DATE: January 7, 2020
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Groundwater Sustainability Plan for Westside Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agency
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Adopt Resolution adopting the Westside Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the Westside Subbasin for portions of Fresno County in the Westside Subbasin where the County serves as groundwater sustainability agency.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will adopt a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the Westside Subbasin (Subbasin), as required by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), to maintain and manage local groundwater resources. The GSP covers the entire Subbasin, including portions of Fresno County Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) areas. This item pertains to location in District 4.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may determine not to approve the recommended action; however, it would likely result in delay of submitting the required GSP by the January 31, 2020 deadline, as the County would be obligated to prepare a GSP for the portion of County lands that have been included in the GSP. If the GSP is not submitted by the deadline, intervention from the State Water Resources Control Board (State) could occur, which would result in the State managing local groundwater resources in the Subbasin.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. On May 2, 2017, the Board approved Agreement No. 17-275, which is the "Memorandum of Understanding between the County and Westlands Water District with Respect to Implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in the Westside Subbasin" (MOU). The MOU provides that each party shall bear all costs with respect to its activities, except that the County shall provide assistance and support in applying for grant funding related to Sustainable Groundwater Managem...
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