HomeMy WebLinkAbout11 GEI Martis GMP Annual Report-SPMEETING DATE:
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
AGENDA ITEM #11
July 6, 2022
Board of Directors
Chad J. Reed, Water Utility Director
Review of the Martis Valley Groundwater Management Plan Annual
Report
APPROVED BY
x
Brian C. Wright, General Manager
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive the Martis Valley Groundwater Management Plan annual report prepared by
GE I's staff.
BACKGROUND:
The District has a long history of stewardship and collaboration in managing water
resources. A major tenant of local water resource management has been to use the best
available science to inform the decision making process. This has resulted in decades of
monitoring and scientific study, including the Desert Research Institute's Martis Valley
groundwater model/report as part of the Federal Truckee River Basin Study. This effort
was supported by the District, Northstar Community Services District - NCSD, and Placer
County Water Agency - PCWA (Local Water Agencies) and was a key component of the
collaboratively adopted 2013 Martis Valley Groundwater Management Plan (GMP).
In 2014, California passed into law the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
(SGMA) which applied to all Medium and higher Priority basins (Martis Valley was at the
time designated Medium Priority). This, in effect, put the implementation of the 2013 GMP
on hold. The District, PCWA, NCSD, Town of Truckee, Nevada County and Placer County
(local SGMA agencies) in the Martis Valley Groundwater Basin (MVGB) put forth an
Alternative Submittal in December, 2016 in compliance with SGMA. The local SGMA
agencies hired a licensed engineering firm (GEI Consultants) to certify the MVGB
Alternative Submittal.
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The Alternative Submittal and supporting GEI Consultants report document that the
MVGB has operated within its sustainable yield for at least 25 years. Subsequently, in
April of 2017, a first -year SGMA Annual Report was submitted while the on -going review
by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) of the Alternative Submittal
continued.
In early 2019, while Alternative Submittal review still continued, DWR was required to
review basin prioritization. The MVGB was initially again prioritized Medium but, upon
review and engagement with DWR by the local SGMA agencies, the MVGB was re -
prioritized to `Very Low' and was no longer required to comply with SGMA.
The local SGMA agencies agreed to formally withdraw the Alternative Submittal from
DWR consideration and to go back to the 2013 Martis Valley GMP framework, including
reconvening the Stakeholder Working Group which was active in the development of the
plan. It is believed that this local GMP framework is a much more effective and efficient
process to manage groundwater resources than the heavy hand of SGMA regulation.
The three Local Water Agencies worked with our local partners to develop a plan to go
back to the GMP framework. This included updating the Stakeholder Working Group list
to reflect the local agencies or groups with direct interest in Martis Valley groundwater
resources. In general, the stakeholders fall into three categories: local public agencies;
major water users/pumpers; and local non-profits/interest group.
A GMP Stakeholder Working Group kick-off meeting was held on October 3, 2019 where
the three Local Water Agencies reviewed the 2013 Martis Valley GMP and the key
meetings and actions that would occur going forward. This includes an annual report
tracking the performance and long-term sustainability of the groundwater basin along with
an update to the GMP every five years. Given the significant amount of work and reporting
during the SGMA Alternative Submittal, it was agreed that the start of the GMP would
now be 2019. It was also agreed that first GMP annual report would cover the past two
water years (October - September 2017/2018 and 2018/2019) which would provide
continuity from the last SGMA annual report. This GMP annual report was conducted over
the winter months with the annual Stakeholder Working Group meeting in the spring to
review the results.
The Local Water Agencies solicited a proposal from GEI Consultants who had previously
done work in the Martis Valley on sustainable yield, the SGMA Alternative Submittal, and
the SGMA Annual Report. GEI Consultants is very familiar with both the Martis Valley and
the Local Water Agencies. GEI Consultant's proposal for the Martis Valley GMP Annual
Report is $21,000 which was split equally amongst the three Local Water Agencies. The
District's Board awarded a contract to GEI Consultants in December of 2019 and the two
year report was presented to the Martis Valley Stakeholder Working Group in March of
2021. The delay in completing the report and presentation to the Stakeholder Working
Group was a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Local Water Agencies have decided to keep the presentation of the annual report on
a Spring cycle and secured a proposal from GEI to prepare an annual report covering
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water years 2019/2020 and 2020/2021. The annual report is again covering the most
recent two water years due to delays and reprioritization caused by the COVID-19
pandemic and other District priorities. The District's Board awarded a contract to GEI
Consultants at the October 6, 2021 Board meeting. The Stakeholder Working Group
meeting was held in spring of 2022 and will be yearly thereafter. GEI submitted a cost
proposal of $22,000 for the Martis Valley GMP Annual Report, which was split equally
amongst each of the Local Water Agencies.
ANALYSIS/BODY
The Local Water Agencies continue to pursue the GMP framework as the best way to
manage and steward the Martis Valley groundwater resources. The GEI Consultants'
annual report has been completed (See Attachment 1) and the Stakeholder Working
Group meeting was held in Truckee on Wednesday June 15, 2022. The meeting
included attendance and a presentation on the annual report results by GEI's lead
technical expert. Below are key highlights:
Water Year 2020 and 2021 were the only time in recorded history at the Truckee
Ranger Station that back to back years were "dry" (at least one standard deviation
below normal).This lack of precipitation has resulted in the drawdown in three of our
wells which have taken longer to fully recover. This extra period of time to recover is
expected and normal for dry periods like we just experienced. This prolonged draw
down was only observed because the groundwater level monitoring program has
voluntarily moved from twice yearly to monthly monitoring. This proactive increase in
monitoring now provides a new set up data for the summer months to consider going
forward.
Monthly monitoring of groundwater levels is a major benefit to the scientist that are
reviewing and analyzing the data, as it produces a more comprehensive data set and
allows the scientist to better assess the health of the basin. This more comprehensive
monitoring schedule is allowing the scientist to adequately track how fast the wells in
the in the basin are recovering and how groundwater pumping is affecting the basin.
Groundwater pumping changes year to year and during the past year pumping
increased by 20% (1000 AF) over the previous year. During this report the "average
pumping was about 7,500 acft" which is significantly lower than the published 22,000 AF
per year safe yield. The overall decline of the basin storage was due mainly to the dry
conditions and resulted in a net decrease of—17,000 AF over the past two years. This
resulted in a —3.5% decrease in the estimated 484,000 AF basin wide storage.
However, this decrease in basin storage is expected to be replenished during normal
perception years so this is not a time for great concern.
Goals and Objectives:
This item is in support of the following goals and objectives:
District Code1.05.020 Objectives:
1. Responsibly serve the public
1.3 Promote communication and cooperation with other public and private agencies.
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5. Manage in an environmentally sound manner.
5.6 Provide key leadership in the stewardship of the District's aquifer, watershed,
and natural infrastructure.
Strategic Goals:
1. Manage for Financial Stability and Resiliency.
2. Environmental Stewardship: Create a sustainable, resilient environment for all of our
communities.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No additional fiscal impact
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1- Annual Report for the Martis Valley Groundwater Basin (Water Years 2020
and 2021).
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