EXHIBIT 14-B

 

 

Quarterly Water Supply Strategy and Budget Report

California-American Water Company Water Distribution System: April - June 2005

 

                                                                 March 21, 2005

 

 

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 the National Marine Fisheries Service (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 (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: April - June 2005

 

On March 7, 2005, staff from the District, Cal-Am, California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), and NOAA Fisheries discussed the proposed water supply strategy and related topics for the remainder of March 2005 and the April-June 2005 period.   Currently, Los Padres Reservoir is full and spilling, Carmel River flow is more than 300 cubic feet per second (cfs) at the MPWMD gaging station at Don Juan Bridge in Garland Park, and there is approximately 400 cfs flow in the Carmel River below river mile 5.5.

 

Given these “above normal” conditions, it was agreed that for the remainder of March and in April 2005, Cal-Am's diversions from the upper Carmel Valley would be up to 4.0 cubic feet per second (cfs), including combined production from the Russell Wells Nos. 2 and 4 and other sources upstream of and including Scarlett Well No. 8.  In May 2005, the proposed budget allows Cal-Am to divert up to 1.5 cfs from its combined sources upstream of and including Scarlett Well No. 8.  During June 2005, the proposed budget allows Cal-Am a net diversion of no more than 30 AF from the Russell Wells Nos. 2 and 4. If feasible, Cal-Am could divert water from its San Clemente Reservoir during this period. However, the feasibility of diverting water at San Clemente Dam will probably be constrained by water quality and operations related to the San Clemente Reservoir Drawdown Project mandated by the Department of Water Resources (DWR). With the exception of the Upper Carmel Valley, Cal-Am will operate its wells in the Lower Carmel Valley in a downstream to upstream sequence, as needed to meet demand. 

 

For the Seaside Basin, it was agreed that in April and continuing through June 2005, Cal-Am will gradually shift its production from the Carmel River Basin to wells in the Seaside Basin, associated


with anticipated declining rainfall and runoff in the Carmel Basin. Accordingly, more and more of the water needed to serve Cal-Am customers will be produced from the Seaside Basin as the dry season progresses.  Specifically, in April, Cal-Am will draw water from the shallower Paso Robles aquifer with a production goal of 172 AF.  In May, Cal-Am will bring on all of its Seaside wells, except for the Paralta Well with a goal of 369 AF.[1] In June, Cal-Am will begin maximizing production from Seaside with a goal of 550 AF produced from the Seaside Basin.    Cal-Am will operate its wells in the Lower Carmel Valley in a downstream to upstream sequence.  

 

It is assumed that there will be sufficient flow in the Carmel River in March and April 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 110 cfs in April, 50 cfs in May, and 19 cfs in June.  If actual inflows are more or less than projected, the group will reconvene 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-February 2005 period, it was agreed that the projections for the upcoming quarter should be based on the assumption that inflows will range between normal and above normal monthly levels during the budgeted April through June 2005 period.  Based on this assumption and recent rainfall, District staff projected monthly-unimpaired inflows at San Clemente Dam of 13,380, 6,840, 3,190 and 1,180 AF for the months of March, April, May and June 2005, respectively. These monthly inflows are the average of the 37.5 % (above normal) and 50% (median) expected median flow 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 April-June 2005 period.

 

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 45% of the runoff expected during the year on average. This uncertainty is compounded by the situation at San Clemente Dam and Reservoir. Based on a recently received Biological Opinion for the Interim San Clemente Reservoir Drawdown Project by NOAA Fisheries, dated January 12, 2005, it is staff’s understanding that Cal-Am will operate San Clemente Dam as follows:

1)         The reservoir will remain full at the spillway elevation of 525 feet from February 2, 2004 through April 15, 2004.

2)         Drawdown of the reservoir from elevation 525 to 515 feet will commence on or soon after April 15, pending three consecutive days of 30 cfs, or less, at the MPWMD gaging station at the Sleepy Hollow Weir.

3)         During the drawdown period from April 15, 2005 to possibly February 2, 2006, the reservoir releases will be modified, depending on the physical ability to release water while minimizing the amount sediment passing downstream through the ports or any other passage.

 

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[1] Cal-Am’s Paralta Well has been out-of-service since mid-July 2004.  According to Aman Gonzalez, Cal-Am’s Operations Engineer, the repairs to the well should be completed by March 31, 2005.