The pumping restriction taking shape along the Friant-Kern Canal isn't theoretical anymore — one Tule subbasin board member already has 4,500 acres out of production. This week: DWR tells the California Water Commission that every supply project together still won't close the valley's gap; a $730,000 small-farm fallowing fund near Paso Robles has fewer than 10 applicants; Metropolitan rereads the Palo Verde fallowing agreement and January planting gets complicated; Porterville ID GSA adopts its $50.67-per-acre extraction fee. Plus: the five-year GSP reviews where DWR's corrective actions actually bite, Friday's Colorado River Record of Decision, interconnected surface water as the state's recurring red pen, and districts quietly moving idle cash into higher yields.

Full recaps of every board meeting we cover:  ...