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RES 2019-04 - Board
L-TRUCKEEDONNERIPublicUtityResolutionNo.2019-04_______________WITHDRAWINGTHEMARTISVALLEYGROUNDWATERBASINSUSTAINABLEGROUNDWATERMANAGEMENTACTALTERNATIVESUBMITTALWHEREAS,theSustainableGroundwaterManagementAct(“SGMA”),asamendedandcodifiedinCaliforniaWaterCode§10720,etseq.,appliestoallgroundwaterbasinsintheStateofCalifornia;andWHEREAS,ThelegislativeintentofSGMAistoprovidesustainablemanagementofgroundwaterbasins,toenhancelocalmanagementofgroundwater,toestablishminimumstandardsforthesustainablegroundwatermanagement,andtoprovidelocalgroundwateragencieswiththeauthorityandthetechnicalandfinancialassistancenecessarytosustainablymanagegroundwater;andWHEREAS,SGMArequires“sustainablegroundwatermanagement”forallgroundwaterbasinsorsub-basinsthataredesignatedashigh-ormedium-prioritybasinsbytheDepartmentofWaterResources(“Department”)intheDepartment’sreportentitled“California’sGroundwater:Bulletin118”(“Bulletin118”);andWHEREAS,TheMartisValleyGroundwaterBasin(“MVGB”)islocatedinbothNevadaCountyandPlacerCountyandhasbeendesignatedbytheDepartmentasBasinNo.6-67andwaspreviouslydesignatedamedium-prioritybasin;andWHEREAS,SGMAdefinesa“localagency”asalocalpublicagencythathaswatersupply,watermanagement,orlanduseresponsibilitieswithinagroundwaterbasin;andWHEREAS,thereareatotalofsixqualifyinglocalagencieswithjurisdictionoverMVGB,whichincludetheCountyofNevada,theCountyofPlacer,theTownofTruckee,theTruckeeDonnerPublicUtilityDistrict,thePlacerCountyWaterAgencyandtheNorthstarCommunityServicesDistrict,collectivelyreferredtoas“Partners”andwhowishedtocooperateinsustainablegroundwatermanagementandcompliancewithSGMA;andWHEREAS,SGMAprovidesthatanyqualifyinglocalagencyorcombinationoflocalagenciesfullyoverlyingagroundwaterbasinhavediscretiontobecomeagroundwatersustainabilityagency(“GSA”)forthatbasin;andWHEREAS,SGMArequiredthateither:(1)agroundwatersustainabilityplan(“GSP”)bedevelopedandimplementedbytheGSA;OR(2)ifalocalagencyorcombinationoflocalagenciesbelievesthatanalternativetoaGSPsatisfiestheobjectivesofSGMA,thelocalagencymaysubmitthealternativetotheDepartmentforevaluationandassessmentnolaterthanJanuary1,2017,andeveryliveyearsthereafter;andWHEREAS,thePartnersbelievedthatanalternativetoaGSPwouldsatisfytheobjectivesofSGMAbecausethebasinhadbeenoperatedwithinsustainableyieldforatleastthelast10years,afactthathasbeendocumentedbyahydrogeologistregisteredintheStateofCalifornia;andWHEREAS,thePartnerswishedtocollectivelysubmitanalternativetitledMartisValleyGroundwaterBasinSustainableGroundwaterManagementActAlternativeSubmittal(“Alternative Submittal”)totheDepartment;andWHEREAS,theTruckeeDonnerPublicUtilityDistrictledthepreparationoftheAlternativeSubmittal,withinputandreviewbyallPartnersandahydrogeologistregisteredintheStateofCalifornia;andWHEREAS,theAlternativeSubmittalleveragedtheMartisValleyGroundwaterManagementPlanadoptedin2013,theTruckeeRiverOperatingAgreement,enactedunderFederalLawtorestrictandmonitorsurfacewaterandgroundwateruse,andabodyofscientificworkthatdemonstratestheexistenceofsustainablegroundwatermanagementinMVGBforatleast25years;andWHEREAS,theAlternativeSubmittaladdressedthesixundesirableresultsthathavebeenidentifiedbytheDepartmentandisbelievedbythePartnerstobefunctionallyandsubstantiallycompliantwithSGMAandapplicablerequirementsoftheDepartment;andWHEREAS,basedontheabovefindings,thePartnerssubmittedtheAlternativeSubmittaldatedDecember22,2016totheDepartmentbeforetheduedatesetbySGMAofJanuary1,2017,and,subjecttoapprovaloftheDepartment,intendedtocontinuesustainablegroundwatermanagementoftheMVGBinaccordancewiththeAlternativeSubmittalandwithoutformationofaGSAorpreparationofaGSP;andWHEREAS,theDepartmentisstillreviewingtheAlternativeSubmittalandhastakennoaction;andWHEREAS,theDepartmentconducted2018SGMABasinPrioritizationasrequiredbylaw;andWHEREAS,basinprioritizationclassifiesCalifornia’s517groundwaterbasins(basins)intoprioritiesbasedoncomponentsidentifiedintheCaliforniaWaterCodeSection10933(b)andthepriorityofbasinsdeterminestheprovisionsthatapplyfortheCaliforniaStatewideGroundwaterElevationMonitoring(CASGEM)andSustainableGroundwaterManagementAct(SGMA)programsinabasin;andWHEREAS,afterapublicprocesstheDepartmentpostedthefinal2018SGMABasinPrioritizationresultsontheofficialSGMAwebsite(https://water.ca.gov/Programs/GroundwaterManagement/Basin-Prioritization),withtheMVGB(BasinNo.6-67)reprioritizedfromaMediumPrioritytoaVeryLowPrioritydesignation;andWHEREAS,VeryLowPrioritybasinsarenotrequiredtocomplywiththeprovisionsofSGMA;andWHEREAS,thePartnerswishtocontinuetocooperateinsustainablegroundwatermanagementandbelievethatMartisValleyGroundwaterManagementPlanadoptedin2013withsupportofalargestakeholdergroup,alongwiththeTruckeeRiverOperatingAgreementenactedunderFederalLaw,provideamorelocalandefficientprocesstoeffectivelymanagetheMVGB;andWHEREAS,eachoftheotherPartnershasexpresseditsdesirefortheTruckeeDonnerPublicUtilityDistricttoformallywithdrawtheAlternativeSubmittalfromtheDepartment.NOW,THEREFORE,THEBOARDOFDIRECTORSOFTHETRUCKEEDONNERPUBLICUTILITYDISTRICTDOESRESOLVEASFOLLOWS: Section1.TheAlternativeSubmittalisnolongerrequiredand,onbehalfofallPartners,itisdirectedthattheAlternativeSubmittalbeformallywithdrawnfromtheDepartment.PASSEDANDADOPTEDbytheBoardofDirectorsatameetingdulycalledandheldwithintheDistrictonthe6thdayofFebruary2019bythefollowingrollcallvote:AYES:Directors;Laliotis,Finn,Aguera,andVicePresidentBenderNOES:NoneABSTAIN:NoneABSENT:BobEllisTRUDPUBLICUTILiTYDISTRICT;!:riceresidenuiiBoard