1. Management Objectives

The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (District) desires to maximize the long-term production potential and protect the environmental quality of the Carmel River and Seaside Groundwater Basins. In addition, the District desires to maximize the amount of water that can be diverted from the Carmel River Basin and injected into the Seaside Groundwater Basin while complying with the instream flow requirements recommended by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to protect the Carmel River steelhead population. To accomplish these goals, a water supply strategy and budget for production within the California American Water (CAW) main water distribution system is reviewed quarterly to determine the optimal strategy for operations, given the current hydrologic and system conditions.

2. Quarterly Water Supply Strategy: October - December 2009

On September 8, 2009, staff from the District, CAW, CDFG, and NMFS met and discussed the proposed water supply strategy and related topics for the remainder of September 2009 and the October-December 2009 period. Currently, flow in the Carmel River is fully regulated, with CAW’s San Clemente Reservoir being drawn down to comply with the Division of Safety of Dams’ requirements and Los Padres Reservoir below its spillway elevation. Rainfall during Water Year 2009 to date at San Clemente Dam in the upper watershed has totaled 18.1 inches or 85% of the long-term average at this site. Unimpaired runoff into San Clemente Reservoir during WY 2009 has totaled approximately 46,700 acre-feet (AF) or 68% of the long-term average.

Carmel River Basin Given these conditions, it was agreed that CAW would:

1. divert no surface water from its San Clemente Reservoir during the October through December 2009 period,

2. divert no groundwater from its wells in the Upper Carmel Valley during the October through December 2009 period, when low-flow conditions remain in effect, and

3. divert in a downstream-to-upstream sequence, as needed, approximately 860, 740, and 650 AF of groundwater from its wells in the Lower Carmel Valley during October, November, and December 2009, respectively.

Table 1 shows actual and projected monthly releases and diversions from Los Padres and San Clemente Reservoirs for the January through December 2009 period.

Seaside Groundwater Basin It was also agreed that CAW would:

1. pump 450, 300, and 300 AF of naturally-occurring water from the Coastal Subareas of the Seaside Basin in October, November, and December 2009, respectively, and

2. produce 27, 18, and 15 AF of groundwater from its wells in the Laguna Seca Subarea of the Seaside Basin for customers in the Ryan Ranch, Bishop, and Hidden Hills systems during October, November, and December 2009, respectively.

It is recognized that, based on recent historical use, CAW’s actual production from the Laguna Seca Subarea during this period will likely exceed the proposed monthly targets, which are based on CAW’s allocation specified in the Seaside Basin Adjudication Decision. For example, in the October through December 2008 period, CAW produced 51, 38, and 30 AF from the Laguna Seca Subarea to meet customer demand in the Ryan Ranch, Bishop, and Hidden Hills systems. In this context, the production targets represent the maximum monthly production that should occur so that CAW remains within its adjudicated allocation for the Laguna Seca Subarea. Under the amended Seaside basin Decision, CAW is allowed to use production savings in the Coastal Subareas to offset over-production in the Laguna Seca Subarea.

Phase 1 Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Project Lastly, it was agreed that:

1. CAW would divert no water from the Carmel River Basin during the October through December 2009 period for injection and storage in the Seaside Groundwater Basin, and

2. CAW would not recover any artificially-recharged water from the Seaside Basin for CAW customer use during the October through December 2009 period.

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