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ITEM: |
PUBLIC HEARING |
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31. |
CONSIDER
ADOPTION OF JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER
2020 QUARTERLY WATER SUPPLY STRATEGY AND BUDGET |
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Meeting Date: |
June 15, 2020
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Budgeted:
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N/A
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From: |
David J. Stoldt,
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Program/ |
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General Manager |
Line Item No.: |
N/A |
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Prepared By: |
Jonathan Lear |
Cost Estimate: |
N/A |
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General Counsel Review: 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 February 2009 Conservation Agreements between the National Marine Fisheries Service and California American Water to minimize take of listed
steelhead in the Carmel
River and Consistent with SWRCB WR Order Nos.
95-10, 98-04, 2002-0002, and 2016-0016. |
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SUMMARY: The Board will accept public
comment and take action on the July
through September 2020 Quarterly Water Supply Strategy and Budget for California
American Water’s (CalAm’s) Main Water Distribution System, which is within the Monterey Peninsula Water Resources System (MPWRS). The proposed budget, which is included
as Exhibits 31-A, shows monthly
production by source of supply required to meet projected
customer demand in CalAm’s Main system during the July through September 2020 period. 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 31-A shows anticipated production by CalAm’s Main system for each production source and the actual production values for the water year to date through the end of May 2020. Cal-Am’s annual Main system production for Water Year (WY) 2020 will not exceed 10,130 acre-feet
(AF). Sources available to meet
customer demand are 1,820 AF from the Coastal
Subareas of the Seaside
Groundwater Basin
as set by the Seaside Basin Adjudication Decision and 8,310 AF from the Carmel
River as set by WRO 2016-16. Additional
water projects and water rights available are an estimated 917 AF from ASR Phase 1 and 2 recovery
and 150 AF from the Sand City Desalination Plant. The schedule of production from the Carmel Valley Alluvial Aquifer is consistent with State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB)
Order Nos. 95-10, 98-04, 2002-0002, and 2016-0016. In compliance with WRO 2016-0016, any water diverted under these rights must be used to reduce
unlawful diversion from the Carmel River
Basin.
RECOMMENDATION: The Board should receive public input, close the Public Hearing, and discuss the proposed
quarterly water supply budget. District
staff recommends adoption of the proposed budget. The budget is described
in greater detail
in Exhibit 31-B, Quarterly
Water Supply Strategy
Report: July – September
2020.
BACKGROUND: The Water Supply Strategy and Budget prescribes production within CalAm’s Main system
and is developed on a quarterly schedule. Staff from the District, CalAm, the National
Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS), State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Water Rights
(SWRCB-DWR), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) cooperatively develop this strategy
to comply with regulatory requirements and maximize the environmental health of
the resource system while meeting customer demand. To the greatest extent pumping in the Carmel
Valley is minimized in the summer months and the Seaside wells are used to meet
demand by recovering native water and banked Carmel River water. Also, it was agreed that CalAm will operate its wells in the Lower Carmel Valley in a downstream to upstream order.
When flows decline below 20 cfs at the District’s Don Juan Gage, CalAm will stop
production from its Upper Carmel Valley Wells.
The permitted diversion
season for ASR is between December 1 and May 31. ASR recovery will begin when flows decline to
shift production away from the river. This
schedule is estimated with wet year streamflow conditions and daily demand for
Carmel Valley. There is also a projected
goal of producing 25 AF of treated brackish
groundwater from the Sand City Desalination Plant
in each of these three months. At the June meeting, District Staff asked the
group again if the members would consider budgeting less than 25 AF per month
for the Sand City Desalination Plant. The
group reinforced their previous decision to leave the full allocation citing
the desire to protect the Carmel River and encourage CalAm to repair the plant
if it is producing less than the budgeted amount.
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. 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.
31-A Quarterly Water Supply Strategy
and Budget for Cal-Am Main System: July – September
2020
31-B Quarterly Water Supply Strategy and
Budget Report: July – September
2020
U:\staff\Boardpacket\2020\20200615\PublicHearings\31\Item-31.docx