ITEM:		PUBLIC HEARING
13.	CONSIDER ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION 2015-17 – ESTABLISH MPWMD AS GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY FOR THE CARMEL VALLEY ALLUVIAL AQUIFER
Meeting Date:			September 21, 2015	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			David J. Stoldt,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.: N/A
Prepared By:			David J. Stoldt	Cost Estimate:	N/A
General Counsel Review: N/A
Committee Recommendation: On September 8, 2015 the Water Supply Planning Committee voted unanimously to recommend approval.
CEQA Compliance: N/A

SUMMARY: The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was signed into law on September 16, 2014 and was comprised of three separate bills, AB 1739, SB 1168, and SB 1319. SGMA provides for local or regional management of groundwater. Section 10723 of SB 1168 states, “the following agencies created by statute to manage groundwater shall be deemed the exclusive local agencies within their respective statutory boundaries with powers to” become a groundwater sustainability agency (GSA) and specifically lists 15 local agencies of which Monterey Peninsula Water Management District is one.

GSAs must be formed by June 30, 2017 although many have already been formed across the state. At its August 17^th meeting, the Board determined to start the process to elect the District to become GSA for the Carmel Valley Alluvial Aquifer now, and after consultation with other affected parties, to become GSA for the Seaside Groundwater Basin at a later date. The Water Supply Planning Committee considered this issue on September 8, 2015, and recommended that the Board of Directors adopt Resolution 2015-17 and proceed with the process to become GSA for the Carmel Valley Alluvial Aquifer.

The process to become a GSA requires a public hearing whereupon the Board would adopt a resolution electing to become the GSA. A copy of proposed Resolution 2015-17 is attached as Exhibit 13-A. The public hearing was noticed in the newspaper for two successive weeks on September 7 and September 14, 2015 as required by law. A copy of the text of the public notice is attached as Exhibit 13-B. Subsequent to the hearing the District will file notice of intent with the Department of Water Resources, as well as file basin boundaries and a list of interested parties. A draft notice of intent is attached as Exhibit 13-C.

RECOMMENDATION: The Board should adopt Resolution 2015-17, and direct the General Manager to file Notice of Intent with the State Department of Water Resources to become GSA for the Carmel Valley Alluvial Aquifer.

BACKGROUND: 80 percent of Californians rely, in part, on groundwater. Groundwater storage is 10-times the water stored in surface reservoirs, but until SGMA was signed into law California did not have a framework for the regulation of groundwater. SGMA defines sustainable groundwater management and requires that medium- and high-priority basins form GSAs by June 30, 2017 and adopt Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) within 5-7 years. The GSPs will provide detailed physical descriptions, monitoring and management provisions, and describe interaction with other plans such as general plans. The GSP must indicate a path to sustainability within 20 years of adoption. “Sustainable” as described in SGMA includes no “surface water depletions that have significant and unreasonable adverse impacts on beneficial users.”

There are 515 basins in California, of which 127 are medium- or high-priority. The basins and their boundaries are described in DWR Bulletin 118. The Carmel Valley Alluvial Aquifer is a “high-priority” basin and the Seaside Groundwater Basin is “medium-priority”. Adjudicated basins do not require a GSP and have reduced reporting requirements.

EXHIBITS

13-A Proposed Resolution 2015-17 “Establish MPWMD as Groundwater Sustainability

Agency for the Carmel Valley Alluvial Aquifer”

13-B Text of Public Notice

13-C Draft Notice of Intent

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