EXHIBIT 3-A

Work Plan

Project 2 - Seaside Groundwater Basin Salt and Nutrient Management Plan

This scope of work for developing a Salt and Nutrient Management Plan (S&NMP) is based on guidance received by the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB). 

Task 1:  Stakeholder Outreach

This task will:

1.       Identify and contact stakeholders such as agencies and private individuals who use or influence groundwater, or have the potential to, in order to ensure broad stakeholder involvement in developing the S&NMP. 

2.       Conduct stakeholder meetings and identify stakeholder roles, responsibilities, financial capacity for the development of the S&NMP.

Task 1 Deliverables:  Chapter 1 of the S&NMP; establish website; meeting notes and material.

Task 2:  Establish Basin Characteristics

This task will:

1.       Establish basin characteristics to guide the S&NMPs length and specificity, and evaluate the historical and current surface and groundwater water quality over time. 

2.       Develop a GIS project to assist with tracking sources and fate of salts and nutrients.

Task 2 Deliverables:  Chapter 2 of the S&NMP; GIS project with layers to be maintained on MWPMD servers.

Task 3:  Identify Existing and Foreseeable Salt and Nutrient Sources

This task will:

1.       Identify potential existing sources of salt, nutrients, and other Constituents of Emerging Concern (CECs). All organizations with property interests in the study area will be contacted to determine salt, nutrient, irrigation practice, and chemical loading characteristics of maintenance or management activities.  Estimate loading/concentrations from these sources. 

2.       Identify existing and proposed water recycling and stormwater recharge/reuse projects that may add salt, nutrients, or CECs to the groundwater basin, and estimate loading/concentrations from these sources.

Task 3 Deliverables:  Chapter 3 of the S&NMP.

Task 4:  Salt and Nutrient Evaluation

This task will:

1.       Describe the hydrologic and hydrogeologic conceptual model of the basin;

2.       Estimate the water balance of the basin using existing tools; 

3.       Estimate salt and nutrient balances of the basin for existing and planned land and water use by using sources with loading/concentrations from Task 3, and the water balance from Task 4.2;

4.       If required, salt and nutrient, and CEC fate and transport, and assimilative capacity analyses may be recommended as a future task;

5.       If required, an anti-degradation analysis will be conducted to ensure high quality waters in the basin are maintained.

Task 4 Deliverables:  Chapter 6 of the S&NMP; summary table of water balance components; summary tables of input and output components for salts and nutrients; and triggers to initiate future analyses, as new recycled water/ stormwater projects are implemented.

Task 5:  Monitoring Programs and Database

This task will:

1.       Describe existing groundwater and surface water monitoring programs in terms of constituents being monitored, frequency, responsible party, and how data is disseminated.  If existing monitoring programs are not adequate for determining whether salts, nutrients, and CEC concentrations are consistent with applicable water quality objectives, additional features, constituents, and frequencies will be identified. 

2.       Recommend a groundwater and surface water monitoring program specific to the S&NMP. 

a.      The program will be designed to allow for a reasonable, cost-effective means for regular assessment of the water quality in the basin, and will focus on basin water quality near water supply wells, areas proximate to existing salt and nutrient sources, and areas where groundwater has connectivity with adjacent surface waters.  The preferred approach for developing the monitoring program will be to use existing wells for data collection; if needed, additional monitoring locations will be recommended. Water balance components such as groundwater levels, production, climate, surface flows will also be included in the monitoring program.  It is expected that salts, nutrients, and CECs will be monitored on an annual basis, unless site specific analysis determines that a different frequency results in effective plan implementation.

b.      The monitoring program will identify stakeholders responsible for conducting, compiling and reporting monitoring data under the S&NMP.  The monitoring program will include a requirement that data will be complied and reported to the Regional Water Board every three years.

3.       Describe existing databases, and recommend a database to be used in the implementation of the S&NMP.  The existing MPWMD database will be reviewed and its contents summarized.  The summary will include which wells and data are contained in the database, and the frequency at which the database is updated.  Responsible parties for providing data and updating data will be identified.  It is likely that the existing MPWMD database will be used for storing monitoring data related to the S&NMP.  Necessary adjustments and/or additions will be made to the database to ensure it meets the needs of the S&NMP.

Task 5 Deliverables:  Chapter 4-Existing Groundwater Monitoring Programs, Chapter 5-Existing Databases, and Chapter 8- Salt and Nutrient Monitoring Program.

Task 6:  Prepare Salt and Nutrient Management Plan

The table below shows the proposed sections for the Seaside Basin S&NMP; however, the outline is expected to change based on direction provided by basin stakeholders.

 

Chapter 1: Stakeholder Involvement

Subsection 6.3: Salt and nutrient balances

Subsection 1.1: Stakeholder identification

Subsection 6.4: Fate and transport of salts, nutrients and CECs

Subsection 1.2: Stakeholder roles and responsibilities

Subsection 6.5: Assimilative capacity (if required)

Chapter 2: Basin Characteristics

Subsection 6.6: Anti-degradation analysis (if required)

Subsection 2.1: Basin boundaries

Chapter 7: Salt and Nutrient Management Strategies

Subsection 2.2: Basin physiography

Subsection 7.1: Actions to manage salt and nutrient loading

Subsection 2.3: Watersheds and hydrology

Subsection 7.2: Management triggers

Subsection 2.4: Climate

Chapter 8: Salt and Nutrient Monitoring Program

Subsection 2.5: Beneficial water uses

Subsection 8.1: Goals and objectives

Subsection 2.6: Land uses, and land cover

Subsection 8.2: Location of monitoring features

Subsection 2.7: Surface water quality

Subsection 8.3: Constituents to be monitored, including CECs

Subsection 2.8: Groundwater quality

Subsection 8.4: Sampling methodology

Chapter 3: Salt and Nutrient Sources

Subsection 8.5: Sampling frequency

Subsection 3.1: Existing salt and nutrient sources

Subsection 8.6: Stakeholder roles and responsibilities

Subsection 3.2: Proposed salt and nutrient sources

Subsection 8.7: Reporting (including trend analysis)

Chapter 4: Existing Groundwater Monitoring Programs

Chapter 9: Salt and Nutrient Management Plan Implementation

Chapter 5: Existing Databases

Subsection 9.1: Performance measures

Subsection 5.1: Existing database identification and description

Subsection 9.2: Implementation schedule

Subsection 5.2: Data gaps

Subsection 9.3: Adaptive management

Subsection 5.3: Recommended database

Subsection 9.4: Public outreach and education

Chapter 6: Salt and Nutrient Evaluation

Subsection 9.5: Cost analysis

Subsection 6.1: Conceptual model

Subsection 9.6: Funding opportunities

Subsection 6.2: Water balance

Subsection 9.7: Institutional arrangements

Subsection 9.8: Organizational structure

 

Additional items that will also be part of the management plan are Salt and Nutrient Management Strategies, and Salt and Nutrient Management Plan Implementation.  Salt and nutrient management strategies will consider Best Management Practices (BMPs) and will involve developing a list of cost effective and readily implementable strategies should salt and nutrient concentrations become elevated.  Examples of BMPs include: salt and nutrient source control, improved irrigation practices, irrigation source water changes, and enhanced recharge of rainwater and/or stormwater.  Threshold concentrations of selected salts and nutrients will be proposed that would invoke specific management strategies.  Salt and Nutrient Management Plan Implementation will include the following necessary elements:  performance measures, implementation schedule, adaptive management, public outreach and education, cost analysis, funding opportunities, institutional arrangements, and organizational structure.

Task 6 Deliverables:  Salt and Nutrient Management Plan:  Chapters 1 - 8.

 

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