EXHIBIT
18-C
Quarterly
Water Supply Strategy and Budget Report
California
American Water
Main
Water Distribution System: July – September 2014
1. Management Objectives
The
Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (District) desires to maximize the
long-term production potential and protect the environmental quality of the
2. Quarterly Water Supply Strategy: July - September 2014
On
June 10, 2014, staff from the District and Cal-Am, met and discussed the
proposed water supply strategy and related topics for the July - September 2014
period. The California Department of
Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and
NMFS were unable to attend, and staff from the State Water
Resources Control Board’s, Division of Water Rights were invited to
participate by conference call.
Currently, flow in the Carmel River is regulated by Los Padres Reservoir
(LPR) storage releases, and LPR is no longer spilling. LPR is currently at ~97% of maximum effective
storage capacity, i.e., 1,731 AF that occurs with the Los Padres Dam (LPD)
spillway’s notch flashboard removed, or 95% of the 1,775 AF of storage capacity
achieved when the notch’s flashboard is in place. The LPD notch is closed, since this is such
an extremely dry water year, and it was placed into the notch earlier than
normal during March. This was done in
order to maximize any potential storage that could be gained this year, so that
it can be allocated to sustaining minimum flows in the river over the summer
and fall. Flow in the Carmel River is
continuous only to the lower end of DeDampierre Park in Carmel Valley Village
at ~RM 13.60. Flow re-emerges below the
Trail and Saddle Club and flows to just above Cal-Am’s
Berwick Well #8 at ~RM 8.3. There is
still approximately 1.2 miles of dewatering habitat in four sections below RM
8.3. Flows never reached Carmel River
Lagoon, the lagoon mouth has remained closed for the year, and it will remain
so until next winter. Rainfall during
Water Year (WY) 2014 to date at San Clemente Dam in the upper watershed has
totaled 10.42 inches or 50% of the long-term average to date of 20.96 inches at
this site, and 49% of the long-term annual average of 21.29 inches. Further, unimpaired runoff at San Clemente
Dam for WY 2014 through May has totaled approximately 6,899 AF or about 10% of
the long-term average to date for this site of 65,899 AF, and 10% of the
long-term annual average of 68,386 AF, making this a “Critically Dry” Water
Year Type, to date.
Carmel River Basin Given these
conditions, and runoff to date, it was agreed that “Critically Dry” year
inflows would be initially assumed to assess Cal-Am’s
operations during the July through September 2014 period. To meet customer demand, Cal-Am would
operate its wells in the Lower Carmel Valley in a downstream-to-upstream
sequence, as needed. For the quarterly
budget, it was agreed that Cal-Am would attempt to produce no groundwater from
its wells in the Upper Carmel Valley during July through September 2014. If sufficient flow in the
Seaside
Groundwater Basin It was also agreed that, subject to
rainfall and runoff conditions in the Carmel River, Cal-Am would continue
production at 250, 400, and 0 AF per month from their wells in the Coastal
Subareas, for July, August and September 2014, in addition to the planned 25 AF
per month of production from the Sand City Desalination Plant, so as to achieve
maximum utilization of the native water available in the basin under the
Seaside Basin Adjudication Decision and in compliance with SWRCB Orders 95-10
and 2002-0060. It was also agreed that
only 18, 17, and 16 AF of groundwater would be budgeted from Cal-Am’s wells in the Laguna Seca Subarea of the Seaside Basin
for customers in the Ryan Ranch, Bishop, and Hidden Hills systems during July,
August and September 2014, respectively.
It is recognized that, based on recent historical use, Cal-Am’s actual production from the Laguna Seca Subarea during
this period will likely exceed the proposed monthly targets, which are based on
Cal-Am’s allocation specified in the Seaside Basin
Adjudication Decision. For example, in
the July through September 2013 period, Cal-Am produced 43, 40, and 38 AF from
the Laguna Seca Subarea to meet customer demand in the Ryan Ranch, Bishop, and
Hidden Hills systems. In this context,
the production targets represent the maximum monthly production that should
occur so that Cal-Am remains within its adjudicated allocation for the Laguna
Seca Subarea. Under the amended Seaside
Basin Adjudication Decision, Cal-Am is allowed to use production savings in the
Coastal Subareas to offset over-production in the Laguna Seca
Subarea.
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