EXHIBIT 16-B

 

 

Quarterly Water Supply Strategy and Budget Report

California-American Water Company Water Distribution System: January - March 2005

 

                                                              December 13, 2004

 

 

1.         Management Objectives

 

The District desires to maximize the long-term production potential and protect the environmental quality of the Carmel River and Seaside Ground Water Basins.  In addition, the District desires to maximize the amount of water that can be diverted from the Carmel River Basin and injected into the Seaside Ground Water Basin while complying with the instream flow requirements recommended by NOAA Fisheries to protect the Carmel River steelhead population.  To accomplish these goals, a water supply strategy and budget for production within the California-American Water Company (Cal-Am) water distribution system is reviewed quarterly to determine the optimal strategy for operations, given the current hydrologic and system conditions. 

 

2.         Quarterly Water Supply Strategy: January - March 2005

 

On November 23, 2004, staff from the District, Cal-Am, California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) discussed the proposed water supply strategy and related topics for the remainder of December 2004 and the January-March 2005 period.   Currently, total storage in Los Padres Reservoir is 1,018 acre-feet (AF), Carmel River flow is approximately 17 cubic feet per second (cfs) at the MPWMD gaging station at Don Juan Bridge in Garland Park, and there is no flow in the Carmel River below River Mile 5.5.

 

Given these “near-normal” conditions, it was agreed that Cal-Am would maintain a daily diversion rate of 0.93 cfs from its wells in the Upper Carmel Valley during the January-March 2005 period.  It was also agreed that Cal-Am would not divert water from its San Clemente Reservoir during this period due to water quality considerations and the inability to physically divert water at San Clemente Dam.  For the Seaside Basin, it was agreed that Cal-Am would zero out its pumping during the period from January through March 2005.  In addition, for the remainder of December 2004, Cal-Am will adjust daily pumping from the Seaside Basin to balance the end-of-month requirement to not exceed the SWRCB limit on production from Carmel Valley.  During the January to March 2005 period, most of the water needed to serve Cal-Am customers and provide water to the District’s Injection/Recovery Project in the Seaside Basin will be produced from Cal-Am’s wells in the Lower Carmel Valley.   

 

It is assumed that there will be sufficient flow in the Carmel River in January, February and March to allow diversions to be made for the Seaside Injection/Recovery Project.  The projected production values are based on the assumption that daily inflows in the upper watershed will average 93 cfs in January, 171 cfs in February and 187 cfs in March.  If actual inflows are more or less than projected, the group will reconvene, if needed and adjust the diversion and release rates accordingly.  These adjustments will take into account flows needed for steelhead migration, spawning and egg incubation and Cal-Am’s operational needs.

 

Based on the rainfall and runoff that occurred during the October-November 2004 period, it was agreed that the projections for the upcoming quarter should be based on the assumption that monthly inflows will be normal during the budgeted January through March 2005 period.  Based on this assumption, District staff projected monthly unimpaired inflows at San Clemente Dam of 2,300, 5,800, 9,600, and 11,000 AF for the months of December 2004, and January, February, and March 2005, respectively.  These monthly inflows are the 50 % exceedence flow values, or median values for the 1902-2004 period of record.  Table 1 shows a monthly breakdown of the recommended diversion and release schedule under the projected inflow conditions. Table 1 also shows expected inflows, outflows, and storage volumes at Los Padres and San Clemente Reservoirs for the December 2004-March 2005 period. For this analysis, it was assumed that Cal-Am would not directly divert water from San Clemente Reservoir to the Carmel Valley Filter Plant, consistent with the 4d rules adopted by the NOAA Fisheries to protect steelhead, State Water Resources Control Board Water Order WRO 2002-0002 and the Conservation Agreement between NOAA Fisheries and Cal-Am, which governs diversions during the low-flow period.[1]

 

It should be noted that there is significant uncertainty regarding the rainfall and runoff that will occur during the upcoming quarter, which accounts for almost 70% of the runoff expected during the year on average. This uncertainty is compounded by the situation at San Clemente Dam and Reservoir where Cal-Am operates under temporary terms and conditions imposed by the Department of Water Resources’ Division of Dam Safety due to seismic safety concerns.  Depending on the magnitude of storm events this winter, there is a risk that the drawdown ports at elevation 514.5 feet will become clogged with debris, sediment, or both. 

 

U:\staff\word\boardpacket\2004\2004boardpacket\20041213\PublicHearings\16\item16_exh16b.doc

Original draft by David H. Dettman, 11/23/04


[1] The low-flow period is defined as times when streamflow in the Carmel River at the MPWMD gage at Don Juan Bridge is less than 20 cfs for five consecutive days, which occurred on May 30, 2004.  Based on projected inflows, streamflow is expected to be less than the 20 cfs threshold in October and November. In December, inflows may increase above the threshold, but the timing of this event and the continuance of the 2004 San Clemente Interim Drawdown Project into December may preclude any significant change in operations.