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PODCAST

The SGMA Weekly

Your weekly intelligence briefing on California groundwater. We attend 100+ board meetings so you don"t have to. Every week, we break down the must-know decisions, trends of the valley, fee changes, water supply updates, and policy shifts from GSAs and water districts across the Central Valley and beyond. Produced by WaterOne.ai.

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All Episodes

9:07

Tule Allocation Math Under Audit, GEARS Bug, Prop 4...

The SGMA Weekly ·

2026/05/11

The State Water Board's denial of the remaining Tule Subbasin exclusion requests is opening into a deeper audit — state officials are now questioning local agencies' 34-year rolling precipitation averages, native sustainable yield calculations, and recharge-credit treatment, which could force structural changes to Basin Safe accounting in coming years. Porterville staff also reported the state is backing off the May 1 GEARS penalty after acknowledging a platform bug that doubled extraction totals

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8:54

Kaweah-Tule Banking, $386M Prop 4 Funding, and...

The SGMA Weekly ·

2026/05/03

Four Valley GSAs are in early talks on a Kaweah-Tule groundwater banking concept with Southern California water partners — potentially bringing significant new wet-and-average-year supply into the southern San Joaquin. DWR also outlined nearly $400 million in Proposition 4 groundwater funding with no bond cost share required (draft guidelines fall 2026; applications early 2027). And the Turlock basin's projected "hockey stick" groundwater recovery has arrived two years ahead of schedule. Plus trends

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9:33

Tule Denials, Spring Fee Hearings, and $500K More to...

The SGMA Weekly ·

2026/04/25

The State Water Resources Control Board voted 5-0 to deny all eight Tule Sub-basin GSA exclusion requests, citing water-budget gaps over 50 percent of total diversions, subsidence risks, and weak well-mitigation programs. In response, eleven of thirteen GSAs committed to developing a single unified GSP. DWR's April 1 snow survey came in at the second-lowest on record (only 2015 was lower), and the Kings River Water Association is now forecasting April-July runoff at just 46-60 percent of average. A

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7:43

Second-Lowest Snowpack, Powell in Crisis, and a...

The SGMA Weekly ·

2026/04/18

California's April 1 snowpack came in at just 18% of statewide average — the second-lowest reading on record — and the effects are already reshaping the 2026 irrigation season across the Valley. Metropolitan Water District staff called the Colorado River outlook "dire" as Lake Powell is forecast to hit its 3,500 ft emergency trigger earlier than expected. Plus: Arvin-Edison's first-of-its-kind golden mussel treatment delivered 100% kill on caged mussels + canal-wide control, and the Water

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9:49

Record-Breaking March, Delta-Mendota's Big Win, and...

The SGMA Weekly ·

2026/04/11

March 2026 shattered California temperature and drought records, wiping out snowpack and forcing districts to cut water runs short. Delta-Mendota exits state probation while Tule faces $12M in fees. And Salinas Valley modeling shows that even eliminating all ag pumping won't stop seawater intrusion by 2040.Read the full recaps at waterone.ai | Try Chat GSA for instant answers about your district---AI can make mistakes. Check important info.WaterOne.ai (Mizu Analytics, Inc.) strives to provide

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10:50

Lake Powell Nearing Power Pool, New Fees Statewide,...

The SGMA Weekly ·

2026/03/29

Lake Powell is projected to fall within ten feet of minimum power pool as Colorado River inflow drops to 52% of average. Groundwater fees are accelerating across California — from Paso Robles' new volumetric fee to Yolo's tiered structure to Fox Canyon's warning that assessments could rise "by a multiple." Plus: Amazon is paying to double recycled water storage in South Santa Clara County, golden mussel efforts expand across multiple agencies, and annual reports reveal a mixed picture of basin

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8:45

Exclusion Denials, Early Snowmelt, and Half a Billion...

The SGMA Weekly ·

2026/03/23

The State Water Board just recommended denying every exclusion request in the Tule and Tulare Lake subbasins — and the legal pushback is already starting. Plus, the CVP opens at just 15% with snowpack well below normal, and a half-billion-dollar federal funding package lands for California's most critical water infrastructure.Read the full recaps at waterone.ai | Try Chat GSA for instant answers about your district---AI can make mistakes. Check important info.WaterOne.ai (Mizu Analytics, Inc.)

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10:00

Delta-Mendota Review, Friant-Kern Subsidence, and...

The SGMA Weekly ·

2026/03/15

This week: Delta-Mendota may escape State Water Board oversight — but a massive pumping data gap remains. State Water Contractors warn that 8-9 more inches of Friant-Kern Canal subsidence could eliminate 85% of delivery capacity. Semitropic adopts $500/AF penalties for budget exceedances. DWR scrutinizes Salinas Valley's deep aquifer plan. Golden mussels spread to MWD infrastructure. Santa Clara Valley releases a $10.3B capital plan. Plus: extraction penalty structures diverge across the valley,

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12:06

Historic Lows on the Colorado, Federal Billions for...

The SGMA Weekly ·

2026/03/09

The Colorado River may be headed for its worst hydrology year on record, with inflows down nearly three million acre-feet since November. Meanwhile, $1.5 billion in federal funding for Central Valley Project infrastructure is described as imminent, and Mid-Kaweah GSA moves toward zeroing out allocations for growers who don't register their wells.Produced by WaterOne.ai — AI-powered coverage of every SGMA board meeting in California. Read full recaps and ask questions at waterone.ai.AI can make

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10:10

Allocation Frameworks, Mussel Invasions, and DWR's...

The SGMA Weekly ·

2026/02/28

North Kings GSA locks in a 445,600 acre-foot groundwater allocation bucket, CCWA warns that subsidence could cut Santa Barbara's water delivery, and the Salinas Valley faces a potential state intervention timeline. Plus — DWR's five-year evaluations shift from paper to performance, invasive mussels threaten infrastructure statewide, and well registration proves harder than anyone expected.Produced by WaterOne.ai — AI-powered coverage of every SGMA board meeting in California. Read full recaps and

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11:10

Irrigation Season, Stalled Negotiations, and New...

The SGMA Weekly ·

2026/02/21

Irrigation season kicks off in Turlock with a fourth consecutive year at full allocation, while Westlands braces for a tight CVP supply. New subsidence rules are adding cost and complexity for Tulare Lake GSAs, Colorado River negotiations remain stalled, and Paso Robles becomes the latest GSA to pivot to Prop 26 fees.Produced by WaterOne.ai — AI-powered coverage of every SGMA board meeting in California. Read full recaps and ask questions at waterone.ai.--- AI can make mistakes. Check important

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15:42

Golden Mussels, a $500K Hack, and the Colorado River...

The SGMA Weekly ·

2026/02/15

This week: Golden mussels are spreading across the Central Valley with treatment costs hitting millions. The Colorado River is tracking toward its driest year on record. Sacramento's groundwater bank account looks healthy but the long-term forecast is sobering. Plus — Modesto demands equitable cost-sharing, Yolo votes for Prop 26 fees, and the DWR review process takes a friendlier tone. In the trends: rain vs snow worries, cybersecurity wake-up calls, well registration progress, and massive January

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32 results

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