEY OR WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE BAYESIAN CHARACTERIZATION PROGRAM PROVIDED US A LOT OF REALLY, REALLY GOOD DATA, HIGH RESOLUTION DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S OCCURRING UNDER THE GROUND SYSTEM PARAMETERS.

[01:05:07]

SO THEN, WHICH BRINGS US TO THE OTHER MAJOR TOOL KNOWN AS THE GROUNDWATER RECHARGE ASSESSMENT TOOL.

AND EFFECTIVELY, AS AS I ALLUDED TO EARLIER, THIS CONTROLS A LOT OF THE LAND SURFACE OPTIMIZATION WHEN IT COMES TO WHERE DO WE APPLY RECHARGE. AND SO THAT'S EFFECTIVELY EXACTLY WHAT THIS PROGRAM DOES.

YOU CAN SEE HERE IS A SCREENSHOT OF KIND OF THE INTERFACE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

THE IDEA BEHIND THIS IS, IS THE GROUT PROGRAM CAN TELL US WHERE, WHEN, AND HOW MUCH WATER CAN WE, CAN WE RECHARGE? SO WHAT IT DOES IS IT ALLOWS US OR, YOU KNOW, THE END USER, HOPEFULLY YOU AS A GSA TO SELECT ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS HERE. YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU WANT TO RECHARGE? WHERE DO YOU WANT TO RECHARGE? ARE THERE CONVEYANCE BOTTLENECKS OR LIMITATIONS IN HOW MUCH WATER WE CAN CONVEY? IS THERE CROP SUITABILITY, SOIL SUITABILITY, RIGHT? SO BECAUSE THE END GOAL OF THIS AS A TOOL TO SUPPORT FLOOD-MAR IS AGAIN, IS OUR ABILITY TO RECHARGE IS VERY CAN BE GREATLY EXPANDED.

IF WE UTILIZE THINGS LIKE ON FARM RECHARGE RATHER THAN LOOKING AT SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, WELL OR RETENTION BASINS.

AND SO WHAT THIS DOES IS THIS WE CAN KIND OF TWEAK A LOT OF THOSE LITTLE DETAILS.

YOU CAN KIND OF SET SOME VERY BASIC KIND OF PARAMETERS, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, AND YOU CAN SAY, HEY, WELL, BASED ON THE CROP TYPE, BASED ON SOIL CONDITIONS, BASED ON CONVEYANCE, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH WATER CAN I GET WHERE? AND THEN WHAT THIS TOOL DOES IS THIS OPTIMIZES YOUR ABILITY TO DO THAT.

THERE'S AN ALGORITHM THAT ASSOCIATES WHERE CAN WE WHERE CAN WE PLACE FLOOD WATER TO GET THE BIGGEST IMPACT THAT WE WANT? AND THAT'S ANOTHER FEATURE IS YOU CAN SAY, HEY, WHAT ARE YOUR OBJECTIVES? IS IT JUST RECHARGE? IS IT LOOKING AT GDES? IS IT LOOKING AT DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FEATURES SO THAT INDIVIDUAL USERS OR AS A GSA, YOU CAN SAY, HEY, I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON IMPROVING X CONDITIONS AND Y LOCATION.

AND THAT'S WHAT THIS TOOL DOES IS IT HELPS YOU ACHIEVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE WE CAN PUT THAT WATER.

AND THEN ALSO KIND OF AS AN EXTENSION OF THAT, YOU CAN SEE HERE IS KIND OF AN EXAMPLE RESULT.

WHAT IT DOES IS IT GIVES YOU KIND OF A HEAT MAP OF THE DATA OF HOW MUCH WATER CAN WE PUT WHERE IT CAN DO THIS ON A PARCEL LEVEL ANALYSIS, OR WE CAN LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE KIND OF UP TO YOU.

BUT ULTIMATELY WHAT IT DOES IS IT KIND OF BREAKS DOWN THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS YOU HAVE BASED ON THE INPUT THAT YOU GIVE IT.

AGAIN, THIS IS REALLY DESIGNED AND BROKEN DOWN TO BE VERY USER FRIENDLY.

AND SO THAT YOU JUST REALLY ASKS YOU QUESTION ON, ON HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONSTRAIN YOUR RECHARGE PROGRAMS. AND THEN IT CAN OPTIMIZE IT WITHIN THAT, WITHIN THAT RANGE AND GIVE YOU A VERY DETAILED RESULT.

AND THEN FROM THERE IS ACTUALLY THE INTEGRATION OF THESE TWO MODELS.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CALLING HERE MERCED MODEL.

AND THEN IT'S ULTIMATE VISUALIZATION TOOL, WHICH IS IS NAMED OPTI MODEL.

SO WHAT THIS IS, IS EFFECTIVELY A VISUALIZATION PLATFORM THAT TAKES THE OUTPUT FROM GRAT SO EFFECTIVELY, AFTER YOU'RE DONE YOUR GRAT, YOU CLICK YOUR PARAMETERS, YOU JUST CLICK A BUTTON THAT JUST SAYS, HEY, EXPORT ALL THIS DATA, EXPORT THIS RUN TO THE WRM AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT, IT DYNAMICALLY AND KIND OF IN AN AUTOMATED WAY TAKES THAT DATA, PROCESSES IT, RUNS THE MODEL AND THEN GIVES IT TO YOU IN A MEANINGFUL RESULT.

AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FEATURES HERE.

I WON'T GO INTO DETAILS OF ALL OF THEM, BUT AS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT, I JUST KIND OF SHOW YOU WE CAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A WIDE VARIETY OF WATER BUDGETS THAT CAN BE USED.

WE CAN LOOK AT HYDROGRAPHS, BOTH FROM THE MONITORING NETWORK, CALIBRATION WELLS, WE CAN DEVELOP CONTOURS.

THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT DATA HERE. BUT THE MAIN ONE I WANTED TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT TO YOU HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE GROUNDWATER BUDGET.

WHAT YOU CAN KIND OF SEE HERE IS THAT AS IN ADDITION TO JUST THE STANDARD GROUNDWATER BUDGET THAT WE HAVE WHERE YOU CAN KIND OF HIGHLIGHT OVER EACH INDIVIDUAL FEATURE AND IT'LL POP OUT AND TELL YOU THE EXACT VALUES. BUT WHAT YOU CAN REALLY GAIN AND UNDERSTAND HERE IS THAT BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THE RECHARGE PARAMETERS THAT YOU PUT INTO THAT, IT WILL ESTIMATE BOTH HYDROLOGICAL, HYDROLOGIC LIMITATIONS, STRUCTURAL AND OPERATIONAL LIMITATIONS, AND ESTIMATE WHAT YOUR RECHARGE IS.

AND THIS EXAMPLE, IT'S ABOUT 40,000 ACRE FEET.

BUT NOT ONLY DOES IT JUST TELL YOU HOW MUCH WATER YOU CAN GET INTO THE GROUND, BUT YOUR UTILIZATION OF THE WR, IT CAN TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT WATER, HOW MUCH OF THAT WATER GOES TO IMPROVING RECHARGE, HOW MUCH OF IT AFFECTS THE STREAM SYSTEM OR SUBSURFACE FLOW.

IT JUST GIVES US A MUCH MORE HOLISTIC PICTURE OF WHAT THE ULTIMATE FATE OF ALL THAT WATER IS, AND IT CAN GIVE US SHOWS US HERE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THAT CUMULATIVE CHANGE IN STORAGE I POINTED TO EARLIER, IT KIND OF GIVES YOU A PERSPECTIVE OF, HEY, THIS RIGHT HERE IS A FAIRLY MODEST TEST EXAMPLE THAT I HAD, AND HERE'S HOW MUCH OF AN INPUT, HOW MUCH CLOSER IT TAKES US TO OUR SUSTAINABILITY GOALS.

[01:10:04]

IF YOU WANT TO, YOU CAN LOOK AT SUMMARY DATA. BUT ULTIMATELY KIND OF EACH TIME YOU CLICK ON A, WELL, WHAT THIS DOES IS THIS WILL POPULATE, SHOW YOU HISTORICAL DATA, AGAIN, OBSERVED INFORMATION IN THE BLACK DOTS SIMULATED IN THAT BLUE LINE.

AND THEN IT'LL SHOW YOU THE FORECAST. HEY, IF WE CONTINUE TO DO THESE RECHARGE EFFORTS YEAR AFTER YEAR, WE IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM BASED ON HYDROLOGY, BASED ON CLIMATE DYNAMICS. YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE? AND YOU CAN SEE THE LEVEL OF INCREASE YOUR SPECIFIC PROJECTS CAN PROVIDE ON A SCENARIO BY SCENARIO BASIS.

AND SO ALL YOU HAVE EFFECTIVELY ALL YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO IS YOU CLICK ON THIS BUTTON ON THE TOP CORNER, YOU DROP IT DOWN TO WHAT SCENARIO YOU WANT TO LOOK AT AND IT CAN GIVE YOU YOU KNOW, WHAT THE RELATIVE IMPACT IS COMPARATIVELY TO OTHERS AS WELL.

SO ULTIMATELY, AGAIN, AS I SAID, THE GOAL OF THIS IS REALLY JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET YOU KNOW, THESE ANALYTICAL TOOLS, THIS TECHNICAL INFORMATION DIRECTLY INTO THE HANDS OF THE GSA AND YOUR STAFF AND, AND REALLY YOU KNOW, PROVIDE YOU WITH THE INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO WITH JUST KIND OF A COUPLE CLICKS OF THE BUTTONS GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE GOOD MANAGEMENT DECISIONS, THINGS THAT WORK FOR, FOR YOU AND YOUR GSA. THAT'S ALL I GOT.

DOES ANYONE, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR? I JUST WANTED TO ADD IN THAT THIS IS YEARS OF EFFORT BY WOODARD AND CURRAN, SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION AND EARTH GENOME, AND I JUST WE WANTED TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH THE BOARD.

SO YOU GUYS KNOW, WHAT, WHAT TOOLS ARE NOW AVAILABLE? IT MAKES THE MODEL MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE GSA.

BUT I JUST REALLY WANTED TO RECOGNIZE ALL OF THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THIS BY OUR TEAM BEHIND US.

WE DON'T SEE THEM WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT CLEARLY THEY'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD TO PUT THESE TOOLS TOGETHER FOR US.

OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? NOPE. I'LL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

SEEING NONE, WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. WELL, DOMINICK, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WALK US THROUGH THAT INFORMATION.

IT'S A LOT. BUT AT LEAST NOW WE KIND OF HAVE AN AWARENESS TO GO LOOK FOR IT AND AND UTILIZE IT.

SO THANK YOU. MY PLEASURE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM 12, WHICH IS WATER YEAR 2025 ANNUAL

[12. WATER YEAR 2025 ANNUAL REPORT ]

DID I SAY YOUR LAST NAME CORRECTLY? YES, SIR.

YOU DID. NICE JOB. WELL, GO RIGHT AHEAD. WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

GREAT. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

I'M JIM BLANKE WITH WOODARD AND CURRAN, SENIOR HYDROGEOLOGIST HERE AND THE TECHNICAL LEAD FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR WATER YEAR 2025 ANNUAL REPORT.

ARE YOU GUYS ABLE TO HEAR ME OKAY? ARE YOU ABLE TO SEE THE SLIDES? YEP. PERFECT. SO I'LL TRY AND KEEP THIS QUICK FOR YOU.

I KNOW YOU GOT A BOOKED AGENDA TODAY. BUT YOUR YOUR WATER YEAR 2025 ANNUAL REPORT COVERS THE PERIOD OF OCTOBER THROUGH SEPTEMBER. SO OCTOBER OF 2024 THROUGH SEPTEMBER OF 2025.

IT IS A REQUIREMENT OF THE SUSTAINABLE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT ACT THAT ALL SUBBASINS PRODUCE AN ANNUAL REPORT BY APRIL 1ST OF EACH YEAR.

SO WE HAVE DEVELOPED THAT DRAFT PLAN AND IT IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW BY GSA STAFF.

AND WE ANTICIPATE SUBMITTING THAT ANNUAL REPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES BY THE APRIL 1ST DEADLINE.

THE REPORT REALLY CONTAINS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT PROVIDES A GOOD SNAPSHOT OF THE STATUS OF THE BASIN AND THE STATUS OF THE BASIN WITHIN THIS PAST WATER YEAR.

THAT INCLUDES INFORMATION ON THE BASIN CONDITIONS, LIKE THE ANNUAL UPDATE THAT WE DO TO THE GROUNDWATER MODELS, SPECIFICALLY MR. AMADOR THAT JUST PRESENTED TO YOU AND THE WORK THAT HE DOES ON THAT GROUNDWATER MODEL, PRESENTS INFORMATION ON SOME OF THE KEY LAND SURFACE PROCESSES THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR GROUNDWATER CONDITIONS, NOTABLY GROUNDWATER PUMPING AND SURFACE WATER DIVERSIONS, AND THEN SOME OF THE CONDITIONS OF GROUNDWATER SYSTEM ITSELF, GROUNDWATER LEVELS, GROUNDWATER STORAGE, GROUNDWATER QUALITY AND SUBSIDENCE.

IT ALSO INCLUDES INFORMATION ON IMPLEMENTATION STATUS THAT INCLUDES SOME OF THE PROJECTS AND PROJECTS AND MANAGEMENT ACTIONS THAT ARE INTENDED TO HELP BRING OUR BASIN INTO SUSTAINABILITY. ITEMS LIKE THE DEMAND REDUCTION MANAGEMENT ACTION THAT THE MSGSA HAS.

ITEMS LIKE THE LAND REPURPOSING ACTIVITIES THAT WE HEARD ABOUT EARLIER IN THE MEETING, AND ALSO SOME OF THE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES THAT ARE ONGOING IN THE SUBBASIN.

INCLUDES INFORMATION ON GRANT FUNDING. OVERALL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GSP ITSELF.

[01:15:05]

EACH BAR REPRESENTS A DIFFERENT WATER YEAR, AND THESE BARS ARE READ ON THIS AXIS ON THE LEFT HERE, WHICH ARE IN THOUSANDS OF ACRE FEET. ONCE THAT SUMMED UP FOR EACH YEAR THE INFLOWS AND OUTFLOWS, WE GET A CHANGE IN STORAGE. SO IF THERE'S MORE WATER GOING OUT THAN IS COMING IN, THEN THERE'S A REDUCTION IN STORAGE IN THE GROUNDWATER SYSTEM.

IF THERE'S MORE WATER FLOWING IN THAN GOING OUT, THEN THERE'S AN INCREASE IN STORAGE IN THE GROUNDWATER SYSTEM.

SO THAT'S SHOWN BY THIS BLACK LINE. THIS IS OUR CHANGE IN STORAGE LINE WHICH IS READ OFF THIS AXIS ON THE RIGHT HERE AGAIN IN THOUSANDS OF ACRE FEET.

SO YOU CAN SEE FROM 1996, STARTING AT NEAR THAT ZERO LINE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 2025, WE'RE DOWN ABOUT 2.5 MILLION ACRE FEET OF WATER IN THE BASIN. BUT IF WE FOCUS A LITTLE BIT MORE TIGHTLY AT THESE MORE RECENT YEARS, LOOKING AT THE PAST THREE YEARS, YOU KNOW, COMING OUT OF THE DROUGHT FROM 2020 TO 2022, WE CAN SEE 2023 WAS A WAS A WET YEAR.

LOOKING AT THE BARS, YOU CAN SEE WET YEARS. THERE'S LESS PUMPING, THERE'S MORE OF THIS GREEN COLOR, WHICH IS THE DEEP PERCOLATION. THERE'S MORE STREAM FLOW.

AND SO THERE'S THAT INCREASE IN STORAGE. WE SEE THIS LINE GOES UP.

2023, 2024, WHERE, I'M SORRY, 2024 WAS MORE OF AN ABOVE NORMAL YEAR.

SO IT WASN'T AS WET AS 2023 WAS. YOU CAN SEE OUR STORAGE WAS PRETTY FLAT.

AND THEN GOING INTO 2025, WE CAN SEE A DECLINE IN GROUNDWATER STORAGE BECAUSE OF THE BELOW NORMAL CONDITIONS THAT WE SAW FROM PRECIPITATION AND RUNOFF DURING WATER YEAR 2025.

SO THAT'S ABOUT A 98,000 ACRE FOOT DECLINE IN IN GROUNDWATER AND STORAGE DURING WATER YEAR 2025.

MOVING ON TO THE SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT CRITERIA.

THE SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT CRITERIA ARE HOW WE MEASURE OUR SUCCESS AT MOVING TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY IN THE SUBBASIN.

AND JUST AS A REMINDER, WE HAVE DIFFERENT CRITERIA THAT WE MEASURE.

SO THE MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES IS OUR KIND OF DESIRED STATE OF THE SUBBASIN.

THAT'S WHERE WE WANT TO GET TO AS WE APPROACH 2040.

THEN THE MINIMUM THRESHOLDS ARE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID AND BELOW MINIMUM THRESHOLDS IF WE HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF WELLS, IN OUR CASE, 25% OF THE WELLS BELOW THAT MINIMUM THRESHOLD FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS, THAT'S WHAT CONSTITUTES AN UNDESIRABLE RESULT.

WE ALSO HAVE A THIRD ITEM THAT WE TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LESS SOMETIMES, WHICH IS INTERIM MILESTONES. SO BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT TAKES TIME TO IMPLEMENT PROJECTS AND TO IMPLEMENT MANAGEMENT ACTIONS, WE HAVE INTERIM MILESTONES THAT ALLOW OUR GROUNDWATER LEVELS TO DIP BELOW MINIMUM THRESHOLDS AND THEN SLOWLY RISE BACK UP OVER TIME TOWARDS OUR SUSTAINABILITY GOAL IN 2040. SO WHAT WE REALLY MEASURE UP AGAINST IS, IS THESE INTERIM MILESTONES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STAYING ABOVE THOSE INTERIM MILESTONES AND WE'RE ON THAT PATHWAY, KIND OF THAT GLIDE PATH TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY.

SO LOOKING FIRST AT GROUNDWATER LEVELS, TEN OF THE 29 WELLS ARE BELOW THE MINIMUM THRESHOLD.

SO THAT'S THAT'S 34%. BUT AGAIN WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THAT INNER MILESTONE.

WE'RE LOOKING AT SUSTAINABILITY HERE IN 2026 AND THEN WATER YEAR 2025.

26 OF THOSE 29 WELLS ARE BELOW THE MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES.

AGAIN, THAT MEASURE OBJECTIVE IS WHERE WE WANT TO BE. WE KNOW WE STILL HAVE SOME WORK TO DO TO GET TO THAT MEASURABLE OBJECTIVE. SO THAT'S NOT A SURPRISE. BUT ONLY THREE OF THE 29 WELLS ARE BELOW OUR INTERIM MILESTONE. AND THAT'S NOT INCLUDING THE TWO WELLS THAT ARE NOT MEASURED.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT ALMOST ALL OF OUR WELLS ARE ABOVE THAT MILESTONE.

SO WE'RE IN A GOOD POSITION WITH REGARDS TO GROUNDWATER LEVELS.

THE NEXT SUSTAINABLE INDICATOR I'LL SPEAK TO IS GROUNDWATER STORAGE.

FOR GROUNDWATER STORAGE, WE USE GROUNDWATER LEVELS AS A PROXY. SO IF WE'RE MEETING OUR CRITERIA FOR GROUNDWATER LEVELS, WE'RE ALSO MEETING OUR CRITERIA FOR GROUNDWATER STORAGE. SO WE'RE GOOD WITH GROUNDWATER STORAGE. WE'RE A LONG WAY FROM THE OCEAN SO SEAWATER INTRUSION IS NOT A PROBLEM.

SO NEXT RELEVANT INDICATOR IS DEGRADED WATER QUALITY.

WE HAVE NO WELLS EXCEEDING THE MINIMUM THRESHOLD, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY WATER QUALITY CONSTITUENTS WITH GROUNDWATER QUALITY ABOVE THE MINIMUM THRESHOLD. WE DID HAVE THREE WELLS THAT EXCEED THE MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES, AND SO WE HAD TEN WELLS SAMPLED IN WATER YEAR 2025 OUT OF 43 REPRESENTED WELLS.

SO IT IS KIND OF A SMALLER SAMPLE SIZE THAN IN PREVIOUS YEARS.

BUT STILL GOOD NEWS THAT WE HAD NO WELLS EXCEEDING THOSE MINIMUM THRESHOLDS.

NEXT ONE IS LAND SUBSIDENCE. AND MS. MCBRIDE SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT SOME OF THE ISSUES WE HAD WITH THE US BUREAU OF RECLAMATION AND THEIR CESSATION OF MONITORING OF THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER RESTORATION PROGRAM. I'LL DISCUSS HOW WE KIND OF MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO REFLECT THE LACK OF DATA THERE, BUT WE DID HAVE AGAIN, A SITUATION WHERE WE HAD MINIMUM THRESHOLD WHERE WE WERE TRYING TO GET TO IN 2040.

THEN WE HAD THESE INTERIM MILESTONES RECOGNIZING IT TAKES TIME EVEN MORE SO WITH SUBSIDENCE EVEN, IT TAKES EVEN MORE TIME TO ACHIEVE THOSE MEASURABLE THOSE OBJECTIVES AND THOSE THRESHOLDS THAT HE WANTED TO GET TO IN 2040.

[01:20:03]

BUT WE DO COMPARE AGAINST THE MINIMUM THRESHOLDS. AND THREE OUT OF THOSE FOUR SITES ARE EXCEEDING THE MINIMUM THRESHOLD. SO NOT UNEXPECTED BUT WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO, AND WE EXPECT TO GET TO THOSE MINIMUM THRESHOLD LEVELS BY 2040.

THE LAST SUSTAINABLE INDICATOR IS THE DEPLETION OF INTERCONNECTED SURFACE WATERS. AND AGAIN, LIKE STORAGE, WE USE GROUNDWATER LEVELS AS A PROXY.

SO SINCE WE'RE MEETING OUR GROUNDWATER LEVELS THRESHOLDS, WE'RE ALSO MEETING THE THRESHOLDS FOR DEPLETION OF INTERCONNECTED SURFACE WATER.

MOVING ON TO GROUNDWATER LEVELS, I'M SURE YOU'RE ALL AWARE THAT THE SUBBASIN HAS THE PRESENCE OF THE CORCORAN CLAY, WHICH IS OUR REGIONAL CLAY UNIT THAT SEPARATES THE UPPER AQUIFER SYSTEM FROM THE LOWER AQUIFER SYSTEM AND A PORTION OF THE SUBBASIN.

THAT'S GENERALLY THE AREA FROM THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER TO AROUND HIGHWAY 99.

SO IN THE GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY PLAN WE LOOK AT THE GROUNDWATER SYSTEM IN THREE DIFFERENT AREAS.

ONE IS ABOVE THE CORCORAN CLAY, TWO IS BELOW THE CORCORAN CLAY, AND THEN THREE IS OUTSIDE OF THAT, THAT EASTERN AREA OUTSIDE THE CORCORAN CLAY, WHERE THE DEPTH IS MORE CONNECTED ACROSS A DIFFERENT AQUIFER DEPTHS.

SO WE'LL LOOK AT THREE DIFFERENT SLIDES HERE. THE FIRST ONE IS FOR THE ABOVE CORCORAN CLAY AQUIFER.

AND THIS MAP SHOWS THE CHANGES IN GROUNDWATER LEVELS OVER A ONE YEAR PERIOD.

SO FROM FALL 2024 TO FALL 2025, AND WE SAW EARLIER IN THE STORAGE DISCUSSION THAT THE OVERALL STORAGE IN IN THE SUB BASIN HAS DECLINED BY ABOUT 98,000 ACRE FEET. SO YOU WOULD EXPECT GROUNDWATER LEVELS TO BE A LITTLE BIT LOWER ACROSS THE SUB BASIN.

AND THEY ARE. SO IF WE LOOK AT THIS MAP, YOU CAN SEE THE THE DOTS REPRESENT AREAS WHERE WE HAVE DATA FROM GROUNDWATER MONITORING WELLS.

THE PLUSES ARE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE WELLS THAT DIDN'T HAVE DATA IN THIS EXACT TIME PERIOD.

SO THERE'S SOME ESTIMATION THAT'S OCCURRING. AND THEN THE KIND OF HATCHED AREA HERE REPRESENTS AREAS WHERE WE'RE REALLY SHORT ON, ON, ON DATA. AND SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT LESS CERTAINTY AS TO WHAT THE INTERPRETED VALUES ARE FOR THIS AREA.

SO A LITTLE BIT LESS CONFIDENCE IN THESE ZONES.

YOU CAN SEE THAT THE BULK OF THE AREA IS KIND OF THIS YELLOW COLOR.

THAT YELLOW COLOR CORRESPONDS TO A 0 TO 10 FOOT DECLINE IN GROUNDWATER LEVELS OVER THAT ONE YEAR TIME PERIOD.

BUT THERE ARE SOME AREAS OF THIS MORE GREEN COLOR HERE, WHICH IS 0 TO 10 FOOT INCREASE IN GROUNDWATER LEVELS.

SO YOU CAN SEE GENERALLY IT'S IT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE SAW WITH GROUNDWATER STORAGE AND A SMALLER DECLINE IN GROUNDWATER LEVELS ACROSS THE ABOVE AQUIFER. MOVING DOWN IN THE SYSTEM TO THE BELOW AQUIFER, IT'S A PRETTY SIMILAR SITUATION.

AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF THAT YELLOW COLOR HERE WITH A 0 TO 10 FOOT DECLINE IN GROUNDWATER LEVELS, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE GREEN AREA HERE, BUT NOT A LOT OF DATA IN THIS AREA.

SO A LITTLE BIT LESS CONFIDENCE WHEN YOU GET AWAY FROM SOME OF THOSE DOTS. BUT THE GREEN AREAS REPRESENT AGAIN, A 0 TO 10 FOOT INCREASE IN GROUNDWATER LEVELS WITH SOME ISOLATED AREAS, AGAIN, KIND OF DRIVEN BY 1 OR 2 WELLS.

THIS AREA HERE SHOWING SOME DECLINES IN GROUNDWATER LEVELS DRIVEN BY DATA, REALLY JUST TWO DATA POINTS.

AND THIS SINGULAR WELL HERE SHOWING A PRETTY DRAMATIC RISE IN GROUNDWATER LEVEL.

AGAIN BASED ON ONE WELL, WE'LL SEE IF THAT'S PERSISTENT AS WE GO INTO THE NEXT YEAR.

BUT AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT THIS THIS YEAR'S DATA IS SHOWING IN THAT LOCATION.

MOVING TO THE EAST, TO THE OUTSIDE AQUIFER, AGAIN, SHOWING A LOT OF THIS KIND OF YELLOW COLOR HERE WITH THE 0 TO 10 FOOT DECLINES IN GROUNDWATER LEVELS. SOME AREAS HAVE SLIGHTLY MORE DECLINES IN GROUNDWATER LEVELS WITH THIS KIND OF ORANGE COLOR HERE.

SOME ISOLATED AREAS OF INCREASES IN THE MORE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AREAS HERE.

AND THEN AGAIN, THE HATCHED AREA REPRESENTING AREAS OF MORE UNCERTAINTY.

YOU CAN SEE WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY MONITORING WELLS UP HERE IN THIS AREA.

SO SOME OF THESE AREAS THAT SHOW THE BLUE COLORS WITH REALLY DRAMATIC INCREASES IN GROUNDWATER LEVELS, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF DATA TO SUPPORT THAT. SO I WOULDN'T I WOULDN'T PUT A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN THAT AREA HERE.

SO REALLY KIND OF LOOKING MORE AT THIS AREA OUTSIDE THE HATCHED AREA TO BE MORE INDICATIVE OF AREAS WHERE WE HAVE GOOD DATA AND GOOD CONFIDENCE IN WHAT'S OCCURRING IN THE GROUNDWATER SYSTEM. OKAY. MISS MCBRIDE FOCUSED SOME ON SOME OF THE ISSUES WE HAVE WITH THE SUBSIDENCE DATA. AGAIN, U.S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION MONITORED SUBSIDENCE FOR A LONG TIME AND STOPPED IN JULY.

SO IT WAS AS IT WAS DISCONTINUED IN JULY, WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE THE DATA THAT WE NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE ANNUAL REPORT.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH WITH THE LETTER AND HOPE WE CAN FIND A WAY TO CONTINUE THAT PROGRAM BECAUSE IT IS A VERY EFFECTIVE PROGRAM.

IT'S BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE FOR US TO KEEP TRACK OF OF ONGOING SUBSIDENCE ISSUES AND TO HELP US TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY BY HAVING GOOD DATA,

[01:25:03]

SO THAT'S A SATELLITE BASED DATA DATA PRODUCT THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES PROVIDES VIA THEIR WEBSITES.

IT PROVIDES A HIGH RESOLUTION DATA ACROSS ACROSS MOST OF THE SUB BASIN AND ALLOWS US TO DEVELOP AN ESTIMATE OF SUBSIDENCE FOR MOST OF THE AREA. SO THIS MAP HERE SHOWS THE SUBSIDENCE THAT'S OCCURRED BETWEEN OCTOBER 2024 AND OCTOBER 2025.

YOU CAN SEE THE SUBSIDENCE IS IS IN KIND OF THESE MORE RED AND BROWN COLORS HERE.

SO CENTERED A LITTLE BIT TO THE SOUTH AND EAST OF THE SUB BASIN HERE, YOU CAN SEE THE SUB BASIN BOUNDARY HERE AND THE CHOWCHILLA RIVER.

SO WITHIN THE MERCED SUBBASIN, THIS YELLOW AREA CORRESPONDS TO ABOUT A 0.15 TO 0.3 FOOT OF SUBSIDENCE WITHIN THE LAST WATER YEAR. AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE THESE THESE BLUE SQUARES HERE THAT ARE NUMBERED.

THESE ARE THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER RESTORATION PROGRAM MONITORING POINTS THAT FORM OUR REPRESENTATIVE MONITORING SYSTEM FOR SUBSIDENCE.

THEY'RE NUMBERED BASED ON THEIR NUMBERS WITHIN THAT RESTORATION PROGRAM MONITORING SYSTEM.

AND THESE ARE THE AREAS WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO GET INFORMATION ON SUBSIDENCE BASED ON THE DATA THIS YEAR, AS OPPOSED TO THE, THE GPS SURVEY DATA THAT WE NORMALLY USE.

SO WE WERE ABLE TO SEE THAT ALL THESE LOCATIONS WERE SHOWED SUBSIDENCE THAT WERE LOWER IN MAGNITUDE THAN OUR INTERIM MILESTONE, WHICH IS 0.75FT PER YEAR. BUT THEY ARE ALL ABOVE THE MINIMUM THRESHOLD, WHICH IS ZERO FEET PER YEAR.

SO AGAIN, WE'RE WE'RE WITHIN WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE WITHIN THAT GLIDE PATH TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY BY 2040, BUT STILL WORK TO DO TO GET TO THAT ULTIMATE LEVEL THAT WE NEED TO BE AT IN 2040.

THE THE LAST ITEM I'LL TOUCH ON IS PROJECTS AND MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.

SO NEW THIS YEAR IS THE PROJECTS AND MANAGEMENT ACTIONS PORTAL.

SO THIS IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES PORTAL.

IF YOU GOOGLE SGMA PORTAL YOU CAN GET TO THIS ON THE WEB.

AND ALL THE GSA'S ARE REQUIRED TO ENTER THEIR PROJECTS AND MANAGEMENT ACTIONS AND THE STATUS OF THE PROJECTS AND MANAGEMENT ACTIONS INTO THIS PORTAL NOW.

AND SO EVERYONE CAN ACCESS IT AND SEE WHAT'S, WHAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING WITHIN EACH OF THE SUBBASINS VIA THE WEB.

SO THIS MEANS THAT WE SPEND OUR TIME AND EFFORT GETTING THE PROJECTS AND MANAGEMENT ACTIONS ONTO THE SYSTEM, AND LESS TIME TRYING TO PUT IT INTO THE ANNUAL REPORT.

SO THIS IS REALLY KIND OF THE, THE STATE OF THE PMAS IS NOW AVAILABLE WITHIN THIS PORTAL ONLINE.

SO IT'S A, IT'S A NICE SYSTEM. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHECK IT OUT.

THAT'S WHAT I HAD TODAY. [INAUDIBLE] TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? NO.

IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME? SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.

WELL THANKS AGAIN JIM. APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION AND APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM 13.

[13. BOARD APPEAL OF RECOGNITION AND USE OF ALTERNATIVE SOURCE CREDITS GENERATED PRIOR TO JANUARY 2026 STAFF DENIAL ]

AND THIS WAS A STAFF DENIAL. SO IT'S BEING APPEALED.

LACEY IS GOING TO GIVE US A PRESENTATION. YES.

THANK YOU. SO THIS IS AN APPEAL THE GSA RECEIVED REGARDING RECOGNITION OF ALTERNATIVE SOURCE CREDITS GENERATED PRIOR TO JANUARY 1ST, 2026. THE GROUNDWATER ALLOCATION RULE. SECTION 2.5.1 RECOGNITION OF ALTERNATIVE SOURCE CREDITS GENERATED PRIOR TO JANUARY 1ST, 2026. UNDER THIS SECTION, PARTIES THAT TOOK ACTION AFTER ADOPTION OF THE GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY PLAN IN JANUARY 2020 AND PRIOR TO JANUARY 2026. PARTIES THAT TOOK ACTION TO USE AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE FOR DIRECT RECHARGE OR DIRECT USE IN LIEU OF GROUNDWATER WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE CREDIT WITH SUBMISSION OF THE REQUIRED FORMS BY THE DEADLINE OF DECEMBER 15TH, 2025. SUBMISSIONS AFTER DECEMBER 15TH, 2025 ARE NOT ACCEPTED AND THE CREDITS ARE NOT ISSUED AS THE DEADLINE IN THE RULE HAS PASSED.

JONES FARM SUBMITTED AN APPEAL OF THE STAFF DENIAL DUE TO THE MISSED DEADLINE.

FOR RECOGNITION OF THE ALTERNATIVE SOURCE CREDITS, JONES FARM HAS BEEN RECEIVING MERQUIN COUNTY WATER DISTRICT WATER EVERY YEAR SINCE 2020,

[01:30:09]

SIMILAR TO THE APPEAL LAST MONTH, SINCE THIS IS THE INITIAL YEAR OF THE GROUNDWATER ALLOCATION RULE, AND MANY GROWERS THROUGHOUT THE GSA ARE STILL BECOMING AWARE OF THE RULES, IT'S NOT UNEXPECTED THAT A GROWER WOULD BE UNAWARE OF THIS IMPORTANT DEADLINE.

SO AS SUCH, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE BOARD TAKE ACTION TO REVERSE THE DENIAL AND ISSUE THE CREDITS AND RECOGNIZE THE ALTERNATIVE SOURCE CREDITS WHERE THE APPLICANT HAD MISSED THE DEADLINE, CAUSING THE DENIAL.

OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, I DO. I DO HAVE A QUESTION.

SO IN THIS PARTICULAR PART OF THE BASIN, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S LANDOWNERS CAN BE DELIVERED WELL WATER AND SURFACE WATER.

CORRECT? CORRECT. AND SO IT'S BEEN VERIFIED THAT THE WATER THEY'RE CLAIMING HAS ACTUAL SURFACE WATER IS NOT WELL WATER DELIVERED BY A WELL. YEAH. BY WELL, I KNOW IT'S DELIVERED BY A CANAL, BUT IT MAKES IT SURFACE WATER I GUESS.

BUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, ANYWAYS, YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING. THE DOCUMENTATION THAT WAS SUBMITTED WAS FROM MERQUIN COUNTY WATER DISTRICT, AND IT SHOWS US FOR EACH DELIVERY, THE SOURCE OF THE WATER BEING THE LIKE DIVERSION OR GATE WHERE THE SURFACE WATER WAS DELIVERED, OR WHETHER IT WAS A WELL WATER THAT WAS PUMPED AND DELIVERED.

AND SO TO COME UP WITH THE ELIGIBLE ALTERNATIVE SOURCE CREDITS THEY WOULD TAKE THE SUM OF ALL THE WATER THAT WAS DELIVERED AND SUBTRACT OUT THE WELL WATER THAT WAS DELIVERED, LEAVING ONLY THE SURFACE WATER DELIVERED TO THAT PARTICULAR PARCEL.

YES. OR THAT. THAT ACCOUNT? YEAH. THAT ACCOUNT.

OKAY. ANY. THAT IS HOW IT WORKS. YEAH. GOOD. OKAY.

NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. YEAH. ALL RIGHT.

I.

I MEAN, DO WE. DOES THE APPELLANT GET A CHANCE TO STATE THEIR CASE? SO THIS IS SIMILAR TO LAST MONTH. THIS IS NOT AN ACTUAL PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE WE HAVE COME TO A RESOLUTION OF THE APPEAL.

IF THE BOARD WERE TO DENY THE APPEAL, WE WOULD GO THROUGH THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS AND GIVE THE APPELLANT THE CHANCE TO OKAY PUBLIC COMMENT.

SEEING NONE, BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? MOVE TO REVERSE THE DENIAL.

OKAY, I'LL SECOND THAT. ALL RIGHT. I HAVE A MOTION BY DIRECTOR GALLO, A SECOND BY DIRECTOR MARCHINI.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE.

I'LL ABSTAIN. OKAY, SO THAT IS ANY OPPOSED? SO THAT IS FIVE ZERO WITH ONE ABSTENTION.

DIRECTOR NERVINO. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO, I LOST MY CARD NUMBERS. IS IT 14? THERE WE GO.

ITEM 14, STAFF REPORT. LACEY. JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK ITEMS REGARDING THE ALLOCATION RULE AND THE GROUNDWATER ACCOUNTING PLATFORM.

[14. STAFF REPORT ]

THAT DEADLINE WAS EXTENDED TO FEBRUARY 28TH, WHICH HAS NOW PASSED AS WELL.

AND SO ALL OF THE INACTIVE DELINEATIONS THAT WERE SUBMITTED RECEIVED A RESPONSE, EITHER ACCEPTING IT, MAYBE SLIGHTLY MODIFYING IT, OR RETURNING IT BACK TO THEM.

AND WE SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERYBODY WHO SUBMITTED A DELINEATION, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THEY WERE ALL ADDRESSED.

THE GROUNDWATER ACCOUNTING PLATFORM CURRENTLY SHOWS IN THEIR WATER ACCOUNT WHAT WAS ACCEPTED, AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM OF THE ACCOUNTING PLATFORM IN ORDER TO ALLOW THEM TO SEE WHAT WAS RETURNED TO THEM, BECAUSE ONCE THE DEADLINE PASSED, ALL THOSE RETURNS BASICALLY DISAPPEARED.

THAT LINK WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THAT VISIBLE SO FOLKS CAN SEE NOT ONLY WHAT WAS ACCEPTED, WHICH IS A VISIBLE RIGHT NOW, BUT ALSO WHAT WAS RETURNED REGARDING THE METERED WELLS.

WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 50 WELLS THAT REGISTERED IN ORDER TO SUBMIT THEIR METER READINGS FOR THIS YEAR.

AND IN 2025, THEY ALL SUBMITTED THEIR FEBRUARY METER READINGS WITH PHOTOS.

AND NOW WE'RE ABOUT THREE DAYS AWAY FROM THE MARCH DEADLINE.

AND I'M EXPECTING THAT TO GO REALLY SMOOTHLY AS WELL.

[01:35:04]

WE ONLY HAVE A HANDFUL OF THESE. THEY WERE OPTED IN DURING THE OPT IN PROCESS, BUT THE GSA IS WORKING WITH THEM TO ACTUALLY DELINEATE OUT WHERE THOSE MANAGED WETLAND AREAS ARE ACCORDING TO THE GROUNDWATER ALLOCATION RULES.

SO THAT IS IN PROCESS. AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER THING I'D MENTION HERE IS THAT IN APRIL, YOU SET THE EFFECTIVE PRECIPITATION EVERY YEAR. AND SO NEXT MONTH THERE WILL BE A BOARD ACTION TO SET THE EFFECTIVE PRECIPITATION FOR 2026.

AND SO THAT IS COMING UP QUICKLY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR YOU.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL THANK YOU. I WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM 15 BOARD REPORTS.

[15. BOARD REPORTS ]

SO THAT'S GREAT. THOSE ARE ALL GOOD THINGS. AND ALSO MEGHAS HAS IDENTIFIED A LOCATION FOR A WEATHER STATION.

RIGHT? I GET THAT RIGHT. 2 OR 1, ONE LOCATION.

ONE LOCATION. SO I JUST WANT TO REPORT THAT. SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS.

OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU. MR.. GALLO. DAVE. JORGE.

I JUST I'M JUST CURIOUS, WHAT IS THAT LOCATION? LACEY. YOU REMEMBER MERCED COLLEGE. COLLEGE? THAT'S RIGHT. MERCED COLLEGE.

ANYBODY ELSE? NO. OKAY, WELL, THEN WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS ADJOURNMENT.

THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.