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ITEM: |
CONSENT
CALENDAR |
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5. |
CONSIDER APPROVAL OF
PURCHASE OF THREE CELLULAR MODEMS FOR THE DISTRICT’S CALIFORNIA IRRIGATION
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (CIMIS) STATIONS |
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Meeting
Date: |
May 20, 2019
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Budgeted:
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Partially
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From: |
David J.
Stoldt, |
Program/
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CIMIS Stations |
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General
Manager |
Line Item No.: |
4-2-2-I |
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Prepared
By: |
Kyle Smith and |
Cost
Estimate: |
$2,450 |
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Stephanie Locke |
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General
Counsel Review: N/A
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Committee Recommendation: The Administrative Committee reviewed
this item on May 13, 2019 and recommended approval. |
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CEQA Compliance: This action does
not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality
Act Guidelines Section 15378. |
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SUMMARY: Staff is requesting authorization to purchase three cellular modems for the District’s California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) stations. The CIMIS stations collect and upload real-time weather data and evapotranspiration (ET) rates to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) statewide CIMIS database. This information is used by local landscapers and Weather Based Irrigation Controllers to adjust the irrigation schedule for the reported weather conditions.
DWR has requested the District to replace its modems with the Sierra Wireless Raven XT model. Staff selected the lowest cost vendor, Wester Weather Group. Western Weather was approximately $30/modem below other vendors and was suggested by DWR. Currently, the District’s three CIMIS stations send data to DWR using modems that will be obsolete by the end of 2019: The network that they operate on will be going dark. The total cost for three replacement modems and supplemental parts is $2,450 (Exhibit 5-A).
Local weather and ET data is an important component to maximizing irrigation efficiency. Many Weather Based Irrigation Controllers use CIMIS data for programming. These controllers can be updated with live daily weather and ET data. Weather Based Irrigation Controllers are in wide use throughout the Monterey Peninsula; accurate weather and ET data is essential to their optimum operation.
RECOMMENDATION: Authorize
expenditure of budgeted funds to replace three CIMIS controllers for a
not-to-exceed amount of $2,450.
BACKGROUND: CIMIS weather stations collect weather data on a minute-by-minute basis, calculate hourly and daily values and store them in the data loggers. Every hour the data collected is sent via wireless network to DWR headquarters in Sacramento. Once the data is transmitted, the central computer analyzes it 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 transpiration from plants.
Some of the users/uses of the CIMIS data include:
Additional information can be found on the DWR CIMIS website at www.cimis.water.ca.gov.
DWR recently approved a policy on the use of cellular communication, and the proposed equipment is compliant with the new policy. DWR has been working on increasing communication security after a breach in their system last fall.
IMPACT TO STAFF/RESOURCES: None. The current budget has $2,000 for CIMIS
stations. The remaining funds ($450) are
available in the Conservation Programs budget in 4-2-2-A, Best Management
Practices.
EXHIBIT
5-A Quote from
Western Weather Group
U:\staff\Boardpacket\2019\20190520\ConsentClndr\05\Item-5.docx