ADVISORY COMMITTEE Stephanie Anagnoson Director of Water & Natural Resources April 12, 2019 1
OUTLINE Item 5: Update on Subbasins and Calendar Item 6: Allocation of Existing Stored Groundwater Discussion and Recommendation Item 7: Project Crediting Discussion and Recommendation Item 8: Director’s Report 2
ITEM 5: UPDATE ON SUBBASINS AND CALENDAR 3
STATUS OF GSPS Madera Joint GSP – Chapter One has been released; July 2019 release date for complete draft Chowchilla GSP – Chapter One is with technical experts; July 2019 release date for complete draft Delta-Mendota GSP – July 2019 release date for complete draft 4
PUBLIC COMMENTS Informal Comments are accepted now as chapters are released Formal comments are accepted during the 90-day public review period Comments can also be given at the public meeting 5
NEXT MEETING DATES Public Technical Meeting for Madera Joint GSP on April 25, 2019 Undesirable Results from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. at the Frank Bergon Center Madera County GSAs on May 7, 2019 6
ITEM 6: ALLOCATION OF EXISTING STORED GROUNDWATER DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION 7
DEFINITIONS: ALLOCATION AND CREDITS Allocation – an amount of water annually provided to lands within the GSA on a per acre basis 1. A native groundwater allocation exists of approximately (and preliminarily) 0.5 acre-feet per acre 2. An additional allocation potentially exists of “existing stored groundwater,” which is essentially “mined” as the economy slowly transitions from 2020 to 2040 to sustainable water use. This allocation may result in continued lowering of groundwater levels throughout the GSAs before reaching sustainability Credit – an amount (in dollars or water) granted by the GSA and received by an individual that is above and beyond the allocation because of activities conducted to benefit the GSA (e.g., bringing in outside water for use in a recharge basin, or the non-use of an allocation in a given year) 8
KEY ALLOCATION QUESTIONS How should allocations of “existing stored groundwater’ be allocated within the GSA? 1. All acres, irrigated and non-irrigated, or limit to irrigated only? 2. Should lands that receive an allocation receive the same initial allocation and follow the same ramp-down pattern? Or, should the allocation or ramp-down vary by crop type, recent history or other factor? Is there another approach worth considering? 9
KEY ALLOCATION QUESTIONS 3. For each allocation type, a parcel-by-parcel accounting would need to be established: Should the allocation have a time element associated with it: Must the allocation be used in the year allocated? Can the allocation be carried forward (e.g. as a credit)? Can the allocation be used in advance? Should an allocation decay and/or sunset over time? Should an allocation be tradeable? Native groundwater? Existing stored groundwater? 10
ITEM 7: PROJECT CREDITING DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION 11
CREDITS Consensus of the Advisory Committee that activities resulting in a credit included installing pipelines, building basins or bringing in (importing) water to the GSA. Staff currently recommends that credits be given only for activities that introduce new water into the subbasin that would not otherwise be part of the subbasin’s water supplies. Staff additionally recommends that an outside non-partisan entity (i.e., a university or non-profit) evaluate applications for credits to establish the quantity of water to be credited. 12
Item 8: Director’s Report 13
AWWA SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE Tucson Water 730,000 customers Semi-arid climate Sonoran Desert < 12 inches of rain per year 14
SOUTHERN AVRAVALLEY STORAGE & RECOVERY PROJECT Vision and Foresight 1940s – Overdraft of aquifers 1960s-1970s - Purchased 22,000 acres of ag land in Avra Basin 2000s – Recharge and Recovery Program Depth to water originally 300- 400 feet; now 150-200 feet 15
SOUTHERN AVRAVALLEY STORAGE & RECOVERY PROJECT 16
SOUTHERN AVRAVALLEY STORAGE & RECOVERY PROJECT Maintenance of Recharge Facilities Raking Ripping Turning over 17
OTHER NEWS Farm Bureau Survey has been sent RFQ – Groundwater monitoring well installation Contract may be awarded 4/16/19 RFQ – Water Market Strategy and Pilot Selection process underway RFQ – Rate Consultant to develop GSA-related funding Contract may be awarded 5/7/19 18
ELLIS BASIN 19
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