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ITEM: |
PUBLIC HEARINGS |
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17. |
CONSIDER ADOPTION OF
APRIL THROUGH JUNE 2007 QUARTERLY WATER SUPPLY STRATEGY AND BUDGET |
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Meeting Date: |
March 19, 2007 |
Budgeted: |
N/A |
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From: |
David A. Berger, |
Program/ |
N/A |
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General Manager |
Line Item No.: |
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Prepared By: |
Darby Fuerst |
Cost Estimate: |
N/A |
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General Counsel Approval: N/A |
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Committee
Recommendation: N/A |
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CEQA Compliance: Notice
of Exemption, CEQA, Article 19, Section 15301 (Class 1) |
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ESA
Compliance: Consistent with the
September 2001 and June 2006 Conservation Agreements between the National
Marine Fisheries Service and California American Water to minimize take of
listed steelhead in the Carmel River, Consistent with SWRCB WR Order Nos.
95-10, 98-04, and 2002-0002. |
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SUMMARY: The Board will accept public comment and
take action on the April through June 2007 Quarterly Water Supply Strategy and
Budget for the California American Water (Cal-Am) Water Distribution System
(WDS). The proposed budget, Exhibit 17-A, is based on “critically-dry”
inflow conditions for the third quarter of the Water Year 2007 (WY 2007). Specifically, the budget utilizes monthly
inflows that are based on the inflows that occurred in Water Year 1990 at the
San Clemente Dam site. The proposed strategy and budget is designed to maximize
the long-term production potential and protect the environmental quality of the
Seaside Groundwater and Carmel River Basins.
Exhibit 17-A shows the anticipated production by
Cal-Am for each production source. Exhibit 17-A also shows actual production
values for the water year to date.
Please note that the anticipated production values assume that Cal-Am
annual system production will not exceed 14,789 acre-feet (AF), including 3,504
AF from the coastal subareas of the Seaside Groundwater Basin and 11,285 AF
from the Carmel River Basin. The total
from the Carmel River Basin is consistent with SWRCB Order No. 95-10 and the
total from the Seaside Groundwater Basin is consistent with the Seaside Basin
adjudication decision.
For the first
five months of Water Year 2007, Cal-Am’s production from Carmel River sources
is below the SWRCB-based production target by 121 AF
or 3.1 %. In addition, for this same period, Cal-Am’s
production from the coastal subareas of the Seaside Basin is 60 AF or 5.0%
below the annual production target set by the court in the Seaside Basin
adjudication (Case No. M66343,
Monterey County Superior Court).
For the
purpose of this budget, it is assumed that no water from the Carmel River Basin
will be diverted and injected into the Seaside Groundwater Basin during the
April through June 2007 period.
RECOMMENDATION: The Board should receive public input,
close the Public Hearing, and discuss the proposed water supply budget. District staff recommends adoption of the
proposed budget. The budget is described
in greater detail in Exhibit 17-B,
Quarterly Water Supply Strategy Report: April – June 2007.
BACKGROUND:
The Quarterly Water Supply Strategy and Budget pertains to production
within the Cal-Am main WDS for the three-month period of April, May, and June
2007. This strategy was developed
cooperatively by staff from the District, Cal-Am, and the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) on March 9, 2007.
Based primarily on the assumption that “critically-dry year” inflows
will occur during the April through June 2007 period and that the “low-flow”
restrictions on Cal-Am’s operations in the Upper Carmel Valley (UCV) will be in
effect, it was agreed that Cal-Am would produce no more than 30, 31 and 30 AF
in April, May, and June, respectively, from its wells in the UCV. In addition, it was agreed that Cal-Am would
produce up to 400, 500, and 500 AF in April, May, and June, respectively, from
its wells in the coastal subareas of the Seaside Basin during this period. The projected diversions from the UCV reflect
the maximum production allowed during the low-flow period. The projected production from the coastal
subareas of the Seaside Basin during the April through June 2007 period are
intended to assist in maintaining flow in the Carmel River so that steelhead
smolts can migrate to the ocean.
It
was also agreed that Cal-Am would not divert any water from San Clemente
Reservoir through the Carmel Valley Filter Plant during this quarter. The remainder of the water needed to meet
customer demand would be provided by Cal-Am’s wells in the Lower Carmel Valley
(LCV). Specifically, it was agreed that
Cal-Am would produce approximately 710, 860, and 960 AF from its LCV wells in
April, May, and June, respectively.
Cal-Am will operate its wells in the LCV in a downstream-to-upstream
order. It was agreed that, under the
assumed critically-dry conditions, no water would be diverted from the Carmel
River for injection into the Seaside Basin during this period. If actual inflows are more or less than
projected for the budget period, the group will reconvene and adjust the
diversion and release rates accordingly.
Rule
101, Section B of the District Rules and Regulations requires that a Public
Hearing be held at the time of determination of the District water supply
management strategy. Notice of this
Public Hearing has been published in The Herald. Adoption of the quarterly water supply
strategy and budget is categorically exempt from the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) requirements as per Article 19, Section 15301 (Class
1). A Notice of Exemption will be filed
with the Monterey County Clerk's office, pending Board action on this item.
EXHIBITS
17-A Quarterly
Water Supply Strategy and Budget: April - June 2007
17-B Quarterly
Water Supply Strategy and Budget Report: April – June 2007
U:\staff\word\boardpacket\2007\2007boardpackets\20070319\PublicHrgs\17\item17.doc