ITEM:		CONSENT CALENDAR
4.	CONSIDER EXPENDITURE OF BUDGETED FUNDS TO INSTALL TWO CALIFORNIA IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (CIMIS) STATIONS IN ZONES 2 AND 3 ON THE MONTEREY PENINSULA
Meeting Date:			April 19, 2010	Budgeted:	Yes
From:			Darby Fuerst, General Manager	Program/	Water Conservation
				Line Item No.:	4-2-2-K
Prepared By:			Stephanie Pintar	Cost Estimate:	$15,000
General Counsel Review: N/A
Committee Recommendation: The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on April 13, 2010 and recommended approval.
CEQA Compliance: Exempt. Categorical Exemption Section 15306, Information Collection.

SUMMARY: District staff is requesting authorization to use budgeted funds to purchase and install two CIMIS [California Irrigation Management Information System] stations in Zones 2 and 3. A CIMIS station collects and uploads weather data and evapotranspiration (ET) rates to the California Department of Water Resources CIMIS database that is used by local Smart Irrigation System Controllers and landscapers to adjust the irrigation schedule for reported weather conditions. Upon approval of this item, the District will purchase and install the weather station equipment and enter into an agreement between the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the landowners where the equipment is installed. The new sites include the Pacific Grove Golf Course (Zone 2) which is similar to Zone 1 (Pebble Beach and coastal Carmel and Carmel Highlands) and a station at Laguna Seca Golf Club (Zone 3), which would monitor weather patterns similar to conditions in Carmel Valley. The District currently operates one CIMIS station on the border of Zone 2 and 3 in Carmel Valley at the Rancho Canada Golf Club. The addition of these CIMIS stations will improve the efficiency of Smart Irrigation Systems throughout the Monterey Peninsula area.

Each CIMIS station costs approximately $7,100. Additional costs include installation of a cellular telephone line charged using solar power at the CIMIS site. The annual operating cost of each station is $768.00 for the cellular phone line. There are no additional costs.

Many Smart Irrigation System Controllers access and use local ET information from the DWR CIMIS website, as do landscapers and gardeners who are interested in efficient irrigation. Local CIMIS data will result in water savings on the Peninsula by providing local weather and ET data. Much of the currently available data is from CIMIS stations located away from the Central Coast. Local data is an important component to achieving maximum water savings from a Smart Irrigation System Controller and for calculating landscape water needs when preparing a manual water budget.

RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Administrative Committee support the expenditure of budgeted funds to purchase two CIMIS stations in a not-to-exceed amount of $15,000. Additionally, staff recommends the Administrative Committee support the District being party to the required Permits (sample attached as Exhibit 4-A) between the Department of Water Resources, the District, and City of Pacific Grove and the Laguna Seca Golf Ranch.

IMPACT TO STAFF/RESOURCES: Two CIMIS stations were approved in the Fiscal Year 2009-2010 budget in Item 4-2-2-K. Maintenance of the CIMIS stations is periodically performed by District staff.

BACKGROUND: CIMIS weather stations collect weather data on a minute-by-minute basis, calculate hourly and daily values and store them in the dataloggers. A computer at the DWR headquarters in Sacramento calls every station in California starting at midnight Pacific Standard Time (PST) and retrieves each day's data. Once the data are transmitted, the central computer analyzes the data for quality, calculates reference evapotranspiration and stores them in the CIMIS database. Evapotranspiration (ET) is a loss of water to the atmosphere by the combined processes of evaporation from soil and plant surfaces and transpiration from plants.

Some of the users/uses of the CIMIS data include:

• Urban landscape planning and managing
• Hydrological modeling for water availability and groundwater recharge
• Homeowner associations for water conservation
• Local and state water planners and managers
• High schools and colleges for educational purposes
• Federal Agencies for resource management and studies
• Users from other countries for planning and development of similar networks
• Automated Severe Weather Warning Systems
• Air quality monitoring assistance

Additional information can be found on the DWR CIMIS website at www.cimis.water.ca.gov.

EXHIBITS

4-A Sample Permit

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