ITEM:

PUBLIC HEARING

 

31.

CONSIDER ADOPTION      OF JULY THROUGH   SEPTEMBER 2020 QUARTERLY WATER SUPPLY STRATEGY AND BUDGET

 

Meeting Date:

June 15, 2020

Budgeted: 

N/A

 

From:

David J. Stoldt,

Program/

 

 

General Manager

Line Item No.:

N/A

 

Prepared By:

Jonathan Lear

Cost Estimate:

N/A

 

General Counsel Review:  N/A

Committee Recommendation:  N/A

CEQA Compliance:  Notice of Exemption, CEQA, Article 19, Section 15301 (Class 1)

ESA Compliance: Consistent with the September 2001 and February 2009 Conservation Agreements between the National Marine Fisheries Service and California American Water to minimize take of listed steelhead in the Carmel River and Consistent with SWRCB WR Order Nos. 95-10, 98-04, 2002-0002, and 2016-0016.

 

SUMMARY:  The Board will accept public comment and take action on the July through September 2020 Quarterly Water Supply Strategy and Budget for California American Water’s (CalAm’s) Main Water Distribution System, which is within the Monterey Peninsula Water Resources System (MPWRS). The proposed budget, which is included as Exhibits 31-A, shows monthly production by source of supply required to meet projected customer demand in CalAm’s Main system during the July through September 2020 period. The proposed strategy and budget is designed to maximize the long-term production potential and protect the environmental quality of the Seaside Groundwater and Carmel River Basins.

 

Exhibit 31-A shows anticipated production by CalAm’s Main system for each production source and the actual production values for the water year to date through the end of May 2020. Cal-Am’s annual Main system production for Water Year (WY) 2020 will not exceed 10,130 acre-feet (AF). Sources available to meet customer demand are 1,820 AF from the Coastal Subareas of the Seaside Groundwater Basin as set by the Seaside Basin Adjudication Decision and 8,310 AF from the Carmel River as set by WRO 2016-16.  Additional water projects and water rights available are an estimated 917 AF from ASR Phase 1 and 2 recovery and 150 AF from the Sand City Desalination Plant.  The schedule of production from the Carmel Valley Alluvial Aquifer is consistent with State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Order Nos. 95-10, 98-04, 2002-0002, and 2016-0016. In compliance with WRO 2016-0016, any water diverted under these rights must be used to reduce unlawful diversion from the Carmel River Basin.


RECOMMENDATION:  The Board should receive public input, close the Public Hearing, and discuss the proposed quarterly water supply budget. District staff recommends adoption of the proposed budget. The budget is described in greater detail in Exhibit 31-B, Quarterly Water Supply Strategy Report: July September 2020.

 

BACKGROUND: The Water Supply Strategy and Budget prescribes production within CalAm’s Main system and is developed on a quarterly schedule.  Staff from the District, CalAm, the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS), State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Water Rights (SWRCB-DWR), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) cooperatively develop this strategy to comply with regulatory requirements and maximize the environmental health of the resource system while meeting customer demand.  To the greatest extent pumping in the Carmel Valley is minimized in the summer months and the Seaside wells are used to meet demand by recovering native water and banked Carmel River water.  Also, it was agreed that CalAm will operate its wells in the Lower Carmel Valley in a downstream to upstream order.

 

When flows decline below 20 cfs at the District’s Don Juan Gage, CalAm will stop production from its Upper Carmel Valley Wells. The permitted diversion season for ASR is between December 1 and May 31.  ASR recovery will begin when flows decline to shift production away from the river.  This schedule is estimated with wet year streamflow conditions and daily demand for Carmel Valley.  There is also a projected goal of producing 25 AF of treated brackish groundwater from the Sand City Desalination Plant in each of these three months.  At the June meeting, District Staff asked the group again if the members would consider budgeting less than 25 AF per month for the Sand City Desalination Plant.  The group reinforced their previous decision to leave the full allocation citing the desire to protect the Carmel River and encourage CalAm to repair the plant if it is producing less than the budgeted amount.

 

Rule 101, Section B of the District Rules and Regulations requires that a Public Hearing be held at the time of determination of the District water supply management strategy. Adoption of the quarterly water supply strategy and budget is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements as per Article 19, Section 15301 (Class 1). A Notice of Exemption will be filed with the Monterey County Clerk's office, pending Board action on this item.

 

EXHIBITS

31-A    Quarterly Water Supply Strategy and Budget for Cal-Am Main System: July – September 2020

31-B    Quarterly Water Supply Strategy and Budget Report: July September 2020

 

 

 

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