Title
Consider adopting a Release Schedule for the Nacimiento and San Antonio Reservoirs for 2021.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Directors:
Adopt a Release Schedule for the Nacimiento and San Antonio Reservoirs for 2021
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
he Agency began operating the Salinas River Diversion Facility (SRDF) in 2010, delivering river flows for diversion during the facility’s first four seasons (2010-2013). Extended drought conditions then resulted in insufficient reservoir levels for operation during the next three years (2014-2016). The Winter of 2016-2017 brought large inflow volumes into the reservoirs enabling resumption of conservation releases and SRDF operation during both 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 provided sufficient reservoir storage for continued conservation releases in 2020. The winter of 2020-2021 produced only one significant inflow event, resulting in combined reservoir storage volumes currently sufficient for only an abbreviated SRDF operation season, as detailed in the proposed 2021 release schedule (attached).
The proposed 2021 release schedule assumes no additional reservoir inflow than the totals seen to date. As seen in the schedule, current reservoir storage provides adequate releases to establish and maintain conservation flows to recharge the groundwater basin, operate the SRDF from April to July of 2021, and meet the operational requirements of both the currently withdrawn Salinas Valley Water Project National Marine Fisheries Service Biological Opinion and the State Water Board appropriative water rights held by the Agency for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 schedule.
At its March 25, 2021 monthly meeting, the Reservoir Operations Advisory Committee recommended that the Agency Board of Directors adopt the attached release schedule for Nacimiento and San Antonio reservoirs for 2021.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
FINANCING:
None
Prepared by: Germán Criollo, Associate Water Resources Hydrologist (831) 755-4860
Approved by: Brent Buche, General Manager, (831) 755-4860
Attachments:
Reservoir Release Schedule For 2021