COMMITTEE AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Stream Planning and Operations Committee
Government Code ? 84308 Applies: Yes ? No ?
(If "YES" Complete Attachment A - Gov. Code ? 84308)
SUBJECT: title
Receive and Discuss Updates on Fish and Aquatic Habitat Collaborative Effort (FAHCE) Implementation.
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RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Receive an update on the implementation of FAHCE.
Body
SUMMARY:
This item provides an overview of FAHCE activities since the last regular Stream Planning and Operations Committee (SPOC) meeting on November 18, 2025.
A. Key Activities
Since the November 18, 2025, SPOC meeting, Valley Water, California Trout, Inc., Northern California Council of Fly Fishers International, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and San Francisco Baykeeper (Protestants) have been intensely engaged in mediation concerning Valley Water's FAHCE-related water rights' change petitions for Stevens Creek and Guadalupe River watersheds.
In addition to working on resolving these water rights protests, Valley Water continued to implement rule curves, collect monitoring data, and prepare the Annual Report for 2025/2026.
Water Rights Change Petitions
On January 16, 2026, Valley Water and the Protestants jointly submitted an Agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) to resolve the change petition protests. The filing included 1) the Agreement to Resolve Protests with proposed water right conditions, and 2) a revised Fish Habitat Restoration Implementation Plan (FHRP; Attachment 1). On February 11, 2026, the State Board hosted a status conference to review the submitted materials and outline a process for approving the proposed water rights license change petitions and new water right conditions over the next few months.
The revised FHRP includes a commitment to develop new Biological and Environmental Objectives, a process to scientifically evaluate the proposed targets for achievability, changes to the adaptive management pro...
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