BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:Title
Public Hearing on the 2022 Central Valley Project Improvement Act Water Management Plan for the Central Valley Project; and Adopt a Resolution Adopting the 2022 Central Valley Project Improvement Act Water Management Plan.
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RECOMMENDATION:Recommendation
A. Conduct Public Hearing on Santa Clara Valley Water District’s Draft 2022 Central Valley Project Improvement Act Water Management Plan; and
B. Adopt the Resolution ADOPTING THE 2022 CENTRAL VALLEY PROJECT IMPROVEMENT ACT WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN.
Body
SUMMARY:
Every five years, Central Valley Project (CVP) contractors are required by the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) to prepare a Water Management Plan (WMP) to meet requirements of the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (RRA) and the Central Valley Project Improvement Act of 1992 (CVPIA). Failure to comply with this legal requirement could jeopardize a contractor's CVP water deliveries. Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) as a CVP contractor is subject to this requirement and has last prepared a WMP in 2017.
Valley Water completed its draft 2022 WMP in accordance with the criteria published by Reclamation. Valley Water’s 2022 WMP documents the operations and management of its system, provides an inventory of current water resources, and summarizes the water conservation and demand management efforts during the past five years. The plan demonstrates Valley Water's best management practices to efficiently manage its system and resources to reduce reliance on CVP water.
Management of Valley Water’s Water System
Valley Water manages a large, complex water system that includes reservoirs, pipelines, pump stations, recharge facilities, and water treatment facilities. Currently, the total restricted capacity of Valley Water’s 10 reservoirs is 62,592 acre-feet (AF). Valley Water’s distribution system includes approximately 139 miles of pipelines to deliver both urban and agricultural water supplies. CVP water delivered by Valley Water to agricultural and urban customers at turnouts and to retailer distribution systems are 100% measured. Annual water charges are based on water use with separate rates for agricultural and urban customers. During a water supply shortage, Valley Water’s response actions are based on the shortage stage as specified in its Water Shortage Contingency Plan and direction from Valley Water’s Board. Regulatory and institutional restrictions on the operation of the State Water Project and CVP affect Valley Water’s imported water supplies and therefore its system operations.
Water Resources Inventory
According to the categories set forth in the reporting criteria, Valley Water’s water supply sources include surface water, groundwater, and other supplies. For the base year 2020, total surface water supply was 197,535 AF, which includes imported and local water originating within Valley Water’s service area. Groundwater supply was 134,018 AF. Waters from those sources were used for agricultural irrigation and urban consumption. County-wide, there was a total of 20,000 irrigated acres in 2020, with various crops and different irrigation systems (Sprinkler, Drip, Micro). Retailer related water use was about 103,000 AF and recycled water use was around 15,000 AF. Valley Water’s water quality laboratory performs analytical testing per regulatory requirements to ensure that the treated drinking water meets or exceeds all federal and state drinking water standards.
Best Management Practices for Agriculture
For agricultural users, Valley Water has adopted Best Management Practices to promote and support water use efficiency, which include:
• Sponsoring a Mobile Irrigation Lab within its service territory to provide free technical services for growers to help improve irrigation efficiency in various crops
• Maintaining pump reliability and efficiency and maximize service life before replacement
• Facilitating use of available recycled wastewater
• Using incentive pricing by charging customers based on the quantity of water used
Best Management Practices for Urban
Through a unique cooperative partnership with its retailers, Valley Water offers regional implementation of a variety of water conservation programs to permanently reduce water use in Santa Clara County. Valley Water’s conservation programs include metering, public education and outreach, rebates for residential and commercial users, landscape rebates for lawn conversion, free water use audits and consultation, and many more. Collectively, conservation and demand management accounted for about 75,000 AF of water savings in 2020 over a 1992 baseline. Valley Water is actively working to identify new or improved strategies to reach its savings targets as well as future Water Use Objectives required by state legislation.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT:
There are no Environmental Justice impacts associated with this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with this item.
CEQA:
The recommended action does not constitute a project under CEQA because it does not have the potential for resulting in direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Resolution
Attachment 2: Plan
Attachment 3: PowerPoint
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:Manager
Kirsten Struve, 408-630-3138