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ITEM:
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CONSENT
CALENDAR
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2.
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CONSIDER EXTENSION OF COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENT WITH THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (USGS) FOR WATER YEAR 2008
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Meeting
Date:
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August 20, 2007
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Budgeted:
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Yes
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From:
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David A.
Berger,
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Program/
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2-5-1 A
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General
Manager
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Line Item No.:
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Prepared
By:
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Greg James
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Cost
Estimate:
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$12,350
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General Counsel Approval: N/A
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Committee Recommendation: The Administrative Committee reviewed this
item on August 9, 2007 and recommended approval.
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CEQA Compliance: N/A
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SUMMARY: The United States Geological Survey (USGS)
operates two streamflow gaging stations on the Carmel River:
(1) Carmel River
at Robles del Rio
(No. 11143200) and
(2) Carmel
River near Carmel (No. 11143250).
The upper or "Robles"
gage is immediately downstream of Esquiline
Bridge (River Mile 14.4) and the lower
or "Carmel"
gage is immediately downstream of Via Mallorca Bridge (River Mile 3.6). The
District relies on the flow data from both of these stations to support a
variety of programs and studies. This
year’s proposed program incorporates a significant change in the USGS Federal
Matching Funds (FMF). In past years under
the USGS cooperative program, the District funded 50 percent of the total cost
for operating the Carmel
station, and the USGS funded the remaining 50 percent of the cost. However, beginning in Water Year (WY) 2008,
the USGS will only provide 40 percent FMF, causing the District to fund 60
percent of the total cost. The USGS
needs to implement this adjustment to the matching ratio because the FMF they
receive from Congress have not increased significantly since 1982, and are no
longer sufficient to maintain the 50:50 match.
It should be noted that the District does not fund the Robles del Rio station. This
station is funded by the Monterey County Water Resources Agency.
RECOMMENDATION: Authorize the General Manager to execute the
agreement with the USGS providing cooperative investigation of the water
resources within the District for Water Year (WY) 2008 for an amount
not-to-exceed $12,350. The District was not
notified of the FMF ratio change in time to incorporate the added cost into the
District’s Fiscal Year 2008 budget. Therefore,
the current budgeted amount of $10,500 will need to be increased accordingly as
part of the District’s mid-year budget adjustment.
BACKGROUND: The District has funded a cooperative
water resources program with the USGS to monitor Carmel River
streamflow since the late 1980s. Other
than the District, the USGS is the only other independent agency that monitors
continuous Carmel
River streamflow. The Carmel
station provides a long-term streamflow record that began in 1962. Given the financial constraints outlined in
the attached USGS program letter (Exhibit 2-A), there is no guarantee that the
USGS would continue full funding of the station maintenance, without the
District’s funding. The USGS streamflow
data provides a valuable cross check for the District’s streamflow data when
verifying the daily, annual, and peak flows that occur on the Carmel River. In addition, as a cooperator with the USGS,
the District has an improved ability to request and obtain various streamflow
information including annual reports, current flow conditions, and historical
flood flow information. Lastly, District
staff plans to assess the possibility of utilizing its own resources to
maintain the Carmel streamgage in future water years, as the annual cost share
amount continues to increase (i.e., 26% increase from WY 2007 to WY 2008).
IMPACT TO STAFF/RESOURCES: The District's share for continuation of
streamflow monitoring at the Carmel River near Carmel station for WY 2008
(October 1, 2007 - September 30, 2008) is $12,350, as indicated on Exhibit 2-A, which represents a 26% increase over the WY 2007 cost.
EXHIBITS
2-A USGS
Program Letter and Joint Funding Agreement for Water Year 2008
U:\staff\word\committees\Admin\2007\20070809\01\item1.doc