ITEM:

CONSENT CALENDAR

 

5.

Authorize Representative to Seaside Groundwater Basin Watermaster to Sign Letter of Support for Modification to Department of Water Resources Bulletin 118 Boundary to Recognize the Adjudicated Seaside Groundwater Basin

 

Meeting Date:

May 16, 2016

Budgeted: 

NA

 

From:

David J. Stoldt,

General Manager

Program/

Seaside Basin Watermaster

 

 

Line Item No.:

Account No.

NA

NA

 

Prepared By:

Joe Oliver

Cost Estimate:

NA

 

General Counsel Review:  NA

Committee Recommendation:  NA

CEQA Compliance:  N/A

 

SUMMARY:  The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was signed into law on September 16, 2014 and provides for local or regional management of groundwater basins with oversight from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR).  In late 2015, the DWR implemented new regulations regarding basin boundary modification requests in order to correct or update basin depictions in DWR’s Bulletin 118, “California’s Groundwater”, last updated in 2003.  The Bulletin 118 description and map in the area of the Seaside Groundwater Basin is outdated and does not recognize the adjudicated Seaside Basin boundary per the adjudication decision in 2006.  The Seaside Basin will be exempt from certain Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) requirements under SGMA, and it is therefore important to establish this correction in DWR’s planned Bulletin 118 update.  The MPWMD, as an eligible agency under SGMA, has agreed to carry out the procedure for requesting a modification to the DWR Bulletin 118 description to recognize the adjudicated Seaside Groundwater Basin.  As part of this process, letters of support are valued by DWR in review of the boundary requests, so such a letter was prepared for signature by the Seaside Watermaster board members at their May 4, 2016 meeting. At that meeting, Watermaster members agreed to seek approval from their respective boards (where applicable) so the support letter can be signed and sent to DWR.

 

RECOMMENDATION:  Staff recommends that the MPWMD representative to the Seaside Basin Watermaster board be authorized to sign the support letter to recognize the adjudicated Seaside Basin boundary in DWR’s next update of Bulletin 118.  If this item is adopted along with the Consent Calendar, staff will process this letter and inform the Seaside Basin Watermaster so it can be sent to DWR.

 

EXHIBIT

None


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