Title
Hold a regional water forum to provide an overview of current efforts regarding water management and sustainability, and to initiate a comprehensive discussion on regional water supplies and solutions in northern Monterey County.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Monterey County Board of Supervisors:
Hold a regional water forum to provide an overview of current efforts regarding water management and sustainability, and to initiate a comprehensive discussion on regional water supplies and solutions in northern Monterey County.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
On September 28, 2021, the Board added Supervisor Mary Adam's Referral No. 2021.18 (Revised) to the Monterey County Board of Supervisor's referral matrix. As stated in the referral, new information regarding water management and sustainability has come to light through the recently developed Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP). The 180/400 Foot Aquifer Subbasin GSP was approved by DWR in June of 2021 and is currently being updated by the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency. The 180/400-Foot Subbasin is a critically over drafted basin according to DWR. The SVBGSA recently submitted five additional GSPs to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) for approval: Eastside, Forebay, Langley, Upper Valley, and Monterey.
The referral has resulted in this regional water forum, which is intended to provide a more in- depth analysis of how the regional water picture, across subbasins, is now influenced by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act's required outcomes. The goal is to provide an overview of current efforts regarding water management and sustainability and initiate comprehensive discussions on regional water supply issues and solutions. The staffs of the Monterey County Water Resources Agency (MCWRA), the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA), Monterey One Water (M1W), and the Marina Coast Water District/Groundwater Sustainability ...
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