|
WATER DEMAND COMMITTEE |
|||||
|
|
|
||||
|
2. |
CONSIDER ADOPTION OF
ORDINANCE NO. 135 WITH URGENT EFFECT – INCLUDE THE INLAND SUBAREAS OF
THE SEASIDE GROUNDWATER BASIN INTO THE MONTEREY PENINSULA WATER RESOURCE
SYSTEM |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
Meeting
Date: |
August 5, 2008 |
Budgeted: |
N/A |
||
|
|
|||||
|
From: |
|
Program/ |
N/A |
||
|
|
Interim General
Manager |
Line Item No.: |
|||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Prepared
By: |
|
Cost Estimate: |
N/A |
||
General Counsel Approval: |
N/A |
||||
|
CEQA Compliance: |
Negative Declaration.
Initial Study and Notice of Intent to Adopt a Negative Declaration filed
with the |
||||
SUMMARY: Draft Ordinance No.
135 (Exhibit
A) responds to current California American Water (CAW) water system
dynamics by expanding the definition of the Monterey Peninsula Water Resource
System (MPWRS) to include the entire Seaside Groundwater Basin. This is needed at this time, due to the fact
the Seaside Groundwater Basin Adjudication Decision recognizes the Laguna Seca Subarea
as part of the Seaside Groundwater Basin.
The ordinance also includes specific triggers to move the water users of
the Laguna Seca Subarea to conservation and rationing stages, when necessary,
to respond to reductions in available supply.
The ordinance affects properties within the jurisdictions of the City of
Monterey, Del Rey Oaks, and the unincorporated
Ordinance No. 135 will facilitate reduced CAW water production to
achieve the limits set by the Seaside Groundwater Basin Watermaster. The changes include amendment of the
definition of the MPWRS to include the Northern Inland Subarea and the Laguna
Seca Subarea in the
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Water Demand Committee review draft Ordinance No.
135 and recommends to the Board that the ordinance be adopted with urgency
effect to protect and manage the water resources of the Laguna Seca
Subarea. If this
ordinance, by super majority vote of the Board i.e., five votes, is
adopted as a matter of urgency, there would be no second reading, and the
ordinance would take effect on September 17, 2008. In the
alternative, if the ordinance is enacted as a non-urgent matter, a second
reading would be required and the measure would take effect thirty days
following approval on second reading.
DISCUSSION: The impetus for this amendment to Regulation XV is the 2006 Seaside Adjudication decision whereby CAW water use within its satellite systems is restricted. Presently, CAW is limited to no more than 345 acre-feet (AF) of production from its wells in the Laguna Seca Subarea for customers in its Ryan Ranch, Hidden Hills, and Bishop satellite systems by the adjudication decision. For WY 2008 to date, i.e., October 1, 2007 through July 31, 2008, CAW has produced more than 400 AF from the Laguna Seca Subarea for customers in its satellite systems. By adding the Laguna Seca Subarea into the Water Resource System, the area becomes subject to the District’s Expanded Water Conservation and Standby Rationing Plan.
On
May 19, 2008, the Board considered first reading of Ordinance No. 134 that
would have modified the District’s Expanded
Water Conservation and Standby Rationing Plan and incorporated the Inland Subareas
of the Seaside Basin into the MPWRS. At
that meeting, the Board requested that the ordinance be bifurcated so that
Ordinance No. 134 would address modifications to the Expanded Water Conservation and Rationing Plan, and a new Ordinance
No. 135 would include modification to the MPWRS. This action would allow time for District
staff and Inland Subarea property owners to meet and discuss the proposed
rules. Since then, District staff has
conducted three meetings with Inland Subarea property owners.
EXHIBIT
2-A Draft Ordinance No. 135
U:\staff\word\committees\waterdemand\2008\20080805\02\item2.doc