Title
Adopt a resolution:
a. Extending the termination date of Grant Agreement 460011476, relating to sustainable groundwater planning, from March 31, 2018 to March 31, 2019; and
b. Authorizing the Director of the Resource Management Agency to execute a grant agreement amendment with the California Department of Water Resources and future amendments to the agreement where the amendments do not significantly alter the scope of work or change the approved agreement amount.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution:
a) Extending the termination date of Grant Agreement 460011476, relating to sustainable groundwater planning, from March 31, 2018 to March 31, 2019; and
b) Authorizing the Director of the Resource Management Agency to execute a grant agreement amendment with the California Department of Water Resources and future amendments to the agreement where the amendments do not significantly alter the scope of work or change the approved agreement amount.
SUMMARY:
With Board approval, County staff applied for and was awarded Grant Agreement 4600011476, relating to sustainable groundwater planning, from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). Award notification was received from the DWR in February of 2016.
On March 16, 2018 staff received Amendment 1 to Grant Agreement 4600011476 from the DWR which extends the termination date of the Agreement from March 31, 2018 to March 31, 2019. Time constraints resulted in staff presenting this amendment for Board consideration after the expiration of the original agreement. However, no charges are affected by this and staff has confirmed with DWR that the temporary lapse in the agreement poses no risk to our grant agreement and no penalties.
Staff requests that the Board adopt the resolution to authorize and execute this grant extension.
DISCUSSION:
Grant Agreement 4600011476 is a $250,000 award for the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin Assessment and Modeling project. In July of 2014, the Monterey County Water Resources Agency (WRA), in cooperation with the RMA, began Phase 1 of the Salinas River Groundwater Basin Investigation Project to assess the water resources of Zone 2C of the Salinas River Groundwater Basin. Phase 1 consisted of conducting a short term assessment of the health and status of Zone 2C of the Salinas River Groundwater Basin. The primary objective of Phase 1 was to generate a baseline and to evaluate if immediate steps were required to address current water supply conditions due to the continuing drought conditions in the Central Coast. The report, prepared by the firm Brown and Caldwell, was presented to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors in January of 2015.
Phase 2 of the project is currently underway conducting a five-year study of Zone 2C of the Salinas River Groundwater Basin. The primary objectives of Phase 2 are to:
• Assess the general long term health of the Groundwater Basin, with regards to its ability to provide a sustainable supply of water for land use as projected to the year 2030;
• Evaluate existing seawater intrusion and groundwater level data on an annual basis throughout the five year study period (2014 - 2018);
• Evaluate the total water demand for existing uses and future uses projected to the year 2030 through the development of an integrated groundwater/surface water model of the basin;
• Assess and provide conclusions regarding the degree to which the total water demand for uses are likely to be reached or exceeded for the year 2030;
• Evaluate and provide conclusions regarding future trends and expected changes in groundwater elevations and the extent of seawater intrusion based on historical data and data produced during the study; and
• Review potential climate change impacts and incorporation of climate model results into groundwater/surface water mode.
RMA has been working closely with the WRA to advance the project, however, the US Geological Survey, the contracted organization that is developing the groundwater model, experienced delays in coding and calibrating the model. While these delays are remediable, they do, however, impact the project schedule. As such, the RMA is requesting to extend the due date to March 31, 2019.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
RMA is coordinating with the WRA in completing the the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin Assessment and Modeling project. Additionally, the WRA is partnering through a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Geologic Survey on model development. County Counsel has been consulted in the preparation of this report.
FINANCING:
Grant Agreement 4600011476 is a $250,000 award for the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin Assessment and Modeling project. To date, $133,410.45 of the grant funds have been spent with $116,589.55 remaining. Without executing the amendment to Grant Agreement 4600011476, the RMA would need to identify a total of $116,589.55 to complete the project.
Prepared by: Melanie Beretti, Special Programs Manager (X5285)
Approved by: Carl P. Holm, AICP, Director Resource Management Agency
Dated: April 12, 2018
Attachment 1 - Resolution
Attachment 2 - Grant Agreement 4600011476 - Amendment 1