Title
Consider adopting a Release Schedule for Nacimiento and San Antonio Reservoirs for 2020
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Directors:
Adopt a Release Schedule for Nacimiento and San Antonio Reservoirs for 2020.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
This year marks the ten-year anniversary of the startup of the Salinas River Diversion Facility (SRDF). Beginning in 2010 the Agency operated the SRDF during four seasons (through 2013) before extended drought conditions resulted in insufficient reservoir levels for operation during the next three years, 2014 through 2016. The Winter of 2016-2017 brought large inflow volumes into the reservoirs allowing resumption of conservation releases and SRDF operation during 2017 and 2018, despite limited inflow during the 2017-2018 winter. A wet 2018-2019 winter provided significant Nacimiento Reservoir inflow and storage for a complete 2019 SRDF operation season; combined reservoir inflow during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 winters has provided sufficient combined reservoir storage to enable continued conservation releases in 2020, as detailed in the proposed 2020 release schedule (attached).
The proposed 2020 release schedule assumes no additional reservoir inflow than the totals seen to date. It nevertheless provides adequate releases to establish and maintain conservation flows to recharge the groundwater basin, operate the SRDF from April to September of 2020, and meet the operational requirements of both the currently withdrawn Salinas Valley Water Project National Marine Fisheries Service Biological Opinion and the State Water Board appropriative water rights held by the Agency for the Nacimiento and San Antonio rivers.
This release schedule will be updated monthly based on actual weather and river conditions, changing SRDF demands, and other reservoir operational considerations as may be necessary subsequent to the development of this initial proposed release sc...
Click here for full text