Title
Consider receiving a report on the Agency Owner's Dam Safety Program External Audit.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Monterey County Water Resources Agency (MCWRA) Board of Directors:
Receive a report on the Agency Owner's Dam Safety Program External Audit.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Nacimiento Dam is regulated regarding dam safety matters by the California Department of Water Resources, Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Nacimiento Dam is classified as Extremely High Hazard by DSOD, and High Hazard by FERC. The MCWRA Board of Directors adopted an Owner's Dam Safety Program (ODSP) for Nacimiento Dam in April 2014 to comply with FERC requirements. The ODSP document specifies an external audit be conducted once every five years in conjunction with FERC's Part 12D safety review cycle. The ODSP audit is to be performed independent of the Part 12D process. The focus of this external audit is a review of MCWRA's dam safety program for Nacimiento Dam. The auditor must be appropriately experienced and approved by FERC. The Board of Directors approved Amendment No. 1 to an Agreement with GEI Consultants, Inc. (GEI) in August 2018 to complete this audit. The audit was conducted by Mr. Richard Sanchez of GEI during the period of January 2019 to May 2019. The audit included pre-audit planning and preparation, review of various MCWRA documents and information, participation in one dam safety inspection, staff interviews, and preparation of the report following the audit. Staff interviews included the Chair of the Board of Directors, Assistant General Manager Operations and Maintenance, Chief Dam Safety Engineer, Deputy Dam Safety Engineer, Water Resources Engineer, Maintenance Superintendent, Assistant Maintenance Superintendent, Hydroelectric Technician and Water Maintenance Worker stationed at San Antonio Dam. Mr. Sanchez will present overall conclusions and recommendations from the audit of the ...
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