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Home My WebLink About2026-08-06 UVWA PacketPage 1 of 2 Water Executive Committee Regular Meeting AGENDA Ukiah Valley Conference Center ♦ 200 South School Street ♦ Ukiah, CA 95482 To participate or view the virtual meeting, go to the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83268733029 Or you can call in using your telephone only: • Call (toll free) 1-669-444-9171 • Enter the Access Code: 832 6873 3029 • To Raise Hand enter *9 • To Speak after being recognized: enter *6 to unmute yourself August 6, 2026 - 5:00 PM 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 2.a. Approval of the Minutes for the June 4, 2026, Regular Meeting. 3. AUDIENCE COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS The Ukiah Valley Water Authority (UVWA) / Water Executive Committee Members welcomes input from the audience. In order for everyone to be heard, please limit your comments to three (3) minutes per person and not more than ten (10) minutes per subject. The Brown Act regulations do not allow action to be taken on audience comments on non-agenda items. If you wish to submit written comments, please provide information to the UVWA, located at 300 Seminary Avenue, Ukiah, CA, 95482. 4. NEW BUSINESS 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 5.a. Status Update/Presentation from Carollo Engineers on Application for SAFER Planning Grant Application 5.b. Presentation from State Water Resources Control Board on SAFER Program & Application Updates 5.c. Consideration and Possible Action for the Ukiah Valley Water Authority Joining Mendocino County Inland Water & Power Commission Attachments: 1. NERF water flow modeling presentation 7.9.2026 Page 1 of 35 Page 2 of 2 6. ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATIONAL REPORTS 6.a. General Management Report. 7. COMMITTEE MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REPORTS 8. SET NEXT MEETING DATE 8.a. Discussion, Consideration, and Scheduling of Next Meeting Date with Meeting to be Held at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center, 200 South School Street, Ukiah, CA 95482, at 5:00 p.m. 9. CLOSED SESSION - MAY BE HELD AT ANY TIME DURING THE MEETING Closed Session may be held at any time during the meeting. Any public reports of action taken in closed session will be made in accordance with Government Code section 54957.1 9.a. Conference with Legal Counsel -- Anticipated Litigation Initiation of litigation pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) of Section 54956.9 Two Cases 9.b. Conference with Real Property Negotiators (Cal. Gov't Code Section 54956.8) Property: 1850 Talmage Road, Ukiah, CA 95482 Negotiator: Jared Walker Negotiating Parties: Rogina Water Company Under Negotiation: Price & Terms of Agreement 10. ADJOURNMENT Please be advised that the Ukiah Valley Water Authority (UVWA)/ Water Executive Committee needs to be notified 24 hours in advance of a meeting if any specific accommodations or interpreter services are needed in order for you to attend. UVWA complies with ADA requirements and will attempt to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities upon request. Materials related to an item on this Agenda submitted to the UVWA Committee Members after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at the front counter at the Ukiah Civic Center, 300 Seminary Avenue, Ukiah, CA 95482, during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Any handouts or presentation materials from the public must be submitted to the clerk 48 hours in advance of the meeting; for handouts, please include 10 copies. I hereby certify under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing agenda was posted on the bulletin board at the main entrance of the City of Ukiah City Hall, located at 300 Seminary Avenue, Ukiah, California; and at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center, located at 200 South School Street, Ukiah, California; not less than 24 hours prior to the meeting set forth on this agenda. Kristine Lawler, CMC/CPMC Dated: 8/3/26 Page 2 of 35 Agenda Item 2a Page 1 of 3 water WATER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES Regular Meeting UKIAH VALLEY CONFERENCE CENTER 200 South School Street, Ukiah, CA 95482 Virtual Meeting Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83268733029. Ukiah, CA 95482 June 4, 2026 5:00 p.m. 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The Water Executive Committee (WEC) met at a Regular Meeting on June 4, 2026, having been legally noticed on June 1, 2026. The meeting was held in person and virtually at the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83268733029. Chair Schoeneman called the meeting to order at 5:01 p.m. Roll was taken with the following Members Present: Juan Orozco, Douglas Crane, Devon Boer, Adam Gaska, Tami Baarsch-Bogart, Steve Bogart, Bryan Ross, and Tom Schoeneman. Member Absent: Tim Prince. Staff Present: Jared Walker, City of Ukiah Water Resources Director and Kristine Lawler, UVWA Clerk. Also Present: Phil Williams, City of Ukiah Legal Counsel and Christopher Neary, Millview County Water District Legal Counsel (departing at 6:00 p.m.) CHAIR SCHOENEMAN PRESIDING. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Approval of the Minutes for the May 7, 2026, Regular Meeting. Motion/Second: Gaska/Baarsch-Bogart to approve the minutes for the May 7, 2026, Regular Meeting, as submitted. Motion carried by the following roll call votes: AYES: Orozco, Crane, Boer, Gaska, Baarsch-Bogart, Bogart, Ross, and Chair Schoeneman. NOES: None. ABSENT: Prince. ABSTAIN: None. 3. AUDIENCE COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS No public comment was received. 4. NEW BUSINESS a. Presentation and Consideration of FY 2026/27 Ukiah Valley Water Authority Annual Budget. Presenters: Dan Buffalo, City of Ukiah Finance Director; Olga Keough, City of Ukiah Finance Controller; Mary Horger, Assistant Finance Director; and Liz Patton, Billing and Customer Services Manager. No public comment received. Member Consensus to direct Staff to go with Option 1* and schedule Mr. Hildebrand to return to address discrepancies in rate study. Page 3 of 35 Water Executive Committee Minutes for June 4, 2026, Continued: Page 2 of 3 *Option1 as presented: Adopt Preliminary Budget Committee Action: • Approve the Preliminary Budget as presented (or with modifications) • Memorialize through minute action • Goes into effect July 1, 2026 • Staff to conduct road show with districts • Return in August final budget adoption through resolution Advantages: • Establishes spending authority before the start of the fiscal year • Without an additional meeting • Gives time for further review and digestion without looming July 1 clock Member Consensus to direct Staff to cancel the July 2, 2026, regular meeting and hold the next meeting on the regularly scheduled August 6, 2026, date. b. Discussion and Possible Direction to Staff to Work with Russian River Flood Control to have Member Agency Contracts Assigned to the UVWA. Presenters: Jared Walker, City of Ukiah Water Resources Director and Phil Williams, City of Ukiah Legal Counsel. No public comment received. Directive to Members to let Jared know how many acre feet each agency would want of Russian River Flood Control water. Member Consensus to direct Staff to go forward in drafting an activity agreement based on the water calculations from the number of acre feet needed and expressed by the various agencies, and bring back to the August meeting for Member consideration. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS No unfinished business items were placed on the agenda. 6. ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATIONAL REPORT a. Report on Status of Application for SAFER Planning Grant. Presenter: Jared Walker, City of Ukiah Water Resources Director. No public comment received. Report was received. b. General Manager Report. Presenter: Jared Walker, City of Ukiah Water Resources Director. No public comment received. Report was received. Page 4 of 35 Water Executive Committee Minutes for June 4, 2026, Continued: Page 3 of 3 Member Consensus to direct Staff to bring back to the August meeting with the contribution amount for Inland Water and Power Authority (IWPC) membership, and how that contribution can be split between the UVWA member agencies based on either service connections or water production. 7. COMMITTEE MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REPORTS No reports were received. 8. SET NEXT MEETING DATE a. Discussion, Consideration, and Scheduling of Next Meeting Date with Meeting to be Held at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center, 200 South School Street, Ukiah, CA 95482, at 5:00 p.m. Presenter: Chair Schoeneman. (Discussed under Agenda Item 4a) Member Consensus to direct Staff to cancel the July 2, 2026, regular meeting and hold the next regular meeting on the scheduled date of August 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., with the meeting to be held at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center, 200 South School Street, Ukiah, CA 95482. DIRECTORS ADJOURNED TO CLOSED SESSION AT 8:09 P.M. 9. CLOSED SESSION7 a. Conference with Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation Initiation of litigation pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) of Section 54956.9 Two Cases b. Conference with Real Property Negotiators (Cal. Gov't Code Section 54956.8) Property: 1850 Talmage Rd., Ukiah, CA 95482 Negotiator: Jared Walker Negotiating Parties: Rogina Water Company Under Negotiation: Price & Terms of Agreement No action reported; direction provided to Staff. 10. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m. ________________________________ Kristine Lawler, UVWA Clerk Page 5 of 35 California Water Boards SAFER DRINKING WATER Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM Sirichad Tara Ouitavon, P.E. SAFER- Northern Engagement Unit Senior Water Resource Control Engineer Division of Drinking Water Presentation give at meeting Page 6 of 35 California Water Boards Agenda 2 CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM 1 2 3 4 Human Right to Water in California and creation of SAFER SAFER Dashboard: Data accessibility Achieving the Human Right to Water Corroborating Experience and New Insight: Data gathering and analysis Page 7 of 35 California Water Boards Human Right to Water CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM Page 8 of 35 California Water Boards Human Right to Water 4 (2012) Water Code Section 106.3, the State statutorily recognizes that: “every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes.” (2016) State Water Board adopts the human right to water as a core value: Directs implementation in Water Board programs and activities. (2019) Passed Senate Bill 200 enabling the State Water Board: Providing funding and establishing the Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) Program. CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM Page 9 of 35 California Water Boards Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund Up to $130 million per year through 2030. The annual Fund Expenditure Plan prioritizes projects for funding, documents past and planned expenditures, and is “based on data and analysis drawn from the drinking water Needs Assessment1” (Health and Safety Code §116769). 5 CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM 1https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/doc uments/needs/2026needsassessment.pdf Page 10 of 35 California Water Boards SAFER Program 6 CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM NEEDS ASSESSMENT Identifies Failing & At-Risk water systems. Quantifies interim & long-term needs. SAFER ADVISORY GROUP Uses the Needs Assessment to advise State Water Board SAFER Priorities. SAFER FUND EXPENDITURE PLAN Needs Assessment & SAFER Advisory Group inform funding priorities for the Fund. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Staff & technical assistance providers engage with Failing & At-Risk communities. ACHIEVE HUMAN RIGHT TO WATER SAFER funding & technical assistance used to implement long-term solutions. Page 11 of 35 California Water Boards Data Collection and Analysis CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM Page 12 of 35 California Water Boards CA’s Drinking Water Problem: Fragmented Infrastructure 8 CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM 7,242 900 75 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS ELECTRICITY UTILITIES Comparison with Other Utilities Page 13 of 35 California Water Boards Water systems in California 9 CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM Page 14 of 35 California Water Boards Large Majority of Californians are served Safe Drinking Water 10 CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM 98% of California's population receives water from systems that met or exceeded drinking water standards. Page 15 of 35 California Water Boards Failing Water System List Focus on the 2% - Purpose of the Failing List The State Water Board assesses water systems that fail to meet the goals of the Human Right to Water. Failing water systems are systems that are out of compliance or consistently out of compliance with drinking water regulations. 11 CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM Community Water Systems & K-12 Schools Page 16 of 35 California Water Boards Criteria for Failing Water Systems 12 CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM Page 17 of 35 California Water Boards Failing Water Systems 13 PWSs: CWSs and Schools only State Water Board has been tracking failing water systems since 2017. On 6.30.26: 425 Failing systems 607,334 people served Learn more: Public Water System Risk Assessment Dashboard: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_ water/certlic/drinkingwater/needs.html CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM Page 18 of 35 California Water Boards The Inventory: Public Water Systems Risk Assessment includes • Community water systems with up 30,000 service connections and 100,000 populations served. • Non-transient, non-community water systems that are K-12 schools. CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM Beyond Failing Systems: Drinking Water Risk Assessment Page 19 of 35 California Water Boards 2026 Risk Indicators for Public Water Systems 15 CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM ACCESSIBILITY AFFORDABILITY TMF CAPACITYWATER QUALITY History of E. Coli Presence Increasing Presence of Water Quality Trends Towards MCL Treatment Technique Violations Past Presence on the Failing List Percentage of Sources Exceeding an MCL Contaminants of Emerging Concern Number of Sources Absence of Interties DWR – Drought & Water Shortage Risk Assessment Results Critically Overdrafted Groundwater Basin Bottled or Hauled Water Reliance Source Capacity Violations % Median Household Income Extreme Water Bill Household Socioeconomic Burden Operator Certification Violations Monitoring and Reporting Violations Significant Deficiencies Days Cash on Hand Operating Ratio Net Annual Income Receiver or Administrator Status https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/documents/needs/2026/2026risk-assessment-pws-methodology.pdf Page 20 of 35 California Water Boards 16 2026 Risk Assessment Results for Public Water Systems CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM Page 21 of 35 California Water Boards SAFER Dashboard CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM Page 22 of 35 California Water Boards SAFER Dashboard SAFER Dashboard | California State Water Resources Control Board 18 Page 23 of 35 California Water Boards Achieving the Human Right to Water CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM Page 24 of 35 California Water Boards SAFER 2019 – 2025 Accomplishments 20 CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM Page 25 of 35 California Water Boards Technical Assistance 21 FY 2025-26 Fund Expenditure Plan Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund Page 26 of 35 California Water Boards THANK YOU CALIFORNIA WATER BOARDS SAFER PROGRAM Page 27 of 35 New Eel-Russian Facility (NERF) Modeling Analysis July 9, 2026 Lake Mendocino 4/9/2022: USACE Don Seymour, P.E., Sonoma Water Deputy Director of Engineering John Mendoza, P.E., Sonoma Water Engineer Page 28 of 35 Presentation Overview •Sonoma Water has been modeling how transfers from the Eel River to the Russian River will be different than historical diversions as a result of the decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project and the construction of the New Eel-Russian Facility (NERF) . •This modeling is made more complicated by major changes in the diversion rules implemented over the last 20 years as a result of the 2004 FERC License Amendment, the transformer bank failure, seismic risk assessment that reduced operational storage capacity at Lake Pillsbury, major drought, and FERC flow variances. •Under the NERF rules, there is water for diversion in all year types, even drought years such as 2020 and 2021, and water would have been diverted in water years 2025 and 2026. •In general, the average annual water available to be transferred through NERF under the Water Diversion Agreement each year is similar to transfers under the 2004 FERC License Amendment, but we need more Russian River storage to maximize those transfers because of change in seasonality of the transfers. •The Eel-Russian Project Authority continues to lead the effort to design, permit, and construct NERF so that water can continue to be diverted. Design and permitting are currently 100% funded. Page 29 of 35 Historical Eel River Transfers 1 Water Years 1922-2006: Post Scott Dam construction, Pre-2004 FERC License Amendment Average WY Volume: ~150,000 ac-ft 2 Water Years 2007-2020: Pre-2004 FERC License Amendment Average WY Volume: ~64,000 ac-ft 3 Water Years 2021-2025: Post transformer bank failure, Scott Dam seismic risk determination, and major drought Average WY Volume: ~42,000 ac-ft 4 Water Year 2026 Estimated: Estimated average transfers with FERC Flow Variances until NERF construction Average WY Volume: ~38,000 ac-ft Page 30 of 35 Eel River Transfer Analysis: 2 Operational Scenarios •Eel River Assumptions •Flow at Cape Horn Dam (NERF Facility) •Calculated using reported/estimated values from Scott Dam, Cape Horn Dam, and Potter Valley Project transfers •Transfer Operations (NERF Operations) •Consistent with the 2025 Water Diversion Agreement (WDA) Terms (Table 1) •Developed to allow transfers through the NERF while being protective of salmonid life stages in the Eel River Fall Flows Winter Flows Spring Flows Summer Flows Oct 1 – Dec 31 Jan 1 – Feb 29 Mar 1 – May 31 June 1 – Sept 30 Floor (cfs)300 250 125 35 Diversion Rate (% of flow) 20%30%20%20% Additional Rules Require 1 freshet over 500 cfs N/A N/A N/A Table 1: NERF operation assumptions •Russian River Assumptions (Current Lake Mendocino Operations) •2025 Lake Mendocino Updated FIRO Water Control Manual •Lake Mendocino Storage Thresholds Hydrologic Index •2025 Biological Opinion Minimum Instream Flow Requirements •Inflows and downstream flows/losses = observed Scenario #1: Observed (reported values) •Eel River Transfers = observed (reported values) •Lake Mendocino storage and outflow = observed (reported values) Scenario #2: NERF Modeled Page 31 of 35 Tr a n f s e r V o l u m e ( a c - f t ) 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 90,000 100,000 Recent Historical Water Year Eel River Transfers: NERF Modeled Scenario #2A: NERF Diverted (Modeled) Tr a n f s e r V o l u m e ( a c - f t ) 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 90,000 100,000 Recent Historical Water Year Eel River Transfers: NERF Modeled Scenario #2A: NERF Diverted (Modeled) Scenario #2B: NERF Stored (Modeled) Modeled NERF Eel River Transfers last 13 Water years (WY2013-WY2025) Analyze Two Metrics (A and B) A)Diverted: Total transferred based on Eel River conditions. NERF modeled based on WDA. B)Stored: Transfers that can be currently stored in Lake Mendocino or passed through for downstream beneficial use (not released for flood control). NERF model assumes a PVID future storage project. The modeling has included a placeholder 3,000 ac-ft. Hatched pattern column volume above the solid column represents the volume of additional transfer available if additional system storage is available Solid represents the volume of transfer that could be captured with current storage capacity In drought years all the transfer is utilized Significant NERF transfers could occur in the wet years under WDA Page 32 of 35 Tr a n s f e r V o l u m e ( a c - f t ) Oct, 2024 Nov, 2024 Dec, 2024 Jan, 2025 Feb, 2025 Mar, 2025 Apr, 2025 May, 2025 Jun, 2025 Jul, 2025 Aug, 2025 Sep, 2025 Oct, 2025 Nov, 2025 Dec, 2025 Jan, 2026 Feb, 2026 Mar, 2026 Apr, 2026 May, 2026 18,000 16,000 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 Monthly Eel River Transfers Scenario #1A: Observed Diverted (Actual)Scenario #1B: Observed Stored (Actual) Scenario #2A: NERF Diverted (Modeled)Scenario #2B: NERF Stored (Modeled) Measured versus Estimated NERF Eel River Transfers last 20 months Large NERF transfers available under WDA with future storage projects in wet winters Lake Mendocino is able to store spring NERF transfers Observed transfers are higher than NERF in the summer with NERF dropping to zero by August Page 33 of 35 Monthly Volumes (ac-ft) Scenario #1A: Observed Diverted (Actual) Scenario #1B: Observed Stored (Actual) Scenario #2A: NERF Diverted (Modeled) Scenario #2B: NERF Stored (Modeled) Oct-24 2,961 2,961 0 0 Nov-24 2,588 2,588 2,358 2,358 Dec-24 2,563 1,379 11,994 3,818 Jan-25 2,803 899 12,894 3,000 Feb-25 2,130 0 16,658 0 Mar-25 2,773 1,523 14,416 5,715 Apr-25 4,106 3,838 12,093 10,308 May-25 6,879 6,879 3,073 3,073 Jun-25 7,135 7,135 1,070 1,070 Jul-25 7,603 7,603 243 243 Aug-25 3,017 3,017 0 0 Sep-25 1,843 1,843 0 0 Oct-25 1,091 1,091 0 0 Nov-25 944 944 112 112 Dec-25 1,349 1,166 8,109 8,109 Jan-26 2,571 545 13,560 3,830 Feb-26 2,360 1,950 10,241 3,861 Mar-26 2,787 1,799 8,399 3,547 Apr-26 2,682 2,682 5,549 5,549 May-26 2,832 2,832 2,928 2,928 Period Total 63,016 52,674 123,695 57,522 NERF versus Measured Eel River Transfers Lake Mendocino stores NERF diversions in a springs: Spring 2025 (wet spring): ~19,000 ac-ft for NERF (modeled) ~12,000 ac-ft for observed Spring 2026 (dry spring): ~16,000 ac-ft for NERF (modeled) ~9,000 ac-ft for observed Over the October 2024 through May 2026 period: NERF is modeled to have stored more transfers over the last two years compared to observedLarge NERF transfers available if system storage is available 2025 FERC Variance implemented August 2025. 2026 Variance implemented May 2026 Page 34 of 35 Key Take Aways •NERF Transfers would occur every year •In the last 13 years the annual NERF transfers (modeled) range from ~18,000 ac-ft in the 2021 drought to ~86,000 ac-ft in the 2017 •Last 2 years the NERF stored transfers (modeled) are similar to observed transfers •In the last 2 years NERF (modeled) stored transfers are modeled ~57,000 ac-ft and observed stored transfers ~52,000 ac-ft •This analysis shows the significant benefits to be achieved by constructing additional storage in the Russian River watershed. •In the last 13 years (non-drought years) there is an average of ~40,000 ac-ft/yr of additional NERF transfers that can be utilized with additional water supply projects Page 35 of 35