DATE: November 4, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Memorandum of Understanding Between Valley Water Collaborative and GSAs in the Delta Mendota Subbasin
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute the Memorandum of Understanding between Valley Water Collaborative and Groundwater Sustainability Agencies in the Delta Mendota Subbasin.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will adopt the Memorandum of Understanding between Valley Water Collaborative and Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (MOU) in the Delta-Mendota Subbasin (Subbasin). The purpose of the MOU is to allow Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) and Valley Water Collaborative (VWC), an existing nonprofit public benefit corporation, to work together to utilize resources funded by the Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) grant, without duplication efforts or changing the current Domestic Well Mitigation Policy (Policy) and to assist private domestic well owners to mitigate the effects that may be felt by domestic water users whose wells have gone dry or are in imminent threat of going dry within the Subbasin. This item pertains to locations in District 1.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may determine not to approve the recommended action; however, it would likely result in increased costs and delay the implementation and coordination obligation of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) required by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. VWC will utilize funding from the SAFER grant to assist private domestic well owners under this MOU. Any additional costs or associated agreements between the 23 GSAs and VWC for these services will come to your Board for approval.
DISCUSSION:
SGMA provides for the establishment of local GSAs to manage groundwater ...
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