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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Bill 4.A 07/12/2010~ p, L UrLt a 185$ -- DATE: July 12, 2010 TO FROM: ~l~ Itevw #4.~1 Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council through City Manager Pamela Tuft, Interim Director of Water Resources & Conservation SUBJECT: Discussion and Adoption of Resolution Authorizing the Department of Water Resources and Conservation to Assume Responsibility as the Groundwater Elevation Monitoring Entity (GEME) for the Petaluma Watershed Basin. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council adopt a Resolution authorizing the Department of Water Resources and Conservation to assume responsibility as the Groundwater Elevation Monitoring Entity (GEME) for the Petaluma Watershed Basin to ensure compliance with SBX7-6 requiring collaboration on monitoring groundwater elevations. BACKGROUND: In California, groundwater accounts for about 30 percent of the total water supply, and during dry years can be 40 percent of the supply. With a projected population of 46 million by the year 2020, California's reliance on groundwater appears as if it will increase significantly. In order to protect and sustain groundwater supply, proper management of the resource is imperative. Monitoring groundwater elevations is a fundamental component of successful groundwater management. However, groundwater elevation monitoring networks have not been adequately established for all of California's groundwater basins. In 2009, the Legislature passed SBX7-6 (SBX7-6 adds Water Code sections 10920 et seq. and replaces Water Code section 12924.). SBX7-6 establishes, for the first time in California, collaboration to collect groundwater elevations statewide between local monitoring parties and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The legislation states, in part that "on or before January 1, 2012; local groundwater monitoring entities will regularly and systematically monitor groundwater elevations ....." DISCUSSION: It is in the interest of the City to be proactive in this effort for two reasons. First, the City has a total of 21 well sites in the watershed and has a significant vested interest in the quality and quantity of the watershed's groundwater. Second, if a Groundwater Elevation Monitoring Entity (GEME) does not volunteer to perform the groundwater monitoring functions, and DWR Agenda Review: Dept. Directo City Attorney Finance Director_ /~ City Manager 1 assumes those functions, then those locally affected agencies. or parties will become ineligible--for water. grants or loans from the state. The City's 21 wells are spread throughout the City and are a supplementary and emergency water supply for daily operations. The performance of these wells is critical to the short and long term strategies of the department and community. The State requirement to monitor these wells will either be rnet by the department and remain within its control or another GEMS will be identified to collect monitoring data from the City and others in the basin for provision to the~State. The Water Resources and Conservation (WRC) staff recommends that WRC can provide the necessary leadership in this effort and expand its current. monitoring of City wells to include local private wells within the watershed when this legislation takes effect in 2012. Participation in the program by local well owners is voluntary, but it is incumbent upon the GEMS to propose a network of wells sufficient in number and location to provide seasonal long- term trends in water elevations. DWR anticipates that the elevation monitoring will be done by the GEME as part of the program. Rights-of--Entry will be required for all public and private participants in the program. The Department will then expand. its data. set to incorporate the new data points for reporting to the State Department of Water Resources. State grant and loan funding is critical to WRC's financial planning and is an essential tool to complete the necessary large scale capital projects needed to maintain City water and wastewater infrastructure. Insufficient compliance with SBX7-6 will affect the City's access to necessary grants and low interest loans. Having the WRC act as the GEME and assuming the monitoring and reporting function avoids having a third party GEMS identified for this work; avoids having SCWA or DWR step in; gives the City more control over adequacyofperformance; and provides assurance of compliance so that the City will have continued access to necessary grant and loan funding. FINAN~C IAI. IIVIPAC TS Financial impact to the Department will be minimal at full implementation as the Department is currently recording this information at its existing active well sites. There will be some staff cost, .approximately 208 hours or .$10,000, at the inception of the work effort due to outreach to other well owners within the watershed and negotiation of agreements necessary for the monitoring effort. It is anticipated that Council will approve the proposed monitoring plan prior to submission to DWR and at that time the full financial impacts of the program's scope will be identified. ATTACIIlVIEN'I'S 1. Resolution 2. California Groundwater Elevation Monitoring Flyer 2 Attachment 1 Resolution No. 2010-XXX' N.C.S. of the City of Petaluma, California AUTHCIRIZING TIIE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY AS THE GROUNDWATER ELEVATION MONI'I'®I2ING ENTITY (GENIE) FOR THE PETALUMA WATEI2S>FIED BASIN WHEREAS, the the Legislature passed SBX7-6 (SBX7-6, which adds Water Code sections10920 et seq. and replaces Water Code section 12924.); and, WHEREAS, SBX7-6 establishes, for the first time in California; collaboration to collect groundwater elevations statewide between local monitoring parties and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR); and, WHEREAS, it is in the interest of the City to be proactive in this effort. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RES®LVED by the City Council of the City of Petaluma that the Department of Water Resources and Conservation is authorized and directed to inform the California Department of Water Resources of the City's intent to seek to assume responsibility as the Groundwater Elevation Monitoring Entity (GEMS) for the Petaluma Watershed Basin; and, NOW, T>EIEREF®RE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that upon notification by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) that. the City of Petaluma Department of Water Resources and Conservation (WRC) is a monitoring entity, the WRC is directed to assume management of responsibility as the GEMS for the portion of the Petaluma Valley Basin identified by DWR in its notification to WRC, and to implement the necessary program(s) to ensure compliance with SBX7-6. Under',the;power and:authority conferred.upomthis Council by the,Charferof said City. REFERENCE: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ATTEST: City Clerk Approved as to form: Mayor CityRttomey ~,:. -_ <'~r; ~E' ~ ~ 1~rrft _, ~~ r P"love, of ;u/`Ji ).~ Atttachment 2 ~~I~l. ~~ ~0~~~~G~~ ~, ~~ Background In Californian groundwater .accounts for about SBX7 6 provides that: _ rn dr._ 30 ' ercenf a t e total water su _ Dur g pP y p y .; ocal artres may assume responsrbihty L p " y is at least 4U~ ~ercent of.the su ly Wrtli - . , ears it " ~ ' W~ P PP water fo' ' orrng and re ortrng ground r momt` p _ _ y a, protected population of 46 million by the ear r , , ,, . .. ele ~ vations i - 2020, Californias ~xeliance on groundwater' will I •i DWRkwork eooperahvely with locate `~ increase significantly. ;Monitoring }untitres to~achreve`monitoring In order.~torprotect and'~sustarn,.,the stairs ~ ~ =piograin"s,'thaf~d~emonstrate sea_sor~al and precious'groundwater "supply; proper manage-'' long to"'rm trends in~groundwater elevations: meat of this limited resource is imperative .~ DWR accept~and i-evie~ti prospecti~re ~" ' Monitocin~g groundwater-,xlevati'ons rs a-,funda- ~ IVloniloring Entity subniitlals then delermin~ groundwatere' mental component of successful Ent%tyinotif}~th~~ the designated'i`lomtorng , management, ° • ;" ^~," - ~ Monitoring Entity and make that rnforinati~~n However,'' groundwater~elevation rngnitormg' , ` ~„ a~ailable~to the p'ublrc. ~°~a. „ ~~,: _networks have;not been adequately established. • ~D1NR perform groundwater elr,uaton foi'all of California's groundwater basins This,;' monitoring in Basins where no local party has l;i~l: Sri ~liifia limit, 1h~ ability t., ~i~~ur<rf~l~~ ,7,:r~c~l try } crf~~r-ir. the ni~~riit~~~rin~ functic~n~. niunihu ~~ruund~~~itcr ~~~nditiuns in h.r~in ~, II lu~'al p,u tirz.(h_n ~~~<ampl~; cuunli~~1 Flu ayuil~~i ti:,int~ limits uur alnlil~ tti ~r~lcyu.rt~~ly n~~t ~~~rlunl~cr tai ~~~r1~~rnr the ~r!nrn_I~~~~,rtc~ plan t~~r future «~alrr supply dut~an~is. nrunit~~rin~ lun~ti~~n, :in~l I ~~1"1. ,r~~unr~t (iruun.l~c,rl~r cl~~~•ali~in nu~nit~>rin~; is th~~5~ ttin~li~urs. llrc~rr Ilnr~ti~, parlu~ti h~~a~urv cru~i~r{ tip nr~ina~~in~~ r~ur s~,rlr's ~;r~,uncl~~,itu incli~il~l~~ l~,r ~c,rl~r ,~rurtti r~r fu,rns ir~~nr~lh~ rC.S(IUC~CS. ~"(1I mUrl 711111CrlY,l~l(llliln ~.,l~l~~lr~m~l~i ti11~~'. ~~r~run~~salc~~, i~l~a,~ ~~isit I)~1'R~, C;ruun~~cat~r [nf~~rnritiun (~cnter at ,'. '~ _, 1tF'I ., I_ ~~',r/Cjl"GLIIIC~S'.,i~Pl" F~,i t~~~t<~i tlrc ~_h~rptrrc~l I~~isl,rliun, plca5~~ visit the ufli~i,rl l:a(~t~~rni,i 1~~isl.rti~e tniurnia lt~in ~~~h~il~ aL ~wea-vu~w ~l 5~~7 6 In ~UUy, thr Lc,~i~latur~~ passe} tiB\; n. ~shi~h cstahlishes, iorlhe first hrirr in Calif~~rnia, ~~~lt,rh~iration hctwcen Icrc,il nr~ulit~~rin:r ~~artirs an~i i)~1'R t~~ ~ull~ct ~.;ruuu~i~~.itcr ulc~~~ilivnti sialc~~ci~lc ;uid tlral [hip iniurmalir~n br nrutr aeailahl~ t~~ tht~ pu}~li~. '/_~~ -. ~, ~~ A~; `~~, ~.~ ,.. ... '!~III~U ~, ~.iJC'~J iilliJ~~l') ~U/?~.~~/`,PII/ ~i;000i-00>Oi<;n;;l 6 hell ~OO~P_~6 '-~ t ~- -., ~, ~ .~_ `~ " ;-r F ~ ~ +,~' l .~ ' ~~;~y j~ ~< ~~ .; - •~ ~1 ;C,~ 1 ~' °~, ,~ w;~ ' .. ~ _,. ',~ I~~t: _ ~ c t~ ~ ~~~ )t e ~,, ~ " ~i~ 'f 1 r }~/'r''~ ~_ ~: ~~ ~ w~ -e ,~Y ~s _: fy ~ •' ~ ~ j ~ ~ ~~ '~.F ~1 ~~~ ~.~ ,.1`~y. 7_ r }~ ~ a ~ ~ ~~~ ~ r,~~ ~ ~r ,1~i~1J(~~ Y)~~AI)L~:~~S On ~or before January 1, 2011.: .Parties seeking to assume gi-ounawater elevation monitoring functions must notify DWR (PVC section 10928) Qn or before January 1, 2012: Monitoring Entities shall begin reporfingseasonal groundwater elevation measurements (WC section 10932) $ Atttachment 2 Frequently;Aske_ d`Questons 'Whaf is "a groundwater`1Vloriitoring How often will groundwater elevation On or before January l; a Entity? ""F ~ ~ u ' t ~ ~ measurements'rieed to be taken? ~: 201i~2, ~locaf°grounduvater Entity rs a es~ Hate enh ~ .~ A Monrtond_g ~ ~ g , ty, cessar ~;^ ~ 1 to demronstrate sea ~_ as ne As o e y Mor~itoi iny`Entrties' ' ~ .°' '' r coordti , „ rtonn _ r~ ~ that conducts o'" 'Hates-=the mon . _g_ lon term groundwater eleuation s; sonal and g ' I . will. regularly, and „R ~! ~ ,,. g or subf ' "` of roiin~hvate'r elevations for a basrn',r _ rthrn-a~.` ~ basin or subbasm w~ ' y ' ` ~~ .y ~ ' s stematica l basin. ~ I ` I ~ ~ Is it mandatory that all well owners ~ ~ Y - Q evatons groundwate R - ,Who is.aithorized~to~be a groundwater ~` participates ~, - =iu California's alluvial ~ elevation=Monitoring Entity?~ "~+,No ,~Iridivrdual partrcipahon~is voluntary ~ ~ ~ bas}ns and stihbasins . ` ~~ •- Watermasters'or court appgintcd water °''~ '~~ ' ~ 4 m',coordnatronwrth an°approved Monrtor- ~ '~ in order to deterrriinc, ~ management_engrneers~~ t mgEnhtp ~ - ~-~ ~ ~'~ lony- seasonalari~ ,~ ~~roundwater management agencres with . `n " ~ dwaterbasm~will "~ a,groun term trends;;:and-thi's ~ ~ , statutory authoritywho,~are monttonng " ` ,v be mon toyed? will bemade~~ „ , information roundwatcr elevations nor to ~nuary 1~, g F J~ ~ n, ~ -. - ~ , A Mpnitor`in~ Entit 'will ira` ~se:a n y I p et readil and wide y Y ..._ , ' " . ° `210 ~ ~ ~w~rk ufwells suffic>ent~in number to shciw:`~ lic. avaclable to thF f~ub • Water re~leuishment~~districts ; 'sea§onal~and long terin~trends in theliasin_: " Local'agenc.iesthat ni~rn~r~~~~ all ~,rE~art ~~f an~Lsuhl~;t~ins- the t~rt~un~l~cater ha~s~in (;an anyone monitor my wclls~~ithoutr»~° o f u~al a~en~ir> iinpleni~~ntin~ ~ut Intt~i~ttecl ~crmissiun? IZr:;i~nial 1ti'aler ;~1:in.t~ent~~itt Plan 'fi'n. Pcrniissi~~n ittusl h~ ~tanle~i Iri the o ~~uluntan~ :;ruun~lnater ;isst~ciati~~ns f~nnur~i hunuant t~~ ~~~at~r (;.,~Ic tiec(inn III~)3;;. ~;an a ~blonit~~ring Entity be respunsiblr 1<~r monitoringgro>und~ratcr clcyations in me>re ihan one basin or subbasin? l~us_ rl ~lonitui ink I_nCite ^aa~~ I~~~ rospnn5i I~Ic t~tr m~irr than ~ntt'l~asin nr ~tiul~l~asin. Does the ~tilonitoring Enlil~- have to take all c~i the grounclwatee~ elevation mca~urcmenls? Nt~. lh~~.~luuitnrin~;Enti1~ may ~umt~ilr ~rnun~l~~a~er elc~~atiuns nica,ur~_~l In~ uthcr t~artics munitt~rin~~ the basin or suhhasin. ` ~'herc is groundwater mouaitoring rcyuircd? ~-;rounds,~a~c~r~~l~~~alionmonilcrin~ri~ re - yuirc~l in all 51 ~ ~tllu~~ial basins anal uhlut- sins i~lcntiiicd in I)~,A~IZ Rull~~tin I lh I~Ur~7L ~Ivnilurin~~ uultii~]~ t7( nc~sc I~asin; ,mc~ sub b,i~ins is rtc~l reyuirc~l. t~r~~prrle ~t~~~ncr. Is this ashort-term or long-term prugrim? ~Ihis is ~t I~tnz;-l~tnt }~r<t~~rrni~ What ~~rc the data going to be used lor? 'Ihc data ~,~ill he ~r~nthilc~l in a st.tt~i~i~c datah.tsc ll~ e is a~ ailaL~l~~ t~~,tltc }~uhli~. Th~~ ~iata~anb~~ u,ed h1 lnc,ti an~i slalc ~n-~ tih~s C~~evaluate any{ nt~uut~~r t;r~~un~l~t~at~~r cnndi(iuii5 in (h~' hatiin~. 1~iC~It~~ I~~1`=~~~Z,t~iA1~I(~~°~ For more information about D1NR's California Groundwater Elevation. Monitoring program: ww.w.water.ca.gov/groundwater/ eleuation_monitoring/index.cfm (i