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ITEM: |
ACTION ITEM |
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17. |
UPDATE ON RAINFALL AND
STREAMFLOW AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS ON CONSERVATION AND RATIONING |
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Meeting
Date: |
March 17,
2014 |
Budgeted: |
N/A |
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From: |
David J.
Stoldt, |
Program/ |
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General
Manager |
Line Item: |
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Prepared
By: |
David J.
Stoldt |
Cost Estimate: |
None |
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General Counsel Review: N/A |
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Committee
Recommendation: N/A |
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CEQA Compliance: N/A |
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SUMMARY: In
early January the District began an assessment of precipitation and streamflow in the first three months of the 2014 water year
in an effort to determine what type of water year might be indicated, what
interim conservation steps might be taken between now and the timing of the
District’s annual evaluation of usable storage and rationing on May 1, and
whether rationing might be warranted at this time or become likely in the near
term. As detailed in the discussion
section, WY 2014 is shaping up to be a dry or critically-dry year.
RECOMMENDATION: The
General Manager recommends that the Board defer any decision on rationing or
additional conservation stages until its May Board meeting.
DISCUSSION:
Governors Declaration: On
January 17, 2014 the Governor declared a drought emergency for the State of
California which calls on voluntary conservation of 20%. In February, the California Public Utilities
Commission passed a resolution requiring all investor owned water utilities to
notify customers of the Governor’s declaration.
The District drafted the proposed billing insert notifying customers,
attached as Exhibit 17-A.
The declaration also calls on local entities to implement local water
shortage contingency plans immediately.
The District has already taken this action, and the Peninsula has been
in Stage 1 conservation since 1999.
Rainfall: Cumulative
rainfall at San Clemente Dam as of the end of February is 5.91 inches or 38% of
the long-term average
Streamflow: Cumulative
unimpaired streamflow at San Clemente Dam through February is 5% of the
long-term average and within the “critically dry” classification. If this continues, WY 2014 would be only the
8th critically dry year since records were kept starting 1902.
Triggers Resulting in
Additional Conservation or Rationing: The District and Cal-Am share in a 7-stage “Community Water Conservation
Plan”, also called the “Water Conservation and
Standby Rationing Plan”. Each
successive stage under the plan can be entered due to either a physical
trigger, a regulatory trigger, or by emergency declaration of the District
Board.
Stage 2 and Stage 3 conservation are triggered by Cal-Am production at
the end of a month exceeding the year-to-date production limits established
pursuant to District Rule 162. Through February
2014 Cal-Am is below its target. Hence,
the physical trigger for these stages has not been reached.
Stages 4 through 7 involve a triggered by physical “usable storage”
triggers and result in rationing. Each
May 1, the usable storage in the Carmel River System and the Seaside Basin is
determined and compared to water production needs for the subsequent 17
months. In 2013, the usable storage
triggers were as follows:
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PRODUCER |
MAY-SEPTEMBER |
CARRYOVER STORAGE |
TOTAL STORAGE |
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DEMAND |
NEEDS FOR NEXT YEAR DEMAND |
REQUIRED ON MAY 1 |
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Percent of Annual Demand |
Water Rationing Stage |
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100% |
67% |
33% |
0% |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
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15% |
20% |
35% |
50% |
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System-wide demand reduction |
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imposed if storage is less than |
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"Total" shown in boxed area below |
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Cal-Am |
6,604 |
12,882 |
8,631 |
4,251 |
0 |
19,486 |
15,235 |
10,855 |
6,604 |
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Non Cal-Am |
1,946 |
3,046 |
2,041 |
1,005 |
0 |
4,992 |
3,987 |
2,952 |
1,946 |
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Total |
8,550 |
15,928 |
10,672 |
5,256 |
0 |
24,478 |
19,222 |
13,807 |
8,550 |
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District staff has determined that as of February 28th, usable storage
was 26,420 acre-feet or 85% of average.
That level of usable storage would not have triggered Stage 4 rationing
for the current year. However, based on
expected Cal-Am production for January to April 2014, if there is no
precipitation by May 1 to augment supplies, usable storage would decline to 24,542. Presently, the triggers for the May 1, 2014
evaluation are estimated as follows:
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TOTAL STORAGE |
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REQUIRED ON MAY 1 |
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Water Rationing Stage |
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4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
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15% |
20% |
35% |
50% |
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Total |
23,690 |
19,072 |
13,657 |
8,400 |
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Hence, if there is no additional precipitation, the District would
determine that the Stage 4 rationing trigger has been NOT been met and
rationing would not be required.
EXHIBITS
17-A Proposed
Bill Insert U:\staff\Boardpacket\2014\20140317\ActionItems\17\item17.docx