ITEM:		CONSENT CALENDAR
5.	CONSIDER ALLOCATING FUNDS TO PURCHASE A DIGITAL CURRENT METER FOR SURFACE WATER MONITORING PROGRAM
Meeting Date:			December 13, 2021	Budgeted:	Yes
From:			David J. Stoldt	Program/	Hydrologic Monitoring
			General Manager	Line Item:	2-5-3
Prepared By:			Jonathan Lear	Cost Estimate:	$11,000
Committee Recommendation: The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on December 6, 2021 and recommended approval.
General Counsel Review: N/A
CEQA Compliance: This action does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines section 15378.

SUMMARY: The District has operated a Surface Water Monitoring Program since the early 1990s. Over the operational life of the program, technology has advanced related to communications and measuring equipment. Over the past 5 years as a pilot study, the District has developed real time reporting of the Carmel River flows to the District website for the gages used in ASR operations and State Board Orders. District staff and Cal-Am have found the real time reporting to be useful and plan to move forward to telemeter the rest of the monitoring network over the next 2 calendar years. Included in this plan is also to replace/upgrade the current meters used to take instantaneous stream flow measurements over the next 2 calendar years. The District will be moving to the current USGS standard of using electronic current meters. A quote for the current meter upgrade for FY 2021-2022 is included as Exhibit 5-A and was included in the current budget year under item 2-5-3. District staff plans to purchase a second electronic current meter in FY 2022-2023 to complete the upgrade of the network’s measurement devices.

RECOMMENDATION: The Administrative Committee recommends that the Board authorize the District staff to allocate funds up to $11,000 to purchase an electronic current meter to support the District’s Surface Water Monitoring Program.

BACKGROUND: The District maintains 5 telemetered gage stations located in the Carmel River, 8 non-telemetered gage stations in the Carmel River Tributaries, 2 non-telemetered stations on Del Rey Oaks and San Jose Creek, and 2 telemetered level reporting stations in the Las Padres Reservoir and the Carmel Lagoon. Real time streamflow data can be viewed here: https://www.mpwmd.net/environmental-stewardship/carmel-river-basin/carmel-river-flows/ The data generated from this network are used to guide ASR operations, comply with permit conditions, and calibrate predictive models of the Carmel River Watershed. District staff have developed a plan over the next 2 calendar years to telemeter the remaining 7 stations that have available cellular reception and investigate satellite communications to the 2 stations without cellular service in an effort to deliver real time data from the streamflow network to the District website. Included in the 2-year plan to upgrade the streamflow network is to replace old and aging equipment such as current meters and pressure transducers and upgrade to the current technologies.

EXHIBIT

5-A Quote from Xylem

U:\staff\Boardpacket\2021\20211213\Consent Calendar\05\Item-5.docx