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ITEM: |
PUBLIC HEARING |
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9. |
CONSIDER ADOPTION OF APRIL THROUGH JUNE 2024 QUARTERLY WATER SUPPLY
STRATEGY AND BUDGET |
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Meeting Date: |
March
18, 2024 |
Budgeted: |
N/A |
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From: |
David J. Stoldt, |
Program/ |
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General Manager |
Line Item No.: |
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Prepared By: |
Jonathan Lear |
Cost Estimate: |
N/A |
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General Counsel Review:
N/A |
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Committee Recommendation: N/A |
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CEQA Compliance: Notice of Exemption, CEQA, Article 19,
Section 15301 (Class 1) |
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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. |
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SUMMARY: The Board will accept public comment
and take action on the April through June
2024 Quarterly Water Supply Strategy and Budget for California
American Water’s (CalAm’s) Main and Satellite Water Distribution Systems (WDS), which are within the Monterey Peninsula Water Resources System (MPWRS). The proposed budget, which is included as Exhibit 9-A, outline monthly
production by source of supply that will be
required to meet projected
customer demand in CalAm’s Main and Laguna
Seca Subarea systems, i.e., Ryan Ranch, Bishop, and Hidden Hills, during the April through June
2024 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 9-A shows the 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 February
2024. Cal-Am’s
annual Main system production for Water Year (WY) 2024 will not exceed 4,850 acre-feet
(AF). Sources available to meet
customer demand are 1,474 AF from the Coastal
Subareas of the Seaside
Groundwater Basin
as set by the Seaside Basin Adjudication Decision and 3,376 AF from the Carmel
River as set by WRO 2016-16. Additional
water projects and water rights available are an estimated 900 AF of Pure Water
Monterey Injection over this quarter, an 200 AF
recovery of ASR from the estimated 2,700 AF from ASR Phase 1 and 2 storage
remaining from WY 2020 to WY 2024, an
estimated 150 AF from the Sand City Desalination Plant, and an estimated 100
AF from CalAm’s Table 13 water rights. Under Table 13 water
rights, CalAm is allowed to produce water for in-basin
uses when bypass flows are in excess of permit conditions. This water budget proposes to produce 575 AF
of Pure Water Monterey, so about 450 AF will be added to the Operational Yield
for this quarter. 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.
According
to the Seaside Basin Adjudication Decision, CalAm’s production has been reduced
to 0 AF. It is recognized that CalAm
will need to produce water to serve its customers in the Hidden Hills
Distribution System and production in Laguna Seca
will be tracked as a ministerial component of tracking production against the
Adjudication Decision. CalAm has completed
an intertie between the Monterey Main System and the Bishop and Ryan Ranch
Systems that allows for transfer of water between the systems.
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 9-B, Quarterly
Water Supply Strategy
Report: April – June
2024.
BACKGROUND: The Water Supply Strategy and Budget prescribes production within CalAm’s Main and Laguna Seca Subarea systems 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.
If flows exceed 20 cfs at the District’s Don Juan Gage, CalAm is allowed to produce from its Upper Carmel Valley Wells,
which are used to supply water for injection into the Seaside
Groundwater Basin. The permitted
diversion season for ASR is between December 1 and May 31. Diversions to storage
for ASR will be initiated whenever flows in the river are above
permit threshold values. For planning purposes, the
QWB group schedules diversions to ASR storage
based on operational days that
would occur in an average
streamflow year. CalAm may also divert
under Table 13 Water Rights for in-basin use within Carmel Valley when flows are adequate. This schedule is estimated with average year
streamflow conditions and daily demand for Carmel Valley. CalAm will schedule the recovery of Pure
Water Monterey water stored in the Seaside Basin with the goal of removing all
water injected over the operational reserve for WY 2023. 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.
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.
9-A Quarterly
Water Supply Strategy and Budget for Cal-Am Main System: April - June 2023
9-B Quarterly Water
Supply Strategy
and Budget Report: April - June 2023
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Hearings\09\Item-9.docx