DATE: February 4, 2020
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Retroactive Authorization for Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Program’s Planning Grant Round 3 with California Department of Water Resources for the Delta-Mendota Groundwater Subbasin
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Adopt Resolution Retroactively Authorizing West Stanislaus Irrigation District to Apply for a grant under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Program’s Planning Grant - Round 3 and to execute all documents necessary to obtain a grant for the Delta-Mendota Groundwater Subbasin Supplemental Groundwater Sustainability Plan development proposal.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will authorize the West Stanislaus Irrigation District (WSID) Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA)to apply for a grant under the Sustainable Groundwater Management (SGM) Grant Program’s Proposition 68 Planning Grant - Round 3 (Grant Program) and to execute all documents necessary to obtain a grant for the Delta-Mendota (DM) Subbasin Supplemental Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) Development Proposal. The grant will fund activities associated with the development or implementation of a GSP(s) that will comply with and meet DWR requirements and GSP regulations. 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 overall costs as the grant reimbursement from DWR would not be awarded.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. On November 13, 2019, the grant application was submitted by the Authority to meet the November 15, 2019 deadline. The award list will be released in March of 2020. If the grant is awarded, the County is expected to receive approximately $40,000 for supplemental GSP development. If the funding is awarded, the Department of Public Works and Planning would return to the Board to receive the funding.
DISCUSSION:
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), signed into law September 16, 2014, and codified at Water Code sections 10720 to 10737.8, established a new structure for managing California’s groundwater resources at a local level by local agencies. SGMA allows the formation of locally controlled GSAs in DWR’s higher priority groundwater basins. Each GSA was then required to develop and implement a GSP by January 31, 2020. Sustainability is defined as the management and use of groundwater in a manner that can be maintained during the planning and implementation horizon without causing undesirable results. Failure to implement a GSP and meet its’ sustainability goal could result in DWR asserting its authority to manage local groundwater resources. On January 7, 2020, your Board approved the related GSP.
The County is the GSA for Management Areas A and B in the DM Subbasin, approved by the Board on May 2, 2017, to provide sustainable groundwater management and serve as the exclusive GSA in those portions of the DM Subbasin. Within the Subbasin, the San Luis & DM Water Authority (Authority) has assisted agencies with SGMA compliance. The Authority has coordinated, prepared, and assisted in the submittal of the grant application package to DWR on behalf of all the represented agencies. The agencies include: Aliso Water District GSA, Central DM Region Multi-Agency GSA, Patterson GSA, DM-II GSA, Farmers Water District GSA, the County of Fresno (for Fresno County Management Areas A & B), Grasslands Water District GSA, Merced County (DM) GSA, Northwestern DM GSA, Oro Loma Water District GSA, Patterson Irrigation District GSA, San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority GSA, Turner Island Water District GSA, Widren Water District GSA, and the West Stanislaus Irrigation District as the grant applicant.
On October 22, 2019, your Board approved Cost Share Agreement No. 19-558, to reimburse the Authority the apportioned share of costs associated with coordination, preparation, and assistance in submitting the application to DWR.
DWR is the agency administering the Grant Program, using funds authorized by the Proposition 68 - California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018 (Water Code, section 79775 et seq.) and the Proposition 1 - Water, Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 20145 (Water Code, section 79700 et seq.), to encourage sustainable management of groundwater resources that support SGMA.
Through the Grant Program, funding of up to $500,000 will be awarded on a competitive basis for projects, which include activities associated with the development or implementation of a GSP(s) that will comply with and meet DWR requirements and GSP regulations. The Coordination Committee has evaluated projects and studies that will provide a regional benefit to the Subbasin and may directly affect one or more GSP groups, see Exhibit A. The County is expected to receive approximately $40,000 to assist in supplemental GSP development.
The deadline for the Grant Program, was November 15, 2019, therefore this resolution retroactively authorizes WSID to apply for the grant. WSID is a GSA in the DM Subbasin that previously served as a project sponsor to apply for a Proposition 1 grant for the benefit of GSAs in the DM Subbasin, including the County. The grant award list will be released in March of 2020; however, award will not be granted without an Authorizing Resolution from each of the GSAs authorizing the applicant, WSID to act on their behalf by preparing and submitting the grant application and entering into agreement with the DWR.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #5, January 7, 2020
BAI #45, October 22, 2019
BAI #11 & 13, May 2, 2017
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Exhibit A
On file with Clerk - Delta-Mendota Subbasin Supplemental GSP Development Proposal
On file with Clerk - Resolution
CAO ANALYST:
Sonia M. De La Rosa