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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3_10_21 TAC Minutes Summary DraftUKIAH VALLEY BASIN GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY 340 Lake Mendocino Dr.  Ukiah  California 95482  (707)463-4363  fax (707)463-5474 1 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meeting 1:00 P.M. – Wednesday, March 10, 2021 Mendocino County Administration Center, 501 Low Gap Road, Room 1010, Ukiah CA 95482 Virtual Meeting via Zoom Supporting Documents: • March 10, 2021 Agenda • UVBGSA TAC Presentation  January 13, 2021 Minutes Summary  February 10, 2021 Minutes Summary Meeting Summary 1. Call to Order and Roll Call TAC Members Present: Laurel Marcus, Beth Salomone, Sean White, Mike Webster, Ken Todd, Levi Paulin Absent: James Linderman, Javier Silva All Others Present: John Bliss, Amir Mani, Laura Foglia, Amber Fisette, Betty Elzufon, Deborah Edelman, Don Seymour, Zachary Robinson, Jared Walker, Jerry (SCI), Jim Sullivan, Joseph Brinkley, Rich Pauloo, Alfred White 2. Approval of Meeting Summary from the January 13, 2021 Meeting Committee Action: Motion to approve the minutes from the January, 2021 TAC Meeting, Motion, Motion made by Ken Todd, Seconded by Laurel Marcus. Motion carries to approve meeting summary from January 13, 2021 meeting. No Comments 3. Approval of Meeting Summary from the February 10, 2021 Meeting Committee Action: Motion to approve the minutes from the February 10, 2021 TAC Meeting Motion made by Ken Todd, Seconded by Laurel Marcus. Motion carries to approve meeting summary from February 10, 2021 meeting. No Comments 4. Introduction to Groundwater Sustainability Funding for the Ukiah Valley Basin GSA UKIAH VALLEY BASIN GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY 340 Lake Mendocino Drive  Ukiah  California 95482  (707)463-4363  fax (707)463-5474 2 Presenter(s): John Bliss, SCI Consulting Introduction:  Looking at appropriate size funding structure of local funding for GSA  What will the costs be for the GSA Implementation o Operations/Maintenance  Admin: 10-25k  Grant Writers: 15k  Monitoring: 25-50K/yr  Remediation Fund o Capital Costs  Grant Driven with Local Contribution  Funding Mechanism o Existing Revenue Sources o Grants/Loans o Regulatory Fees o Additional Revenue  Property Related Fees – Non-Balloted (Allocated to Well Owners)  Special Taxes – Balloted (Allocated to all Prop. Owners)  Property Related Fee o 300 a year on wells – 60k/annual o 500 a year on wells – 140k/annual  Special Tax Model o Parcel Acre Tax o $4/yr per parcel and $1/yr per Ag Acre – 62k o $10/yr per parcel and $2/yr per Ag Acre – 140k  Next Steps o Refine Funding Strategy o Community Outreach Discussion:  Laurel Marcus: How do those numbers cover monitoring?  Laura Foglia: Preliminary numbers, instrumented with continuous instruments and the numbers provide a rough cost of replacing these over the years averaged out. We do not have strict costs for Water Quality or Stream Gages yet. Field work twice per year for telemetry maintenance. These can be refined at a later date  Laurel Marcus: Streamflow Maintenance. Seems like the number being pitched is low.  John Bliss: Costs should be more but the high number should be 100k a year. We should be able to visit 25 sites twice a year. SCI will provide a technical memo for inclusion in the GSP.  Amir Mani: Should have a better idea of costs as we complete the water quality monitoring network and PMA’s Committee Action: None 5. Discussion Regarding Projects and Management Actions UKIAH VALLEY BASIN GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY 340 Lake Mendocino Drive  Ukiah  California 95482  (707)463-4363  fax (707)463-5474 3 Presenter(s): Laura Foglia, Larry Walker and Associates. Introduction:  Create Minimum Threshold (Fall), Measurable Objective (Spring) and creating Triggers based on Historical Spring Average  Will use the triggers based off of the variable spring values. o A dry winter will create a low spring value indicating a trigger to implement a PMA by the GSA to remedy the lack of water levels.  SMC for AQ 2 o Undesirable Result: Significant/Unreasonable Reduction of long term GW availability o ID of Undesirable Results: More than 1 RMP exceed their MT for two consecutive years o Minimum Threshold: Lowest Fall Measurement for Multiyear Drought (2012- 2016) o Trigger: Not a regulatory burden but a management index set to average historical spring measurement  PMA’s 2022-2042 o Achieve ISW and Surface Water Sustainability Indicator o Prevent Future Degradation of Currently Stable Water Table conditions  PMA Categories o Supply Augmentation o Demand Management o Recharge and Conjunctive Use  Legal Obligation of GSA o Prevent UR o Spread cost of solutions across users o Adopt a state approved plan  Priorities o Minimize Impacts to Basin Economy (Farming) o Minimize cost/maximize external funding o Emphasize carrot over stick Discussion:  Laura Foglia: MT is the lowest Fall Value (2016) for the most recent drought as defined by SGMA. If the Lowest fall measurement in the most recent drought is the MT. MO is where you want the trend going Spring 2015 or higher.  Sean White: 40 Feet is a very high level already so there is a strong rebound even with the two year consecutive drop. Don’t want to paint ourselves into a corner when there is lower availability of SW.  Laura: This is why we need the discussion. We need to define the Undesirable Results.  Amir Mani: The Measureable Objective we want to be there in 2042. The lowest of the recent drought is the minimum historical. We can go lower than that but we don’t have the data to back that up. UKIAH VALLEY BASIN GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY 340 Lake Mendocino Drive  Ukiah  California 95482  (707)463-4363  fax (707)463-5474 4  Don Seymour: If we are reducing infiltration into the system through SW we don’t have the data to back that up.  Laura Foglia: It’s not that Ukiah Valley has a target because we are not in overdraft based on the data. We want enough water available in July, Aug, Sept to allow everyone to take from the river. We need to decide how to sustain those decisions for Ag, Municipal, Domestic wells.  Amber Fisette: Seconds Sean’s point about the MT. What are the consequences of us not achieving the MO.  Laura Foglia: By 2042 we just need to stay above the MO and stay out of the MT. The MO is an aspirational goal not a set in stone number.  Laurel Marcus: If we turn off the PVP and have temperature increases. Why are we going to use the 2015 number, we have too many other concerns to take into account.  Laura Foglia: You can add to the MT as long as it is not an Undesirable Result. In this basin we cannot extrapolate declining trends because none exist. In this basin we could use the lowest fall measurement minus 10 feet and run that model. It depends is that what the TAC want to make the UR.  Levi Paulin: What are the regulatory actions taken if we do not hit the MT?  Laura Foglia: Means the GSP is failing, actions are not concrete yet by DWR, they may take action but it is not clear yet.  Amir Mani: Within the 20 years, DWR will be watching but you cannot sit under your UR but will need to be avoided by 2022 onwards.  Levi Paulin: Can we slide the threshold those same 20 feet that we are sliding the MO?  Laura Foglia: It is not the regulatory burden at the end. We will do more research and other thresholds at other GSPs have set below current conditions and we can use 2020 levels if they are lower than 2015.  Amir Mani: We have to be in a range that does show some measure of basin sustainability. Things have to match up we cannot just set 20 feet below as the MT.  Levi Paulin: Was using 20 ft as a threshold we just need to show a decline somewhere to back up the decision. Just trying to ascertain our flexibility.  Amir Mani: We can go below this level.  Mike Webster: 20 ft is extreme and the MT is also low. If you are starting to pull water from the river to recharge the system then you will be lowering levels substantially. Perhaps 5 ft lower than the MT as it stands is appropriate.  Don Seymour: The MT has to have a scientific basis beyond just wanting a buffer.  Stephen Maples: DWR will be evaluating all of these in concert. If other MT are not achieved then we will still be getting an UR anyways. The Redwood Valley 2015 values at the well is it an outli er? The trigger based on the spring values is a smart way. The MO could be set to the spring values but it would give you less control. Not sure if it makes sense to set it there but instead the Fall level where it will reflect GW pumping better. There will be less control over the MO due to placing it in the Spring post wet season  Laura Foglia: It is an outlier. We just showed it but will remove it. It is lower than the depth of the well so likely an error. Perhaps we lower the MT but if we don’t set it for sping then we have no variability between the MT and the MO as they would be set at the same point. We will need to have action in place to combat SW depletion. We can explore lowering the MT to see the consequences. There seems to be agreement that the triggers based on Winter flows. The MO is very flexible in that regard. UKIAH VALLEY BASIN GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY 340 Lake Mendocino Drive  Ukiah  California 95482  (707)463-4363  fax (707)463-5474 5  Jim Sullivan: Has previous year precipitation been considered as a trigger for early indication of critical drought situations? Is precipitation the trigger or depth to water?  Amir Mani: That basically is what the trigger is. Depth to water will be the trigger but they are broadly similar. The trigger will be different in wet years but in below normal, dry or critical the precipitation trigger will be similar to depth to GW.  Laura Foglia: We will look at the model for years lower than 2015 and see the impact on other SMCs especially ISW. We have a good handle on triggers for dry/wet years and can use the Spring measurement in 2015 as the MT. This is fully connected to the PMAs which will inform the management especially with regards to storing water in the future. Can we think about using SW and GW at different times. There is almost always a recharge of GW from the river in Winter months but this gives us a low condition to work with and where we need to concentrate our efforts.  PMA  Laurel Marcus: Likes the conservation goal. Summertime recharge is a big question where to get water besides taking from the river. Simulating the effects of more storage would be beneficial. Hard to get a permit to dam a tributary so ideal to look at off stream storage.  Mike Webster: RCD does do rainwater storage as well as trimming high flow off of tributaries for storage on aquifer.  Deborah Edelman: A lot of the projects we have done with rainwater storage are forbearance agreements for summer time.  Zachary Robinson: Anything we can do to manage evaporation through conservation because of the amount lost to it.  Don Seymour: Recharge project, Russian has high flow in the winter. Skim off the winter water t o recharge into the groundwater system. Extensive analysis has been done on aquifer recharge and recovery. Opportunities in Talmage and Hopland to skim off winter flows.  Sean White: Agrees with Don, windows for augmentation.  Laura Foglia: See if we can find a more comprehensive recharge look. Committee Action: None 6. Discussion Regarding Chronic Lowering of Groundwater Elevations Sustainable Management Criteria Presenter(s): Laura Foglia, Rich Pauloo, Larry Walker and Associates. Introduction:  Need to refine actions for the GSA to consider that are feasible in the eyes of the TAC so the consultants can create scenarios.  Domestic Wells > Ag Well ~600/~100  Most wells are retired about ½ of all wells. Average well retirement is 31 years.  About 60 more wells are active if we change the retirement age to 40 years  Public Wells tend to be deeper than domestic wells. o Public: 220-300 ft o Ag: 110-270 o Domestic: 100-250  Average Groundwater Depth below Ground surface ~40ft averaged fall/spring  Shallower wells – likely to be older and more likely to be retired. UKIAH VALLEY BASIN GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY 340 Lake Mendocino Drive  Ukiah  California 95482  (707)463-4363  fax (707)463-5474 6  Well that will fail that fall low 2016 GW Levels o Using retirement age 31-40 yr old wells to select initial wells o Remove wells dry at 2020 GW level o Well ‘fails’ if 2016 levels fall below a 20 ft operating margin above bottom of well  Ground Water Level Bookends o Present Day GW Level – Fall 2020 High Bookend o Fall 2016 GW Level – Low Bookend  If you are protecting Fall 2020 levels, you lose Ag revenue, If you let GW levels drop to Fall 2016 drops, you extract Ag revenue but have failure of low depth GW wells.  2-3% of Wells fail at return to 2016 Fall GW Level  CAL Office of Planning and Research, no reported wells failed in 2012-16 drought  Annualized cost over 20 years to deepen wells at 2016 Fall GW levels is 230k  Impact will be on GDE’s and ISW’s Discussion:  Laura Foglia: Funding will need to be thought about because if we lose GW levels due to decline over time, there is no immediate need for a fund to be created but this will need to be thought about in case the data does not match.  Zachary Robinson: What was the use of Fall 2016?  Rich Pauloo: Used Fall 2016 levels, furthest from the present day while still closest to the drought with more robust data than Fall 2015.  Mike Webster: One person in Redwood Valley had their well go dry during Fall 2016.  Zachary Robinson: Was it considered a failed well or does it just go dry year after year?  Mike Webster: They hook up to the Redwood Valley Water Supply when their well goes dry.  Rich Pauloo: Tightly define the parameters by which the GSP would rehabilitate the well to create a burden of proof for the pumping to create the failed well versus an old well which is shallow and clogged. This is part of the way to internalize the cost of replacing these wells. Does not believe it to be a problem in Ukiah. The amount of money and how we define well failure is critical to ongoing robust GSP implementation  Deborah Edelman: Head of CASGEM monitoring and a number of wells in Fall 2020 were below where they were in Fall 2016.  Steven Maples: Similar behavior has been noted in the basins to the south of the UVB as well.  Don Seymour: Need to be careful of anecdotal information because they are not trained in well use and how it operates and maintenance schedules.  Ken Todd: Cannabis growers in the Redwood Valley area are drilling wells adjacent to property owners whose wells are going dry. Anecdotal evidence but a concern.  Rich Pauloo: How we appropriate funding to save for a rainy day fund to pay for rehabilitation of groundwater wells that go dry due to management actions. This is due to the fact that 25% of domestic wells are shallower than 31.5 ft which will cause them to go dry. Wells that are 31 years or younger the 25 percentile is 80 ft. Committee Action: None 7. Discussion Regarding Water Budget UKIAH VALLEY BASIN GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY 340 Lake Mendocino Drive  Ukiah  California 95482  (707)463-4363  fax (707)463-5474 7 Item moved to April TAC Meeting 8. Action Items and Closing Comments 9. Public Comments on Items Not on the Agenda This time is reserved for the public to address the Committee about matters not on the agenda and within the jurisdiction of the Advisory Committee. Persons wishing to speak on specific agenda items should do so at the time specified for those items. 10. Adjournment Meeting adjourned at 3:34