BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: Title
Public Hearing on the 2021 Groundwater Management Plan for the Santa Clara and Llagas Subbasins, and Resolution Adopting the 2021 Groundwater Management Plan.
End
RECOMMENDATION: Recommendation
A. Open the public hearing to receive comments on Santa Clara Valley Water District's 2021 Groundwater Management Plan for the Santa Clara and Llagas Subbasins;
B. Close the public hearing; and
C. Adopt the Resolution ADOPTING THE 2021 GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE SANTA CLARA AND LLAGAS SUBBASINS.
Body
SUMMARY:
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires that groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) managing medium- or high-priority basins prepare and implement a groundwater sustainability plan (GSP) or an authorized alternative to a GSP under Water Code ? 10733.6 (Alternative Plan). As the GSA for the Santa Clara and Llagas subbasins, Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) developed and adopted, after public hearing, its 2016 Groundwater Management Plan (GWMP) for these basins and submitted it to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) as an Alternative Plan prior to the January 2017 statutory deadline. DWR approved the Alternative Plan in 2019.
As required by SGMA, an updated Alternative Plan must be submitted to DWR by January 1, 2022. Staff has developed Valley Water's 2021 GWMP to be adopted and submitted to DWR as the updated Alternative Plan.
Like the 2016 plan, the 2021 GWMP describes Valley Water goals, strategies, activities, and metrics to ensure continued groundwater sustainability. This memo provides an overview of the major elements of the 2021 GWMP and describes notable changes and updates from the 2016 plan. On October 8, 2021, the draft 2021 GWMP was posted to Valley Water's website for public review at: https://www.valleywater.org/your-water/where-your-water-comes/groundwater/sustainable.
Although Valley Water's District Act does not specify that a public hearing i...
Click here for full text