BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Government Code § 84308 Applies: Yes ☐ No ☒
(If “YES” Complete Attachment A - Gov. Code § 84308)
SUBJECT:
Title
Receive an Update on the Unique Requirements for the Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project, Including Resulting Unique Benefits, Project No. 91954002 (Santa Clara County - District 1, Merced County).
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Receive an update on the unique requirements for the Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project, including resulting unique benefits, Project No. 91954002 (Santa Clara County - District 1, Merced County).
Body
SUMMARY:
As the Board may recall, in late 2023 staff, working closely with Director Hsueh, brought a long list of topics regarding the Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project (Project) before the Board and recommended that many of these topics be addressed separately and in much greater detail in later meetings before, first, the Water Storage Exploratory Committee/Water Supply and Demand Management Committee (WSDM) and then the full Board. In accordance with this approved procedure, staff recently discussed several unique aspects of this Project with the WSDM and now bring discussion of these unique Project aspects before the full Board.
Operations of the expanded reservoir will differ from other Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) reservoirs in that it will be primarily used as emergency water supply. Existing Valley Water reservoirs operate on an annual fill and drain pattern, whereas the expanded Pacheco Reservoir will follow a multi-year fill and drain pattern. An expanded Pacheco Reservoir would allow Valley Water to accept and store additional municipal & industrial (M&I) water supply and improve M&I water quality by modifying delivery patterns from San Luis Reservoir. However, doing this may require changes to federal and/or state water rights or water service contracts. Valley Water will also seek its own new water right on the North Fork of Pacheco Creek, while honoring the existing water right of the Pacheco Pass Water District by requesting to change the point of storage.
Additionally, the Project will provide unique environmental benefits by releasing water for fish benefit in the Pacheco Creek system and by separately providing water to the San Joaquin Watershed wildlife refuges.
As part of the Water Storage Investment Program, the Project will require Public Benefit Contracts with the Administering Agencies, in this case the California Department of Water Resources and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. These are State level benefits. A full funding agreement with the California Water Commission will also need to be completed.
The Project will provide a unique opportunity to capture surplus imported water supplies that Valley Water currently does not have the physical capacity to accept and store, as well as Article 21 and Section 215 that cannot be stored in CVP and SWP facilities. When available, the Article 21 and Section 215 water would be in excess of our contract water.
Staff will also discuss other unique elements, such as incidental flood control benefits and the partnership opportunity, which will also be a topic for a future presentation.
After this meeting, staff intends to present the next Project topic from the list to the WSDM in December 2024 and then to the Board in January 2025.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY IMPACT:
There are no Environmental Justice and Equity Impacts associated with this item. However, analysis of the project’s social and economic impacts including environmental justice is required by NEPA and the environmental justice impacts of the Project will be considered in future board actions. Some of the anticipated Environmental Justice Impacts include potential reduction of flood damages to several disadvantaged communities.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with the recommendation in this item. The Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project, Project No. 91954002 is included in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Fiscal Years FY 2025-29 Five-Year Plan and in the FY 2024-25 Adopted Budget. Any future decisions on the course of the Project may have financial impacts.
CEQA:
The recommended actions in this item do not constitute a project under CEQA because they do not have a potential for resulting in direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
Valley Water continues to proceed with CEQA review of the Project, and the final Environmental Impact Report will be presented to the Board for consideration before project approval.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: PowerPoint
*Handout 5.2-A: Sierra Club
*Handout 5.2-B: J. Rogers
*Handout 5.2-C: L. Fajeau
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Ryan McCarter, 408-630-2983