General Information

What is the role of the Vina Groundwater Sustainability Agency?

The Vina Groundwater Sustainability Agency (Vina GSA) is a locally controlled entity formed to implement groundwater sustainability measures as defined under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SMGA) and as identified in the State-approved Vina Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP). The GSA works to ensure adequate groundwater supplies to support rural areas and communities, the agricultural economic base of the region, and environmental uses now and in the future.

What is the purpose of collecting a fee?

The GSA needs revenue to cover essential operating expenses, support staffing, and fund crucial studies that improve our understanding of the groundwater basin. These funds also support monitoring activities, the preparation of annual reports, and periodic evaluations of the GSP as required by SGMA.

What benefits do fee payors receive from the fee?

The fee supports the GSA in being compliant with State law while maintaining local control over groundwater management, ensuring that decisions are made locally and directly benefit the community. Additionally, fee payors benefit from the sustainable groundwater management activities funded by these fees, which help maintain a reliable water supply for agricultural, residential, and environmental uses now and in the future. These practices are essential for protecting the long-term sustainability of the groundwater basin, which is vital for the prosperity and security of all who rely on it.

 How is the Vina GSA currently funded?

Vina GSA’s management, operations, and SGMA compliance costs, are funded by a fee that was adopted by the Board of Directors (Board) in 2023. The fee for the fiscal year 2023/2024 was $1.54 per acre and the fee for fiscal year 2024/2025 was $2.53 per acre.

Current fees are charged to all taxable lands within the GSA boundary regardless of land use type (rangeland, agricultural, orchard, residential or commercial use, etc.). The calculation is based on the assessed acreage indicated on the property tax bill. 

Proposed New Fee Structure

 How was the new fee structure determined?

The Vina GSA hired a fee consultant to examine the GSA operations and budgets; available and reliable data to confidently calculate a fee; demographic and geographic data; and the different types of groundwater use in the Vina subbasin. Thorough outreach with stakeholders, diverse types of groundwater user representatives, the GSA advisory committee and board of directors identified various considerations to examine while vetting fee options including who should be charged and the most reasonable fee structure.

 What is the methodology used to determine the fee?

All parcels within the Vina subbasin will pay a base fee regardless of groundwater use unless the parcel is unusable (for example a lake or road easement). Those who use groundwater will pay an additional fee. The result is a two-part fee structure. The Part 1 Fee (Base Fee) provides benefit to the public by maintaining a functioning GSA and performing all basic legal operations that SGMA requires of a GSA in a high-priority basin. The Part 2 Fee (User Group Fee) covers services provided by the GSA to sustainably manage groundwater, including groundwater monitoring and modeling that ensure long-term groundwater availability.

What is the Part 1 Base Fee?

The Part 1 Base Fee costs pay for governance expenses and basic GSA operations. Example costs include agency staffing, legal counsel, office expenses, audits, fee placement on the tax roll, and other costs that keep the GSA in existence and recognized by the State of California. The Part 1 Base Fee will be charged to all usable parcels within the GSA boundaries.  

Municipal/Domestic parcels account for 90% of the Part 1 Base fee. Agricultural parcels account for 5% and Grazing/Vacant the remaining 5%.

What is the Part 2 User Group Fee?

The Part 2 User Group Fee defines three group categories based according to the type of water use on the parcel.

• Group 1 – agricultural users are charged per cropped acre
• Group 2 – domestic, or municipal users (including residential and commercial) are charged per developed parcel
• Group 3 – vacant parcels and parcels used for grazing are not charged a Part 2 fee

Agricultural users account for 90% of the Part 2 User Group fee and Municipal/Domestic users account for the remaining 10%.

What is the total amount the GSA will collect from the fee?

The amount to be collected by the fee depends on the projected budgetary needs of the GSA over the next few years. The Board will review the projected costs annually and adjust the fees for the next fiscal year accordingly, ensuring that the fees reasonably reflect the cost to fulfill Vina GSA’s regulatory activities under SGMA.

What are the Part 1 Base Fee and Part 2 User Group Fee costs?

The proposed fees are:

Part 1 Base Fee - $12.62 per parcel + Part 2 User Group Fee:

Group 1 - Agricultural users: $4.22 per cropped acre

Group 2 - Domestic, or municipal users (including residential, industrial and commercial): $0.96 per acre

Example: A typical residential home on 0.25 acres would be charged (Part 1) $12.62 + (Part 2/Group 2) $0.96 = $13.58 for Fiscal Year 2026.

Will the fee change each year?

The Vina GSA Board has the ability to set the fee each year using the next fiscal year’s budget, a percentage

increase (maximum percentage increase established) or application of a price index. Both the Part 1 and Part 2 fees would be subject to the same increase/decrease percentage to meet projected costs.

Are changes to the fee amounts required to be publicly noticed?

The Board must adopt a resolution each year to place the fees on the county’s property tax roll. Any changes to the Part 1 and Part 2 fee amounts to be collected would be updated in the resolution. The public hearing to adopt the resolution is required to be publicly noticed two times 20 days prior to the public hearing.

When will the FY 2025/2026 fee be adopted? 

The GSA Board will hold a public hearing to consider fee adoption at the June 11, 2025 board meeting.

Does the GSA have a process for corrections if a property owner provides evidence supporting a change in the Part 1 or Part 2 fee determination?

The Vina GSA will establish a corrections process that will be detailed on its website at www.vinagsa.org. Property owners must pay the fee as charged to be considered for a fee adjustment. You may also inquire about a fee correction by calling the Vina GSA at (530) 552-3592.

Where is there more information about the Fee Study? 

The Fee Study Report, which includes detailed methodology and supporting documentation, and other related materials are located at www.vinagsa.org.