Title
Consider receiving a report on the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin Investigation pursuant to Policy PS-3.1 of the 2010 Monterey County General Plan and provide direction to staff. [REF150103]
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT ("CEQA") action: Find that this action is not a project under CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5), as this activity is administrative and will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Monterey County Board of Supervisors:
a. Find that this action is not a project under CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5);
b. Receive a report on the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin Investigation prepared pursuant to Policy PS-3.1 of the 2010 General Plan;
c. Direct staff to prepare a General Plan amendment to update Policy PS-3.1.in light of the completed investigation; and
d. Provide direction to staff.
SUMMARY:
In October 2010, the County of Monterey ("County") adopted a comprehensive update to its General Plan known as the 2010 Monterey County General Plan ("General Plan"). Subsequently, numerous plaintiffs filed lawsuits concerning the Board's action. Relevant here, some of these plaintiffs included the Salinas Valley Water Coalition, LandWatch Monterey County, and the Open Monterey Project. As it relates to groundwater policies, the lawsuits were settled through consideration of revisions to General Plan Policies PS-3.1 and PS-3.3, some of which were adopted by the Board. Revised Policy PS-3.1 required the County prepare or caused to be prepared a study of Zone 2C of the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin that does all the following:
1) Evaluates existing data for sea water intrusion and groundwater levels collected by the Monterey County Water Resources Agency ("MCWRA") as of the date the study in commenced;
2) Evaluates the total water demand for all existing uses and future uses designated in the General Plan EIR for the year 2030;
3) Assesses and provi...
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