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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08.10.20 Paul Gosselin - DWRC Materials for Discussion on August 25th AT0 Water & Resource Conservation Paul Gosselin, Director Department Summary Mission Statement The mission of the Department of Water and Resource Conservation is to manage and conserve water and other resources for the residents of Butte County. Department Description and Key Issues The department operates programs to manage, sustain, and protect water resources for Butte programs pursuant to the Groundwater Conservation Ordinance (Chapter 33 of the Butte County Code) and the General Plan 2030. The department is responsible for overseeing Butte Vina, Butte, and Wyandotte Creek. The key activities of the department include: Monitoring of and reporting on groundwater conditions (i.e., elevation, quality, subsidence) as required by the Groundwater Conservation Ordinance (Chapter 33 of the Butte County Code); Administering the Groundwater Conservation Ordinance (Chapter 33 of the Butte County Code); Implementing the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in coordination with Groundwater Sustainability Agencies in Butte County subbasins; Leading County efforts to assess and respond to drought through the Drought Preparedness and Mitigation Plan; Leading County efforts to address water supply reliability issues; Leading efforts to educate and inform the public about water resources; Advancing a regional water resource management approach through the Northern Sacramento Valley and the Upper Feather River Integrated Regional Water Management Boards; and Providing administrative support for the Butte County Water Commission and the Technical Advisory Committee. The department will continue to support the Northern Sacramento Valley and Upper Feather River Integrated Regional Water Management Plans. If grant funds are awarded in 2020, the department will administer them on behalf of seven project proponents in the region, four of which are in the County. Additionally, the department will participate in State initiatives (e.g., legislation, Delta Conveyance Project, State Water Resources Control Board proceedings, and State Water Project contract negotiations) that may impact Butte County water resources. The continued implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act will dominate activities in the 2020-21 fiscal year. Under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (Agencies) must submit and implement a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (Plan) by January 2022. In 2018, Butte County received a grant from Proposition 1 on behalf of all Agencies to support the development of these Plans. In 2019, Agencies were established in each subbasin and Boards and advisory committees seated to implement the law. Butte County is one of many Agencies in the three subbasins in the County. 236 Water & Resource Conservation Paul Gosselin, Director Department Summary Agencies have committed to develop one Plan in each subbasin. The department is working with these Agencies to develop Plan content which will document existing conditions and establish groundwater sustainability goals and enforceable actions that will achieve sustainability by 2042. WATER & RESOURCE CONSERVATION BUDGET 2018-192019-202020-212020-21 ActualsAdoptedRequestedRecommended Intergovernmental Revenues141,132 374,312 618,955 618,955 Miscellaneous Revenues- - - - Total Revenues141,132$ 374,312$ 618,955$ 618,955$ Salaries and Employee Benefits521,612 590,022 614,088 614,088 Services and Supplies456,520 427,715 637,812 637,812 Other Charges92 - 1,500 1,500 Special Items68,008 50,402 63,106 63,106 Total Expenditures1,046,231$ 1,068,139$ 1,316,506$ 1,316,506$ Net Costs/Use of Fund Balance905,098$ 693,827$ 697,551$ 697,551$ Full Time Equivalent Source of Funds (Revenues) Position AllocationsTotal 2016-17Adopted Positions General purpose revenue (GPR) from the 4.00 2017-18Adopted Positions 4.00 General Fund is the largest revenue source for 2018-19Adopted Positions 4.00 the department. 2019-20Adopted Positions 4.00 2019-20Current Positions * 4.00 Intergovernmental revenue comes from State 2020-21Recommended Positions 4.00 Proposition 1 grant funds which support the *Asof4/14/2020 development of Groundwater Sustainability Plans required under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Recommended Source of Funds (Revenues $1,316,506) 100% 80% 60% 53% 47% 40% 20% 0% Intergovernmental RevenuesGPR 237 Water & Resource Conservation Paul Gosselin, Director Department Summary Use of Funds (Expenditures) Services and supplies include contracts for groundwater monitoring and studies, and development of Groundwater Sustainability Plans. Office supplies, utilities, and training are also included. Salaries and benefits is the largest expenditure category for the department. Special items include costs for support services provided by County Administration, Department of Human Resources, Department of Information Systems, and Treasurer- Other charges include interfund transfers for vehicle maintenance. Recommended Use of Funds (Expenditures $1,316,506) 100% 80% 60% 48% 47% 40% 20% 5% 0% 0% Salaries and EmployeeServices and SuppliesSpecial ItemsOther Charges Benefits Summary of Budget Request and Recommendation Salaries & Employee Benefits Requested The department budget request includes funding to maintain current staffing levels. Recommended The recommendation includes funding to maintain current staffing levels. Services & Supplies Requested The department budget request includes funding to maintain current service levels. The department budget request includes funding for Groundwater Sustainability Plans related to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. 238 Water & Resource Conservation Paul Gosselin, Director Department Summary Recommended The recommendation includes funding for the requested services and supplies. Capital Assets Requested The department budget request does not include any capital assets. Recommended The recommendation does not include any capital assets. 239 STATE CONTROLLER SCHEDULESBUTTE COUNTYSCHEDULE 9 COUNTY BUDGET ACTFINANCING SOURCES AND USES BY BUDGET UNIT BY OBJECT January 2010, revision #1GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS FISCAL YEAR 2020-21 BUDGET UNIT: 620 - WATER & RES CONSV FUNCTION: PUBLIC PROTECTION ACTIVITY: OTHER PROTECTION FUND: 0010 - GENERAL FUND Detail by Revenue Category and Expenditure Object2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2020-21 2020-21 ActualEstimatedRequestedRecommendedAdopted by Board of Supervisors 12 3 4 5 6 REVENUES 450INTERGOVERNMNTL REVENUES141,132374,312618,955618,955- TOTAL REVENUES$141,132$374,312$618,955$618,955- EXPENDITURES/APPROP. 510SALARIES & EMPLOYEE BENE521,612590,022614,088614,088- 520SERVICES & SUPPLIES456,520427,715637,812637,812- 550OTHER CHARGES92-1,5001,500- 590SPECIAL ITEMS68,00850,40263,10663,106- TOTAL EXPENDITURES/APPROP.$1,046,231$1,068,139$1,316,506$1,316,506- NET COSTS/USE OF FUND BALANCE$905,098$693,827$697,551$697,551- 240 Budget Overview of the Department of Water and Resource Conservation Proposed 2020-21 Budget The Department budget is met by General Purpose revenue and reimbursement from grants. The Department administers programs to manage groundwater resources, support local water supplies (communities, economic and environmental) and enhance County revenue. 1. Total Net County Cost - $697,551 2. Department Operations a. Salary and Wages $614,088 (4 Full-time equivalents) b. Operating $127,218 Total $741,306 3. Revenue Contracts The Department will have three revenue contracts in 2020-21. The Department will charge the grant for associated administrative costs. a. SGMA/GSP (Proposition 1) $630,000 (County reimbursement $43,955) b. Sierra Institute $ 45,000 (County reimbursement $3,600)* c. Integrated Regional Water Management (Proposition 1) $3.0 million (County reimbursement $7,400)* * Schedule A Adds $11,100 to General Fund Budget History The Water and Resource Conservation Department began as the Water Division of the Agriculture Butte County Code. The measure was one of two competing groundwater regulatory measures placed on the November 5, 1996 ballot and upon its passage was incorporated into the Butte County Code. The initial implementation of the Groundwater Conservation Ordinance included establishing a division for water management under the direction of the Butte County Agriculture Department, referred to as the Water Division. The Butte County Water Commission advised the Board of Supervisors on staffing needs and a two-tier approach was developed to assist the Water Commission with its task. One tier was confined to implementing the provisions of the Groundwater Conservation Ordinance only, while the second tier would allow the Water Division to address broader county-wide water concerns including state initiatives that may impact Butte County. In May 1997, the Water Commission recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve the second-tier, with a total of three (3) allocated positions. The new Water Division of the Agriculture Department was established effective July 1, 1997. The Water Division was assigned responsibility for: Implementing the Groundwater Conservation Ordinance Monitoring state and federal water policy Maintaining a library of water documents Providing support staff to the Water Commission and the Technical Advisory Committee contract between the State of California Department of Water Resources and the County. These remain as primary responsibilities today. On July 1, 1999, . Staff and related resources were moved from the Agriculture Department to the newly created Department of Water and Resource Conservation (Department). The mission statement, which was approved by the Board of Supervisors, i The Department was funded from three sources 1. County General Fund 2. Table A revenue 3. State and federal grants The initial County general fund support provided resources for the initial three departmental staff. In the early 2000s, a fourth position was added, Water Resource Scientist (previously a Program Manager), that was reliant upon grant funding. During the fiscal crisis of 2008-10, grant funding was frozen or unavailable. Water Revenue Until 2008, Butte County was allowed to reduce its Table A amount and was only charged for water used to meet the in-county demand. Butte County has Table A contracts with Del Oro Water Company and California Water Service Oroville. The revenue from in-county Table A contracts were less than $200,000. The Department received the in-county Table A revenue costs. Beginning in 2008, the Department of Water Resources began charging the County for the full Table A allocation whether or not it was used. The Table A became a fiscal liability. In 2008, Butte County entered into a two year lease of the portion of its Table A allocation not needed for local purposes. In 2012, lease agreements were entered into that currently have a term ending in 2031. The lease agreements assured that the Table A costs would be met and the County would receive net general purpose revenue with a 4-4.5% annual increase. The current general purpose revenue from the lease agreements has increased steadily and above the rate of inflation since 2012. When the lease agreements were enacted, internal discussions occurred on how to structure the revenue (i.e., restricted account) and determine the purpose for the use of the revenue. The revenue generated from the long- term lease agreements were designated as general purpose revenue subject to the discretion of the Board of Supervisors. All other water supply revenue (e.g., in-county Table A revenue) was removed as a Departmental revenue source. The Department became solely dependent upon general purpose revenue. There was acknowledgement that a portion of these general purpose revenue would be used to support water resource programs. As part of this decision, a baseline adjustment was made in the 2015-2016 fiscal year and since then to fully fund the existing complement of department staff and operations from the general fund. The other purpose of the revenue was to fund water resource programs. Instead of pre-determining a set amount through a baseline adjustment, support for the water resource programs was to be based on a work plan and an annual budget expansion request. In 2013, the Department developed a water resource program work plan called the Water Resource Management and Protection Project (Project). The Project was approved by the Board of Supervisors on January 8, 2013. The Board of Supervisors allocated funds through budget expansion requests to update the groundwater model, develop water budgets (Water Inventory and Analysis Report 2016) and recharge investigations (e.g. AEM Project). A summary of the Project scope is provided below. The Table A lease agreements are not the only agreements that the Department developed which increase The Department developed other water supply agreements (e.g., PG&E Non-project water) that resulted in additional general purpose revenue of approximately $48,000 to the County. The net general purpose revenue from water supply agreements in 2020 is approximately $1,782,267. Table A Revenue 2020 $4,099,698 lease (Palmdale & Westside Districts) $ 19,322 in-county (Del Oro Water Company and CalWater Oroville) $4,119,011 Total Table A Revenue Table A Charge $2,381,744 Net Table A Revenue $1,737,267 Non-Project Water $ 45,000 Cal Water Service- Oroville Total Net Revenue $1,782,267 Water Resource Management and Protection Projects Water Inventory and Analysis Report and Butte Basin Groundwater Model Update ($164,992) Completed in 2016 Stable Isotope Project ($135,143) Completed in 2017 Airborne Electromagnetic Method ($200,000) Data acquisition completed in 2020 Due to staff capacity and limited General Fund resources, the Department has not requested support for County funded projects for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Conclusion The funding for the Department has shifted over the 21 years of its existence. The proposed budget is sufficient to maintain the existing Departmental staff and resources to meet its obligations. The Department will continue to explore creative opportunities to fund water resource programs that benefit the County. BUTTE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF WATER & RESOURCE CONSERVATION STRATEGIC PLAN: 2019-2024 MISSION VISION VALUES 1 THE CHALLENGES AHEAD Over the next decade, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) will be fully implemented. Actions over the next five years will dictate the success of sustainable groundwater resource management for generations. Successful implementation of SGMA will provide economic and ecological sustainability for those who rely on groundwater in Butte County. The Camp Fire incident and other disasters will pose long-term water supply impacts. Local communities, particularly Disadvantaged Communities, face on-going challenges to water supply reliability and water quality impacts. Addressing these challenges are critical to sustainability for the entire County. As Butte County secures a sustainable future for its groundwater resources, external actions continue to pose challenges to sustainability. The Delta Conveyance Project, previously the California WaterFix, and the Bay-Delta Water Quality Plan may become operational in the next five years. These two state initiatives could alter the delivery of surface water and cause an increase in groundwater demand. These challenges heighten the importance of regional water resource management coordination. The Department will continue to work with local and regional partners to develop regional water management strategies that protect all water rights and assure the sustainability of our shared groundwater resources. The specific strategic goals over the next five years include: 1. Implement the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act 2. Prepare for and mitigate effects from drought conditions and climate change 3. Provide leadership to address local and regional water resource issues 4. Support the protection of area of origin, county of origin, water right priorities and local water resource management authority 2 PRIORITIES FOR 2019-2024: GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The goals and objectives for 2019-2024 covers the actions of the department for the next five years. We recognize that circumstances will affect these and other priorities. oals and objectives will be a dynamic document that will be updated annually. Action items are designed as O for Ongoing, S for Short term (1-2 years), M for Medium term (3-5 years) or L for Long term (greater than five years). The designations are intended as a general characterization at this point in time. The actual sequencing of action items may be adjusted due to funding availability and changed circumstances. If an action item was part of the Groundwater Conservation Ordinance (Chapter 33), the General Plan 2030 Action Plan or related to SGMA implementation, the reference is provided. 1. Implement the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act 2. Prepare for and mitigate effects from drought conditions and climate change 3. Provide leadership to address local and regional water resource issues 4. Support the protection of area of origin, county of origin, water right priorities and local water resource management authority Action Items 1. Promote agricultural and urban water use efficiency. (L) (General Plan W-A4.2) 2. Encourage and cooperate with local water purveyors to support the delivery of surface water for the economic development of agriculture in Butte County. (O) (General Plan W-A2.3) (SGMA) 3. Develop a feasibility study in cooperation with CalWater and other water agencies to ct Table A allocation and other local water supplies. (M) (General Plan W-A3.3) (SGMA) 4. Assist in restoring and improving resiliency of water supplies and infrastructure impacted by the Camp Fire and other disasters. (S) 5. Assist in the development of reliable water supplies in Butte County (M) (SGMA) 6. Administer and update the Drought Preparedness and Mitigation Plan (O/S) Action Items 1. Monitor and Report Groundwater Conditions (O) (SGMA)(Chapter 33) a. Monitor groundwater elevation, subsidence and water quality (temperature, ph and electrical conductivity); (O) b. Prepare the annual Groundwater Status Report; (O) c. Continue to be the Butte County monitoring and reporting entity for the California Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring (CASGEM) program. (O) 3 d. Improve the groundwater monitoring network through the installation of additional monitoring wells. (S) (SGMA) (General Plan W-A1.1) e. Cooperate with state and regional partners on the Sacramento Valley Global Positioning System Land Subsidence Monitoring Project (M) 2. Participate in the preparation and update of water budgets through the Groundwater Sustainability Plans (O) (General Plan W-A3.5)(SGMA) 3. Develop and maintain analytical tools and monitoring approaches to evaluate water resources (SGMA) a. Butte Basin Groundwater Model and other modeling approaches (O) b. Geophysical Analytical Approaches (S) c. Stream gauging (S) 4. Collaborate with academia, other agencies, and foundations on innovative analytical approaches to improve the hydrogeologic conceptual model (O) Action Items 1. Administer the Groundwater Conservation Ordinance related to surface water transfers that involve groundwater substitution. (O) (SGMA)(Ch. 33) 2. Support the development and implementation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans (O) (SGMA) 3. Conduct comprehensive, countywide mapping of water resources and groundwater recharge areas. (M) (General Plan W-A3.1) (SGMA) 4. Integrate water resource considerations into land use planning (M) (SGMA) 5. Improve groundwater recharge (M) (SGMA) a. Assist in the development of programs to manage storm water to promote groundwater recharge (M) (SGMA) i. SGMA) ii. Support the development of a Rock Creek/Keefer Slough flood management/recharge project (M) b. Develop in-lieu recharge projects through the utilization of available surface water supplies (L) (SGMA)(General Plan W-A3.3) c. Facilitate the adoption of dual water (surface and groundwater) source irrigation systems (S) (SGMA)(General Plan W-A4.2) Action Items 1. Develop a cooperative relationship with Groundwater Sustainability Agencies in adjoining subbasins (SGMA) (M). 2. Support the Northern Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional Water Management Plan and the Upper Feather River Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (O) 3. Support Area of Origin water rights, the existing water right priority system and the unities, economy, and environment. (O) 4. Actively engage in state water policies that may affect Butte County (O) 4 a. Participate in the California Water Plan (O) b. Engage in the Delta Conveyance Project (California WaterFix) and the State Water Resources Control Board Bay Delta Water Quality Plan. (O) c. Assess the compatibility of state and federal legislation and programs with Butte (O) Action Items 1. Continue to prepare and distribute the newsletter, Water Solutions, on a monthly basis (O) 2. Continue to provide leadership in local and regional water forums (O) 3. Continue to participate in educational forums (O) 4. Promote water education curriculum in local school districts (M) 5 Water and Resource Conservation Paul Gosselin, Director buttecounty.net/waterresourceconservation 308 Nelson Avenue T: 530.552.3595 Oroville, California 95965 F: 530.538.3807 bcwater@buttecounty.net MEMORANDUM DATE: August 10, 2020 TO: Butte County Board of Supervisors FROM: Paul Gosselin, Director RE: Water Resources Update August 2020 The following is an update of significant water resource issues from the Department of Water and Resource Conservation. Sustainable Groundwater Management Act 1. Groundwater Sustainability Plans The Department and the other GSA managers are working on various portions of the Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP) for the Vina, Butte and Wyandotte Creek subbasins. The effort to develop GSPs is being assisted through professional services funded through the Proposition 1 grant and support through the Department of Water Resources. The GSPs remain on schedule to meet the January 30, 2022 deadline. The major effort for the last two years has been the development of the basin setting and other technical portions (e.g., monitoring protocol, groundwater dependent ecosystems) of the GSP. The public draft basin setting documents have been released for a 30-day thth public comment period from August 7 -September 8. These chapters will not be considered final until they are combined with the rest of the GSP for review and public comment sometime in mid-2021. The public review and comment period will provide a good foundation for moving into the GSP completion phase. Comments on the basin setting chapters will help inform advisory committees and GSA Boards of significant issues that need to be considered during development of SMCs and Projects and Management Actions. The development of GSPs for the three subbasins is transitioning to phase for completing the remaining GSP elements. 2. Governance Meetings th The Vina GSA Board will meet on August 12. The Vina Stakeholders Advisory th Committee will meet on August 18. The Wyandotte Creek GSA Board will meet on th August 27. A meeting of the Butte Subbasin Advisory Board has not been scheduled yet. Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee In 2016, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 16-151 that formed the Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee (GPAC) to advise the County during the development of the groundwater sustainability plans under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The GPAC membership is comprised of two agricultural groundwater pumpers from each of the four subbasins that were established at that time and an environmental representative. The GPAC structure and role were reached through a negotiation and agreement between the environmental interests (Butte Environmental Council) and agricultural interests (Farm Bureau). The GPAC provided an effective forum for the County to solicit input from groundwater users on SGMA implementation. The proceedings, meeting summaries and recommendations of the GPAC can be found on the GPAC webpage at https://www.buttecounty.net/waterresourceconservation/Sustainable-Groundwater- Management-Act/Groundwater-Pumpers-Advisory-Committee. Since governing structures are established in the three subbasins, the purpose of the GPAC is no longer necessary. Staff discussed disbanding the GPAC with the Water Commission on August 5, 2020. A GPAC meeting will be scheduled to consider a recommendation from the GPAC to the Board regarding disbanding the GPAC. A recommendation to disband the GPAC may be brought to the Board of Supervisors for consideration in September or October. Drought Preparation The 2020 water year which runs from October 1 to September 30 is likely to be another dry or below average year. This continues the dry pattern since 2000. In anticipation of drought related impacts, the Department is beginning to conduct drought related outreach including soliciting reports of private well problems. The reports provide the Department with information on the extent and scope of private well problems. The Department may convene a Drought Task Force meeting later in the year. Miocene Canal Water Supply In June, PG&E plead guilty to 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and causing the 2018 Camp Fire. As part of the plea agreement with the Butte County restore water to the Miocene Canal. PG&E has agreed to provide up to $15 million over the next five years towards restoring water to the Miocene Canal. The Department is continuing to facilitate discussion among PG&E, stakeholder and local partners. The immediate effort involves securing a short-term solution that could be implemented this summer. PG&E is planning to have a temporary outtake at Lime Saddle that would deliver water to the Middle Miocene. There are a number of permits, agreements and approvals required to achieve this goal including approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The FERC approval could take 8 months or longer. Plans for the temporary outtake are proceeding along with evaluation of alternatives that could be implemented sooner. One alternative involves upsizing the current Del Oro Water Company outtake at Lime Saddle and using the increase capacity to put a sufficient amount of water into the Middle Miocene. An engineering study on this alternative is expected to be completed in two weeks. At that point, a decision will be made which approach will be taken to restore water to the th Miocene. The Department held a Miocene Canal Workgroup meeting on July 24. The th next Miocene Canal Workgroup meeting will be held on August 28. Tuscan Water District LAFCo informed the County that the application to form the Tuscan Water District (TWD) was found to be incomplete and was withdrawn. LAFCo stated that they anticipate that the application will be resubmitted. LAFCo will reissue a notice to agencies soliciting comments after an application is resubmitted and LAFCo finds that it is complete. Water Resiliency Portfolio Governor Newsom released the Water Resiliency Portfolio on July 29, 2020. The Board of Supervisors submitted comments on January 28, 2020. Staff will review the Portfolio and present an overview to the Water Commission in September. The September Water Resources report to the Board of Supervisors will include a summary of the Portfolio. Paradise Irrigation District (PID) Options Study The s began in April. The study is being led by Sacramento State University under the direction of the State Water Resources Control Board. The study will evaluate potential options for PID to remain viable as well as water supply reliability along the Ridge. Initial options proposed by PID include local transfers of treated and raw water (including the PID-Chico Intertie), out-of-basin transfer of raw water, rate increases, new business operations and taking no action. There has not been any meetings or correspondence nd since May. An announcement was sent to stakeholders on July 22. The scope of work for the project was finalized that includes conducting an options study and community outreach. Plans are underway to schedule a stakeholder meeting. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.