ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE
3.	CONSIDER EXPENDITURE OF BUDGETED FUNDS TO SPONSOR A CALIFORNIA IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (CIMIS) STATION FOR THE MONTEREY PENINSULA
Meeting Date:		November 8, 2007	Budgeted:	Yes
From:		David A. Berger, General Manager	Program/	Promote Best Management Practices
			Line Item No.:	4-2-1
Prepared By:		Stephanie Pintar	Cost Estimate:	$8,000
General Counsel Approval: N/A
Committee Recommendation: The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on November 8, 2007 and recommended ___________.
CEQA Compliance: Exempt. Categorical Exemption Section 15306, Information Collection.

SUMMARY: District staff is requesting authorization to sponsor a CIMIS station (California Irrigation Management Information System) for the Monterey Peninsula. To sponsor a CIMIS station, the District must purchase and install the equipment and enter into an agreement between the State Department of Water Resources and the landowner where the equipment is installed. A CIMIS station costs approximately $5,600 (including tax) and collects and uploads weather data and evapotranspiration (ET) rates to the Department of Water Resources CIMIS database. This information is then used by local Smart Irrigation System Controllers to adjust the irrigation schedule for the reported weather conditions.

A local CIMIS station would improve the efficiency of Smart Irrigation Systems on the Monterey Peninsula. Smart Irrigation System Controller vendors program their systems to access and use the local ET information from the DWR CIMIS website. Local CIMIS data would result in water savings on the Peninsula by providing local weather and ET data, rather than relying on data from other stations located away from the Central Coast. Local data is an important component to achieving maximum water savings from a Smart Irrigation System Controller. Smart Irrigation System Controllers were recently added to the joint MPWMD/California American rebate program and are being promoted as an effective way to reduce outdoor water use.

RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Administrative Committee support the District’s sponsorship of a CIMIS station in a not-to-exceed amount of $8,000. Additionally, staff recommends the Administrative Committee support the District being party to the required Permit (sample attached as Exhibit 3-A) between the Department of Water Resources, the District, and a cooperating landowner within the District boundary.

IMPACT TO STAFF/RESOURCES: This item is funded as a Best Management Practice under budget item 4-2-1, ET Controller Promotion and Rebates.

District staff will determine and secure property owner consent to use an appropriate site to install the CIMIS station once the equipment is purchased. Preferred sites are open space areas of turf. District staff will be trained to maintain the station or the District may contract for regular maintenance. CIMIS maintenance training is provided free of charge by the Department of Water Resources.

BACKGROUND: CIMIS weather stations collect weather data on a minute-by-minute basis, calculate hourly and daily values and store them in the dataloggers. A computer at the DWR headquarters in Sacramento calls every station in California starting at midnight Pacific Standard Time (PST) and retrieves each day's data. 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 plant surfaces and transpiration from plants.

Some of the users/uses of the CIMIS data include:

• Urban landscape planning and managing
• Hydrological modeling for water availability and groundwater recharge
• Homeowner associations for water conservation
• Local and state water planners and managers
• High schools and colleges for educational purposes
• Federal Agencies for resource management and studies
• Users from other countries for planning and development of similar networks
• Automated Severe Weather Warning Systems
• Air quality monitoring assistance

Additional information can be found on the DWR CIMIS website at www.cimis.water.ca.gov.

EXHIBITS

3-A Sample Permit

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