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ITEM: |
PUBLIC
HEARING |
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13. |
CONSIDER
ADOPTION OF JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2025 QUARTERLY SUPPLY STRATEGY AND BUDGET |
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Meeting
Date: |
June
16, 2025
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Budgeted:
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N/A
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From: |
David
J. Stoldt, |
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 2025 Quarterly Water Supply Strategy and Budget for California
American Water’s (CalAm’s) Main and Satellite
Water Distribution Systems (WDS), which are within the Monterey Peninsula Water Resources System (MPWRS). The proposed budget, which is included as Exhibit 13-A, outline
monthly production by source of supply that will
be required to meet projected
customer demand in CalAm’s Main and Laguna Seca Subarea systems, i.e., Ryan Ranch, Bishop, and Hidden Hills, during the July through September 2025 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 13-A
shows the 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 2025. Cal-Am’s annual Main system production for Water Year (WY) 2025 will not exceed 4,850 acre-feet
(AF). Sources available to meet
customer demand are 1,474 AF from the Coastal
Subareas of the Seaside
Groundwater Basin
as set by the Seaside Basin Adjudication Decision and 3,376 AF from the Carmel
River as set by WRO 2016-16. Additional
water projects and water rights available are an estimated 1,300 AF of Pure
Water Monterey Injection over this quarter, an estimated 4,392 AF from ASR Phase 1 and 2 storage, and an estimated 75 AF from the Sand City Desalination Plant. This water budget proposes to produce 1,305
AF of Pure Water Monterey, so nothing is anticipated to be added to the
Operational Yield for this quarter. 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.
According
to the Seaside Basin Adjudication Decision, CalAm’s
production has been reduced to 0 AF. It
is recognized that CalAm will need to produce water
to serve its customers in the Hidden Hills Distribution System and production
in Laguna Seca will be tracked as a ministerial component of tracking production
against the Adjudication Decision. CalAm has completed an intertie between the Monterey Main
System and the Bishop and Ryan Ranch Systems that allows for transfer of water
between the systems.
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 13-B, Quarterly
Water Supply Strategy
Report: July – September
2025.
BACKGROUND: The Water Supply Strategy and Budget prescribes production within CalAm’s Main and Laguna Seca Subarea systems 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, banked Carmel River water, and Pure Water
Monterey water. Also, it was agreed that CalAm will operate
its wells in the Lower Carmel Valley in a downstream to upstream order.
As long as flows exceed 20 cfs at the District’s Don Juan Gage, CalAm is
allowed to produce from its Upper Carmel Valley
Wells, which are proposed to
be used to supply water for system demand over this quarter. This schedule is estimated with WY 2015
streamflow conditions and daily demand for Carmel Valley. CalAm will schedule
the recovery of Pure Water Monterey water stored in the Seaside Basin with the
goal of removing all water injected over the operational reserve for WY 2025. 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.
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.
13-A Quarterly
Water Supply Strategy and Budget for Cal-Am Main System: July - September 2025
13-B Quarterly Water
Supply Strategy
and Budget Report: July - September 2025
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Hearing\13\Item-13.docx