Agenda Item Wording:
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Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Update - Presentation by Aaron Fukuta on the Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency and the Agency’s implementation of the state-mandated Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
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Deadline for Action: 3/4/2024
Submitting Department: Administration
Contact Name and Phone Number: Leslie B. Caviglia, City Manager, 713-4332
Department Recommendation: It is recommended that the Visalia City Council receive this update on the Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency, which the City is part of, and the efforts of the Mid-Kaweah and the other Groundwater Sustainability Agencies in the Kaweah Sub-basin to implement the provisions of the state-mandated Sustainability Groundwater Management Act. The Mid-Kaweah is comprised of the Tulare Irrigation District and the Cities of Tulare and Visalia. There are six board members on the Mid-Kaweah, two from each agency. The City of Visalia’s representatives are Council Members Steve Nelsen and Liz Wynn. The Presenter, Aaron Fukuda, is the Interim Executive Director of the Mid-Kaweah.
Background Discussion:
As a result of the SGMA legislation adopted in 2014, groundwater basins and subbasins that were in overdraft had to develop a plan to bring the basin into compliance. In lay terms, overdraft means that on average, the users in the basin are using more groundwater than is coming in to the underground basin, While “sustainability” does not have to be equal intake and outtake on an annual basis, it does need to average out to being equal over time. Basins that are considered high priority, meaning that they are in severe groundwater deficit, had to develop a plan by 2020 that indicated how the basin will become sustainable. However, the Plan submitted by the three GSA’s (Greater Kaweah, Mid-Kaweah and East Kaweah) was deemed incomplete/inadequate. The three GSA’s within the Basin are now working with consultants to revise the Plan and resubmit it to the Department of Water Resources in July of this year. (A schedule of the public process for the revised plan is included in the presentation) However, because the first plan was not approved, the Mid-Kaweah GSA also transitioned to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCD , and is slated to have a probationary hearing before the SWRCB in November of this year. If no plan is deemed adequate by the State, the State Water Resources Control Board could have authority to adopt a plan, including regulations restricting groundwater extraction, and impose it on the basin.
The work being done on the plan now is focused on offsetting the impacts to beneficial users, uses and property benefits through meaningful projects, management actions and mitigation measures that will bring the Basin to sustainability. As the attached presentation outlines a brief background of the GSA, it’s previous actions related to the initial and revised plan, and information on the key actions that are being developed in response to the major response that is required related to subsidence mitigation and dry well mitigation.
Fiscal Impact:
No specific new financial impact is anticipated as a result of this presentation, but the cost of the implementation of the projects, management actions and mitigation measures is expected to be significant. Staff is working with the City’s water purveyor, Cal Water, to address solutions to current and future expenses related to implementation requirements to meet this State mandate for water sustainability.
On another action proposed on this agenda, staff is recommending that the City Council authorize the City Manager to contract with the Peltzer Richardson legal firm (the City Attorney firm) for a temporary out-of-scope agreement to address significant, on-going issues that are arising related to the City and the State Ground Water Management Act.
Prior Council Action: The Council voted to form the Mid-Kaweah GSA with the City of Tulare and Tulare Irrigation District in 2015 and has funded and participated in the process in the ensuing 9 years.
Other: N/A
Alternatives: N/A
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
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Information only; no action is required.
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Environmental Assessment Status: N/A
CEQA Review: N/A
Attachments: Map of Mid-Kaweah GSA