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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-03-05 - AGENDA REPORTS - AB 3030 (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Boyer and City Councilmembers FROM: George Caravalho, City Manager DATE: March 5, 1996 SUBJECT: AB 3030 BACKGROUND Jean Di Angelous, General Manager, Newhall County Water District, will make a presentation to Council regarding AB3030. The Groundwater Management Act, AB3030, became effective on January 1, 1993 and Mr. Di Angelous will explain what this means to the City of Santa Clarita. RECOMMENDATION Receive presentation ATTACHMENT Report on AB3030 agnrpt.ab3030.dmg FEB 09 '96 16:17 INTEGRATED WATER TECHNOLOGIES GENERAL INFORMATION ON AB 3030 WHAT IS AB 3030? The Groundwater Management Act, refereed to as AB 3030, became effective on January 1, 1943. The legislation is designed to provide local public agencies increased management authority over groundwater resources in addition to those existing groundwater management capabilities. In response to mounting pressure from the U.S. EPA for authorization of statewide groundwater legislation that exists in many other states, the legislation opted for voluntary groundwater management at the local level. WHY A GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN? There are three good reasons: 1) preserve and promote local control of groundwater management; 2) encourage cooperation among basin users; and 3) develop information and tools for effective management. Assemblyman Jiro Costa, the author of AB 3030, emphasized that the legislature is very interested in improving groundwater managcment and will be observing closely how quickly local agencies are developing groundwater management plans. The preparation of an AB 3030 plan can promote cooperation among user groups through a series of public meetings about a management plan. A groundwater mans, emrnt plan can also be an invaluable tool for determining how the basin works and how to maximize the local water supply. HOW DO YOU START? The first step is to look at your local situation and decide whether you should do a plan alone, directly with another agency(s), or in parallel with another agency. To enable a joint plan to be prepared, either a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) can link the pasties. A JPA is restricted to public agencies, whereas the simpler MOU can involve both public agencies and private entities (such as PUGregalated water companies or mutuals). The next step is to determine what a plan might include and what issues may surface relative to groundwater management. This can be done by holding public Integrated Water Technologies, Inc. (803) 565-0946 P.2 FEB 09.'96 16:17 RITEGRATED WATER TECs-NOLOGIES information meetings to explain AB 3030 and receive the public's ideas. Focus on long-term goals for the basin that many participants can potentially agree on (`what kind of basin do you want to hand over to your grandchildren"). Emphasize that AB 3030 is a mechanism to get all users to the table to work on Problem cooperatively_ From that point, you can decide what elements you will address in formulating a plan and set a timetable for plan preparation. You are now ready for your first formal AB 3030 step, a public hearing on your intention to adopt an AB 3030 plan. This hearing should explain the results of your previous meetings and present a tentative list of components you might address in a plan. Receive more public input, and assure participants that then will be considerable opportunities for public input as a plan is formulated. You cm then proceed with a Resolution of Intention to adopt a plan, and begin preparation of a plan. WHAT IS IN A GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN? A groundwater management plan can include a variety of components. The attached sheets include details of management components. Integrated Water Technologies, Inc. (805) 565-0996 P.3 FEB 09 '% 16:18 INTEGRATED WATER TECK40LOGIES P.4 Part h Basics to Begin Working on Your Ground Water Management Plan This ACWA Mews column is written by Steven Bachman, Ph.D., of Integrated WaterTechnologfn, Inc., and United Water Cmse va. tion District chairman ofACWA's Subcommittee on Around Water Management Plans, and Cart Hauge, chief hydrogeologist for the Catilbmia Department of Water Resources. The column reports on how CARIbmla s water agencies are implementing legislation on ground water managements and offers answers to the most Nquently asked questions about AB 3030.. Assessing your ground water resources Is Important for several reasons: ■ First, If you are not managing vur ground water resources you `ire probably not managing your water resources as efficiently as you should or could be. fl Second, someone outside or even Inside your basin may be contemplating extracting ground water and using It within the basin or exporting It to another basin. A ground water management piAn and program will provide neces• sary information to evaluate ground water resources within your bealn. This evaluation will tdi you whether there Is ground water available either to export or to provide an additional supply without deleteriously affecting In - basin water supplies, or may show Your water supply is sufficient for In -basin uses only. ■ Third, water demand due to Increasing population and water needs for preservation of environ- mental uses dictate we maxhneze ur total water supply, which may accomplished through conlunc- tive use of ground and surface water. ACICA New A simple ground water manage- ment plan la better than no plan at all. The following outline is pro- vided as an example of what might constitute an AS 3030 ground water management pian. A brief statement under each envy de- scribes what could be Included In that section of the report. Introduction In general, explain why your agency is Interested in formulating a ground water management pian and specific concerns about maintaining a usable water supply for ground water users In the district. Goals for 16 Basin Your agency may already have established goals for basin man- agement. Ground water basin management goals from DWR Bulletin 11860 ane: protection of natural recharge and intentional recharge programs; planned variation In amount and location of extraction over time; use of ground water storage conjunctively with surface water from local and Imported sources; and protection and planned maintenance of ground water quality. Conaion of 1110 Basin The first step in developing arty management plan is to find out what Information Is readily evoil- able. You can review the ground water, hydrogeologlc, and land use data available and use your con- cluslons to develop a management plan that can be Implemented over time. This will allow a plan to be developed qulcldy to get you slatted. A time line for the plan's implementation should also be developed. Once the plan Is developed you can begot to collect additional data that will provide you with the information necessary for more detailed management. Necessary data will include: ■ Monitoring Network — Initially. use whatever data is available. As a part of your plan you wUl want to locate and identify, each water well In the area. Collect drillers' logs and compile water level measure- ments and water quality analyses from selected wells. Plot this Information on maps and graphs to evaluate the basin. Begin to evaluate the variation of ground water levels over time. This is the beginning of a more extensive monitoring program. Ground water levels have been monitored by one or more agencies in most basins in Callfomle, or by your own agency, and usually some water samples have been analyzed for various chemical constituents. ■ Estimated Storage and Peren- nlal Yield —The amount of ground water in storage may be estimated by approximating the basin dimensions and using an estimated storage capacity for the sediments In the basin, or can be obtained from DWR Bulletin 118 or Bulletin 160.93. Your ground water management plan should Include a process and schedule for estlmet- Ing perennial yield by developing a water budget that accounts for all Inflow and outflow. As part of this process, determine the amount of ground water extracted each year by using meters (water flow or electrical use) or crop evapotrana- plration. ■ Known Pollution Problems — plotting and evaluating constitu- ents from ground water analyses will provide Information on areas in which either natural or introduced pollution may be a problem. This activity will allow you to manage woo" hon paps) pow 7 FEB 09 '96 16:19 INTEGRATED WATER TECHNOLOGIES (con inusd from previous pal chemical constituents and main• taln water quality in the basin. ■ Land Use — The type of land use within your agency boundaries determines hoer much water is needed. This is an important part Of the water budget for determining amount of water read each year and Projecting futon water needs. ■ Data evaluation — If you have data available, you can begin to evaluate your ground water m. sources by preparing maps and graphs that show present and past ground water levels and quality; rate of ground water extraction; precipitation; surface water im- ports; changes in ground water levels and quality over time, and water exported from the basin. This evaluation will provide the foundation for cstimatfng the water budget- Inflow - Outflow - Change In Storage. If no data is available, a P.5 schedule for data collection and evaluation should be a part of your r ground water management plan. (\ Check the next bsue ofACWA !fens lbr Pert p of this article, which wltl include the /Thal chap. tees to the outline. FEB 09 '96 16:20 INTEGRATED WATER TECHNOLOGIES W Part ii: Basics to Begin Working on Your Ground Water Management Plan This ACWA News column is written by Steven Bachman, Ph.D., oflntegrated Water Technologies, lac., and United Water Consova- tion District chairman ofACWA s Subcommittee on Ground Water Management Plana, and Cori Hauge. chief hydrogeotogIst for the Ca ftmin DgxvU eat of Water Resources. The column reports on how caubmia'a wateragencies are imptemenlng legislation on ground water management plans and offers answers to the most frequently asked questions about AB 30330. Heres Pan D to last Issue's column featuring an outline describing the basics to begin working on your ground water marregement Plan. we Water Donands In this section of the Initial plan you may Hit your best estimates of future changes In water use. Later, refine the estimates as you leam mora about future uses. N Changes In Water Use — Based on land use and water use esti- mates and population changes, Project future changes In land and water use. ■ Environmental Use — Include water for environmental use In the water needs used to estimate the water budget ■ Impacts on the Basin — As you prepare your Initial plan, consider- ation of impacts on the basin may help focus your questions on baslnwlde Issue* you consider to be Important Based on available information, project future rates of 'traction and recharge and �,_ ate the change In ground water levels and possible changes In ground water quality. Specific ACWA Naas yield values may be estimated by using drillers' logo (well completion reports). V menta of the OmvW Water Managsmant Plan The ground water management plan can be tailored to fit specific ground water problems within your agency's boundaries. AB 3030 contains 12 technical components that might be Included In a plan, but there may also be other ear n- ponents important within yow agency. You may want to address only those technical components of critical concern to your agency. Your inittal plan may Include only those components In obvious need of attention. ■ Monitoring - A network of monitoring wells Is absolutely necessary for any attempt at ground water management. Start with the network of wells you are already using, and as data is evaluated, develop a mon effec- tive and efficient network. Since you are Interested In seaming characteristics of a ground water basin that is three-dimensional. You will need wells spread throughout the basin laterally and wells perforated at different depth$ within the basin E conjunctive Use Program — Many agencies already operate some form of conjunctive manage- mens Questions that must be asked are: Is there another source of Imported, local, or recycled water? What technical and institu- tional hurdles must be overcome to obtain an additional source? What new facilities, if any, must be built? Does the basin have available storage capacity or could storage capacity be made available? Each basin will be alightly different both in existing conditions and In opportunities that may be avail- able. Some opportunities will appear to be limited by existing Institutional frameworks, but it may be useful to include those potential opportunities for consideration. Discussion may begin to build a consensus that will lead to a change in Institutional frameworks. ■ Wellhead and Aquifer Protec- tion — protection of the area from which your wells obtain their water Is one of the most Important factors of ground water manage- ment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published several documents that detail methods of protecting the areas around wells and Include guidelines for public participation and education. a Water conservation Pian — By now many agencies have devel- oped an urban water management plan, which Includes water conser- vation programs. Federal water contractors are also required to develop water conservation plans, fi you need help In starting a plan or updating your plan, contact DWR's Division of Local Assis- tance at (9 16) 327.1775. ■ Weli Construction and Destruc- tion — Enforcement of minimum standards for well construction and destruction Is the responsibility of county government. As an agency concerned about maintenance of the quality of your ground water supply, however, you may want to coordinate with the county agency to ensure standards and erhms- ment programs are adequate to accomplish the goal. ■ Contamination of Ground water — There are three aspects of contamination: prevention, man• agement and remediation. Pre- vention is by far the least expert- firm politsj Page 9 PEE 09 '96 16:21 INTEGRATED WATER. TECHNOLOGIES P,7 (=nmuad from previous pop) sive and most effective. Prevention of contamination may be accom- pBshed by establishing wellhead protection areas, recharge zone protection areas that Include toning for appropriate land uses, adequate well standards and enforcement programs, and public education. The second aspect Is manage- ment of contamination, which iequires blending of water supplies, wellhead treatment programa, and control of ground water extraction WW recharge locations and rates to mhImlze movement of contami- nents In the aquifer. The third aspect to ranedistlon, which Includes all of the above and constitutes an active program to cleanup the aquifer. Attempts to accomplish such a cleanup have Included wellhead treatment and dis" of the treated ground water. Costs of such programs are very high. Agencies with date and statutory responsibility for con- taminated basins Include: the State Water Resources Control Hoard and nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards; the Callfomia Departments of Toxic Substances Control, Pesticide Regulation, Food and Agriculture, and Water Re- sources: and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In your ground water management plan you may wish to discuss $ome of these agencies' programs. ■ Coordination with Local Gov- emment on Land (Ise — Many land use decisions that result In specMe zonlrg Impact both water supply and water quality. Tradl- ticnaliy, land use decisions are made with little or no Input from water supply agencies. This may no longer be possible in our add to semi -arid environment with our Increasing demand for water. Your agency may want to begin a dialogue with local planning agencies to coordinate land use decisions and water supply reality. When your ground water man- agement plan is Implemented, It Is called a ground water management program. implementation requires a schedule for action, detailed plan of action, and a proposed budget showing costs and revenue sources. Prioritize your actions and put them at the top of your imple- mentation list Priorities will vary from agency to agency and de- pend on real and perceived prob- lems, potential solutions and ease with which those solutions may be Implemented, and the funds to pay for implementation.