State board sets modest water-rights fee increase, vows more Sigma transparency
Staff proposed a targeted 4% per-acre-foot increase for water-rights fees (and a small cap adjustment), citing a projected structural deficit and healthy reserves; the board adopted the resolution and staff committed to posting more detailed Sigma/Sustainable Groundwater Management Act materials and to ongoing stakeholder engagement.
The full story
The board approved adjustments to the water-rights fee schedule and related service charges after staff described a projected fiscal-year 26-27 structural deficit in the Water Rights Fund. Staff of the Division of Administrative Services told the board the governor’s enacted budget set a water-rights fee-setting budget of roughly $39.1 million, and that, without changes, expenditures would outpace budgeted revenue. To reduce the projected deficit staff proposed drawing on reserves and a modest 4% increase to the per-acre-foot charge for water rights (the base fee would not change), along with a CPI-based cap adjustment.
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