Title
a. Approve and authorize the General Manager of the Water Resources Agency to accept donation of monitoring wells DA-1 valued at $436,645 DA-3 valued at $475,954 and ISW-1 valued at $163,352 from the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency;
b. Authorize the General Manager of the Water Resources Agency to enter into Agreements to Convey Ownership in Monitoring Wells DA-1, DA-3, and ISW-1; and
c. Authorize the Water Resources Agency to use monitoring wells DA-1, DA-3, and ISW-1 for implementation of its Groundwater Monitoring Program.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors of the Monterey County Water Resources Agency:
a. Approve and authorize the General Manager of the Water Resources Agency to accept donation of monitoring wells DA-1 valued at $436,645, DA-3 valued at $475,954, and ISW-1 valued at $163,352 from the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency;
b. Authorize the General Manager of the Water Resources Agency to enter into Agreements to Convey Ownership in Monitoring Wells DA-1, DA-3, and ISW-1; and
c. Authorize the Water Resources Agency to use monitoring wells DA-1, DA-3, and ISW-1 for implementation of its Groundwater Monitoring Program.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
In 2023, the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (“SVBGSA”) constructed monitoring wells throughout the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin in furtherance of their regulatory activities pursuant to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (“SGMA”) and to expand the Monterey County Water Resources Agency’s (“MCWRA”) groundwater monitoring network.
Construction of the monitoring wells was funded through a Sustainable Groundwater Management Act Implementation Grant (Agreement Number 4600014638) that the SVBGSA received from the State of California Department of Water Resources.
The SVBGSA intends to convey ownership of monitoring wells “DA-1,” “DA-3”, and “ISW-1” to MCWRA. Well DA-1 was constructed to monitor the Deep Aquifers and is located near South Davis Road in Salinas, on property owned by the City of Salinas. Well DA-3 was constructed to monitor the Deep Aquifers and is located in the County right-of-way on the north side of Blackie Road in Salinas. Well ISW-1 was constructed to monitor shallow groundwater along the Salinas River and is located in the County of Monterey right-of-way on the southeast side of Laguna Road, between Salinas and Chualar (Attachment 1). The SVBGSA has furnished MCWRA with Well Completion Reports for DA-1, DA-3, and ISW-1 (Attachment 2).
MCWRA is agreeable to accepting ownership of DA-1, DA-3, and ISW-1 pursuant to the conditions set forth in the Agreement to Convey Ownership in Monitoring Well DA-1, Agreement to Convey Ownership in Monitoring Well DA-3, and Agreement to Convey Ownership in Monitoring Well ISW-1 (“Agreements”), which include maintenance and reporting responsibilities related to the wells (Attachment 3). At its August 19, 2024 meeting, the MCWRA Board of Directors recommended that the MCWRA Board of Supervisors support staff’s recommendation (Attachment 4).
The MCWRA Board of Supervisors is empowered to accept this gift in order to serve a public purpose which, in this instance, is monitoring of groundwater conditions within the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin to inform water resources management. If the MCWRA Board of Supervisors authorizes acceptance of the donated monitoring wells, MCWRA has an opportunity to enhance its understanding of groundwater level and groundwater quality conditions in the 180/400-Foot Aquifer Subbasin and provide data that the SVBGSA requires to meet regulatory mandates from SGMA.
The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) requires, by regulation, that local officials that accept gifts for local agency purposes document the transaction and post information about the transaction on the agency website if the fair market value is worth more than $2,500. Upon approval of acceptance of the donation, the MCWRA will comply with the FPPC regulation and will post the appropriate information on the MCWRA website. Based on information provided by the SVBGSA, fair market value of DA-1 is $436,645; the fair market value of DA-3 is $475,954; and the fair market value of ISW-1 is $163,352.
The recommended action is consistent with the following strategies and goals from the MCWRA Strategic Plan: Goal B, Strategy 2 - Collaborate with location Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, define MCWRA’s role, and implement a GSA integration plan; Goal B, Strategy 7 - Use data and analysis to make informed decisions based on science; and Goal C, Strategy 6 - Pursue grant funding and cost saving opportunities from all available sources, including collaborating with the GSA.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel and the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency have assisted with development and review of the Agreements.
FINANCING:
It is estimated that maintenance of these monitoring wells may be required every 10 years, at a cost of $5,000 to $8,000 per well. More substantial repairs could be required periodically, with costs varying depending on the extent of the necessary repairs. Funding for maintenance of the donated monitoring wells would likely come from Funds 111 and 116.
Prepared by: Amy Woodrow, Senior Water Resources Hydrologist, (831)755-4860
Approved by: _________________________________________________________
Ara Azhderian, General Manager, (831) 755-4860
Attachment:
1. Well Location Maps
2. Well Completion Reports
3. Agreements to Convey Ownership
4. Board Order #24-43