Agenda Item Wording:
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Consider approval of 2023 Water Management Plan submitted by Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District to the City of Visalia.
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Submitting Department: Administration
Contact Name and Phone Number: Rhett Anderson, Water Resource Manager, (559) 713-4530
Department Recommendation:
It is the recommendation of staff that City Council approve the 2023 Visalia Water Management Plan.
Background Discussion:
In 2001, the City of Visalia (City) partnered with the Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District (KDWCD) for the purpose of water resources management, supplemental surface purchases, and necessary or opportunistic projects on behalf of the City’s benefit. The contract (Contract) is valid for a term of 40 years, at which at the end both parties have the option to re-negotiate terms.
According to the terms of this agreement, KDWCD will perform these tasks on behalf of the City in exchange for $100,000 annually at the time of the agreement, adjusted annually for inflation. The funds are designated for beneficial purchases and/or projects, when such purchases are considered economically feasible. As a result of unpredictable and alternating wet and dry years, opportunities to purchase additional water supplies is not constant and highly volatile. Years in which reasonable supplemental resources are unavailable, un-utilized funds are rolled over into the following year.
The year 2021 was the driest year in recorded history for Tulare County. As a result, supplemental surface supplies were not only scarce, but also in high demand. This high demand drove the price of water to remarkably high prices. In some areas within the Central Valley, the price per acre-foot of water peaked near $2,000. Inversely, the 2023 wet season has already supplied the area with significantly more precipitation than in the two years prior.
As per the Contract, KDWCD is obligated to provide a management plan for the incoming year for the City Council to approve. Below is a description of the 2023 Visalia Water Management Plan (Plan). A copy of the Plan has been included as an attachment.
The majority of the Plan is comprised of pre-existing goals outlined by the Management Committee and includes basic actions such as location and purchase of supplemental surface supplies, further assessment of potential water recharge facilities, and investigation and pursuit of available water rights for the purposes of groundwater recharge. The Plan also includes a contingency for the KDWCD to be authorized to purchase a maximum of $300,000 worth of water supplies not to exceed $150 per acre-foot for the benefit of the City with consent from by the District General Manager and the Visalia City Manager. This authorization is to prevent a delay of purchase when action is required sooner than the Management Committee has the ability to convene.
Fiscal Impact:
In 2022, the City of Visalia totaled its payments to the KDWCD for the year at $169,131.30, and the City has paid $26,514.52 YTD.
Prior Council Action: City Council approved the 2022 Visalia Water Management Plan in April of 2022. City Council approved the original Plan in December of 2001.
Other: N/A
Alternatives: The City Council may choose not to approve the Plan, in which the Management Committee would be required to re-convene and submit a modified plan.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to approve the 2023 Visalia Water Management Plan as submitted by the Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District.
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Environmental Assessment Status
CEQA Review: N/A.