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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Commission Agenda Packet for December 2017 Menchaca, Clarissa From: BCWater Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2017 5:00 PM To: BCWater Subject: Water Commission Agenda Packet for December 2017 The following are available on the Butte County Water and Resource Conservation website: Water Commission Agenda Water Commission Packet Correspondence WaterSolutions Newsletter You can access the documents by clicking on the corresponding hyperlink. If you are unable to access the information please feel free to contact me. Thank you, 'X Butte "-' nty Water and Resource Conservation Administrative Analyst,Associate 308 Nelson Ave.,Oroville,CA 95965 Office:530.552.3594,Fax:530.538.3807 "COUNTY OF BUTTE E-MAIL DISCLAIMER: This e-mail and any attachment thereto may contain private,confidential,and privileged material for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review, copying,or distribution of this e-mail(or any attachments thereto)by other than the County of Butte or the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you ore NOT the intended recipient,please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copies of this e-mail and any attachments thereto. WATER AND RESOURCE CONSERVATION 308 Nelson Avenue,Oroville,CA 95965 Telephone:(530)538-4343 Fax: (530)538-3807 www.buttecouniy.net/waterandresource Butte bcwaterabuttecounty.net Paul Gosselin,Director vywrat�r�scu�coru�nnor� November 2I, 2017 TO: Butte County Water Commission FROM: Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation SUBJECT: Meeting Agenda Date: December 6,2017 Time: 1:30 p.m. Place: 25 County Center Drive Oroville, CA 95965 AGENDA ITEMS 1) Roll call. 2) *Approval of minutes for the November 1, 2017 meeting. (Chair Skinner) 3) Public members wishing to address the Commission on items not listed on the agenda. (The Water Commission is prohibited by State law from taking action on any item presented if it is not listed on the agenda. Comments will be limited to five minutes per person) 4) Update on activities associated with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. (SGMA). (Water and Resource Conservation staff) a. Update on Groundwater Sustainability Plan development and governance b. Update regarding the Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee (GPAC) c. Update on the outreach strategy to private well users 5) Presentation on Butte Creek Fish Monitoring Program (Clint Garman, CA Dept. Fish and Wildlife). 6) *Presentation on fall groundwater conditions (Christina Buck, Water and Resource Conservation). 7) *Discussion and possible action regarding the formation of a subcommittee of the Commission to investigate proposed North of Delta Storage Project (Sites Reservoir) (Paul Gosselin, Water and Resource Conservation). I 8) Update on the activities of the Northern Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional Water Management Plan Board (NSV Board)comprised of representatives of the Counties of Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Tehama, Sutter and Shasta. (Christina Buck, Water and Resource Conservation). 9) Reports from Water Commissioners and staff on issues of interest. a. Report on Water Advisory Committee, Technical Advisory Committee and general groundwater issues. (Christina Buck, Water and Resource Conservation) b. Update on Delta Issues (Paul Gosselin, Water and Resource Conservation). c. Report on water related activities of the Board of Supervisors. (Paul Gosselin, Water and Resource Conservation) d. Other issues. 10) Future meeting dates and locations: January 6, 2018 Board of Supervisors Chambers 25 County Center Drive Oroville, CA 96965 11) Commissioners wishing to address items not listed on the agenda. (The Water Commission is prohibited by state law from taking action on any item presented if it is not listed on the agenda). 12) *Communications received and referred. (Copies of all communications are available in the Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation, 308 Nelson Avenue, Oroville, California). 13)Adjournment. *Materials attached cc: Water Commission Mailing List Window Posting 2 � WATER AND RESOURCE CONSERVATION 308 Nelson Avenue,Oroville,CA 95965 Telephone:(530)538-4343 Fax:(530)538-3807 www.buftecounty,net/waterandresource Butte County bcwater@buttecounty.net ,tiwrasarscuraccrvsEvaI0t4 Paul Gosselin,Director November 21, 2017 TO: Butte County Water Commission FROM: Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation SUBJECT: Meeting Agenda Date: December 6,2017 Time: 1:30 p.m. Place: 25 County Center Drive Oroville, CA 95965 AGENDA ITEMS 1) Roll call. 2) *Approval of minutes for the November 1, 2017 meeting. (Chair Skinner) 3) Public members wishing to address the Commission on items not listed on the agenda. (The Water Commission is prohibited by State law from taking action on any item presented if it is not listed on the agenda. Comments will be limited to five minutes per person) 4) Update on activities associated with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. (SGMA). (Water and Resource Conservation staff) a. Update on Groundwater Sustainability Plan development and governance b. Update regarding the Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee(GPAC) c. Update on the outreach strategy to private well users 5) Presentation on Butte Creek Fish Monitoring Program (Clint Garman, CA Dept. Fish and Wildlife). 6) *Presentation on fall groundwater conditions (Christina Buck, Water and Resource Conservation). 7) *Discussion and possible action regarding the formation of a subcommittee of the Commission to investigate proposed North of Delta Storage Project (Sites Reservoir) (Paul Gosselin, Water and Resource Conservation). 1 8) Update on the activities of the Northern Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional Water Management Plan Board (NSV Board)comprised of representatives of the Counties of Butte, Colusa, GIenn, Tehama, Sutter and Shasta. (Christina Buck, Water and Resource Conservation). 9) Reports from Water Commissioners and staff on issues of interest. a. Report on Water Advisory Committee, Technical Advisory Committee and general groundwater issues. (Christina Buck, Water and Resource Conservation) b. Update on Delta Issues (Paul Gosselin, Water and Resource Conservation). c. Report on water related activities of the Board of Supervisors. (Paul Gosselin, Water and Resource Conservation) d. Other issues. 10) Future meeting dates and Iocations: January 6, 2018 Board of Supervisors Chambers 25 County Center Drive Oroville, CA 96965 11) Commissioners wishing to address items not listed on the agenda. (The Water Commission is prohibited by state law from taking action on any item presented if it is not listed on the agenda). 12) *Communications received and referred. (Copies of all communications are available in the Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation, 308 Nelson Avenue, Oroville, California). 13)Adjournment. *Materials attached cc: Water Commission Mailing List Window Posting 2 Agenda Item #2 MINUTES OF THE BUTTE COUNTY WATER COMMISSION November 1, 2017 Board of Supervisors Chambers 25 County Center Drive Oroville, CA 95965 1. Roll call. Commissioners present: Commissioners Chance, Grover, Jones, Kimmelshue, Roethler, Skinner, Tennis& Washington. Commissioners absent: Commissioner Schohr. 2. Approval of minutes for the October 4, 2017 meeting. Motion by Commissioner Kimmelshue, second by Commissioner Chance to approve the minutes as presented. Motion carried 8-0 with no abstentions. 3. Public members wishing to address the Commission on items not listed on the agenda. None. 4. Update on activities associated with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act(SGMA). a. Update on Groundwater Sustainability Plan development and governance. Information only, no action. b. Update regarding the Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee (GPAC), which is advisory to the Board of Supervisors and staff regarding SGMA. Information only, no action. 5. Discussion and possible recommendation to appoint a subcommittee to assist in the development of a strategy to provide outreach to private well users. John Scott addressed the Commission. Paul Behr addressed the Commission. Information only, no action. 6. *Discussion and possible recommendation on the 2018 Butte County State and Federal Legislative Platform. (Paul Gosselin, Water and Resource Conservation) John Scott addressed the Commission. Information only. A motion was made by Tennis to recommend that the Board of Supervisors add support of Sites Reservoir to the legislative platform. The motion failed for a lack of a second. 7. Update on the activities of the Northern Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional Water Management Plan Board (NSV Board)comprised of representatives of the Counties of Butte, Colusa, Glenn,Tehama, Sutter and Shasta. Information only, no action. 8. Reports from Water Commissioners and staff on issues of interest. a. Report on Water Advisory Committee, Technical Advisory Committee and general groundwater issues. Information only, no action. b. *Update on Delta Issues. Information only, no action. c. Report on water related activities of the Board of Supervisors. Information only, no action. d. Other issues. None. 9. Future meeting dates and locations: December 6, 2017, 1:30 pm Board of Supervisors Chambers 25 County Center Drive Oroville, CA 95965 10. Commissioners wishing to address items not listed on the agenda. Commissioner Tennis addressed the Commission. IL *Communications received and referred. Information only, no action. 12. Adjournment. Agenda Item #6 Groundwater Elevation Change October 2016 to October 2017 Well Count Change (ft.) SIU 113 Average GWL Chane 3 Median GWL Chane 3 91 Average Increase 4 Median Increase 4 Max Increase 12 Vina 22 Average Decrease -2 Median Decrease -1 Max Decrease -11 Butte Sink "Questionable Measurements not included 20 E Average Change in WSE Note: +value indicates increased WSE - 15 Lowerbound of Range value indicates decreased WSE i Upperbound of Range 10 �- 5 , 0.2 0.9 2fj' 4l' 2 0 -1.2 -0.5 -0. _5 -10 -15 o 0F— m m N W c C n� (1) 76 t to a +_1 CO C v Y o 0 > ra j v +, �7 � _ G 0 O w =3 +j +j GC i 41 c6 U CO Figure 1.Minimum,average,and maximum Fall 2016 to Fall 2017 change in Water Surface Elevation(WSE)in each sub-region with average change labeled. 180 160 Average DTW 140 Min DTW 120 - 100 Max DTW SO 0 57 s 604-0 37 44 C 40 1316 , 17 20M w 20 F 0 « f a� oc o r� Y i m V N I- V M d. 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BIGGS- No Meas. ® WEST G;RIDLEY o • Highway BUTTE Primary Streams BUTTE SINK [� Sub-Inventory Units 0 1 2 4 6 8 Miles i Agenda Item #7 Sites ■ 2017 SITES PROSECT AUTHORITY/ BUREAU OF RECLAMATION DOCUMENT AVAILABILITY Sites Reservoir Project Draft Environmental Impact THE THF_DRAFT Report/Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIR/EJS) AT BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: Public Review and comment Period Extension • https,/A"vvsitesproject.orgtinformation/DraftEIR-EIS https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_proidetails. The Sites Project Authority(Authority)and U.S,Bureau of Reclamation(Reclamation)have cfm?Project_ID-139 extended the public review and comment period for the Draft EIR/EIS.The comment period on the draft environmental documents will close on January 15,2018. In addition to extending the comment period,the Authority and Reclamation have rescheduled the two public meetings previously planned for September 26 and 28,2017. ® ELECTRONIC CD COPIES OF THE DRAFT" The Authority is pursuing development of the Sites Project(Project),a new 1.8 million EIR/EIS MAY BE REQUESTED FROM: acre-foot,above-ground surface storage reservoir offstream of the Sacramento River in Sites Project Authority COIuSa and Glenn counties,approximately 10 miles west of the town of Maxwell,California, (530)438-2309 The Project,in addition to providing other important water storage and operational benefits,is being proposed to greatly increase the reliability of water supplies for environmental, EIA-E IS-Com ments@Si tesProject.org agricultural and urban uses. The Authority,as the State lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act, and Reclamation,as the Federal lead agency under the Rational Environmental Policy Act, COPIES OF THE DRAFT EIR/EIS ARE have made available For public review and comment the Sites Reservoir Project Draft AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW AT EIR/EIS.The Draft EIR/EIS describes the environmental effects of the IVa-Action THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: Alternative and four action alternatives,and proposed mitigation measures.The Sites Project would result in significant environmental effects to terrestrial biological resources, Sites Project Authority. paleontological resources,land use,air quality,greenhouse gases and growth inducement. 122 Old Highway 99 West.Maxwell.CA 95955 The comment period extension will provide agencies,Tribes,and other interested parties Bureau of Reclamation,Mid-Pacific Region, additional time to review and submit comments on the environmental analyses,alternatives Regional Library. and mitigation treasures associated with construction and operation of the proposed Sites 2800 Cottage Way.Sacramento.CA 95825 Reservoir and associated facilities. Sacramento Public Library,Central Branch, COMMENTING 828 1 Street,Sacramento,CA 95814 Public input on the Draft EIR/EIS is essential to the environmental review Colusa County Free Library,Main Branch, process,including analyzing environmental effects,and developing 738 Market Street,Colusa.CA 95932 mitigation measures.The formal comment period for the Sites Project Glenn Caunty Public Library,willows Branch, Draft EIR/EIS is from August 14,2017 to January 15.2018. 201 N.Lassen street,Willows,CA 95988 WRITTEN COMMENTS CAN BE MAILED TO: Tehama County Library,Red Bluff Branch, 49 645 Madison Street,Red Bluff,CA 96080 SITES PR03ECT OFFICE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION Attn:Rob Thomson Attn:Michael Dietl Draft EIR/EIS Comments Draft DR/EIS comments P.O.Box 517 2800 Cottage Way,W-2830 Maxwell,CA 95955 Sacramento.CA 95825 0 u y 9E4APtNEHr eF 7Hf fNrFAl�p COMMENTS CAN BE EMAILED TO: EIR-EIS-Comments@SitesProject.org +u nv r�tctAua�x- SUBMIT COMMENTS AT A PUBLIC MEETING: Two public meetings will be held to provide information and an opportunity for the public and regulatory agencies to submit comments on the draft Sites environmental analyses. SACRAMENTO-TUESDAY,DECEMBER5,2017 MAXWELL-THURSDAY,DECEMBER 7,2017 1:OOPM-1OOPM r:OoPM-&00PM Embassy Suites Sites Project Authority Office 100 Capital Mall,Old Sacramento Ballroom 122 Old Highway 99 West Sacramento,CA 95814 Maxwell.CA 95955 SITESPR 0 J E C T.0■ I f 1 t t i a�uTT�o p o COMMITTEE REPORT TO: Butte County Water Commission FROM: Sites Reservoir Investigation Subcommittee SUBJECT: Update on Activities DATE: April 12, 2016 BACKGROUND At the August 7, 2013 meeting of the Butte County Water Commission, the Chair appointed members of the Commission to a subcommittee charged with investigating the proposed Sites Reservoir storage project. Members of the subcommittee included Commissioners Grundman, Schohr, Scott, and Chair Barber. If approved for construction, this reservoir would be located in the Sites Valley, which is in Colusa County about 10 miles west of the town of Maxwell. Per the design modeling this off- stream reservoir would provide up to 1.8 million acre feet of storage within the Sacramento Valley,depending upon the selected alternative constructed and operated. As discussed in their staff report dated September 23, 2014, the subcommittee investigated the project through a tour(November 21, 2013) and two meetings (January 8, 2014 and August 11, 2014) and updated the full Commission on their findings through a staff report dated September 23,2014 at their November 2014 meeting. After discussion at the full Water Commission meeting, this staff report was sent to the Board of Supervisors as an information item only, with no recommendation. The Board received the subcommittee report on their consent agenda at their January 13, 2015 meeting. The item was not pulled from the consent for discussion nor was any independent action taken on that date. At the September 29, 2015 Board of Supervisors meeting, during Board member reports, Supervisor Wahl reported his attendance at a Town Hall meeting on Sites Reservoir on September 22, 2015 in Chico, which was co-sponsored by Assemblyman Gallagher, State Senator Nielsen and Congressman La Malfa. He inquired if the Board had taken any action in 1 i 1 support or opposition to Sites Reservoir. During the deliberation, Paul Gosselin brought to the Board's attention the prior work of the Water Commission and the staff report on the issue, which was in their January 13, 2015 agenda packet, The Board then requested that the Water Commission bring forward a recommendation on the issue. At the October 7 Water Commission meeting the Chair asked that the issue be agendized for the following month to resurrect the subcommittee to bring forward a recommendation. At the November 4, 2015 Water Commission meeting the Chair appointed Brad Mattson to the subcommittee to replace Larry Grundman, who had since resigned from the Commission. The full subcommittee included Commissioners Brad Mattson, Ryan Sehohr, John Scott and Chair Barber, DISCUSSION The resurrected subcommittee was scheduled to meet with Jim Watson, the newly appointed General Manager of the Sites Reservoir Joint Powers Authority (Sites JPA) and Thad Bettner, General Manager of Glenn Colusa Irrigation District (GCID) representing a member agency of the Sites JPA on December 18, 2015. Chair Barber and Commissioner Scott were in attendance at this meeting. Both Thad and Jim had been given the September 23,2014 subcommittee report and directed to the conclusion section, which specified the concerns of the Butte County Water Commission: • Safeguards need to be incorporated into the operation and management of the project to protect the current water rights system and water users within the Sacramento Valley. • The project should be built to provide flexibility for local users before the needs of the Delta. • Financing needs to be secured for the project prior to construction • Ownership, management and beneficiaries need to be clearly identified and solidified • Environmental benefits for the Delta should not degrade the environment of the Sacramento Valley. • While storage is a positive in the water equation in general, the subcommittee did not identify any positive economic or other specific benefits that accrued directly to Butte County from the project. Jinn began this discussion by explaining the role of the Sites Joint Powers Authority (JPA) and his job as the new General Manager of the JPA. He explained that the JPA has ten member agencies: 1) Colusa County; 2) Glenn County; 3) Maxwell Irrigation District; 4)Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority; 5) Colusa County Water District; 6) Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District; 7) Orland-Artois Water District; 8) Proberta Water District; 9) Reclamation District 108; and 10) Westside Water District. The JPA also has an advisory member in Yoio County Flood Control and Water Conservation District. These local agencies, operating as the JPA, would form the governance for the construction and operation of the reservoir and are currently working to have the JPA become the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Agency (CEQA) The goal of the JPA is to have 2 regional owners rather than State ownership by the Department of Water Resources (DWR), which would help to protect the water rights already held within the region. Currently, the JPA is soliciting various agencies to get sponsorship within the Sacramento Valley first and then from other areas. However, regardless of sponsorship,the governance would continue to be limited to landowners and agencies within the Sacramento Valley. Specific tasks, such as dam safety, are delegated to State agencies by law, but the basic operations would be governed at the local level and DWR would only assume an Ex Officio role. In order for the locals to maintain control of Sites, the JPA is currently seeking a level of commitment at the local level to purchase water that is developed through the Sites project. In order to qualify for funding for public benefits under Proposition One, three-fourths of the ownership of the water must be committed by the application filing or Sites would not qualify for Prop One funding for the public benefits portion of the project. At this point, the JPA has secured commitments at the local level for approximately 134,000 acre feet annually of the 1.8 million acre feet that the project at full buildout would produce. Jim continues to meet with other Sacramento Valley water districts and municipal purveyors to increase the local commitment for purchase of Sites water. However, it is clear that buyers outside of the region will be needed to help pay for the project construction ($4 billion) and annual operations. Prop One funds can only be utilized for benefits deemed to be beneficial to the general public so the non-public construction costs cannot be paid for with Prop One funding and outside funding will need to be secured to complete the project. By statute, Prop One fiends cannot be issued until the end of 2416,but Jim feels Iike the JPA will not be ready until the end of 2017 to make a full application. Funding recommendations will be made by the California Water Commission, which has looked favorably on the public process utilized thus far by the JPA. After the Prop One application is filed, it will be reviewed by the State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) prior to the release of revised CEQA documents to begin the formal public review process for the project. It should be noted that DWR released a draft EIR for the project in the recent past,but failed to follow-through with the public process. To the JPA,this is one more reason to push for local ownership of the project. Questions were brought out regarding the role of the project to meet fishery needs throughout the state and water quality standards within the Delta. Specifically, would Sites operational control by the locals be under-minded by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDF&W) to meet fishery needs or the State Board to meet Delta water quality standards? Jim admitted that this remains a concern. Certainly the cold water pool required to be held in Lake Shasta for salmon migration and spawning has had a huge impact on operations of the Central Valley Project (CVP) over the last several years. Under specific operations Sites Reservoir would help to alleviate some of the pressure to meet local water supply needs by pulling the water into storage for re-use after the needs of the fisheries are met. Currently, the JPA is in negotiations with the CDF&W to discuss the water needed for fish, but also to talk about permitting for the project itself. The JPA needs to fully understand the CDF&W priorities and how the process and project review would facilitate the answers to specific questions regarding the demands of the fish. 3 j� 3 3 { With regard to water quality standards in the Delta, modeling is being developed to determine the extent to which Sites could contribute water to this effort. Certainly it is closer in proximity than either Lake Oroville or Lake Shasta and could get water to the Delta in less time, which would alleviate pressure to pull Folsom Lake down to dead-pool to meet these standards. initial studies have determined that had Sites been in operation in 2015, it would have reduced the amount pulled from Lake Oroville to meet water quality standards in the Delta by approximately 120,000 to 150,000 acre feet,which could be seen as a direct benefit to Butte County. Jim updated the group on other activities of the JPA, which include meeting with landowners within the footprint of the project to determine their needs moving forward and also a review of the JPA charter and by-laws to ensure that they will meet the criteria for filing an application under Prop One, Commissioner Scott brought forward three additional questions regarding the project: • When can we expect a document from the JPA that will describe the proposed operation in enough detail to assure that the project will protect current water users in the Sacramento Valley? • When can we expect a document from the JPA that will describe the proposed operation in enough detail to assure that local needs will conte before the needs of the Delta and other water export needs? • When can we expect a document from the JPA that will clearly describe the ownership, beneficiaries,and management? For example: ownership of the project and ownership of the reserved water; who is expected to benefit from the reserved water and in wat proportion and what priority; and what will be the management structure and processes to ensure beneficiary priorities and proportions are met? These answers will be spelled out in the CEQA documents, after the Prop One application is filed with the California Water Commission and the CEQA documents are circulated, likely in late 2017 or early 2018. CONCLUSIONS: The JPA representatives realize that there are many unanswered questions regarding the Sites Reservoir project, but encouraged Butte County to continue to work with the local JPA agencies, including neighboring counties Colusa and Glenn. It appears that the JPA shares the same concerns voiced by the Commission in their September 2014 staff report and have been working toward securing viable answers to these issues. Chair Barber inquired if it might be appropriate for the Water Commission to bring forward a conditional letter of support for the project which states their concerns to protect the citizens and water rights within the Sacramento'Valley. Jim stated that conditional or qualified support of the project would help the JPA to fully understand the needs of Butte County. 4 i Staff was directed to document the details of the conversation with the JPA representatives in a staff report and bring forward a conditional letter of support for consideration at the next subcommittee meeting,which was scheduled for February 9, 2016. At the February 9, 2016 subcommittee meeting, Commissioners Scott and Schohr and Chair Barber were present and Commissioner Mattson participated by conference call. The group discussed the February 6, 2016 staff report and draft letter to the California Water Commission j encouraging the allocation of Prop X monies to the Sites JPA. With a few minor changes to the letter, the subcommittee voted 3-1 in favor of recommending to the Board to send the letter in support of allocating Prop 1 funds to the Sites JPA. Commissioner Scott opposed the action. Chair Barber reminded the group that the subcommittee's findings would next be taken to the full Commission for a vote of the Commission,as to whether or not to snake the recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. This meeting will provide another opportunity for public comment. At the March 2, 2016 'Water Commission meeting, members of the public and the Commission expressed reservations regarding the letter as presented and by a roll-tali vote, the Commission failed to support that particular letter moving forward with a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. However, through a delegation led by Commissioner Skinner, members expressed that they would support a letter with revisions that more clearly defined their concerns with the project. Staff was directed to work with Commissioner Skinner to bring back a letter meeting this criteria to the April 6,2016 Water Commission meeting. At their April 6,2016 meeting the Water Commission voted 5 to 3 to recommend to the Board of Supervisors to send a letter forward to the California Water Commission, copied to the Sites JPA recommending Prop 1 funding for Sites Reservoir. Water Commissioners Archuleta, Scott and Washington voted against the motion. 5 LY aa•4aysU ,�., BOARD OF SUPERVISORS sILL�os ostr V1 Administration Center LARRY WAHL 3*' 25 COUNTY CENTER DRIVE,SUITE 200-OROVILLE,CALIFORNIA 95965 Second District Telephone:(530)538-7631 � ontiri�. MAUREEN KIRK Third District STEVE LAMBERT Fourth District DOUG TEETER April 26,2016 Fifth District Chairman Joseph Byrne and Members California Water Commission P.O. Box 942836 Sacramento, CA 94235-001 In Re: Prop 1 Funding for Sites Reservoir Dear Chairman Byrne and Members: It is the County's understanding that the California Water Commission will be overseeing the disbursement of funding from Chapter 8 of Proposition I-the Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Act of 2014(Prop 1), which is related to the public benefit portion of potential water storage projects. Although the deadline for comments to your Commission on funding recommendation has lapsed,this letter is to encourage you to support and allocate Prop 1 monies to fund the public benefit component of the Sites Reservoir project to further identify the footprint and operation of the project. Beginning in 2014,a subcommittee of the Butte County Water Commission has worked in cooperation with the Sites Joint Powers Authority (JPA)to investigate this project and has also toured the project site. The County is in agreement with the JPA that Sites as currently presented would meet multiple objectives,such as increased water supply reliability and ecosystem improvements. This project could also increase flexibility within the overall water distribution system for the State thereby helping to improve water quality within the Delta, while also providing additional water to increase fish survival rates. Additionally,as the 2014 Groundwater Sustainability Act becomes a larger discussion in the water-supply equation, this project could assist in alleviating the ever-increasing pressure on our regional groundwater resources. Although many potential benefits to the Sacramento Valley and the entire state have been identified through this process,Butte County still has some questions regarding the actual operation of the project and how it will impact local water rights and groundwater supplies. Some local financing for the project has been secured,but the County supports the identification of ownership, management, and beneficiaries for the entire project prior to construction. Finally, another concern is how this project may seek to provide enhanced environmental benefits to the Delta, while potentially degrading the environment of the Sacramento Valley. The majority of citizens within California voted in favor of Prop 1 in 2014. We believe that the core issue in the minds of local voters in supporting Prop 1 was increased storage north of the Delta, which is vital to both the economy and environment of this region. As described in current documents released by the JPA, Sites Reservoir is a comprehensive project that will add new water to the system while also meeting ecological goals and other public benefits locally as well as statewide. In spite of this,we would like more information about potential impacts within the Sacramento Valley. Therefore we feel that it is appropriate to direct Prop 1 funding toward further investigation of Sites Reservoir, We anticipate that this would include a comprehensive evaluation under the California Environmental Quality Act(CEQA). We believe that a robust environmental review process under CEQA is critical to help to identify any potential negative and/or positive impacts to the Sacramento Valley. Therefore, we support use of Prop 1 monies for the Sites Reservoir project, and look forward to the completion of the CEQA review. We anticipate that this public process will provide an open forum for discussion and submission of the concerns illuminated by Butte County as reiterated below. • Safeguards need to be incorporated into the operation and management of the project to protect the current water rights system and all water users within the Sacramento Valley; • The project should be built to provide appropriate flexibility for local users as well as the consideration of the needs of the Delta • Although some financing has been identified at the local level, financing needs to be secured for the entire project prior to construction; • Ownership, management and beneficiaries need to be clearly identified and solidified with continued local control through the JPA; and • Environmental benefits for any future projects should not degrade water rights or the environment of the Sacramento Valley; • Discussion should include an analysis of the impacts to the Sacramento Valley, including Butte County. The Sites JPA and other stakeholders within this region have invested countless hours toward the development and refinement of this project at the local level. However, they need funding assistance to complete their job. If constructed and operated to meet the needs of the Sacramento Valley first,we believe that Sites Reservoir is the appropriate storage project to receive Prop 1 funding. We call upon you,as the overseers of the public's money bonded under Proposition 1, to invest in Sites Reservoir project and allocate funding toward the public benefits of this very important project. Thank you for your service and willingness to listen to our input on this critical issue. Sincerely, 6M4L&5 Bill Connelly, Chair Butte County Board of Supervisors cc: Jim Watson, Sites JPA 2 Agenda Item #12 COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED AND REFERRED BUTTE COUNTY WATER COMMISSION MEETING OF DECEMBER 6,2017 Copies of all communications are available at the Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation 308 Nelson Avenue Oroville, CA 95965 1. *Article from Ag Alert, October 25, 2017, Farmers ask that `waters' rule be_clear, consistent 2. *California Water Plan eNews, Wednesday's_Update, October 25, 2017 3. *California Water Plan eNews, Wednesday's Update, November 1, 2017 4. *California Water Plan eNews, Wednesday's Update, November 8, 2017 5. *Article from Chico Enterprise Record, November 13, 2017, Farm tours: Pecans, quinoa, almonds,_water,_prunes on show 6. *California Water Plan eNews, Wednesday's Update, November 15, 2017 7. *California Water Plan eNews, Wednesday's Update, November 22, 2017 8. *Correspondence received from NCWA 1 CORRESPONDENCE AgMeft- Farmers ask that `waters' rule be clear, consistent By Christine Souza,October 25,2017 A"waters of the United States"rule that is clear,feasible and main- "Any new rule defining waters of the U.S.must make every effort to tains existing exemptions for everyday farming activities:That's what limit impact to farming operations because of the economic impacts agricultural stakeholders sought during a teleconference with federal of the damage to farming,but also the importance of our nation's officials,as agencies seek to develop a new WOTUS rule. food supply,"Campbell said,adding that regulated waters of the "Many agricultural interests that took part in the call expressed con- United States"must be recognizable by relatively permanent flow cern about the lack of consistency among agencies regarding how and clear distinction from gulleys,washouts,field or forest road floods or any other waters not intended to be regulated:" they interpret waters of the U.S.regulations under the Clean Water Act,"California Farm Bureau Federation Associate Counsel Karl Fish- Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Hill said farmers and ranchers er said after monitoring last week's teleconference."Commenters need"a clear rule that agencies can more easily administer.We can't also urged regulatory clarity and meaningful application of existing grant expansive control over every acre where a raindrop falls." agricultural exclusions and exemptions." Scott Yager,environmental counsel for the National Cattleman's Beef The 2015 WOTUS rule,proposed by the U.S.Environmental Protec- Association,said cow-calf producers"need a definition that is imple- tion Agency and U.S.Army Corps of Engineers under the Obama ad- mentable without having to hire consultants and attorneys to deci- ministration,would have expanded the agencies'authority to regu- pher that,because a lot of our producers are mom-and-pop opera- late water and land.It came under strong criticism from farmers, tions." ranchers and agricultural organizations. Several participants pointed out that the 2015 WOTUS rule con- In an executive order signed in February,President Trump asked tained an exclusion for ditches,but it was so limited that most farm agencies to rescind the 2015 WOTUS rule and develop a revised rule ditches would be considered a water of the U.S. based on an opinion written by the late Supreme Court Justice Anto- Ian Lyle of the National Water Resources Association described ditch- nin Scalia.The opinion takes a more narrow view of federal jurisdic- es,drains and canals as critical elements in delivering water for tion,restricting Clean Water Act jurisdiction to"relatively perma- Western agriculture and other needs. nent"waters and wetlands with a continuous surface connection to relatively permanent waters. "These features were never intended to fall under the jurisdiction of The teleconference for agriculture head by the EPA and Corps repre- the CWA and,as such,should be clearly exempt in any subsequent rule,"Lyle said. sented one of several on development of a new WOTUS rule. During the conference,Sacramento attorney Demar Hooper,who Scott White,executive director of the Klamath Water Users Associa- specializes in Clean Water Act litigation and represents farmers tion,which represents family farmers in California and Oregon,said throughout California,shared an example of a client who farmed the more than 12,000 managed canals and ditches within the Kla- math Project should be exempt from the new WOTUS definition. wheat on his land and was challenged with a lawsuit by the Corps, White added that grading and leveling should be exempt from re- which argued that the farmer's tilling of the soil resulted in a regulat- ed discharge requiring authorization under Section 404 of the Clean ed because the crops provide habitat for waterfowl. Water Act. "The Corps disputes whether wheat farming was properly estab- To comment on the revised WOTUS rule by the Nov.28 deadline, lished for purposes of the plowing exemption.There is no question submit comments via www.regulations.gov;search for Docket ID No. that the wheat farming occurred on the property in the past,but if EPA-HQ-OW-2017-0480. wheat farming was somehow not established,the property would (Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert.She may be con- have surely been established as ranching land,which is also entitled tacted at csouza@cfbf.com.) to the plowing exemption,"Hooper explained. Permission for use is granted,however,credit must be made to the "On behalf of farmers throughout California and the nation,"Hooper California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item. added,"I urge you to resolve these ambiguities that generate confu- sion,delay and wasteful expense for farmers'operations." Ron Kern,manager of the Ogle County Farm Bureau in Illinois,called it"very disturbing"that each agency with WOTUS jurisdiction uses different indicators to define wetlands. "it Is apparent that any new WOTUS rule be clear,consistent and require communication between agencies and landowners,"Kern said. Laura Campbell of the Michigan Farm Bureau also recommended that various farming activities remain exempt. JAS Wednesday aUpdateOct 25, 2017 his weekly electronic newsletter is designed to keep you current on California Water Plan news. We welcome comments,suggestions,and any news tips that may be of interest to water planners. Drought lessons on agenda Lessons from the recent drought will be discussed at the next Delta for tomorrow's Delta Stewardship Council meeting,tomorrow, Oct.26,in Sacramento. Representatives from the Governor's Office of Emergency Services ® Stewardship Council meeting and the State Water Resources Control Board will update the council e on recent drought reports.There will also be a separate presentation on the impacts to fish and the environment during Water Year 2017. Biodiversity council updates An undated agenda has been posted for the Califomia agenda far next months Biodiversity Council's fall meeting meeting and field trip and field trip on Nov. 13 and 14, A h r.r near Hollister.Under the theme California Sipdiv„ersitV.' uracil' of Mainstreaming the Integrated Regional Conservation and Development Program,the schedule will include visits to conservation project sites.The registration(click on CA Biodiversity Council link)deadline is Friday, Nov.3. $86.3 million in funding Applications are being accepted for funding from the Sustainable available for groundwater Groundwater Planning Grant-Program.The available funding includes has$86.3 million for the planning,development, or sustainability plan projects preparation of groundwater sustainability plans.At least$10 million of that amount will be made available to projects that serve severely- disadvantaged communities.The application deadline is Nov 13. Groundwater and watershed A course on groundwater and watershed hydrology is being offered hydrology information offered by the Groundwater Resources Association of California on Nov. 14 and 15,in Davis.The principles of monitoring;assessing and at tWo day course nett mb.hth sustainably managing those water resources will be covered during the course.There will be an emphasis on the development of groundwater sustainability plans,along with,a..review of current govemment;prograrFtsdegling with groundwater s PPIC planntrig a day Of The Public Policy Instittute of Caldomia(PPIC}is set to host"a panel d1SCU5Sla1S On one day event on the Califomia s water policy pnont,es for the f coming year It mill be held tomorrow,Oct 2G, in Sacramento A �4J, Y'Caltf�mias3Vllafef prlort [es ` webcast of.w &4 wrll be available:Pane!discussions will,:cover ��;� legislative prlonttes impravil3g ecosystem partnerships and the �y �"`����,r ri' p tr e' cz .r^✓S 1 3 .7 r � r �a � +x ���� future of t}�eCoEo do River and the Delta S =e�ea�'`�� � Ctfia h��Astnoi'e used,ta pcli�'tFle irYipaots of� r�"' ' e �� , eandsy�rill be per sefi� -x 3 �MR,>i:T'• y.^..,,i:'s y��l AS���hy"ice .4,Y�° f} �1,..-i t '��^^.' ?,{, ?�,u f�..kr'' ;r,w `r' � � r�''��'r �C�"'�RYra m u - ���y.� F,,,,, �, �-. ars;°�•� \ ,1,#8 l� t i R Z t4.,k,a3 4Y .t s� Z•r t f l `",:> i— r' c di s� �-� �f:,�f f `z; ¢ J a'Fr tint"E, - I ti 1�7�i This weekly electronic newsletter is designed to keep you current on California Water Plan news. E� We welcome comments,suggestions,and any news tips that may be of interest to water planners. l 4 f Exploring the benefits of On Thursday, Nov.2, the American Water .�.` Resources Association will r integrating ecological systems present a look at achieving comoatibility among agriculture,flood F, o landscapes agriculture with a g P control, and the recovery of endangered species. :W There will be an example of a public/private ' .M �. partnership that is finding benefits from integrating ecological systems into agricultural landscapes on the Yolo Bypass. The bypass is the largest floodplain connected to the Delta. "" F A reduced re istration rate is bein offered to attend this month's 2.X; Reduced registration rate g g fall meeting of the California Biodiversity Council.The rate is being offered for California offered to members of voluntary,community,or non-government M ,, `k, :r Biodiversity Council meeting organizations. To register, click"CA Biodiversity Council"on the events page.The registration deadline is Friday, Nov. 3. The accuracy of a weather forecast Workshop looks at what it v lNa tends to drop off when it looks more will it take to get more than two weeks in advance. Improving AC'vVA ' accurate weather forecasts that accuracy would be a tremendous benefit for water planners. DWR and the Association of California Y' Water Agencies are sponsoringa workshop that will explain what W11 It z � it will take to improve long-range precipitation forecasting.The k' workshop will be Thursday, Nov. 9, in Sacramento. �w p Y The U.S. Forest Service has posted a newsletter updating the Forest Service newsletter p p � process for the Northwest Forest Pian. It will provide guidance for updates therocess for a new p the management of public lands and resources for the next 10 to 15 9 Northwest Forest Plan years.The plan covers the management of 24 million acres of land across California, Oregon,and Washington. Report evaluates tools A review panel has issued a final report on analytical tools for ' rr, evaluating alternatives related to the Yalo Bypass,lavish Passage k . for options related to and Habitat Restoration Program.The tools were used to evaluate F„+ Yolo Bypassprogram ��,�'�'���'_���_•' yp fish alternative notches in the Fremont Weir.The report was delivered to 'p .. the Delta Science Program. I New online library The new California Water Librate is.available online, F ;T providing a resource to keep up on state water issues >� offers free access to A vast database of water reports, research,and x xf California water informat>on •:: articles rs.being made available to the public;free of r u s � char a The librar rs run b 'Cr►s Austin creator of hn” 9 Y Y the Callforntt water websEte = v, . iotarck ff { Veldnesday Update Nov 8, 2017 This weekly electronic newsletter is designed to keep you current on California Water Pian news. We welcome comments,suggestions,and any news tips that may be of interest to water planners. Update 2018 funding The next workshop for California Water Plan Update 201 will and implementation cover funding and implementation.It will be held Monday,Nov 20, ® in Sacramento.RSVPs are requested.The session will include a workshop set for Nov 20 discussion of proposed funding scenarios,trade-off analysis,and the implementation priorities and schedule.A webcast will be available_ Delta Stewardship Council An overview of California Water Plan Update 2018 will be.presented to get Update 2018 at the next Delta Stewardship Council_mepting.The presentation will include discussion of how the Delta,and the Delta Pian,fit into the briefing during next meeting plan.Also,the council will discuss preparedness for the upcoming flood season.The meeting will be Thursday, Nov. 16,in Sacramento. Groundwater recharge Information on using flood water for information being released managed aquifer recharge(Flood-MAR) is being released today at a public forum today at public foram in Sacramento.A Flood-MAR discussion ' draft white_paper and a facts she are being made available as part of DWR's System Reoperation Program.The idea behind Flood I o a o 00 water onto agricultural land to recharge groundwater supplies. Course on managing The Groundwater Resources Association of California is offering groundwater and Watersheds a shortcourse on groundwater,Vgtersheds,and us ainable management.It will be offered Nov.14 and 15, in Davis:The course being offered in Davis will cover ways to monitor,assess,and sustainably manage water resources,while making sure they fit into the development of arouridwater sustainability plans. Workshop WIII htghl[ght A worlcshao on California water data will be field Wednesday, the tin stance Nov 29,in Berkeley-The workshop will cover provisions:of,the 4 n Trans a en Wa er© a A including how can of Caldornta VllateC data influence Water managemerit En the state A iimited number of spots. avadabtenline'rea�stratrott is avadable- Ca1lomla?1f4(ateiCot�mEsslonf The ne�Et w e C ss a will;be one week `�'�`� ,�5; ��3'�y''��"] � `�e��'f�al��:��� frailii today.Wednesday, Nov 1SR�n Sacramento�,�tebcast of the •�'7i � 1 lEidFi'U��at�:'�, fr'"-2 �'i 3c�' 1 i S�uR. .• .� � .uY� ms`s lr-1 '�\ i� -7<Fa'f'� e � °� '�;�r���� rrteetzh �wEll#be,avaiEable Comnntssioners wlll gei;an�update ott the �P[ojec�F ncl�c„ g�,ear>you�t ofsu��ce ar��tirfd��; ��,�,; e CORRESPONDENCE ChiCO -com I # 5 1 Farm tours: Pecans, quinoa, almonds, water, prunes on show By Laura Urseny,November 13,20x7 Durham»More than one nut grower remembers thinking thefami- LUNDBERG FAMILY FARMS ly planting pecans in Butte County in the late'84s might need a sani- Qulnoa has become a huge focus for Lundberg Family Farms in Rich- ty check,but the odd crop wasn't a poor choice. vale,which was asked to investigate growing what's called"an an- Pecans were common in states like Georgia,New Mexico and Texas, tient grain." but a strange choice to the nut growers of Butte County,who had Rooted in South America at least 3,000 years ago,quinoa has three thousand of acres of almonds and walnuts,and a few hundred acres times the amount of protein that rice does,and cooks more quickly. of pistachios. It did take a while to get the orchard settled,but if it hadn't been the The family business has made its niche in the organic rice market respected grower,the late Emmett Skinner,there might have been with its cultivation of various types.After testing places for their more doubt about the crop. growing capabilities,a location in Humboldt County near the Eel Riv- er was chosen and acreage planted,CEO Grant Lundberg told the Skinner planted pecans"on marginal soil"in 1988,according to or- guests. chard manager Sam Richardson,who worked for Skinner and contin- Lundberg pointed out how wide spread his company's products are ues with current owner Deseret Farms,which owns 170 acres of pe- in food stores.They can be found in the snack aisle,with products cans in Durham. like Lundberg organic rice cakes and Grounded organic chips;in the Today,much of the pecan crop is scooped up by Chinese markets, side-dish aisle with Sprouted products like boxed chile verde rice and which would take it all if possible,according to Richardson.The in- rice-based pasta;and in the whole grain aisle with packaged rice shell nuts are highly prized during the Chinese New Year celebra- from jasmine and black pearl to wild and basmati. Mons. Celebrating his company's 80th year in business,Lundberg noted the Planted next to almonds and walnuts,the pecan orchards were one professional certifications are critical to Lundberg,which prizes the of five stops during Farm City Agribusiness Tour last week.The annu- quality of its product.He noted that acknowledgement by cerdfica- al tour showcases aspects of Butte's ag economy. tion programs is important in the case of recalls.Lundberg can pro- It turns out that the only pest that bugged the California pecans are vide near-immediate documentation regarding the sources of ingre- aphids,compared to a rash of bugs and diseases in the south. dients in products,which means it can halt exposure to risk. Richardson admits it took awhile to figure out the towering trees With acreage around Richvale and near Sacramento,Lundberg grows that had different habits than other nut crops.Rather than one nut, 40 to 50 percent of its rice,and contracts with other growers for the there are a cluster of six to seven.And there isn't just one harvest a rest.Three quarters of its rice is certified organic. season.This year,the trees will have their third harvest. FENN FARMS With nut varieties bearing American Indian names,Skinner decided Growers still remember when water and its supply wasn't a consider- on Pawnee and Shoshone,with different tastes and cross pollination. atton,but now water is about science and politics. Richardson described the process of figuring out how many trees per Stationed at a 1940-era well near Durham,M&T Ranch Manager Les acre to grow because of getting sunshine to their dense interiors, Heringer and water resources scientist Christina Buck of Butte Coun- then of"hedging"the trees—pruning them into shape that promot- ty Water and Resource Conservation talked about ground water ed the sunshine access—and even how to get the nuts off the tree, management in Butte County.With more than 1,000 domestic and once employing a helicopter company to fly close to shake off the ag wells in Butte County,monitoring ground water use and quality is nuts significant.About 125 wells are tested four times a year for quality Shakers could get the lower branches but because of the height the and depth. shaking didn't reach the top. Showing a map spanning from 2004 to 2017,Buck noted that the Stranger yet,the crop yield varied from year to year,with a good- biggest declines in water have been in the Durham area,which makes sense because of ag uses.Water levels have gone down 15 to year,so-so year pattern.Richardson said in 2016,production was 20 feet in that span. about 2,700 pounds per acre—one of the best—and 1,500 pounds an acre this year. in Glenn County,water level declines have measured more than 40 On the flip side,high yields don't necessarily mean quality craps, feet,primarily because of new business uses. with smaller meats. In general"Butte County(levels)have been pretty stable,"Buck said, Unlike southern orchards,Butte County ones are harvested earlier noting that there haven't been many new ag uses. and use less water,Richardson said.Today,California hosts about Growers have been very careful regarding their water use,knowing 4,500 acres in pecans,Richardson said. that water controls would be coming with California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act,which was passed to prevent disas- ters such as decline in water storage,seawater intrusion or land sink- them and then rehydrates them to prunes as needed. ing,Buck said. As far as prune juice,Sunsweet,which is the world's largest prune While the San Joaquin Valley has seen land sinking where groundwa- producer,sends prunes to a plant in Tennessee that are then rehy- ter has disappeared,Buck said that Butte County has not.A plan for drated and made into juice. Butte County groundwater management is under development,she There was a time when prunes popularity rose and then declined, noted. prompting growers to shift their plantings,but Sohnrey said that In the San Joaquin Valley,there has been sinking of 100 feet in some Sunsweet wants to increase prune orchards. cases,Heringer said. Contact reporter Laura Urseny at 896-7756. Buck noted conservation efforts can reduce ag water use over the land,it can also reduce groundwater recharge. Heringer noted many growers are shifting to microsprayers and drip systems that deliver water to an immediate area around the plant or tree,rather than sprinkling the entire orchard area. Heringer noted that"it takes water to grow food,"citing demand such as nearly 14 gallons of water to grow one orange,among oth- ers.Almond growers are still irked about a report from several years ago that noted almonds as being a thirsty crop and helping cause the drought. Around the world farmers are respected for their contributions, Heringer noted. "In California,they aren't perceived as doing good things." FOUR CORNERS HULLING AND SHELLING Started by local ag families for their own use,Four Corners Hulling and Shelling also serves more than 80 other customers in their al- mond processing. General Manager Kevin Amator said the plant processes about is million pounds of almonds per year,with highly prized nonpareil getting first service.Through a series of steps and levels that involve high-speed vibration,sticks,stones,bit,hulls and shells are removed. The plant cleans about 19 varieties of nuts,which must not be mixed,and the plant is cleaned after each kind finishes. During the season,the plant runs 2417 every day. The nuts—called kernels--are returned to the grower,but the shells---which cover the kernels—and green fuzzy hulls stay with the plant and help decrease growers'costs.Those are sold as cattle feed or bedding.Bits get composted or are sent to a co-generation plant for burning for power generation. Amator noted that there are fewer markets for the shells and hulls —which changes the price he gets—because of dairy operations leaving California over regulations. SOHNREY FAMILY FOODS While many have seen the relatively new retail store at Highway 99 and Skillin Lane south of Chico that sells nuts and other ag products, Sohnrey grows almonds,rice,walnuts and prunes.The family has moved into value-added products,like almond butter and seasoned almonds too,but it was prunes on stage during the tour. Greg Sohnrey said his grandfather carne to Butte County from Kansas around 1919,and that five generations of the family have been in- volved in ag.The family planted French prunes around 2000.Harvest comes in August,and most of the prunes are sold to Sunsweet, which is headquartered in Yuba City and has a dryer in Gridley.Har- vested prunes—a kind of plum—are sent to Sunsweet within 24 hours of picking,and the dehydrator shrinks them.Sunsweet stores AXy n �T� �` � Sl 1 f V_ 3i F � tr_ x r e x Vit? x ite!� r ,� :� �F �yy' �..} r,1��'i� �r � J :.,.; 4 r s�' a R ��€: �e`' i �OSx!$-LI %v a f' u u .amu a � . This weekly electronic newsletter is designed to keep you current on California Water Plan news. We welcome comments,suggestions,and any news tips that may be of interest to water planners. e Drought and climate The next installment of a webinar series on drought and climate webinar will include preview outlook will be offered Monday, Nov.27.The California-Nevada a e Drought Early Warning ,System uses the webinars to deliver updated of developing events information on the current drought status,as well as provide a preview of developing climatic events. Applications being accepted The application process is underway for round three of the Statewide for$5 million in flood Flood Emergency Response Grant Program.A total of approximately $5 million in funding is available to public agencies with the primary onse rants emergency Sr: resp responsibility for flood emergency response and coordination.The deadline for applications is Monday,Jan.29. Strategic Growth Council The Strategic Growth Council will be A% looking for input on new conducting a webinar and three workshops 'AIS, STRATEGIC to get input on its new Climate Change GROWTH climate research program Research Program.The program will provide c o u N C1 L_ P millions of dollars in competitive grantfunding. The webinar will be Friday, Nov. 17.Later in the month,workshops will be held in Oakland, Fresno,and Los Ani. The basics of climate To help people understand some of the changes taking place,the change spelled out in a Water Education Foundation is selling the Layperson's_Gu_ide to Climate Chanae and Water Resources. It explains some of the new layperson's guide causes and effects of climate change.The 20-page guide sells for $15, but a reduced rate is available for orders of 25 or more. North American Water Registration is open for next month's North American Water Loss Loss Conference set for Conference in San Diego.The agenda includes discussions on developing water loss policies,controlling leakage, and managing next month in San Diego pressures.A keynote address will be delivered by State Water Resources Control Board Chair Felicia Marcus.The three-day conference will run Dec.3-5. Workshop will explore A workshop to discuss agricultural water AGaR@�C .LT. I I_ the benefits of reuse will be held Wednesday,Jan.31, in Sacramento.It will have the latest science RE- ` agricultural water reuse t. 9 on the subject,especially as it pertains to the western U.S.where there is potential to use Y recycled.water for agricultural irrigation.The workshop i5 being Out on by.the Wafer n -ranwentand Reuse Faundalici Salton Sea deal IAlll� The`5tate Water Resources ControliBoard has approved an restore and manage the egreementto restore and manage the Salton Sea l#�e 40 year deal is designed#o protect puc health and the paarfic#iyway habitat kah P�tctGflatta f- ,�� this' a � a x e in No v. 22, 2017 0 sit a Y U10 This weekly electronic newsletter is designed to keep you current on California Water Plan news. We welcome comments,suggestions,and any news tips that may be of interest to water planners. _ Video posted of Flood-MAR The California Department of Food and Agriculture has posted a s ' public forum,white paper video of this month forum on using floodwater for managed aquifer recharge(Flood-MAR).The idea behind Flood-MAR is to allow s comments due by Dec.8 flood water onto agricultural land to recharge groundwater supplies. ® Details are available in a discussion draft white paper and facts sheet. Page 3 of the white paper has instructions for submitting comments.The comment deadline is Friday, Dec. 8. Long-range weather The importance of improving long-range weather forecasts will forecasts t0 be dISCUSSed be discussed at a webinar in Fountain Valley(Orange County)on Tuesday, Dec. 5.Seasonal to sub-seasonal reci itation forecasts at Orange County webinar are being developed to predict weather as much as a year in advance. Improving long-term projections will lead to more effective strategies for managing water. New guidebook offers The Governor's Office of Planning and Research has released a planning and investing new guidebook,Planning and 117vesting.fora Resilient Califamia. It details how State agencies should approach planning in the light guidance to State agencies of a changing climate.The guide is the result of an executive order directing State agencies to integrate climate change into all planning and investment decisions. Exploring the vulnerability The vulnerability of species during climate of species when facing changes will be the subject of a California CA-,-DCC Landscape Conservation Cooperative 7` xr , a changing climate webinar on Wednesday, Dec.6.They . discussion will explore adaptive capacity,which is the ability of a species to adapt to environmental and ecological change. Symposium looks at The Delta Science Prootram and the UC Davis Coastal and Marine moving species from habitats Sciences lnstitutes are teaming up to present a symposium on managed relocation.It will detail moving species from areas affected affected by climate change by climate change,to more suitable locations.The symposium will be Monday, Dec.4,in Davis. Dealing with some of the Registration is open for the Alliance for Water Efficiency's webinar, unintended consequences Death Knell Barriers o Water Conservation.It will cover unintended consequences that could cause water programs to collapse.The of VYato dbn$ervation` wrebinarwill be Tuesday, Nov.28. Comments 4r1 draft Delta There.ls still time to comment on the draft Conservatron l=ramework Delta Conssfvafrort Fra a ciI It presents g f3 r S ,y goals,Strategies and ot})eCtlVes for hntegrattrsg be>In >accepted though Dec:8 f tk, �' .�,�-; ��`�: ��r�ir�zthl'oug�205©�>Tkie c�eadllrteforvCbr�lrnerits}j� � :i Thomas, Autum From: NCWA <dherrera@norcalwater.org> Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2017 BAB AM To: BCWater Subject: Week in Review- November 6, 2017 NCWA Week in Review View this entail in ovv_ser w ?' lei �3%v P s';. The Fish/Food Dynamic in Print There has been some recent writing on the fish/food dynamic in the Sacramento Valley worth reading. This includes a Chronicle o -ed by Racier CornwO and Jacob Katz,Bryce Lundberg and Sean Doherty's in the Sacramento Bee, Here's how rice farmer event_ looding and hel�wilc life,and former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director and Ducks Unlimited CEO Dale Hall in WaterDeep/y. Flood_ tains Adjacent to the Sacramento_River Should Be,-Nature's Pantry_. Public Poli Institute of California Previews Priorities for California Water The PPIC Water Center held a Briefing on Priorities for California's water last week, sponsored in part by NCWA. Among the priorities was Advancing Partnerships for Healthy Ecosystems,which featured a panel moderated by Jeff Mount, Senior Fellow, PPIC Water Policy Center.This included Lewis Bair,General Manager, Reclamation District No. 108,Ann Hayden, Senior Director of Western Water and California Habitat Exchange, Environmental Defense Fund,and Ric Ortega, General Manager, Grassland Water District. J. The history of how the NCWA Salmon Recovery program resulted in construction of the Wallace Weir Project was highlighted by Lewis Bair. One key to turning the shared interest of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Federal and State agencies, along with water managers,was building trust and confidence among stakeholders. Building on the success of the waterfowl program,the agencies working on salmon recovery meet monthly to figure out how to achieve the project goals. Having a champion like RD 108, is one of the keys to realizing the goals of the Wallace Weir,as Lewis Bair describes in this video_posted on the Sacrarnento Valley lnLter,.Facebook_paoe about modernizing infrastructure to address fish passage and to help salmon recovery. Sacramento Valley Actions on Display at USCID Conference At the Tenth International Conference of the U.S. society for Irrigation and Drainage professionals held October 24-27, NCWA and Sacramento Valley water managers had the opportunity to showcase several of the proactive actions that fit with the theme of the conference- Finding the Balance—Improving Infrastrudture, Water Management, and the Environment in a World with Limited Funding and Ample Regulations David Guy and GCID General Manager,Thad Bettner gave presentations at the conference. Additionally, a half-day field trip to see the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District's new canal automation project on the Winters Canal, a 100-year-old, 16-mile-long canal that has recently been retrofitted with 25 automatic level/flow control gates took place, and a full day tour Friday October 27 featured Sacramento Valley Salmon Recovery Program, including visits to Wallace Weir,the River Garden Farms Salmon Rearing Habitat Structures and the Nigid Fish Food Program.The tour also stopped at the Bullock Bend Bank and to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge to showcase the Pacific Flyway. The final stop featured a visit to the proposed Sites Reservoir,which would create a 1,800,000 acre-foot reservoir. USDA Makes Central Valley Appointments U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on November 3 announced a slate of Farm Service Agency (FSA)and Rural Development(RD)State Directors, all serving as appointees of President Donald J. Trump. For California,this included: * Colusa Supervisor Kim Vann has been working and serving in California's Rural Communities for nearly 20 years and her career gives her an excellent understanding of California's'Rural Communities needs and the experience to solve problems. Kim is currently the Chair of the Sites Project Authority. 2 • Aubrey Bettencourt is a third-generation California farmer, who not only brings to the USDA her farming experience but has also served as the Executive Director of the California Water Alliance while helping farmers meet for a clean, reliable water supply. FSA State Directors help implement U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA)policies in planning, organizing, and administering FSA programs in their respective states.They are also responsible for running the day-to-day activities of the state FSA office. Similarly, RD State Directors work to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. "These state directors will help ensure that USDA is offering the best customer service to our farmers, ranchers,foresters,and agricultural producers across the country,"Secretary Perdue said."FSA and RD both play a critical role in helping the people of agriculture,and are able to connect with people in their home states. They are the initial points of contact for millions of our USDA customers. Our goal is to help rural America prosper,and these state leaders will be of great assistance in that task." Groundwater Recharge Forum on November 8th in Sacramento The California Department of Food and Agriculture(CDFA), in collaboration with California Department of Water Resources(DWR)and other state entities,are hosting a PuMc Forum ori Mar_ci.gecl_GrouncJviater Recharr�.e to Support Sustainable Water M inagemenl.This all-day event will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center on November 8, 2017 and bring together a variety of speakers to address groundwater recharge opportunities and issues. Here is ceistr_a1 an informijiLioii. Congressmen Calvert and LaMalfa Introduce HR3916 (FISH) On October 3,Congressman Ken Calvert(CA-42)and Congressman Doug LaMalfa (CA-1), introduced the Federally Integrated Species Health (FISH)Act, h 9R._;916. The legislation would consolidate the management and regulation of the Endangered Species Act(ESA)within the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Rep. LaMalfa said:"Last year, the conflicting ESA responsibilities of the FWS and NMFS resulted in one agency demanding that water be released from Shasta Dam for Delta smelt,while simultaneously the other agency demanded that water be held back for salmon.The right hand should know what the left hand is doing,and the FISH Act will lead to better decisions by ensuring personnel working on different species actually talk to one another when developing policies. Farmer or environmentalist, urban or rural, everyone should support cutting duplicative bureaucracies to generate ESA plans that work." "It makes no sense to have multiple federal agencies responsible for enforcing the ESA,"said Rep. Calvert."The FISH Act is a good government bill that will benefit species and all stakeholders affected by the ESA through a unified approach to managing threatened and endangered species.As we have seen in 3 the California Bay Delta and other complex habitats,there are often conflicting and incompatible measures taken by different resource agencies." Earn Continuinci Education Units for Nitrogen Management_ Yuba-Sutter Farm Bureau is hosting a workshop for growers who have received approval to self-certify their Nitrogen Management Plans(NMPs).Two(2)Continuing Education Units(CEUs)will be offered for those who attend. Spencer Cooper, the Irrigation and Water Efficiency Senior Manager for the California Almond Board will show growers how to use the Nitrogen calculator. Mr. Cooper will also cover irrigation distribution uniformity(DU)and its impacts on water and nutrient applications. Mark Cady, Senior Environmental Scientist for the Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP)at CDFA will present the most recent information on NMP requirements.Topics to be covered will include completing NMP forms, working with CCAs,grower training class,4R concept,accessing the FREP online guidelines and irrigation scheduling and efficiency. For more information contact Shae McElroy at sl7ae`y_sF�rnit�ureGgf.con . DWR Extends Deadline for 2017 GSP and Projects Submittal for Wildfires Governor Brown issued emergency proclamations on October 9, 2017 for Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada,Orange, Sonoma,and Yuba counties,and on October 10, 2017 for Solano County due to the effects of multiple fires. In light of these emergency proclamations, DWR will be extending the deadline for submitting applications for the 2017 Groundwater Sustainability Plans {GSPi and Protects Proposal Solicitation Package{PSPJ for the Sustainable Groundwater Planning (SGWP)Grant Program for those basins in counties affected by fires as part of the Governor's emergency proclamations until December 1, 2017 at 5pm. The deadline for submitting applications for the basins in other counties not impacted by the fires will remain November 13,2017 at Spm. Water Education Foundation Celebrates 40th Annidersa When the Water Education Foundation (WEF)first produced its iconic California water neap in 1979,a side of beef donated by a rancher was raffled off at a major water conference to help fund its creation.Today, the maps are displayed at highway rest stops and offices up and down the state. On October 26,the WEF celebrated its 40th Anniversary at a dinner to mark the achievements of the organization and thank the supporters who make it happen. Achievements like raising awareness about 4 hot water topics such as the 1982 Peripheral Canal proposal. When the Foundation first wrote about the proposal for Western Watermagazine, some 10,000 extra copies were sold at 35 cents each. The Foundation has been a leader in bringing diverse voices together to help solve complex water issues and in educating Californians about water issues since 1977 through its publications,conferences, workshops,tours and other programs. David Guy serves on the WEF Board of Directors. QWR Invests In Forecasting Rain and snow are in the forecast this week. Is this the beginning of a wet, normal or dry year is the question on everybody's mind this time of the year. After five years of drought,the 2017 water year brought unexpectedly heavy precipitation, ranking second only to 1983 as California's wettest year for statewide runoff.The dramatic swing in water conditions highlights the need to develop better long-range weather forecasting to cope with the state's highly variable annual precipitation. DWR begins water year 2018 intent on narrowing the forecasting gap with improved subseasonal to seasonal (S2S)forecasting.Working with researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, DWR is developing innovative technology to forecast land-falling atmospheric rivers. "Current short-term forecasting for seven days out is 70 percent accurate,while the 14-day forecast is only seven percent accurate,"said DWR Director Grant Davis."That isn't adequate for water management.Advancing accurate,even longer-range forecasting is critical for our ability to plan for California's highly variable weather." + + 8 e e For a daily compilation of all the news shaping California water policy visit Aquafornia. http://acluafornia.com 5 Copyright©2077 Northem California Water Association,All tights reserved. NCWA News and Events Our mailing address is: Northern California Water Association 455 Capitol Mall, Suite-335 Sacramento, CA 95814 Add us to Your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this fist 6 Thomas, Autum From: NCWA <dherrera@norcalwater.org> Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2017 8:27 AM To: 8CWater Subject: NCWA Social Media Newsletter View this email in your browser _ -- ra z b Northern California Water Association Managed Groundwater Recharge Opportunities in the Sacramento Valley The State Board of Food and Agriculture today held a public forum White peer;A unique find on"Managed Groundwater Recharge to Support Sustainable Water right here in the Management."The purpose of the forum was to identify benefits, Sacramento Valley. opportunities and barriers;gather momentum; and expand the Contributed by Paul Buttner implementation of managed groundwater recharge projects at all scales on agricultural lands and working landscapes for flood rick reduction,drought preparedness,and aquifer and ecosystem restoration. fz, The Northern California Water Association in its presentation for the forum highlighted that"the State of California has strong policies to encourage managed groundwater and aquifer recharge,which is an important part of a statewide water management portfolio that will be necessary for California to serve water for various beneficial uses." r NCWA also offered several thoughts on how state and local Video: Community agencies can work together to effectively implement these policies Memorial Museum of Sutter 1 by aligning them with local efforts to improve groundwater recharge County. Contributed by and the conjunctive management of surface and groundwater Jennifer Harrison resources.A full copy of Managed Groundwater Recharge to Support Sustainable Water Management.A Sacramento Valley Perspective is available here. The presentation articulated ideas on how stale and local agencies .£ can work together to pursue additional opportunities for managed groundwater and aquifer recharge,with a focus on three themes that are important to the Sacramento Valley: Harvest festival brings farm • Multi-benefit approaches(i.e.,water for farms,fish, birds, life to the city. Chico ER. Flood protection)that benefit groundwater recharge; • Envisioning a new regulatory approach to encourage recharge opportunities; and • Local SGMA implementation opportunities in the Sacramento Valley for groundwater recharge. Exploring the Swan-Henry Toll Road. Contributed by Carl Gwyn. 2 F Y , afy 7 ` -Adm.;i 'ry a� 4 :fid l I� �,• jQ' ? ��� �'�. •� n T �u?I 3F Fl:*`� � /"'�£. .` �`SFJG"n4,S ,sj'/.V .�� Sy 5t�„ � � '� • � ���c'Su^•.� •mr.`�'M`�A e'r5� �»a �. S� } „��.?�CY�Yu��s?sw s`..�° 4�"i€`Y .h„: F" � � `}fr�"{e ��� ', y�V c.„' �`�.��, iz�afy.o ax�r •s•.0 � "s �tea `°:7,�� m��:.a;��.. \ H� ! yw -.” ���.. �.`.•. ,�.�,'y� ova P , MN WT v% 7.� �. e it � fir:"'^7 c �"y` . 4.7 �' s ="r2 •,F,'A�rF sem;,,. .ice' ,,rg,�. .z `�"`%°:4:a��! .�`' ✓�`, K�^ --�.`ti..b�-�•`t rr�Y y'y,.r�, �� `,�iG.,Sf�'-n1�Sr� �'�r'•fZ2 S�G.�.`'kyr'•^�.�a!"��'c' �.�-'�,•' °� sc fir` rr'�,..c.. R „�'�- ], r =i'�c'.r,=,fit.., 4. ��� s„ �s3ti�CA�:'`caj, �rti;a, �yx=r y:}y��{'<;.�:.L � r. ^. ",�'�y .:�Y`-��i.�'�'��,�?' N�';��v^"�• ��v" ;;����:r'2"�K��;��s�r�k'> �k�d•-�-��;. v"S`„�,e�f�-vy'�i� .9�����?,�5P".o .•�'.?;;�,.'���: �^��°°r,,�r ��.'••v �a6�: ��•>;���, ;� •s J��r�:�kr��>• fifng,lA�fe�s�?' a�aiaATg�fs�rK�51r4(��;,c;'3';�..>,•:����� -,� �?�., �� s: :�;,`'.�;C��.`°v>�c ��%t?;w•,;� ,a'�� �^�3-'�G-�`skiff>� 'S:t^,�,t z a'i� -,�'�;y Y'.`a��F.�;,. `� o�'ri�, �z.;�S�� k„s s .< �'. Z�.!,".✓ �. .&°�i`ts',.,,:'��s {.a "Y .tl"F=' �u �"�.,.�, .�'.,' .. '��`�,�r'`, `t, �`,��$�?�c`b 3; ✓ �:, �������-;�� '� r�'�,-.<� ��� Clip � g��$.' ,�.�;'•. �`� .�:� a5�-`��' ��•;., ��,�,�t�`'� �'W� )a *�.^r,. ry�rr�ses,� �' -zf.�•° ,� � kd n" y a F��• , ® rr o - e - a e o - o a r o - - - - e a Agenda Item X12 COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED AND REFERRED BUTTE COUNTY WATER COMMISSION MEETING OF DECEMBER 6,2017 Copies of all communications are available at the Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation 308 Nelson Avenue Oroville, CA 95965 1. *Article from Ag Alert, October 25, 2017, Farmers ask that `waters' rule be clear, consistent 2. *California Water Plan eNews Wednesday's Update October 25, 2017 3. *California Water Plan eNews, Wednesday's Update, November 1, 2017 4. *California Water Plan eNews, Wednesday's Update, November 8, 2017 5. *Article from Chico Enterprise Record, November 13, 2017, Farm tours: Pecans, uinoa almonds water, runes on show 6. *California Water Plan eNews, Wednesday's Update, November l5, 2017 7. *California Water Plan eNews, Wednesday's Update, November 22, 2017 8. *Correspondence received from NCWA I CORRESPONDENCE # � AgAkrt Farmers ask that `waters' rule be clear, consistent By Chrisdue Sauna,October 25,2017 A"waters of the United States"rule that is clear,feasible and main- "Any new rule defining waters of the U.S.must make every effort to tains existing exemptions for everyday farming activities:That's what limit impact to farming operations because of the economic impacts agricultural stakeholders sought during a teleconference with federal of the damage to farming,but also the importance of our nation's officials,as agencies seek to develop a new WOTUS rule. food supply,"Campbell said,adding that regulated waters of the "Many agricultural Interests that took part In the call expressed con- United States"must be recognizable by relatively permanent flow cern about the lack of consistency among agencies regarding haw and clear distinction from gulleys,washouts,field or forest road goods or any other waters not intended to be regulated:" they interpret waters of the U.S.regulations under the Clean Water Act,"California Farm Bureau Federation Associate Counsel Kari Fish- Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Hill said farmers and ranchers er said after monitoring last week's teleconference."Commenters need"a clear rule that agencies can more easily administer.We can't also urged regulatory clarity and meaningful application of existing grant expansive control over every acre where a raindrop falls." agricultural exclusions and exemptions." Scott Yager,environmental counsel for the National Cattleman's Beef The 2015 WOTUS rule,proposed by the U.S.Environmental Protec- Association,said cow-calf producers"need a definition that is imple- tion Agency and U.S.Army Corps of Engineers under the Obama ad- mentable without having to hire consultants and attorneys to deci- ministration,would have expanded the agencies'authority to regu- pher that,because a lot of our producers are mom-and-pop opera- late water and land.It came under strong criticism from farmers, tions." ranchers and agricultural organizations. Several participants pointed out that the 2015 WOTUS rule con- In an executive order signed in February,President Trump asked tained an exclusion for ditches,but it was so limited that most farm agencies to rescind the 2015 WOTUS rule and develop a revised rule ditches would be considered a water of the U.S. based on an opinion written by the late Supreme Court Justice Anto- Ian Lyle of the National Water Resources Association described ditch- nin Scalia.The opinion takes a more narrow view of federal jurisdic- es,drains and canals as critical elements in delivering water for tion,restricting Clean Water Act jurisdiction to"relatively perma- Western agriculture and other needs. nent"waters and wetlands with a continuous surface connection to relatively permanent waters. "These features were never intended to fall under the jurisdiction of The teleconference for agriculture held by the EPA and Corps repre- the CWA and,as such,should be clearly exempt in any subsequent rule,"Lyle said. sented one of several on development of a new WOTUS rule. During the conference,Sacramento attorney Demar Hooper,who Scott White,executive director of the Klamath Water Users Associa- specializes in Clean Water Act litigation and represents farmers tion,which represents family farmers in California and Oregon,said throughout California,shared an example of a client who farmed the more than 12,000 managed canals and ditches within the Kla- math Project should be exempt from the new WOTUS definition. wheat on his land and was challenged with a lawsuit by the Corps, White added that grading and leveling should be exempt from re- which argued that the farmer's tilling of the soli resulted in a regulat- moval/fill permits,and temporary flooding of fields should be exclud- W discharge requiring authorization under Section 404 of the Glean ed because the crops provide habitat for waterfowl. Water Act. "The Corps disputes whether wheat farming was properly estab- To comment on the revised WOTUS rule by the Nov.28 deadline, lished for purposes of the plowing exemption.There is no question submit comments via www.regulations.gov;search for Docket ID No. that the wheat farming occurred on theroPertYin the past,but if EPA-HQ-OW-2017-0480' P wheat farming was somehow not established,the property would (Christine Souza is an assistant editor of AS Alert.She may be con- have surely been established as ranching land,which is also entitled tatted at csouza@cfbf.com.) to the plowing exemption,"Hooper explained. Permission for use is granted,however,credit must be made to the "On behalf of farmers throughout California and the nation,"Hooper California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item. added,"I urge you to resolve these ambiguities that generate confu- sion,delay and wasteful expense for farmers'operations." Ron Kern,manager of the Ogle County Farm Bureau in Illinois,called it"very disturbing"that each agency with WOTUS jurisdiction uses different indicators to define wetlands. "It is apparent that any new WOTUS rule be clear,consistent and require communication between agencies and landowners,"Kern said. Laura Campbell of the Michigan Farm Bureau also recommended that various farming activities remain exempt. a. ? r`� l i dtp—-` ter' �' �rY ` �� w�� �!. C d TV C ,,:,�1 s1�s�';%cu.�1�r;Q3�Mi k`sff'§:rL$F 4�v l:.'%` This weekly electronic newsletter is designed to keep you current on California Water Pian news. We welcome comments,suggestions,and any news tips that may be of interest to water planners. e , . Drought lessons on agenda Lessons from the recent drought will be discussed at the next Delta for tomorrow's Delta Stewardship Councilmeetim,tomorrow, Oct.26,in Sacramento. Representatives from the Governor's Office of Emergency Services o Stewardship Council meeting and the State Water Resources Control Board will update the council 6 on recent drought reports.There will also be a separate presentation on the impacts to fish and the environment during Water Year 2017. Biodiversity council updates An updated agenda has been posted for the California agenda for next months Biodiversity Council's fall meeting meeting and field trip and field trip on Nov. 13 and 14, 4W near Hollister. Under the theme California Biodiversity Council of Mainstreaming the Integrated Regional Conservation and Development Program,the schedule will include visits to conservation project sites.The registration (click on CA Biodiversity Council link)deadline is Friday, Nov.3. $86.3 million in funding Applications are being accepted for funding from the Sustainable available for groundwater Groundwater Planning Grant Program,The available funding includes has 586.3 million for the planning, development, or sustainability plan projects preparation of groundwater sustainability plans.At least$10 million of that amount will be made available to projects that serve severely_ disadvantaged communities.The application deadline is Nov. 13. Groundwater and watershed A course on groundwater and watershed hydrology is being offered hydrology information offered by the Groundwater Resources Association of California on Nov. 14 and 15, in Davis.The principles of monitoring,assessing and at two-day course next month sustainably managing those water resources will be covered during the course.There will be an emphasis on the development of groundwater sustainability plans,along with a review of current government programs dealing with groundwater. PPIC planning a day of The Public Policy Institute of California(PPIC)is set to host a panel discussions on one-day event on the California's water policy priorities for the coming year.It will be held tomorrow,Oct.26, in Sacramento.A California's water priorities webcast of the event will be available.Panel discussions will cover legislature priorities, improving ecosystem partnerships,and the future of the Colorado River and the Delta. Sea-lel rise webinar A model used to predict the impacts ofRE looks;at redlCtln sea-level rise on wetlands will be presented p g' dunng a mar on Tuesday,Oct.31 The tm acts#o we#lands` el.-haA , p s been applied to mately 160 wetlands along the Sautheln Callfomta r : .t =,�. s F coast.It quant�es wefland ha6ttat ,�, - ' 5 r. In related to sea level rise by predtctln�changes`rn landf {?� Wednesday Update Nov. 1, 2017 This weekly electronic newsletter is designed to keep you current on California Water Plan news. We welcome comments,suggestions,and any news tips that may be of interest to water planners. ® Exploring y, American Water x orm the ene its o Resources Association present a look at integrating ecological systems - - a achieying compatibility among agriculture,flood with agriculture landscapes control,and the recovery of endangered species. There will be an example of a public/private partnership that is finding benefits from integrating ecological systems into agricultural landscapes on the Polo Bypass. The bypass is the largest floodplain connected to the Delta. Reduced registration rate A reduced_registration rate is being offered to attend this month's offered for California fell meeting of the California Biodiversity Council.The rate is being offered to members of voluntary, community,or non-government Biodiversity Council meeting organizations.To register,click"CA Biodiversity Council"on the events pa- e.The registration deadline is Friday,Nov.3. Workshop looks at what it The accuracy of a weather forecast will it take to get more tends to drop off when it looks more A 'N than two weeks in advance. Improving F accurate weather forecasts that accuracy would be a tremendous - benefit for water planners. CWR and the Association of California Water Agencies are sponsoring a workshop that will explain what it will take to improve long-range precipitation forecasting:The. workshop will be Thursday, Nov. 9,in Sacramento. Forest Service newsletter The U.S. Forest Service has posted.a newsletter updating the:. updates the prOGeSS for l'new process for the Northwest Forest Plan It will provide gwdance far the management of public lands and resources for tits next 10 to 15' Northwest forest Plan years.The plan covers the management of 24 million acres of land, across Caiiforn6a ,6egon: anif Washington.- Report eVBluat4S tools A review panel has ir. ssued a na re o on analytEcal tools for ' ', f01r ap'tro�'�l�elalted fo$` evaluating alternaflves related to the Yolo less 1~isfrPassage y�> ' F -��A � ��EF,�f�? t ,F�'zand l�a��at�ieatp,�or3 Prograrrr The tools S+�ere u�eo to e�aalu�te r �YOli�i�l�ass"t�s�t�m$I�rn;� % s(te�at�,er�otches�rnt�eFrsmot��llVe�r The�epor�wtltiaS'i�pilSrP.red`t0`r ' .' � '�✓rx „", ea�x- x..k' yF�„ z ;�^'.a r �....r?yy�LrY'-r �, \�F ". s.i i , rva rc*4*,�xi FS.. .G� .,�a. ... g,r,s? f E✓'"s n zt,"'�vv�a L �Y-. � ,�,3°,% w���5;;-r. a�- a > s a i � - `��i, x .y y a��.,>,�:%� ,fir � � �..t 1 01 b 4Wednesday Update Nov 8, 2017 This weekly electronic newsletter is designed to keep you current on California Water Plan news. We.welcome comments,suggestions,and any news tips that may be of interest to water planners. Update 2018 funding The next workshop for California Water Plan Update 2018 will and implementation cover funding and implementation.It will be held Monday, Nov.20, o in Sacramento.RSVPs are requested.The session will include m workshop set for Nov.20 discussion of proposed funding scenarios,trade-off analysis,and the implementation priorities and schedule.A webcast will be available. Delta Stewardship Council An overview of California Water Plan Update 2018 will be presented to get Update 2x18 at the next Delta Stewardship Council meeting.The presentation will include discussion of how the Delta,and the Delta Plan,fit into the briefing during next meeting plan.Also,the council will discuss preparedness for the upcoming flood season.The meeting will be Thursday, Nov. 16,in Sacramento. Groundwater recharge Information on using flood water for r information being released managed aquifer recharge(Flood--MAR) is being released today at a public forum todayat public forum -' p in Sacramento.A Flood-MAR discussion draft white paper and a facts sheet are being.._", made available as part of DWR's System Reoperation Program.The idea behind Flood ' ' rs` water onto agricultural land to recharge groundwater supplies. Course on managing The Groundwater Resources Association of California is offering groundwater and watersheds a shortcourse on groundwater,watersheds.and sustaingib�l mana_Q merit.It will be offered Nov.14 and 15,in Davis.The course being offered in Davis will cover ways to monitor,assess,and sustainably manage water resources,while making sure they fit into the development of groundwater sustainability plans. Workshop will highlight' A workshop on California water data will be held Wednesday, Nov 29,in Berkeley:'The workshop will cover provislons of the the imrta ponce ripen and Transparent Wator Data Act, including h6w it can. Of CaldOmia wateC data influence water Manag 6rh6ritIft1h6i state,A I1mited;number.6f spots 1. arE'-availa61e'dnline`registratid is:avaelable. Californialater COmmissiOn The next�` i a Wafer Comm1ssior»gg g will be one week v >' from today llllednesday Nov 1S In Sacramento A ast of the �hti gage 'da iniyl"d update ,f mee#�ng will be available Commissilnners will ge an update an the r , 'tlirtuS f V r traject State Vi a yRrnject`inctudEng the arttount of subsidence around'the rx-.t✓ zrxs-. �� 3Calfio�i �eductc° et�w� �Isobebfre gaa�est �ngofz zr A'o p o ects sbbi�i inderthe e� _ ���� �,� a• � �� .� � _ .� ease��� �� �``�` tlt ai Q[ O I e'x o � •a s CORRESPONDENCE ChiCD I N .coat 1 Farm tours: Pecans, qulnoa, almonds, water, prunes on show By Laura Urseny,November 13,2017 Durham»More than one nut grower remembers thinking the fami- LUNDBERG FAMILY FARMS ly planting pecans in Butte County in the late'80s might need a sani- Quinoa has become a huge focus for Lundberg Family Farms in Rich- ty check,but the odd crop wasn't a poor choice. vale,which was asked to investigate growing what's called"an an- Pecans were common in states like Georgia,New Mexico and Texas, tient grain." but a strange choice to the nut growers of Butte County,who had Rooted in South America at least 3,000 years ago,qulnoa has three thousand of acres of almonds and walnuts,and a few hundred acres times the amount of protein that rice does,and cooks more quickly. of pistachios. It did take a while to get the orchard settled,but if it hadn't been the The family business has made its niche in the organic rice market respected grower,the late Emmett Skinner,there might have been with its cultivation of various types.After testing places for their more doubt about the crop. growing capabilities,a location in Humboldt County near the Eel Riv- er was chosen and acreage planted,CEO Grant Lundberg told the Skinner planted pecans"on marginal soil"in 1988,according to or- guests. chard manager Sam Richardson,who worked for Skinner and contin- Lundberg pointed out how wide spread his company's products are ues with current owner Deseret Farms,which owns 170 acres of pe- in food stores.They can be found in the snack aisle,with products cans in Durham. like Lundberg organic rice cakes and Grounded organic chips;in the Today,much of the pecan crop is scooped up by Chinese markets, side-dish aisle with Sprouted products like boxed chile verde rice and which would take it all if possible,according to Richardson.The in- rice-based pasta;and in the whole grain aisle with packaged rice shell nuts are highly prized during the Chinese New Year celebra- from jasmine and black pearl to wild and basmati. tions. Celebrating his company's 80th year in business,Lundberg noted the Planted next to almonds and walnuts,the pecan orchards were one professional certifications are critical to Lundberg,which prizes the of five stops during Farm City Agribusiness Tour last week.The annu- quality of its product.He noted that acknowledgement by certifica- al tour showcases aspects of Butte's ag economy. tion programs is important in the case of recalls.Lundberg can pro- It turns out that the only pest that bugged the California pecans are vide near-immediate documentation regarding the sources of Ingre- aphids,compared to a rash of bugs and diseases in the south. dients in products,which means it can halt exposure to risk. Richardson admits it took awhile to figure out the towering trees With acreage around Richvale and near Sacramento,Lundberg grows 40 to 50 percent of its rice,and contracts with other growers for the that had different habits than other nut crops.Rather than one nut, rest.Three quarters of its rice is certified organic. there are a cluster of six to seven.And there isn't just one harvest a season.This year,the trees will have their third harvest. FINN FARMS With nut varieties bearing American Indian names,Skinner decided Growers still remember when water and Its supply wasn't a consider- on Pawnee and Shoshone,with different tastes and cross pollination. ation,but now water is about science and politics. Richardson described the process of figuring out haw many trees per Stationed at a 1940-era well near Durham,M&T Ranch Manager Les acre to grow because of getting sunshine to their dense interiors, Heringer and water resources scientist Christina Buck of Butte Coun- then of"hedging"the trees—pruning them into shape that promot- ty Water and Resource Conservation talked about ground water ed the sunshine access--and even how to get the nuts off the tree, management in Butte County.With more than 1,000 domestic and once employing a helicopter company to fly close to shake off the ag wells in Butte County,monitoring ground water use and quality is nuts significant.About 125 wells are tested four times a year for quality Shakers could get the lower branches but because of the height the and depth. shaking didn't reach the top. Showing a map spanning from 2004 to 2017,Buck noted that the Stranger yet,the crop yield varied from year to year,with a good- biggest declines in water have been in the Durham area,which makes sense because of ag uses.Water levels have gone down 15 to year,so-so year pattern.Richardson said in 2015,production was 20 feet in that span. about 2,700 pounds per acre--one of the best—and 1,500 pounds an acre this year. In Glenn County,water level declines have measured more than 40 On the flip side,high yields don't necessarily mean quality crops, feet,primarily because of new business uses. with smaller meats. In general"Butte County(levels)have been pretty stable,"Buck said, Unlike southern orchards,Butte County ones are harvested earlier noting that there haven't been many new ag uses. and use less water,Richardson said.Today,California hosts about Growers have been very careful regarding their water use,knowing 4,500 acres in pecans,Richardson said. that water controls would be coming with California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act,which was passed to prevent disas- ters such as decline in water storage,seawater intrusion or land sink- them and then rehydrates them to prunes as needed. ing,Buck said. As far as prune juice,Sunsweet,which is the world's largest prune While the San Joaquin Valley has seen land sinking where groundwa- producer,sends prunes to a plant in Tennessee that are then rehy- ter has disappeared,Buck said that Butte County has not.A plan for drated and made into juice. Butte County groundwater management is under development,she There was a time when prunes popularity rose and then declined, noted. prompting growers to shift their plantings,but Sohnrey said that In the San Joaquin Valley,there has been sinking of 100 feet in some Sunsweet wants to increase prune orchards. cases,Heringer said. Contact reporter Laura Urseny at 896-7756. Buck noted conservation efforts can reduce ag water use over the land,it can also reduce groundwater recharge. Heringer noted many growers are shifting to microsprayers and drip systems that deliver water to an immediate area around the plant or tree,rather than sprinkling the entire orchard area. Heringer noted that"it takes water to grow food,"Citing demand such as nearly 14 gallons of water to grow one orange,among oth- ers.Almond growers are still irked about a report from several years ago that noted almonds as being a thirsty crop and helping cause the drought. Around the world farmers are respected for their contributions, Heringer noted. "In California,they aren't perceived as doing good things." FOUR CORNERS HULLING AND SHELLING Started by local ag families for their own use,Four Corners Hulling and Shelling also serves more than 80 other customers in their al- mond processing. General Manager Kevin Amator said the plant processes about 15 million pounds of almonds per year,with highly prized nonpareil getting first service.Through a series of steps and levels that involve high-speed vibration,sticks,stones,bit,hulls and shells are removed. The plant cleans about 19 varieties of nuts,which must not be mixed,and the plant is cleaned after each kind finishes. During the season,the plant runs 24/7 every day. The nuts—called kernels--are returned to the grower,but the shells—which cover the kernels—and green fuzzy hulls stay with the plant and help decrease growers'costs.Those are sold as cattle feed or bedding.Bits get composted or are sent to a co-generation plant for burning for power generation. Amator noted that there are fewer markets for the shells and hulls --which changes the price he gets—because of dairy operations leaving California over regulations. SOHNREY FAMILY FOODS While many have seen the relatively new retail store at Highway 99 and Skill!n Lane south of Chico that sells nuts and other ag products, Sohnrey grows almonds,rice,walnuts and prunes.The family has moved into value-added products,like almond butter and seasoned almonds too,but it was prunes on stage during the tour. Greg Sohnrey said his grandfather came to Butte County from Kansas around 1919,and that five generations of the family have been in- volved in ag.The family planted French prunes around 2000.Harvest comes in August,and most of the prunes are sold to Sunsweet, which is headquartered in Yuba City and has a dryer in Gridley.Har- vested prunes---a kind of plum—are sent to Sunsweet within 24 hours of picking,and the dehydrator shrinks them.Sunsweet stores p••yv�r S Wednesday Update 017 , . This weekly electronic newsletter is designed to keep you current on California Water Plan news. We welcome comments,suggestions,and any news tips that may be of interest to water planners. a ` • Drought and climate The next installment of a webinar series on drought and climate webinar will include preview outlook will be offered Monday, Nov.27.The California-Nevada e Brough#Early Warning System uses the webinars to deliver updated of developing events information on the current drought status, as well as provide a preview of developing climatic events. Applications being accepted The application process is underway for round three of the Statewide for$5 million in flood Food EmeEgengy EmergencyResponse Grant Pro ram.A total of approximately $5 million in funding is available to public agencies with the primary emergency response grants responsibility for flood emergency response and coordination.The deadline for applications is Monday,Jan.29. Strategic Growth Council The Strategic Growth Council will be conducting a webinar an three w rksho s � -T' '' I g ���9; :S7RATEGIC- laolcingfar input on new r��=,�, to get input on its new Climate Change GROWTH climate research program Research Program.The program will provide .1 COUNCIL millions of dollars in competitive grant funding. The webinar will be Friday, Nov. 17.Later in the month,workshops will be held in Oakland,Fresno,and Los Angeles. The basics of climate To help people understand some of the changes taking place,the change spelled out in a Water Education Foundation is selling the Laypersons Guidefo Climate Change and WaferRegpurcee It explains some of the new layperson's guide causes and effects of climate change.The 20-page guide sells for $15,but a reduced rate is available for orders of 25 or more. North American Water Registration is open for next month's North American Water_LQss LOSS Conference set for Conference in San Diego.The agenda includes discussions on developing water loss policies,controlling leakage;and managing n6d.month in San Dle'go. pressures;A keynote address will be,delivered.by State Water Resources Control 13oard Chaar Felicia Marcus The three daylsz canfe rence will ruga Dec a-6 WOrlcsho livlll ex lal�e A' o to discuss agricultural water p p g it tlB benefits of reuse will be held Wednesday,Jan 3 E,in Sacramento;It will have the latest science' ��� "`^,�agrlcGl#ural vlr`atel"reuse nn the su'bje�`°especially a$d'pel-taans�to the � ; - ���`y 4 r tivestern Uuhere thele as potentaalo dse U ' �" p �y .� �r �. ��i• ���r�or�agncu�t�iral�lr�i�a`� TI,t��ilvo :� o • �.ear�g,�r -� ��.�'"�;; r ® � e ® ® Ash Wednesday Update0*� Nov , 1 _' This weekly electronic newsletter is designed to keep you current on California Water Plan news. We welcome comments,suggestions,and any news tips that may be of interest to water planners. Video posted of Flood-MAR The California Department of Food and Agriculture has posted a ' public forum,white paper video of this month forum on using floodwater for managed aquifer recharge(Flood—MAR).The idea behind Flood--MAR is to allow ® comments due by Dec.8 flood water onto agricultural land to recharge groundwater supplies. Details are available in a discussion draft white paper and facts shee 1.Page 3 of the white paper has instructions for submitting comments.The comment deadline is Friday, Dec.8. Long-range weather The importance of improving long-range weather forecasts will forecasts to be discussed be discussed at a webinar in Fountain Valley(Orange County)on Tuesday, Dec.5.Seasonal to sub-seasonal precipitation forecasts at Orange County webinar are being developed to predict weather as much as a year in advance. Improving long-term projections will lead to more effective strategies for managing water. New guidebook offers The Governor's Office of Planning and Research has released a planning and investing new guidebook,Planning and Investing for a Resilient_Califomia. It details how State agencies should approach planning in the light guidance to State agencies of a changing climate.The guide is the result of an executive order directing State agencies to integrate climate change into all planning and investment decisions. Exploring the vulnerability The vulnerability of species during climate o#species when facingchanges will be the subject of a California C^%'UCC Landscape Conservation Cooperative a changing climate web' ar on Wednesday, Dec.6.The discussion will explore adaptive capacity,which is the ability of a species to adapt to environmental and ecological change. Symposium looks at The Delta Scie ce Pra r m and the UG Davis Coastal and Marine mOVin s ec�es#rpm habitats; scre�►ces Institutes are teaming up to present a svmposiuth on g p managed relocation. (twril cfetarl moving specres from areas 0ect6d . affected:b climate c ion e, l y g by climate change,to more The symposium+will . < be Monday Dec 4 in Davis hf' DBallrlg Ygtfh Some #the Registration is open for the Alhance'for Water Efficrencyl s wein Y _' knell E3arrrers to Water Corrsgr It w ll,cover unintended a b uhtnler�ldet consequences, s r 4 a r ea U consequences that could cause wafer programs'.,fo oollapse The eke C;O>(lSeNal tAR webina wdl be Tuesday Nov 28 E , I�"_ • �� �, � � ..;,���,��rte. <�� '� �a' ' ca "k si From: NCWA ^dhenera@nooalwatecorg> Sent Tuesday, November 07, 2U178:48AM To: B[VVater Subject: Week|nReview' November 8'2017 N{WA\Week inReview Mv � ^ �/�//�. �'�8����� �J� S�CO~ 3��� '7� 7�� � � The Fish/Food Dynamic in Print There has been some recent writing on the fish/food dynamic in the Sacramento Valley worth reading. This includes oChronicle ' Bryce Lundberg and Sean and Dohe�y�inthe faoovmyrbo Bee, Here's , former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director and Ducks Unlimited CEO Dale Hall in Water Deeply, IlopdQlai25 Adi3cent10the Sacramento Nature's . Public Poligy Institute of California Previews Priorities for California Water The PPICWater Center held a last week,sponsored lnpart by NCVVA. Among the priorities was Advancing Ranmemat*s for Healthy Ecosystems,which featured apanel moderated by Jeff Mount,Senior Fellow, PPIC Water Policy Center.This included Lewis Bair,General Manager, Reclamation District No. 108,Ann Hayden,Senior Director of Western Water and California Habitat Exchange, Environmental Defense Fund, and Ric Ortega, General Manager,Grassland Water The history of haw the NCWA Salmon Recovery program resulted in construction of the Wallace Weir Project was highlighted by Lewis Bair. One key to turning the shared interest of non-governmental organizations(NGOs), Federal and State agencies, along with water managers,was building trust and confidence among stakeholders. Building on the success of the waterfowl program,the agencies working on salmon recovery meet monthly to figure out how to achieve the project goals. Having a champion like RD 108, is one of the keys to realizing the goals of the Wallace Weir,as Lewis Bair describes in this video pasted ori the Sacramento Valley Water Facebook pane about modernizing infrastructure to address fish passage and to help salmon recovery. Sacramento Valley Actions on Display at USCID Conference At the Tenth International Conference of the U.S. society for Irrigation and Drainage professionals held October 24-27, NCWA and Sacramento Valley water managers had the opportunity to showcase several of the proactive actions that fit with the theme of the conference- Finding the Balance—Improving Infrastructure, Water Management,and the Environment in a World with Limited Funding and Ample Regulations David Guy and GCID General Manager,Thad Bettner gave presentations at the conference. Additionally,a half-day field trip to see the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District's new canal automation project on the Winters Canal,a 100-year-old, 16-mile-long canal that has recently been retrofitted with 25 automatic level/flow control gates took place,and a full day tour Friday October 27 featured Sacramento Valley Salmon Recovery Program, including visits to Wallace Weir,the River Garden Farms Salmon Rearing Habitat Structures and the Nigiri Fish Food Program.The tour also stopped at the Bullock Bend Bank and to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge to showcase the Pacific Flyway. The Final stop featured a visit to the proposed Sites Reservoir,which would create a 1,800,000 acre-foot reservoir. USDA Makes Central Valley Appointments U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on November 3 announced a slate of Farm Service Agency (FSA)and Rural Development(RD)State Directors,all serving as appointees of President Donald J. Trump. For California,this included: • Colusa Supervisor Kim Vann has been working and serving in California's Rural Communities for nearly 20 years and her career gives her an excellent understanding of California's'Rural Communities needs and the experience to salve problems. Kim is currently the Chair of the Sites Project Authority. 2 • Aubrey Bettencourt is a third-generation California farmer,who not only brings to the USDA her farming experience but has also served as the Executive Director of the California Water Alliance while helping farmers meet for a clean, reliable water supply. FSA State Directors help implement U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA)policies in planning, organizing, and administering FSA programs in their respective states.They are also responsible for running the day-to-day activities of the state FSA office. Similarly, RD State Directors work to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. "These state directors will help ensure that USDA is offering the best customer service to our farmers, ranchers,foresters, and agricultural producers across the country,"Secretary Perdue said."FSA and RD both play a critical role in helping the people of agriculture,and are able to connect with people in their home states. They are the initial points of contact for millions of our USDA customers. Our goal is to help rural America prosper,and these state leaders will be of great assistance in that task." Groundwater Recharge Forum on November Sth_in_Sacramento The California Department of Food and Agriculture(CDFA),in collaboration with California Department of Water Resources(DWR)and other state entities,are hosting a Pul71ic FgLLji j on Managed Groundwater Recharge to SupL Sustainable Water Management.This all-day event will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center on November 8,2017 and bring together a variety of speakers to address groundwater recharge opportunities and issues. Here is re-t istration information. Con ressmen Calvert and LaMalfa Introduce HR 3916 FISH On October 3,Congressman Ken Calvert(CA-42)and Congressman Doug LaMalfa (CA-1), introduced the Federally Integrated Species Health(FISH)Act, H.R. 3916. The legislation would consolidate the management and regulation of the Endangered Species Act(ESA)within the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Rep. LaMalfa said:"Last year, the conflicting ESA responsibilities of the FWS and NMFS resulted in one agency demanding that water be released from Shasta Dam for Delta smelt,while simultaneously the other agency demanded that water be held back for salmon.The right hand should know what the left hand is doing,and the FISH Act will lead to better decisions by ensuring personnel working on different species actually talk to one another when developing policies. Farmer or environmentalist, urban or rural, everyone should support cutting duplicative bureaucracies to generate ESA plans that work." "It makes no sense to have multiple federal agencies responsible for enforcing the ESA,"said Rep. Calvert."The FISH Act is a good government bill that will benefit species and all stakeholders affected by the ESA through a unified approach to managing threatened and endangered species.As we have seen in 3 the California Bay Delta and other complex habitats,there are often conflicting and incompatible measures taken by different resource agencies." Earn Continuinc i Education Units for Nitrogen Management Yuba-Sutter Farm Bureau is hosting a workshop for growers who have received approval to self-certify their Nitrogen Management Plans(NMPs).Two(2)Continuing Education Units(CEUs)will be offered for those who attend. Spencer Cooper, the Irrigation and Water Efficiency Senior Manager for the California Almond Board will show growers how to use the Nitrogen calculator. Mr. Cooper will also cover irrigation distribution uniformity(DU)and its impacts on water and nutrient applications. Mark Cady,Senior Environmental Scientist forthe Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP)at CDFA will present the most recent information on NMP requirements.Topics to be covered will include completing NMP forms, working with CCAs,grower training class, 411 concept,accessing the FREP online guidelines and irrigation scheduling and efficiency. For more information contact Shae McElroy at shae.�ysarrlbureau.CoM. DWR Extends Deadline for 2017 GSP and Projects Submittal for Wildfires Governor Brown issued emergency proclamations on October 9, 2017 for Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada,Orange, Sonoma,and Yuba counties,and on October 10, 2417 for Solano County due to the effects of multiple fres. In light of these emergency proclamations, DWR will be extending the deadline for submitting applications for the 2017 Groundwater Sustiinability Plans �GSP) and Projects Proposal Solicitation Packang_C. 5P)for the Sustainable Groundwater Planning(SGWP)Grant Program for those basins in counties affected by fires as part of the Governor's emergency proclamations until December 1, 2017 at Spm. The deadline for submitting applications for the basins in other counties not impacted by the fires will remain November 13, 2017 at 5pm. Water Education Foundation Celebrates 40th_Anniversary When the Water Education Foundation (WEF)first produced its iconic California v'later moo in 1979,a side of beef donated by a rancher was raffled off at a major water conference to help fund its creation.Today, the maps are displayed at highway rest stops and offices up and down the state. On October 26,the WEF celebrated its 40th Anniversary at a dinner to mark the achievements of the organization and thank the supporters who make it happen. Achievements like raising awareness about 4 hot water topics such as the 1982 Peripheral Canal proposal.When the Foundation first wrote about the proposal for Western Watermagazine, some 10,000 extra copies were sold at 35 cents each. The Foundation has been a leader in bringing diverse voices together to help solve complex water issues and in educating Californians about water issues since 1977 through its publications,conferences, workshops,tours and other programs. David Guy serves on the WEF Board of Directors. DWR Invests In Forecasting Rain and snow are in the forecast this week. Is this the beginning of a wet, normal or dry year is the question on everybody's mind this time of the year. After five years of drought,the 2017 water year brought unexpectedly heavy precipitation, ranking second only to 1983 as California's wettest year for statewide runoff.The dramatic swing in water conditions highlights the need to develop better long-range weather forecasting to cope with the state's highly variable annual precipitation. DWR begins water year 2018 intent on narrowing the forecasting gap with improved subseasonal to seasonal(S2S)forecasting.Working with researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, DWR is developing innovative technology to forecast land-falling atmospheric rivers. "Current short-term forecasting for seven days out is 70 percent accurate, while the 14-day forecast is only seven percent accurate,"said DWR Director Grant Davis."That isn't adequate for water management.Advancing accurate,even longer-range forecasting is critical for our ability to plan for California's highly variable weather." IM® .V7 A s • r For a daily compilation of all the news shaping California water policy visit Aquafornia. httr):llaauafornia.com 5 Copyright©2017 Northern California Water Association,All rights reserved. NCWA News and Events Our mailing address is: Northern California Water Association 455 Capitol Mall, Suite 335 Sacramento, CA 95814 Add us to your address hook Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update..your preferences or unsubscribe from this list 6 Thomas, Autum From: NCWA <dherrera@norcalwater.org> Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2017 8:27 AM To: BCWater Subject: NCWA Social Media Newsletter View this email in your.browser Northern California Water Association 'I Managed Groundwater Recharge Opportunities in the Sacramento valley The Stale Board of Food and Agriculture today held a public forum White Deer:A unique find on"Managed Groundwater Recharge to Support Sustainable Water right here in the Management."The purpose of the forum was to identify benefits, Sacramento Valley. opportunities and barriers;gather momentum; and expand the Contributed by Paul Buttner implementation of managed groundwater recharge projects at all scales on agricultural lands and working landscapes for flood rick reduction,drought preparedness,and aquifer and ecosystem restoration. The Northern California Water Association in its presentation for the forum highlighted that"the State of California has strong policies to encourage managed groundwater and aquifer recharge,which is an important part of a statewide water management portfolio that will be necessary for California to serve water for various beneficial uses," NCWA also offered several thoughts on how state and local Video: Community agencies can work together to effectively implement these policies Memorial Museum of Sutter I by aligning them with local efforts to improve groundwater recharge County. Contributed by and the conjunctive management of surface and groundwater Jennifer Harrison resources.A full copy of Managed Groundwater Recharge to Support Sustainable Water Management:A Sacramento Valley Perspective is available here. The presentation articulated ideas on how state and local agencies : can work together to pursue additional opportunities for managed groundwater and aquifer recharge,with a focus on three themesf ,' that are important to the Sacramento Valley: Harvest festival brings farm • Multi-benefit approaches(i.e.,water for farms,fish,birds, life to the city. Chico ER. Flood protection)that benefit groundwater recharge; • Envisioning a new regulatory approach to encourage recharge opportunities;and • Local SGMA implementation opportunities in the Sacramento Valley for groundwater recharge. Exploring the Swan-Henry Toll Road. 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"F1kv,�<''a�'tia,••.�='" �`Fi�GTN��t.F�ta� ° ` ��e. a' .;;;'�.� :�it�i`� �'�'c�'��ri�z�.f��'S�S`S'`_^��4z,1'"�s �'}l� �+r:Y;..lv>i3`�'>.t'R'��'�,�;�YS' ��i. �r':, sa' .�x��. �, :...�.3�•ss�.`, ��5�loh�.'��C��I�.r N. a ° 9 a 4 Butte County Water&resource Conservation December,201 r { q Volume 18,Issue 12 Ip WaterSolutions ¢4' "To manage and conserve water and other resources for the citizens of Butte County" Update on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act Activities By Paul Gosselin As we reach the end of 2017, the efforts to implement the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) continue to move ahead. The journey begins to develop a groundwater sustainability plan (GSP) for the Vina, West Butte, East Butte and Wyan- dotte Creek subbasins by January 2022. An application to receive Proposition 1 grant funding to develop the groundwater sustainability plans (GSP) for the Vina, West Butte, East Butte and Wyandotte Creek subbasins was submitted in November. All of '1 £ 11 the GSAs are committed to work together to develop and implement the GSPs !' through the grant. Butte County is serving as the grant administrator. The develop- . ment of GSPs will fully engage the community in the groundwater sustainability plan- ning process through a professionally facilitated stakeholder process. The grant will provide resources to develop a GSP in each subbasin by 2022, which will meet SGMA R. requirements for groundwater sustainability by 2042. DWR expects to make decisions on GSP grant applications by the end of 2017. While we wait for the GSP grant funding decision, local subbasin discussions will be moving forward through a facilitated process. This fall, DWR agreed to provide facili- tation services for the Vina, West Butte, East Butte and Wyandotte Creek subbasins through the Center for Collaborative Policy (California State University, Sacramento). The Center for Collaborative Policy (CCP) team have been appraising the situation in Inside this issue each subbasin regarding potential governance options as it relates to GSP develop- Fall groundwater levels. 2 ment and implementation. An initial meeting has been scheduled for the Vina sub- basin on December 18th from 1-3 PM at the Chico Masonic Center. The purpose of Farm City Bus Tour........ 4 the meeting will be to discuss governance options that support GSP development and Lake Oroville Storage.... 6 implementation in the Vina subbasin. The meeting is open to the public and will be Hatchery Temperature.. 6 facilitated by Tania Carlone, Senior Facilitator with CCP. A meeting agenda and addi- tional information will be sent out in the next few weeks. Meetings for the other sub- basins will be scheduled soon. ;: i-<ti - o --; - ,_ - .,...--F.,. ,.. ,1...✓ a n "'�. "A' "�f' ik y 1r}y C,.C— Fall Groundwater Levels generally higher than in 2016 By Christina Buck Fall groundwater levels are overall an average of 3 feet higher compared to their fall 2016 levels in 113 comparable wells. Similar to the response of spring levels, in areas with the greatest declines during the dry years (Durham/Dayton, Esquon, Cherokee, Chico Urban Area,Vina), fall groundwater levels experienced the great- est increases. Levels are an average of 4 to 9 feet higher in these areas compared to fall 2016. With this historically wet year,we saw a nice bump in the fall ground- water levels as we did in the spring levels. In addition, many of the wells that have been in either Alert Stage 1 or Alert Stage 2 are no longer at an alert stage at all or moved from Alert 2 to Alert 1. There are now only 8 wells in Alert Stage 2 (compared to 18 wells in 2016). Wells in an alert stage generally indicate that wa- ter levels in the well are near or below previously recorded historical lows for that well. The map shows the locations of monitoring wells and which wells are in Alert Stage 1 or 2. GWL Change Fall 2016 to 2017 20 - - - - - - ... ......... ......... ......... ......... _ M Average Change in WSE 15 ®howerbound of Range M Upperbound of Range 4s 10 ------ -..._. _ .._... 5 -- - ----- --- - --- - - - rn. 0.2 0.9 0 { -1.2 -0.5 -0. -5 ..� -10 Note.+value indicates increased WSE, -value indicates decreased WSE -15 -......_.._._........_.._................. _.._ - --- - --- -- _-.._..___.._._ -..__-_..__-_._.._...........- --- - ------ %e A .YO O i- ra ro N qJ C � N ta10 U :t;! C LJ CZ -J 0! O O c11 m V O {�j ra > Q a OL Cr �7 c O Gt w '> m 4 J a' a' ro -0 O � ,'n co ro ¢ ° m The fall groundwater level data was measured by the Department of Water Re- sources Northern Region staff throughout the valley portion of the County during the week of October 9th. This data will be further reviewed by the Butte County Water Advisory and Technical Advisory Committees at their November 30th meeting and presented to the Water Commission on December 6th. It is im- portant to remember that each monitoring well tells its own story since they vary in depth, well type (irrigation, domestic, dedicated monitoring wells), location, and surrounding conditions, however fall levels overall also give a big picture view of basin conditions and how they change throughout the County and over time. The chart summarizes change in water surface elevation (WSE)for monitoring wells WME WIN within each sub-region between fall 2016 and 2017. `'.:._".._r BUTTE COUNTY BMO Program t Fall 2017 Aerl Stage 1 or 2 r J` HI CCON 'N URHAM DAYTO �} faM+T 0 PENTZ ' DURHAMI ANG DAYTON ESQUO SLO G a • 09 _ ER KE LLA�0 Stco ri WE ERN; ANAL Legendiy O f Fall 2017 Alert Stage 7HERMALRO o Monitored, No BMO CHVALE • • Alert not reached Alert 1 ° • ® Alert 2 • ORTH YUBA 0 Quest_ Meas. BIGGS. n WEST GRIDLEY No Meas. • Highway uT7E 4 Primary Streams g TTI SINK t C�Sub-inventory Units D 3 2 d 6 8 noes For more detailed information on the monitoring results, check out the summary spreadsheet included in the WAC/TAC packet available from our website (https:// www.buttecounty.net/wrcdocs/Programs/BMO/TAC/2017/1130/ TAC171130pkt.pdf). Also,the Water Data Library(http://www.water.ca.gov/ waterdatalibrary/) has a useful map tool that allows you to navigate to wells with groundwater level data in your neighborhood if you live in the valley. Call Christina Buck for additional information or with questions,530.552.3593. MSS%3 �, 5'` -f.�c.-� c � 5- 2 ti n r �' - -s f--. t fir{ -F_L.. -j> ^2 a �'.• � 5;'1�3;si�e�'&�x�1 J ,4�i4 f, y4 c, -Business Bus Tour Farm City Celebration Agri By Autum Thomas For the past 37 years the Farm City Celebration Committee has invited the citizens of Butte County to join them in a weeklong celebration of all things agriculture. With events such as the Kids' Day on the Farm,the Farm City Harvest Festival,a Dinner Dance, the Restaurant Program,and the Farm City Bus Tour,members of the general population get a chance to learn about agriculture and what it takes to get food on their plate. This year 1 was fortunate enough to join in on the celebration through the guided bus tour highlighting the Richvale area. Stops on the tour included Lundberg Family Farms, Deseret Farms of California,4 Corners Hulling&Shelling, a Butte County Water&Re- source Conservation well monitoring site, and Sohnrey Family Foods. our first stop was the Butte County Water and Resource Conservation monitoring well at Fenn Farms where we were met by Les Heringer,general manager of M&T Ranch,and .,._..,.:-; Dr.Christina Buck, Butte County's resident Water Scientist. While we were there Christi- :4. na and Les gave an overview of the history of water in California,the evolution of the ' Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and how Butte County is moving forward in the ever changing face of water management in our state. Christina explained that Butte County has partnered with the Department of Water Resources (DWR)to monitor rough- ly 125 groundwater wells throughout the basin in the Butte County area. Four times a a year the wells are monitored to measure water depth from the surface,the pH level, temperature and electrical conductivity. Some monitoring wells have data going back '< almost 100 years. The data is then compiled, reviewed and compared with prior data to get a better idea of the water use trend in our area. In general, Butte County's water levels have been pretty stable over the last 20 or so years,with the biggest declines hap- pening in the Durham area and during the drought. The data collected is available to the public on the DWR water data library. Les explained that current growing practices have increased water efficiency through the use of micro sprayers,drip irrigation and pressure bomb testing to get the most out of every drop of water. Farmers now able to produce more food with less water than they ever have in the past,leaving more water for urban and environmental uses. Christina went on to explain that one drawback of the overall . , decrease in water use on farms is that there is also a decrease in recharge of the sur- E. ;..: rounding aquifer system. If water is not applied back to the ground locally it goes down j' the stream to another water rights holder to replenish their aquifer, or is lost out to the r sea. The second stop on our tour was Four Corners Hulling and Shelling where we were 7xs shown around the facilities by General Manager Kevin Amator. Kevin is a member of one M "} of the seven ag families that started the hulling and shelling plant in 2006. Having start- p- z ed his employment as a teen, Kevin said that he has worked in every position at the plant;a valuable asset in a business where knowledgeable employees are the backbone of a successful operation. Between the time harvest season begins,the first week of Au- gust, until the first rains of the fall season, Four Corners hulls and shells more than 15 million pounds of almonds for more than 80 customers. Through a labyrinth of buckets, conveyors, destoners, detwiggers,vibration tables and chutes,the truckloads of almonds and the accompanying orchard debris are transformed. At the end of the line,the meats are returned to the grower and the debris is recycled by the processing plant to keep costs down for the grower. Twigs are chipped and sold to co-gen plants, rocks are recy- cled and used by landscaping supply and asphalt companies, and hulls are sold for cattle feed or bedding, all in an effort to keep costs down for customers. L',' Y M° The third stop an our tour was with Greg Sohnrey of Sohnrey Family Foods. Greg told us . that his family moved to California from Kansas in 1919 and since then there have been 5 4 generations of Sohnrey's working in agriculture around this area. Growing prunes,wal- iR:;� . . nuts,rice,and almonds. The family has recently ventured into the retail market with the opening of the Sohnrey Family Foods store on Skillin Lane,south of Chico. The store sells s• products such as honey, nuts, candy,almond butter, rice,jerky and gift baskets from not m only Sohnrey Farms, but other local growers and producers as well. The fourth stop on our tour was a visit to Lundberg Family Farms where Grant Lundberg V : introduced us to his family story. Grant explained that in 1937 his grandfather,Albert , Lundberg,moved to California from Nebraska. Being a young man during the Dustbowl, Albert observed how quality farmland was destroyed by short-sighted farming tech- niques and poor soil management. Albert made a conscious decision to find better ways www.SohnroyFamilyFoods.com to farm and made sure to pass that important message on to his children. Now,80 years . 4x 8killin lane later, Lundberg Family Farms is still going strong and has transitioned from farming into Orowille,GA 95965 food production with an emphasis on non-GMO,whole grains, organic practices and nat- (530)871-1975 ural products.While they still continue to grow rice,the food production aspect of their operation has grown to include packaged rice,side dishes,snacks and rice syrup. 'A" �0 ,> Lundberg Farms continues to grow 40-50 percent of the rice used in their products and contracts with other growers for the remainder of their need. ', y • :'" : "A The last stop on the tour was Deseret Farms of California pecan orchard,with orchard manager Sam Richardson. The pecan orchard was originally planted in the late 80's by Emmett Skinner, and with marginal soil,the planting itself was a bit of a gamble. Very little was known at the time about how successful the planting would be because pecans were most often grown in the southern United States. When Emmet had questions r about which variety to plant, how far apart to plant them,their susceptibility to pests, how they were pruned, how to harvest the nuts or what kind of yield they would bring, no one had any information. Plenty of information was available from sources in the south, but very little of that was helpful in our soils,temperature and climate. So Em- mett decided on the Pawnee and Shoshone varieties,es, and with Sam's help,experimented - ill until they worked out a system that was successful. The nuts are harvested numerous times throughout the season. As the clusters of husks become ripe they start to split, ^ releasing the nuts and allowing them to be shaken from the tree. Sam explained that s when the yields get too high the quality and weight of the meat suffers,so they like to y keep a good balance of yield to weight,with good yields being around 2700 pounds per 3 = ' acre. Currently in-shell pecans are prized by the Chinese,with the majority of their crop ^l. going overseas. in the United States pecans are more widely used pre-shelled and pack- � _•, :• T::- aged for baking. When the last stop was complete and our bus meandered its way back to the Chico State Farm with the promise of a wonderful lunch and melodious music, I had a moment to r reflect on what I had learned throughout the day. Each of locations we visited was a tes- tament to the determination a farmer must have to be successful in our world today. Whether they are dealing with climate change and drought,or dreaming of a better way to do things and joining forces to make the dream a reality,or finding a niche and filling it, or the balancing act of making a profit while still caring for the resources they are en- trusted,or branching out and doing something no one has ever done before-even if it seems a little crazy. The agricultural community is filled with men and women who spend their lives living on the edge of the rich history they bring with them and the quick- ly changing future of farming in America. And for every one of those men and women, I am eternally grateful yi a , 1� 1 i Meeting Schedules Water Commission 12/6/2017,1:30 p.m. Board of Supervisors Chambers F t 25 County Center Drive Board of Supervisors r� 12/12/2017,9:00 a.m. Board of Supervisors Chambers 25 County Center Drive Lake Oroville Storage Combination Water/Calendar Year E.0 Department of Water& Resource Conservation 3.e .. --......--.---.-----�--- .' Capacity'3.54 n 308 Nelson Avenue 1.2 _ Oroville,CA 95965 Phone:530.552.3595 Fax:530.536.3807 14 E-mail:bcwater@buttecounty.net Website:www.buttecounty,net/ >_.0 waterandresource Water&Resource Conservation Staff 1.2 2ata-2017 - -- • Paul Gosselin,Director • —xols-rale • Vickie Newlin, 18 20-.4-2015 Assistant Director - 2013-2014 • Christina Buck,Water ).4 —2012_2013 Resource Scientist ---.,0—bl.b mea;•, + AutLun Thomas, ).o updateamr>wgh lvrzsr20i7 Administrative Analyst, Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Associate 2017 Hatchery& Robinson Riffle Temperatures Water Commission 66 - - - 44000 cs^r:oa�ono�as 6bKclivc IJ c 1. vp110] _______________________ .__......._.._.._.-_.._-..._.� F?other River FfSh Hatch?rywa5 .-......,. • Kathy Chance 64 -------- 40000 Out O`s?rvlce Ace tc maiatence • Mark Grover from 7/31/17 thrt;6/21/17 62 ... ..- . -. ........ - ---'-- ---- --------=--- ------ -- 36000 • DC Jones,Vice-Chair • Cod Kimmelshue ---------------------------- ----------------------- ----- 60 :.....:....................................._ 32000 • Mauny Roethler • Ryan Scholtz o se -----.- _ _ ------ ......... ... ............. 2800D • David Skinner,Chair 4) n • ,', I - ----------------------- --- 2400D Matthew . .. -- - — - L - • Ernie Washington m € r, cw*�r+•al CL 54 ............ 2000DC' d W 52 .�1 ............. .... . ..... .. . ---- ..-_.-.........- 16000 oSO ------- _____________________________________________________ .. •�. ...... .. ...,...,.. ..._______._.__ 12000 er qg -------------- ------------------------------------- .., ...---' -------'- 8000 46 --------- ------ --- -- ----------------- ---- --- --------- _ 4000 44 0 Butte County .l� 5 4 z + r3 m r` >` i2 5 9a z 9 a 5 0 o A WRIER&RESOURCE CONSERVATION Hatchery Ohlectme —R R Water Temp —65 Degree R R-Objective Hatchery Water Temp Pull Shutter t tmlalt Shutter Lm Flow Channel(CFS) ----River Valve(eft)