Ojai Basin GMA holds extraction fee at $100/AF, targets Prop 4 funds for GSP updates and metering

Ojai Basin GMA holds extraction fee at $100/AF, targets Prop 4 funds for GSP updates and meteringThe California groundwater agency's draft FY27 budget relies on stable extraction revenues and state grants to fund its five-year sustainability evaluation and potential automated metering rollouts.

The draft FY26-27 budget projects $704,200 in income, driven by 4,000 acre-feet of extractions billed at a steady $100 per acre-foot.

The agency expects a $150,000 Proposition 4 grant to help offset the costs of its five-year Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) periodic evaluation.

Future capital and planning expenses include a numerical groundwater model update, four new shallow monitoring wells, and a proposed automated meter reading (AMR) project.

Enforcement continues against 10 to 12 well owners resisting meter compliance and fee payments, with board hearings scheduled for October.

The Ojai Basin Groundwater Management Agency (OBGMA) in Ventura County, California, reviewed its draft Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget on September 9, keeping its Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) extraction fee steady at $100 per acre-foot. General Manager Julia Aranda recommended maintaining the rate to avoid confusing customers during cyclical spending periods. The draft budget projects $704,200 in total income against $728,600 in expenses. Revenue calculations are based on an estimated 4,000 acre-feet of groundwater extractions. The agency has built a healthy reserve balance—reporting over $660,000 across accounts as of July 2026—to fund upcoming regulatory mandates. A major component of the upcoming fiscal year is the five-year periodic evaluation of the GSP, due January 1, 2027. To support this, OBGMA will update its numerical groundwater model, continue developing its data management system, and install four shallow monitoring wells at three locations. The agency is targeting state Proposition 4 funding earmarked for small Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to offset these costs, budgeting $150,000 in grant income for early 2027. Aranda noted that the state plans to use an administrator, Regional Government Services, to manage the funds for small GSAs collectively, allowing agencies to seek reimbursement for expenses dating back to September 2025. Looking ahead, OBGMA is pitching an automated meter reading (AMR) project to the state for a larger pool of Prop 4 project funding. Aranda estimated an AMR rollout could cost between $750,000 and $1 million to cover meters, piping changes, software, and radio infrastructure, which would significantly reduce the agency's administrative burden. Meanwhile, the agency continues to enforce existing meter and fee compliance, whittling delinquencies down to a remaining 10 to 12 resistant well owners. Board hearings to address these non-compliant users are scheduled for October.