ITEM:		GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT
14.	REPORT ON FOLLOW-UP FROM PUBLIC INPUT RECEIVED AT AUGUST 25, 2011 BOARD WORKSHOP ON ALTERNATIVE WATER SUPPLY PLANNING
Meeting Date:			September 19, 2011	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			David J. Stoldt,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:	N/A
Prepared By:			Henrietta Stern	Cost Estimate:	N/A
General Counsel Review: None
Committee Recommendation: None
CEQA Compliance: N/A

SUMMARY: The August 25, 2011 special workshop on water supply alternatives was attended by over 100 people. The minutes are provided in Agenda Item 1. The public heard two staff presentations: (1) an overview of future water needs due to production cutbacks to the California American Water (CAW) system imposed by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) for the Carmel River and the Superior Court for the Seaside Groundwater Basin; and (2) a review of the five MPWMD Water Projects currently being pursued by the District. In addition, staff prepared a summary “fact sheet” for each of the five Water Projects. This information may be found on the District website at:

http://www.mpwmd.dst.ca.us/asd/board/boardpacket/2011/20110825/20110825_agenda.htm

Staff presentations were followed by break-out sessions at five stations, which addressed each of the major water projects, as follows:

1. Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) identified as MPWMD Water Projects 1 and 2: transport excess winter Carmel River flow for injection into the Seaside Basin for extraction in the dry season;

2. Local Desalination identified as MPWMD Water Project 3: assess potential for local in-District projects; also consider water from the conceptual Deepwater Desal Project in out-of-District Moss Landing;

3. Recycled Water/Stormwater identified as MPWMD Water Project 4: assist Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency in its Groundwater Replenishment Program and related efforts;

4. Reservoir Storage/Other identified as MPWMD Water Project 5: explore potential of increased storage capacity at Los Padres Dam via dredging and/or a seasonal “rubber dam.” This table also provided the venue to discuss other options.

5. Conservation is an ongoing MPWMD-CAW program: demand reduction is an integral part of water supply planning as it reduces the size and number of new water supply facilities.

Each breakout station featured questions and answers by knowledgeable staff and Board members, lively discussion of ideas, and blank “brainstorming worksheets” for the public to fill out. Exhibit 14-A provides an example of the brainstorming worksheets filled out by the public. Spokespersons then highlighted the ideas or observations from each station. This was followed by comments and observations by individual members of the public as well as board members, all of which are reflected in the minutes provided in Agenda Item 1. The public was advised that the next step would be Board discussion at the September 19, 2011 meeting.

A few notable questions and ideas emerged from the evening that could be discussed at future Water Supply Planning Committee meetings and/or the full board, as follows:

· Questions were posed about how much water is needed by certain points in time (years) to attain specified water production goals; a related question is what the water supply goal (or range) should be. Exhibit 14-B addresses these inquiries.

· A renewed evaluation of a larger desalination plant on the Sand City area was suggested (i.e., geared for Peninsula-wide service rather than just for use by the City of Sand City).

· Several potential opportunities for additional water rights were suggested, either for CAW itself or by purchasing water rights owned by others in the Salinas Basin. A related topic was use of Salinas River surface water near its mouth when excess water is available in the wet season.

· It is noted that there have also been many editorials and commentaries in local papers with various water supply project ideas in the past month.

RECOMMENDATIONS: District staff has the following recommendations to the Board:

1. Staff has provided a summary analysis of the water supply needs based on questions posed by Director Markey, attached as Exhibit 14-B. Director Doyle expressed an interest in a summary of the proposed projects’ yield or capacities, which is attached as Exhibit 14-C. If additional questions are raided by these Exhibits, staff will address them and bring that information back to the Water Supply Planning Committee (WSPCom) for review, followed by the Technical Advisory/Policy Advisory Committees (TAC/PAC), and to the Board for policy guidance on the specific goals and timeframes involved.

2. Staff should use the workshop information and other research to create a future Water Supply Implementation Plan that describes project specifications, contstraints, permit paths, and other information that can be used to assess implementation. This would be carefully reviewed by the WSPCom and the Board.

3. In future meetings, the Board should provide guidance on whether other additional Water Projects should be evaluated in addition to the five currently underway, or whether current projects should be revised or replaced. Staff cautions the Board to be mindful of budget and staff cuts in this fiscal year 2011-2012.

EXHIBIT

14-A Brainstorming worksheets provided by the public on August 25, 2011

14-B Estimated future water supply “gap”

14-C Approximate yields future of MPWMD water supply projects

Revised Exhibit 14-C

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