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GSA general manager reports planning, uncertainty around demand management and alternative projects
Summary
GSA General Manager Royce Sacre told the board the agency is moving into implementation for several measures, including demand management; alternatives such as a groundwater extraction barrier and use of a referenced water right were discussed but remain uncertain and have not been adopted.
General Manager Royce Sacre delivered the Groundwater Sustainability Agency's monthly status report April 24, 2025, saying the agency has largely moved into implementation for several items affecting the Salinas Valley but that substantial uncertainty remains around demand management and possible alternative projects.
“I don't have a lot for you this month. It has we have we have moved collectively into the implementation phase of many, of the items that are rolling through the Salinas Valley, not the least of which is demand management,” Sacre said. He told the board he does not foresee demand management having “a significant impact” on the Arroyo Seco management area but said some form of demand management will likely be in place over the next few years.
Sacre described several alternatives under discussion, including what he called a groundwater extraction barrier project that would treat and redistribute water, and the potential use of a water right referenced in the meeting as “11 0 4 3.” He said the latter option "didn't pencil out" in preliminary analysis and that other options are still under study.
Sacre said the Salinas Valley Basin Group and other coordinating bodies continue to work on program design and that staff expect additional coordination meetings, including a likely July meeting with a sister agency and coordination committee. He noted a scheduled advisory committee meeting had been canceled and said the board would be briefed if any substantive actions result from the coordination committees.
No formal action was taken on the items Sacre discussed. There were no public comments on the status report during the meeting.
Why it matters: the discussion outlines the range of programs the basin is considering to meet groundwater sustainability requirements and underscores the uncertainty in program design and funding mechanisms.
The general manager said the board may be asked to consider an amendment to the agency's implementation agreement if proposed changes warrant it; no amendment was proposed or adopted at this meeting.
