Upload
others
View
0
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Prop 1, Sustainable Groundwater Planning Grant Program Grant Proposal For Upper Ventura River Groundwater Sustainability Agency and Plan
Preliminary Review Draft, August 2017
Prepared by Walter Consulting & Grant Writing
Table of Contents GrantProposalOnlineForm............................................................................................................................1Attachment1.AuthorizingDocumentation.....................................................................................................5Attachment2.EligibilityDocumentation........................................................................................................6
ApplicantOrganization.......................................................................................................................................6CASGEMCompliance..........................................................................................................................................6UrbanWaterManagementCompliance.............................................................................................................6AgriculturalWaterManagementCompliance....................................................................................................6SurfaceWaterDiversionCompliance.................................................................................................................6
Attachment3.ProjectJustification.................................................................................................................7ProposalSummary..............................................................................................................................................7
ProjectAreaMap............................................................................................................................................8TechnicalNeed...................................................................................................................................................9
DataGaps.......................................................................................................................................................9GroundwaterSustainabilityPlan....................................................................................................................9
FinancialNeed..................................................................................................................................................10ProjectSupport.................................................................................................................................................11
LegalAgreements.........................................................................................................................................11CommunicationwithNeighboringGSAs......................................................................................................11OBGMAMeetings.........................................................................................................................................11CommunicationwithBeneficialUsers..........................................................................................................11
Attachment4.WorkPlan..............................................................................................................................16Task1.GSADevelopment&Support...............................................................................................................17
1.1StakeholderEngagement(85%complete).............................................................................................171.2BasinBoundaryModification(100%complete).....................................................................................181.3FormJointPowersAuthorityandGroundwaterSustainabilityAgency(78%).......................................18
Task2.NewDataCollection&TechnicalAnalysis............................................................................................182.1EstablishandAnalyzeDataFromWellMonitoringNetwork(12%Complete).......................................182.2HistoricWet/DryStreamReachData(0%Complete)............................................................................192.3IrrigationEstimateviaInfraredAerialImagery(66%Complete)............................................................192.4ComparisonAnalysisofWaterYears2011and2017(27%Complete)..................................................192.5SanAntonioCreekInflowMonitoring(0%Complete)...........................................................................202.6VenturaRiverInflowMonitoring(0%Complete)...................................................................................202.7CasitasSpringsSurfaceFlowMonitoring(0%Complete).......................................................................212.8WellInventoryDatabase(0%Complete)................................................................................................212.9EstimateofNaturalHabitatEvapotranspiration(0%Complete)............................................................21
Task3.GSPPlanning(61%complete)...............................................................................................................22Task4.GSPChapter2:PlanAreaandBasinSetting.........................................................................................22
4.1DescriptionofPlanArea(0%Complete)................................................................................................224.2BasinSetting...........................................................................................................................................234.3StakeholderInvolvement,CoordinationwithSWRCB&DraftReviews(0%Complete)........................24
Task5.GSPChapter3:SustainableManagementCriteria...............................................................................245.1SustainabilityGoal(0%Complete).........................................................................................................245.2UndesirableResults(0%Complete).......................................................................................................245.3MinimumThresholds(0%Complete).....................................................................................................245.4MeasurableObjectives(0%Complete)..................................................................................................25
5.5MonitoringNetwork(25%Complete)....................................................................................................255.6StakeholderInvolvement,CoordinationwithSWRCB&DraftReviews(0%Complete)........................25
Task6.GSPChapter4:ProjectsandManagementActions..............................................................................256.1ProjectsandManagementActions(0%Complete)................................................................................256.2StakeholderInvolvement,CoordinationwithSWRCB&DraftReviews(0%Complete)........................25
Task7.GSPChapter5:PlanImplementation...................................................................................................257.1ImplementationSchedule,Costs,Reporting&Evaluations(0%Complete)...........................................257.2AdaptiveManagement(0%Complete)..................................................................................................267.3StakeholderInvolvement(0%Complete)...............................................................................................267.4StakeholderInvolvement&DraftReviews(0%Complete)....................................................................26
Task8.GSPIntroduction,ExecutiveSummaryReferences&Appendices(0%Complete)...............................26Task9.GSPReviewsandApprovalsandPreparationofFinalDocument(0%Complete)................................26Task10.ProjectManagement&Reporting(0%Complete).............................................................................27PermissionLetters............................................................................................................................................28
Attachment5.Budget...................................................................................................................................30BudgetNarrative...............................................................................................................................................32
Attachment6.Schedule................................................................................................................................34Attachment7.NewDataCollectionMaps.....................................................................................................36
NewWellMonitoringNetworkMap(Task2.1)................................................................................................36NewInflowandSurfaceFlowMonitoringLocationsMap(Tasks2.5–2.7).....................................................37
Note:Yellowhighlightedtextinthedocumentindicatesinformationthatshouldbeupdated/checkedpriortofinalgrantproposalsubmittal.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 1
Grant Proposal Online Form
APPLICANTINFORMATION
x OrganizationName UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterAgencyx TaxID 82-2316329
x ProposalName UpperVenturaRiverBasinGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan
x ProposalObjective ObjectivesforthedevelopmentoftheUpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityPlan(GSP)include:1)FormtheGroundwaterSustainabilityAgency(GSA)fortheUpperVenturaRiverBasinandestablishagencysystemsandproceduresthatsupporteffectiveandcost-efficientimplementationoftheGSP.2)FillKeyDataGaps:
a.Gathergeophysical,geological,groundwaterlevel,surfacewaterflow,andotherdatatoaddressdatadeficienciesandcontributetotheaccuratecharacterizationandmodelingofthebasin’shydrology.b.Establishanexpandedlong-termgroundwatermonitoringnetworkusingnewandexistingwellstosupportassessmentofprojectactionsthroughadaptivemanagement.c.Usenewandexistingdatatorefineaconceptualgroundwaterbasinmodel.d.SharegroundwatermonitoringandotherdatawiththeStateWaterResourcesControlBoardfortheirworkontheVenturaRiverWatershedSurfaceWater-GroundwaterInteractionandNutrientTransportModelingProject(beingconductedbetween2017and2020)toensureitsmodelisasaccurateaspossiblegiventheirlimitedfieldworkbudget.
3)ProduceaGSP:a.Expandandmaintainengagementwiththebasin’sstakeholdersthroughouttheplandevelopmentprocess.b.Formulatewisegroundwatermanagementstrategiesthataddressthebasin’schallengesinawaythatreliablysupportsecosystemandhuman(includingurbanandagricultural)needsinthewatershednowandinthefuture.c.ProduceaGSPthatmeetsDepartmentofWaterResourcesguidelines.
BUDGET
x OtherContribution Zero
x LocalContribution(CostShare)
$493,080
x FederalContribution Zero
x In-kindContribution (seeLocalContribution)
x AmountRequested $493,080
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 2
x TotalProjectCost $1,018,791
GEOGRAPHICINFORMATION
x Latitude DD34 MM25
SS45
x Longitude DD-119MM17SS46
x Longitude/LatitudeClarification
http://itouchmap.com/latlong.html
x Location VenturaRiverWaterDistrictHeadquarters
x County VenturaCounty
x GroundwaterBasin VenturaRiverValley-UpperVenturaRiver#4-003.1
x HydrologicRegion SouthCoast
x Watershed VenturaRiverWatershed
LEGISLATIVEINFORMATION
x StateAssemblyDistrict 37
x StateSenateDistrict 19
x U.S.CongressionalDistrict 26
PROJECTINFORMATION
x ProjectName UpperVenturaRiverBasinGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan
x ImplementingOrganization UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterAgency
x SecondaryImplementingOrganization
x ProposedStartDate Jan1,2016
x ProposedEndDate March30,2022
x ScopeofWork TheUpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterAgencywillprepareagroundwatersustainabilityplan,includingdevelopingdataandanalysesneededtounderstandthebasin’shydrologyanddeveloprequiredobjectives,thresholds,andmanagementactions.FundingwillalsosupporttheestablishmentofthenewGSAandstakeholderoutreach.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 3
x ProjectDescription(2000characters)
TheUpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterBasinislocatedintheVenturaRiverwatershedinVenturaCounty.Thebasin’sfourmainwatersuppliersandVenturaCountyproactivelyrespondedtothestate’sGroundwaterSustainabilityAct,usingaJointPowersAuthoritytoformtheUpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterAgency(UVRGA)inDec2016.ItbecameaGSAinJul2017.TheVenturaRiverwatershedreliessolelyonlocalwatersources,withgroundwatermakinguproughlyhalfofthosesupplies.Surfacewaterandgroundwaterareintricatelylinkedinthebasin;however,thenatureofthatlinkisnotwellunderstood.StreamflowsthatrechargethebasinmustalsobeavailableforthemigrationofendangeredCaliforniasteelhead.Themaingoalofthegrantprojectisdevelopmentofagroundwatersustainabilityplan.Beforewritingtheplan,additionalgroundwatermonitoring,surfaceflowgauging,andrelatedanalysesareneededtofillkeydatagaps.Thesedatawillenablethedevelopmentanaccurateconceptualgroundwatermodel.Thesemonitoringdatawillalsosupportastate-leveleffortthatisunderwaytostudyandultimatelyenhancestreamflowsintheVenturaRiverinsupporthabitatforanadromousfish.TheVenturaRiverisoneoffivestreamsystemsinthestatecalledoutinthe2014CaliforniaWaterActionPlanasthefocusoftheseefforts.Fromthebeginning,theUVRGAhasactivelyengagedstakeholdersandhasbeentransparentandsensitivetoconcernsandsuggestions.Thecommunityservedbythebasinisrelativelysmall,andhasalonghistoryofworkingtogethertomanagepreciouslocalwatersupplies.ThroughouttheprocessofdevelopingtheGSP,theUVRGAwillcontinuetomaintainrobuststakeholderengagement.TheUVRGAiscommittedtowisegroundwatermanagementstrategiesthatwilladdressthebasin’schallengesinawaythatreliablysupportsecosystemandhuman(includingurbanandagricultural)needsinthewatershednowandinthefuture.
x ProjectObjective(500) Theprojectobjectiveisto1)formtheGSAfortheUpperVenturaRiverBasin,and2)developagroundwatermanagementplanfortheUpperVenturaRiverBasinbasedonaccuratehydrogeologicaldata,andthataddressesthebasin’schallengesinawaythatreliablysupportsecosystemandhuman(includingurbanandagricultural)needsinthewatershednowandinthefuture.
QUESTIONSTAB
x Q1.ProjectDescription(25words)
Onceformed,theUpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterAgencywillgatherhydrogeologicaldata,developagroundwaterhydrologymodel,involvestakeholders,andproduceagroundwatersustainabilityplan.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 4
x Q2.ProjectRepresentative
BruceKueblerBoardChair,UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterAgencyPOBox1779,Ojai,CA93023805/[email protected]
x Q3.ProjectManager BruceKuebler[ChangetoBondyorotherGSPprojectmgr]BoardChair,UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterAgencyPOBox1779,Ojai,CA93023805/[email protected]
x Q4.Eligibility–CASGEM Yes,CASGEMcompliant.
x Q5.Eligibility–AgSupplier
N/A.Applicantisnotawatersupplier.
x Q6.Eligibility–UrbanWaterSupplier
N/A.Applicantisnotawatersupplier.
x Q7.Eligibility–SurfaceWaterDiverter
N/A.Applicantisnotasurfacewaterdiverter.
x Q8.Eligibility–Includeanyoflistofactivities.
No.Theprojectdoesnotincludeanyofthelistedactivities.
Q9.DACorEDACostShareWaiverorReduction
NotapplyingforcostsharewaiverorreductionasaDAC.
x Q10.ProjectAreaMap ProjectAreaMapattached.
APPLICATIONATTACHMENTS
O Attachment1:AuthorizingDocumentation
Att1_2017SGWPC2_AuthDoc_1of2.pdfAtt1_2017SGWPC2_AuthDoc_2of2.pdf(resolution)
x Attachment2:EligibleApplicantDocumentation
Att2_2017SGWPC2_EligDoc_1of1.pdf
x Attachment3:ProjectJustification
Att3_2017SGWPC2_ProjJus_1of2Att3_2017SGWPC2_ProjJus_2of2(JPAAgreement)
x Attachment4:WorkPlan Att4_2017SGWPC2_WrkPlan_1of2Att4_2017SGWPC2_WrkPlan_2of2(permissionletters)
x Attachment5:Budget Att5_2017SGWPC2_Budget_1of1
x Attachment6:Schedule Att6_2017SGWPC2_Schedule_1of2Att6_2017SGWPC2_Schedule_2of2
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 5
Attachment 1. Authorizing Documentation
AresolutiondesignatinganauthorizedrepresentativetosubmitthisgrantapplicationandexecuteanagreementwiththeStateofCaliforniafora2017SGWPGrantwasadoptedbytheUpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterAgencyonSeptemberxx,2017.Acopyofthatresolutionisattached(Att1_2017SGWPC2_AuthDoc_2of2.pdf).
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 6
Attachment 2. Eligibility Documentation
ApplicantOrganization
TheapplicantistheUpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterAgency(UVRGA),anewpublicagency.TheUVRGAofficiallybecameaGroundwaterSustainabilityAgency(GSA)onJuly20,2017.Itsgoverningbodyiscomprisedofonerepresentativefromeachofthefollowingfivelocalpublicagencies:CasitasMunicipalWaterDistrict,theCityofVentura,theCountyofVentura,theMeinersOaksWaterDistrict,andtheVenturaRiverWaterDistrict.Additionally,twoBoardseatsareheldbynon-agencyrepresentatives,onerepresentingagriculturalstakeholdersandanotherrepresentingenvironmentalinterests.
CASGEMCompliance
TheUpperVenturaRiverBasinisamedium-prioritybasininVenturaCountyandisincompliancewithCASGEM.TheVenturaCountyWatershedProtectionDistrict(VCWPD)conductsgroundwatermonitoringthroughoutthecounty,includingintheUpperVenturaRiverBasin.VCWPDcompilesthewaterleveldatagatheredbycountystaffwiththatgatheredbyotheragenciesanduploadsthattotheCASGEMwebsitesemi-annually.VCWPDwillcontinueinthisroleandprovidedataconsistentwiththeCASGEMprogram.
UrbanWaterManagementCompliance
Theapplicant,UVRGA,isnotanurbanwatersupplier.
AgriculturalWaterManagementCompliance
Theapplicant,UVRGA,isnotanagriculturalwatersupplier.
SurfaceWaterDiversionCompliance
Theapplicant,UVRGA,isnotasurfacewaterdiverter.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 7
Attachment 3. Project Justification
ProposalSummary
ThisproposalisfortheformationoftheUpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterAgency(UVRGA)andtheagency’sdevelopmentofagroundwatersustainabilityplan(GSP)fortheentireUpperVenturaRiverBasin.
Background.TheUpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterBasin(basin)(DWR#4-003.1)isamedium-prioritybasinlocatedintheVenturaRiverwatershedinVenturaCounty.Thebasin’sfourmainwatersuppliersandVenturaCountyproactivelyrespondedtothestate’sGroundwaterSustainabilityAct,usingaJointPowersAuthoritytoformtheUVRGAinDec2016.UVRGAbecameaGSAonJul20,2017.
UnlikemosturbanizedareasofsouthernCalifornia,theVenturaRiverwatershedreliessolelyonlocalsourcesofwater,withgroundwatermakinguproughlyhalfofthosesupplies.
TheunconfinedbasinisarelativelyshallowalluvialbasinthatunderliestheVenturaRiver.Surfacewaterandgroundwaterareintricatelylinkedinthebasin;however,thenatureofthelinkbetweengroundwaterandstreamflowintheVenturaRiverisnotwellunderstood.
TheflowsoftheVenturaRiverthatrechargethebasinmustalsobeavailableforthemigrationofendangeredsouthernCaliforniasteelhead.Steelheadareconsideredanindicatorspeciesofthewatershed’soverallecologicalhealth.ANOAABiologicalOpinionhasguidedsteelheadwaterdiversionssince2005.Anewsurfacewater-groundwaterinteractionstudytobetterunderstandtheriver’shydrologywasinitiatedthisyearbytheStateWaterResourcesControlBoardandisexpectedtobecompletedin2020,andtheirfindingscouldresultinarequirementtoincreaseinstreamflows.
CurrentNeed.InordertoproduceaGSPthataccuratelyreflectsthebasin’shydrologyandwaterbudget,itwillbenecessarytomeasuregroundwaterlevelsaswellasinflowsandoutflowsfromthebasinovertime.Dataloggersinanetworkofwellswillaccuratelymeasuregroundwaterlevelsinthebasin.Formeasuringinflow,adetailedreviewofdata(includingonenewgroundwaterwell)isneededatthebasin’smostsignificantsubsurfaceinflowlocation.Groundwaterextractionisanimportantelementoftheoutflow.Whiledatafromwaterprovidersareavailable,theamountofwaterextractedfromprivatewellsisnotwellknown.Aerialinfraredimagerycombinedwithanirrigatedlandscapeanalysiswillprovideacost-effectiveparcel-levelestimateofwaterdemandfromthesewells.OutflowfromevapotranspirationfrominvasiveArundodonaxandnativeriparianvegetationisanimportantpartofanaccuratewaterbudget.Amorepreciseestimateofdiurnalandnocturnalfluctuationsinevapotranspirationfromriparianvegetationwillbedevelopedusingdataloggersinkeywellspairedwithsurfaceflowgauges.Amorerobustconceptualgroundwatermodel,withspecificmodelelements(e.g.,basinrechargeandextraction)willbedevelopedfromtheseandotherdata.
StakeholderEngagement.Fromthebeginning,theUVRGAhasactivelyengagedstakeholdersandhasbeentransparentandsensitivetoconcernsandsuggestions.Thecommunityservedbythebasinisrelativelysmall,andhasalonghistoryofworkingtogethertomanagepreciouslocalwatersupplies.TheUVRGABoardmembersareactiveparticipantsintheVenturaRiverWatershedCouncil.ThecouncilrecentlyproducedacomprehensivewatershedmanagementplanandisaneffectiveforumforcommunicationaboutissuesintheVenturaRiverwatershed.
ThroughouttheprocessofdevelopingtheGSP,theUVRGAwillcontinuetomaintainarobustprogramofengagementwithstakeholdersandtheWatershedCouncil.Bycollectingandanalyzingtherequireddataandinvolvinginterestedpartiesateverystep,weexpectthefinalGSPtobescientificallysoundandpubliclyaccepted.Thedocumentwillalsobeevolvingwitheachupdate,informedbyadditionaldataandunderstanding.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 8
ProjectAreaMap
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 9
TechnicalNeed
DataGapsTheproject’sWorkPlanincludesanumberoftasksthatwillsupplydatathatiscriticaltodevelopingamoresophisticatedconceptualgroundwatermodeloftheUpperVenturaRiverBasin.ThesedatawillalsobesharedwiththeStateWaterResourcesControlBoard(SWRCB)fortheirworkontheVenturaRiverWatershedSurfaceWater-GroundwaterInteractionandNutrientTransportModelingProjecttoensureitsmodelisasaccurateaspossiblegiventheirlimitedfieldworkbudget.Newmonitoringequipmentwillalsoprovidealong-termgroundwater-monitoringnetworkfortheUVRGA’songoingmanagementofthebasin.
WellMonitoringNetwork/DataLoggers.Dataloggerswererecentlyinstalledinsixwellsinordertoacquiregroundwaterhydrographsbasedonmultipledailyreadingsatkeylocationsextendingovera6-milereachofthebasin.Theloggerswillprovidewaterlevelandtemperaturereadingsat15-minuteintervals.
InflowData.SubsurfaceinflowattheconfluenceofSanAntonioCreekandtheVenturaRiverisknowntobesignificant,buttheamountofinflowhasneverbeenmonitored.Installationofamonitoringwellatthisimportantlocationwillprovidelong-neededdataonthebasin’shydrology,aswellasneededinformationondepthofalluviumandgroundwatergradient.Anotherlocationofnotableinflow,thetopofthebasin,isalsonotmonitored.Atthislocation,dataloggerswillbeinstalledinexistingwellstocalculateinflow.
SurfaceFlowData.UnlikemostoftheVenturaRiveroverthebasin,thereachoftheriveratCasitasSpringsisagainingreachandtypicallyflowsyear-round.AbigmanagementissuefortheURVGA,especiallyrelatedtosteelheadhabitat,iskeepingwaterinthisreach.Surfacewaterismonitoredabove(onSanAntonioCreekneartheconfluence)andbelowthisreach,butisnotmonitoredinthisreach.Thisrepresentsasignificantdatagap.
IrrigationEstimateviaInfraredImagery.Therearemanyprivatewellsinthebasinandthequantityofgroundwaterpumpedfromthemisunknown.Anautomatedtechnologythatusesinfraredimageryandacorrespondingirrigatedlandscapeanalysiswillprovideacost-effectiveparcel-levelestimateofirrigationwaterdemand.
NaturalHabitatEvapotranspirationAnalysis.ThegroundwaterdemandfromArundodonaxandnativeriparianvegetationisnotwellunderstood,yetisimportanttodevelopinganaccuratewaterbudgetandtotheanalysisofgroundwater-dependentecosystems.
ConceptualGroundwaterModel.Fromtheseandotherdata,amorerobustconceptualgroundwatermodelwillbedevelopedtoguideplanningandmanagementofthebasin.Representingthesurfacewater-groundwaterrelationshipaccuratelywillbecentraltodevelopmentofthismodel.
GroundwaterSustainabilityPlanThebasinisinawatersheddependentsolelyonlocalwatersupplies,withgroundwatercomprisingabouthalfofthosesupplies.TherelativelyshallowalluvialbasinunderliestheupperVenturaRiver,mostofwhichiscomprisedofa“dryreach”wheresurfaceflowsdisappearundergroundexceptafterstormsinmostyears.Thebasinisinanareaoflowrainfall,themedianrainfallisonly19.2inchesayear,andrainfallishighlyvariablefromyeartoyear.Whiletherainsof2017broughtrelieftomuchofCalifornia,anddidrefillthebasin,watersuppliesinLakeCasitas,thewatershed’ssurfacewaterreservoir,remainat40%ofcapacity.
StreamflowsthatrechargethebasinmustalsobeavailableforthemigrationofendangeredCaliforniasteelhead,andthereisthepotentialthatrequirementsforinstreamflowmayincrease.TheVenturaRiverisoneoffivestreamsystemsinthestatecalledoutinthe2014CaliforniaWaterActionPlanasthefocusofstateeffortstoenhancestreamflowsforanadromousfish.TheCaliforniaDepartmentofFishandWildlifeandSWRCBarenowstudyingtheriversystem,andtheirfindingscouldleadtothedevelopmentofaflowobjectivefortheriver.
TheUVRGAismandatedtoprepareaGSPbyJan2022.Giventhelimitedwatersuppliesinthewatershedandcompetingdemandsforthosesupplies,abetterunderstandingofthebasin’sgroundwaterhydrologyandwaterbudget,andathoughtfulapproachtogroundwatermanagementislongoverdue.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 10
FinancialNeed
AbsentSustainableGroundwaterPlanninggrantfunding,theUVRGAwouldneedtousepumpingfeestoraisenecessaryfundstoprepareaGSP.TheUpperVenturaRiverBasinisarelativelysmallbasin.Itssafeannualyieldisestimatedat9,482acre-feet.Approximately20%ofthegroundwaterusedinthebasinisforagricultural(i.e.,orchard)irrigation.Thereareonlyabout120wells.
Giventhesmallvolumeofwaterusedinthebasin,togeneratetheneededrevenuetomeetthemanymandatedtechnicalrequirementsoftheGSP,averyhighpumpingfeewouldbenecessary.Giventhatgrowersuseone-fifthofthebasin’swater,impositionofahighpumpingfeecouldhavesignificantnegativeimpactsonagricultureinthebasin.Thisisanimportantpointbecauseofthepotentialfororchardlandconversions.Ifexistingorchardscannotbemaintainedbecausewateristooexpensive,convertingtootherincome-makinglanduseswilllikelybeconsideredbylandowners.Potentialalternativelanduses,suchasdifferentcroptypes,livestockoperations,horseboarding,andhousing,couldsignificantlyaffectwaterdemand,andwaterquality,inthebasin.
InadditiontousingpumpingfeestopreparetheGSP,theUVRGAwouldhavetoforgosomeofthemoreexpensivetasksintheWorkPlanintendedtofilllong-standingdatagapsinunderstandingofthebasin’shydrology.Thebasinhashighlycomplexhydrology,withlittleunderstoodsurfacewater-groundwaterinteractions;withouttheactualmeasurementsthatcaninformanaccurategroundwatermodelofthebasin,managementdecisionswillnecessarilybelesstechnicallysoundand,forthesamereason,morecontroversial.
Thiswouldobviouslybeverydetrimentaltoameaningfulattemptatsustainablegroundwatermanagement.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 11
ProjectSupport
LegalAgreementsThefivepublicagenciesthatcomprisetheUVRGAinitiallyformedaJointPowersAuthority(JPA)onDecember12,2016.TheJPAfilednoticetobecomeaGSAonApril21,2017,andbecameaGSAonJuly20,2017.TheoriginalJPAremainsthelegalinstrumentthatoutlinesgovernanceandrelevantrolesandresponsibilitiesoftheparties.AcopyoftheJPAincludedasaseparateattachment(Att3_2017SGWPC2_ProjJus_2of2).
CommunicationwithNeighboringGSAsTheOjaiValleyBasinisadjacenttotheUpperVenturaRiverBasintotheeast,andtheLowerVenturaRiverBasinisadjacenttothesouth.TheLowerVenturaRiverBasinisrankedasaverylowprioritybyCASGEM,sonoworkisunderwayformanagementofthatbasin.TheOjaiValleyBasinhasbeenmanagedlocallybytheOjaiBasinGroundwaterManagementAgency(OBGMA)since1991.
VenturaRiverWatershedCouncil.TheVenturaRiverWatershedCouncilisanengagedwatershedcouncil,andmembersoftheOBGMAandthefivememberagenciesoftheUVRGAareactiveparticipantsinthecouncil.Theregularmeetingsofthecouncilincludeupdatesbyparticipants,aswellasspecialpresentationsandreportsaboutprojectsorsubjectsofinterest.TheVenturaRiverwatershedcoordinator,thefacilitatorofthecouncil,alsomaintainsawebsitewithlocalupdatesandsendse-newsletterstoparticipantswithnewsandannouncements.
Participationinthecouncilhasbeeninstrumentalinkeepinggroundwatermanagersabreastoftheprojects,interestsandconcernsofothergroundwatermanagersinthewatershed,aswellasofotherstakeholderactivitiesthatmayhaveanexuswithgroundwater.Asaresult,relationshipsbetweenwatermanagersandotherstakeholdersaregenerallystrong.Membersofthepublicarealsowelcomeandengagedatcouncilmeetings.
OBGMAMeetingsCoordinationwithOBGMAhasbeencontinualduringformationofUVRGAthroughtoday.TheprimarypointofcontactisBruceKuebler,wholeadUVRGA’sformationandiscurrentlyUVRGABoardChair.HeregularlyattendedandstillattendsOBGMABoardmeetingsanddiscussesinterbasinmatters,suchasacoordinationagreementandissuesarisingfromthehydrologicconnectionbetweenbasins.UVRGAandOBGMAhaveagreedtoshareofficespaceandanadministrativemanager.InformalcoordinationoccursthroughUVRGABoardmemberMaryBergen,whoservesasanalternateontheOBGMABoard.Fortechnicalmatters,coordinationoccursthroughJordanKear,hydrogeologist,whoprovidedconsultingforthebasinboundarymodificationsforbothbasins.HehasdoneworkfortwowaterdistrictsinUpperVenturaRiverBasinandisthetechnicalconsultanttoOBGMA.
CommunicationwithBeneficialUsersMembersoftheUVRGAhaveconsideredtheinterestsofbeneficialusersinmindfromtheveryfirstorganizationalmeetings.DuringdevelopmentoftheJPA,themembersheldnumerouspublicmeetingstodiscussimportanttermstobeincludedintheJPAagreement.ThemembersalsoheldmultiplestakeholderoutreachmeetingstoengageandeducatestakeholderswithinthebasinabouttherequirementsoftheSustainableGroundwaterManagementAct,theJPAagreement,andtheintentiontoformaGSAfortheBasin.
TheadoptedJPAdictatedthattwooftheagency’ssevenboardofdirectorsrepresentkeystakeholders/beneficialusers,specificallyagriculturalandenvironmental.Nomineesforthosepositionsweresolicitedandcandidatesinterviewed.TheagriculturalandenvironmentalrepresentativesjoinedtheBoardinFebruary2017.TheseboardmembersarecountedontosolicitinputfromtheintereststheyrepresentonrelevantGSAbusinessandkeeptheBoardinformedofanyconcernsorotherfeedback.
AnearlyactiontakenbytheGSAorganizerswastodevelopawebsiteande-newsletterinordertosolicitthenamesandcontactinformationofstakeholdersinterestedintheGSAprocess.Thewebsiteande-newsletterwerelaunchedinApril2016,andthedistributionlistnowstandsat115people.Asamplee-newsletterandawebsitescreenshotshowingpublicmeetingannouncementsareincludedbelow.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 12
Finally,activeparticipationintheVenturaRiverWatershedCouncil(describedabove)bymembersoftheGSAisanothersignificantmeansbywhichcommunicationwithinterestedstakeholdersandbeneficialusersisachieved.PresentationsonGSAformationeffortsdatebacktoMarch2015(seeagendabelow).ThecouncilisalsotheforuminwhichthebusinessoftheVenturaCountyIntegratedRegionalWaterManagementProgramisdiscussedinthewatershed,socommunicationwiththatimportantwatermanagementprogramalsooccursviathecouncil.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 13
FirstE-NewsletterofUVRGA-Screenshot
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 14
EarlyStakeholderOutreachatVenturaRiverWatershedCouncilMeeting
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 15
PublicMeetingsAnnouncedonWebsite-Screenshot
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 16
Attachment 4. Work Plan
Theproject’sWorkPlaniscomprisedofthreeoverallobjectives:
1.CreatetheGSA.Thisworkislargelyalreadycomplete.
2.Fillkeydatagaps.Thisworkhasrecentlybegunandwillconsumemostofthefirstyearof2018.ThesedatawillimprovecharacterizationofhydrogeologicconditionsandexpandtheUVRGA’smonitoringprogram,bothofwhichwilldirectlyservegroundwaterplanningandmanagementactivities.
3.PrepareafinalGSP.Thiswillcomprisethebulkoftheeffortandisexpectedtobecompletedbytheendof2021.
TheUpperVenturaRiverBasinandSustainability.UnderstandingthecharacteroftheUpperVenturaRiverBasin,andthecentralinterrelationshipswithsurfaceflowandsurfacewatersupplies,isimportantwithregardtoachievingsustainabilityasdefinedbyDWR.Thebasinisshallow,largelyunconfined,dynamicallyconnectedwiththeVenturaRiver,andhasaverylonghistoryintermsofmonitoring.Theselong-termrecordshaveprovidedgroundwatermanagerswithafairlystrongunderstandingofthebasin’sgeneralpatternofregulardepletionindryyearsfollowedbyrapidrechargeingoodwetyears.
Forexample,theVenturaRiverWaterDistrict,oneoftwowaterdistrictsthathavewaterwellsintheriverintheupperpartofthebasin,hasfoundthatthesectionofthebasinwhereitpumpstendstoholdaboutan18-monthsupplyofwater(estimatedfrompumpingduringanextendeddryspellfollowingagoodrainfallwinter).Conversely,thebasincangofromemptytofullinthreemonthsinanaveragewinter.
Becauseofthisdynamicdepletion/rechargepattern,mostwellusershaveabackupaconnectiontosurfacewaterviatheCasitasMunicipalWaterDistrict.Itislong-time,standardoperatingproceduretoswitchtoCasitaswaterwhenlevelsdroptolow,orwhennitrateconcentrationsgettoohigh.Whentherainscomeandrechargethebasin,pumpingresumes.
Giventhissituationinthebasin,thefirsttwo“undesirableresults”⎯chronicloweringofgroundwaterlevelsandunreasonablereductionofstorage⎯maynotbeasmeaningfulforsustainability.Seawaterintrusionisnotanissueasthebasiniswellinland,landsubsidenceisnotasignificantfactorgiventhenatureoftheareassubstrates,andtheprimarywaterqualityconcern–nitrates–ismonitoredandmanagedbydiscontinuingpumpingandswitchingtosurfacewatersourceswhenconcentrationsgettoohigh.Therefore,thesecondthreeundesirableresultsaresimilarlynotasmeaningfulforthebasin’ssustainability.
Ofthesixundesirableresults,byfarofgreatestconcernisthatof“depletionsofinterconnectedsurfacewaterthathavesignificantandunreasonableadverseimpactsonbeneficialusesofthesurfacewater.”Formingabetterunderstandingofsurfacewater-groundwaterinteractionswillbeacentralfocusoftheworkofdevelopinganaccurateGSPformanagingthisUpperVenturaRiverBasinforsustainability.
EnvironmentalComplianceandPermitting.Basedonthenatureofthework,scientificdatacollection,analysis,andplanpreparation,allprojectrelatedactivitiesqualifyforanexemptionundertheCaliforniaEnvironmentalQualityAct.Onemonitoringwellwillbedrilledaspartofthisproject.AsdescribedunderSubtask2.5below,thewellwillbepermittedasamonitoringwellthroughtheCountyofVentura.MonitoringwellsarecategoricallyexemptfromCEQA.TheCountyofVentura’swellpermitisministerial,requiringsignaturesfromthepropertyowner,welldriller,andregisteredinspector.Typicallythesepermitsarecompletewithin7to10daysofapplication.Nootherpermitsareanticipatedforthisproject.
StakeholderCommunication.TheUVRGA’sexistingmethodsofongoingstakeholdercommunicationwillcontinuethroughouttheGSP’sdevelopment.Theseincluderegulare-newsletters,announcementsandpresentationsatVenturaRiverWatershedCouncilmeetings,periodicpublicmeetings,andkeepinganup-to-dateinformativewebsite.Inaddition,aStakeholderAdvisoryCommitteewillbeestablishedatthebeginningoftheplandevelopmentprocessandthatgroupwillbecalledupontogiveinputandfeedbackondraftsectionsoftheplanastheyaredeveloped.
TheWorkPlanMilestones/Deliverablestablebelowsummarizestheprojectsdeliverablesandcompletiondates.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 17
WorkPlanMilestones/DeliverablesTableTask Milestones/DeliverablesSchedule Complete1 GSADevelopment&Support JPAAgreement. 12-2016
2 NewDataCollection&TechnicalAnalyses Newdataloggerquarterlyreport. 12-2017 SurfaceWater-GroundwaterInterfaceReportandassociatedmap. 03-2018 IrrigatedLandscapeAnalysisSummaryReport. 03-2018 ComparisonAnalysisofWaterYears2011and2017. 06-2018
SanAntonioCreek1)InflowGeologicCrossSectionMap,2)InflowEstimateReport,and3)ConfluenceGeotechnicalReport.
06-2018
VenturaRiver:1)InflowGeologicCrossSectionMap,2)VenturaRiverInflowEstimateReport. 06-2018 CasitasSpringsSurfaceFlowquarterlyreport. 09-2018 Awellinventorydatabase. 06-2018 NaturalHabitatEvapotranspirationReport. 06-20183 GSPPlanning GSPAdvisoryCommitteeroster,andStakeholderEngagementPlan. 06-20184 GSPChapter2:PlanAreaandBasinSetting Draftof“Chapter2:PlanAreaandBasinSetting.” 09-20195 GSPChapter3:SustainableManagementCriteria Draftof“Chapter3:SustainableManagementCriteria.” 03-20206 GSPChapter4:ProjectsandManagementActions
Draftof“Chapter4:ProjectsandManagementActions.” 09-20207 GSPChapter5:PlanImplementation Draftof“Chapter5:PlanImplementation.” 03-2021
8 GSPIntroduction,ExecutiveSummaryReferences&Appendices
Draftsof“Chapter1:Introduction,”“ExecutiveSummary,”“References,”and“Appendices.” 03-2021
9 GSPReviewsandApprovals FinalGSP. 12-2021
10 ProjectManagement&Reporting
Quarterlyandfinalreports.Quarterly&03-2022
Task1.GSADevelopment&Support
1.1StakeholderEngagement(85%complete)ThistaskincludesdevelopingandmaintainingarobuststakeholderoutreachandengagementprogramrelatedtotheformationoftheURVGA,andhaslargelyalreadybeenimplemented.StakeholderoutreachmeetingsabouttheGSAformationandpresentationsattheVenturaRiverWatershedCouncilbeganin2015.InApril2016,acomprehensivewebsitewasdevelopedtoexplaintheprocessandthebasin,andtosolicitparticipation.Atthattimemembersofthepublicwereinvitedtosignupforane-newslettermailinglist.AsofAug2017thereare115peopleregistered.Thewebsitehasannouncementsaboutpublicmeetingsaswellasagendasandsupportingmaterial.GSAorganizersattendedmeetingsoftheOjaiValleyGroundwaterManagementAgency(OBGMA),theGSAfortheadjacentbasin,
ThecommitmenttostakeholderengagementisreflectedinthecompositionoftheUVRGA’sseven-memberboard,whichincludestwostakeholderseats:oneforagriculturalinterestsandoneforenvironmentalinterests.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 18
Remainingworkincludescontinuingtokeepstakeholdersinformedabout,andseekingtheirinputon,thedevelopingpolicies,procedures,andprogramsoftheUVRGAviawebsiteupdates,e-newsletters,presentations,andothervenues.StakeholderengagementrelativetotheGSPisaddressedintherelevantGSPdevelopmenttasksbelow.
1.2BasinBoundaryModification(100%complete)ThistaskincludesgoingthroughDWR’sprocesstomodifytheUpperVenturaRiverBasinboundary,andhasalreadybeenimplemented.Thisinvolvedconductingthenecessaryresearch,compilingthetechnicaljustificationandrequireddocumentation,creatingthenewboundarymaps,coordinatingwiththeOBGMAandotherlocalagencies,holdingpublicmeetings,filinganoticewithDWRfortheboundarymodification,andrespondingtocomments.
Deliverables:None:ApprovedboundarymodificationisverifiedonDWR’swebsite.
1.3FormJointPowersAuthorityandGroundwaterSustainabilityAgency(78%)ThistaskinvolvesorganizinglocalagenciesintoanewagencyformanagementoftheUpperVenturaRiverBasin,andissubstantiallycomplete.TheseagenciesincludeCasitasMunicipalWaterDistrict,theCityofVentura,theCountyofVentura,theMeinersOaksWaterDistrict,andtheVenturaRiverWaterDistrict.Preliminarystepsincludeddiscussionswithpotentialagencies,holdinginitialexploratorymeetings,andmakingpresentationsabouttheGSAformationatotherrelevantlocalorganizations.OrganizerstookadvantageofDWRsprogramofferingfreeprofessionalfacilitationservicesfromtheCenterforCollaborativePolicy.Thefacilitatorwascatalyticindevelopinggroupconsensus,andherassistancemadetheeffectivenessofearlymeetingsanddecisionsrelatedtoorganizationandstructuresignificantlymoreproductiveandefficient.Stakeholderoutreachthroughouttheprocesswasrobust,asdescribedaboveinSubtask1.1.
ManymeetingsandadhocsubcommitteemeetingswereheldtoworkoutthelanguageanddetailsofaJointPowersAuthority(JPA)agreement,whichwassignedDec12,2016.TheJPAcollectedfeesfromeachofthefiveparticipatingpublicagencies,hiredlegalcounsel,heldpublicmeetings,andcompletedDWR’sdocumentationandfilingrequirementsforGSAstatus.TheUVRGAofficiallybecameaGSAonJuly20,2017.
RemainingtasksincludeestablishinginitialUVRGAadministrativeactivities,suchasdevelopingbookkeepingprocedures,retainingconsultants,andsettinguptechnicalcommittees;anddevelopingfoundationalpoliciesandproceduresthatwillguideandsupporttheorganization,suchasagencybylawsandfundingmechanisms.
Deliverables:JPAagreement.(ApprovedGSAstatusisverifiedonDWR’swebsite.)
Task2.NewDataCollection&TechnicalAnalysis
Task2involvesgatheringandanalyzingcriticaladditionaldata,primarilyhydrogeologicaldata,neededtoadequatelycharacterizeandassessthegroundwaterbasin’shydrologyinordertodevelopsustainablegroundwatermanagement.
Thisexpandedmonitoringandcharacterizationwilladdressdeficiencies,especiallyintheunderstandingofthebasin’sdynamicsurfacewater-groundwaterinteractions,whicharenowobstaclesindetermininganaccuratewaterbudgetforthebasinaswellasarefinedconceptualgroundwatermodel.Collectionandanalysisofthesenewdataovertimewillreducethecurrentuncertaintyaboutbasinhydrology.
2.1EstablishandAnalyzeDataFromWellMonitoringNetwork(12%Complete)InMayof2016,theUVRGAinstalleddataloggersinsixwellswithlong-termrecordstoacquiregroundwaterhydrographsbasedonmultipledailyreadingsatkeylocationsextendingovera6-milereachofthebasin.Theloggerswillprovidewaterlevelandtemperaturereadingsat90-minuteintervals.Thedatafromtheseloggerswillbepartofalong-termmonitoringprogramandwillbecriticaltorefiningtheUVRGA’sconceptualgroundwatermodelaswellascalibratingtheSWRCB’ssurfacewater-groundwatermodel.Frequentdailyreadingsarenecessarytobetterunderstandhistoricalrecords,whichwereonlybasedonbi-monthlyorquarterlydata.
AllwellownersprovidedwrittenpermissionallowingtheUVRGAanditsconsultantsaccesstoinstalltheloggersandperiodicallymonitorthewells.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 19
Deliverables:Newdataloggerquarterlyreport.
2.2HistoricWet/DryStreamReachData(0%Complete)ThesoutherlyportionofVenturaRiverisusuallyagainingreachandthenortherlyportionalosingreach.Whenandwheresurfacewaterceasesflowingabovegroundandwhenandwhereitappearsagainareimportantdataformodelinginteractionofsurfacewaterandgroundwater.TwowateragenciesontheUVRGABoardhavebeenconductingregularon-the-groundrivermonitoringthatincludes1)mappingthesouthernedgeoftheriver’ssurfaceflowinthelosingreach(beguninJanuary2014)and2)notingat100-meterintervalsalonggainingandlosingreacheswheretheriverbediswet,dry,orintermittent(beguninFebruary2008forassessmentofsteelheadpassageflows).
Thistaskinvolvescompiling,reconciling,andanalyzingthesemonitoringdatawithdataloggerinformationtohelprefinetheconceptualgroundwatermodelandtohelpcalibratetheSWRCBsurfacewater-groundwatermodel.
Areportwillbedevelopeddescribingthedynamicoccurrenceandmovementofthesurfacewater-groundwaterinterface,includingananimatedGISmapshowingwheregroundwaterisdaylightingand/orsurfaceflowsarepercolatingundergroundovertime.
Deliverables:SurfaceWater-GroundwaterInterfaceReportandassociatedmap.
2.3IrrigationEstimateviaInfraredAerialImagery(66%Complete)Thereareabout120wellsintheUpperVenturaRiverBasin.Itisnotknownhowmuchwaterispumpedfromeachwellexceptforthepublicwatersupplywells.Torefinethebasin’swaterbudgetandtohelpintheanalysisofUVRGA’sfeestructure,itisnecessarytoestimatetheamountofgroundwaterpumpedbywellownerssothefeewillbeproportionaltousageandwillexcludedeminimiswellowners.Oneofthemostcost-effectivemethodstodeterminewaterusageifmetersarenotpresentisinfrared(IR)aerialphotographywithautomatedirrigatedlandscapeanalysis.ArecenttestbytheCaliforniaDepartmentofWaterResources(DWR)ofEagleAerial’ssystem,verifiedthattheaccuracyoftheirtechnologywaswithinthesametoleranceashandmeasurementsofirrigatedareas.
TheUVRGAcontractedwithEagleAerialtohavethebasinflownduringJuly2017andidentifyeachparcelthathasawell.ThevendorprovidesESRI-compatibleparcelpolygonsindicatingtypesofirrigatedvegetationandimpervioussurfaces;andacorrespondingExceldatafileindicatingthesquarefootageofvegetation(turf,trees,bushes&flowerbeds)andimpervioussurfacesforeachpolygon.WiththeIRimageryandcorrespondingirrigatedlandscapeanalysis,theUVRGAcanapplytheappropriateevapotranspirationratetodeterminethequantityofwaterusedperyearperparcelforirrigation.Additionallyaninventoryofwellswithmeterscanbemade,andusedtoground-truthwateruseincontrolparcelsandthenappliedtoun-meteredwells.
Areportwillbeproduceddescribingtheamountofwaterusedbyprivatepumpersforirrigation,includingthemethodologyandanalyticalapproach.
Deliverables:IrrigatedLandscapeAnalysisSummaryReport.
2.4ComparisonAnalysisofWaterYears2011and2017(27%Complete)Thistaskfocusesonthesurfacewater-groundwaterinteractionselementsoftheconceptualgroundwatermodel.Wateryears(WY)2011and2017representthetwomostrecentyearswhenthebasinfilledcompletely.Bycomparingtherateofdrawdownoftheaquiferineachoftheseyears,andfactoringinknowndifferencesbetweentheyears⎯suchaslesspumpingduetodroughtconditionsandlessevapotranspirationduetoArundodonaxremoval⎯significantadvanceswillbemadeinunderstandingtherelationshipofthebasin’ssurfacewaterandgroundwater.ThiswillalsoassistwithcalibrationoftheSWRCBmodel.
PreliminaryworkonthistaskhasbeenconductedbytheUVRGA’sBoardchairandretiredcivilengineer,whoproducedawhitepapertitled“UnderstandingMoreAboutSurfaceandGroundwaterintheUpperVenturaRiverBasinBetweenMeinersOaksandOakView”inJune2016.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 20
Itwasadetailedlookatsurfaceflow,groundwaterpumping,andwaterlevelchangesatfivekeywellsforthenine-yearperiodfromwateryear2006through2014,andincludedestimatesofgroundwaterrecharge,storagechange,riverbedpercolation,andgroundwaterflow.
BecausetheSWRCB’ssurfacewater-groundwatermodelofthebasinmaynotbecompleteuntilaslateas2021,thecomparativeanalysiswillessentiallyprovidetheUVRGAwithaninterimsurfacewater-groundwaterinteractionframeworkthatwillbeessentialtomovingforwardwithmanagementofthebasinuntiltheSWRCB’smodelisfinished.
Deliverables:ComparisonAnalysisofWaterYears2011and2017.
2.5SanAntonioCreekInflowMonitoring(0%Complete)SurfaceandgroundwaterinflowsfromSanAntonioCreekintotheVenturaRiverrepresenthydrologicconnectionwithotherportionsofthewatershed,includingtheOjaiValleyGroundwaterBasinandtheUpperOjaiBasin,andaresignificantwaterinputstothebasin.TheCountyofVenturamonitorssurfaceflowsatthislocation;however,groundwaterinflowshaveneverbeenmonitored.Thisrepresentsanimportantdatagap.
Thistaskinvolvesdrillingonemonitoringwellattheconfluenceandcollectingdatafromtwoexistingnearbywellstoprovidegroundwatergradientdata.TheinflowmonitoringwellisintendedtoprovideatriangulatedflowmonitoringpointinconjunctionwithtwoexistingproductionwellstomonitorgroundwaterflowfromtheSanAntonioCreekintotheUpperVenturaRiverBasin.
ThemonitoringwellwillalsoallowtheUVRGAtoacquireboringandsampledatathatwillfillgeologicaldatagapsatthisstrategiclocationandallowforaccuratemappingofthecontactofthealluviumandbedrockandestablishmentofthealluvialcross-sectionalarea.Groundwaterflowwillthenbecalculated.
ThisSanAntonioCreekgeologicandsubsurfaceinflowdataareimportanttotheconceptualgroundwatermodelandiskeytocalibratingtheSWRCB’ssurfacewater-groundwatermodel.
Themonitoringwellwillconsistofa4"diameterPVCcasingsurroundedbyagravelpackwithinthetargetaquiferandacementsealintheupper10feetoftheannulus.Thewellwillbedrilledto10feetbelowthecontactbetweenalluviumandbedrock,withperforationsadjacenttoalluvialaquifermaterial.Estimatedtotaldepthis50ft.Thewellwillbedrilledbyatruck-mountedmobiledrillrigusinghollow-stemauger,sonic,orotherfluid-freedrillingtechnology.
ThewellwillbepermittedasamonitoringwellthroughtheCountyofVentura.MonitoringwellsarecategoricallyexemptfromCEQA.TheCountyofVentura’swellpermitisministerial,requiringsignaturesfromthepropertyowner,welldriller,andregisteredinspector.Typicallythesepermitsarecompletewithin7to10daysofapplication.Nootherpermitsareanticipatedforthisproject.Acounty-registeredinspectorwillobservetheannularsealingofthewell.Hisreport,alongwiththeDWRformwellcompletionreport,willbesubmittedtotheCountyofVenturaandtheStatewithin30daysofwellcompletion.
Themonitoringwellwillbeusedprimarilyforwaterlevelmonitoring.Operationswillconsistofoccasionalaccess,measurements,andwellheadsecuring.Nomaintenanceisanticipated.
TheprivatelandownerhasprovidedwrittenpermissionfortheUVRGAtodrillthewellontheirproperty(Att4_2017SGWPC2_WrkPlan_2of2).AccesstothewellwillbevialandownedbytheOjaiValleyLandConservancy,andtheirwrittenpermissiongrantingaccessisincludedinthatattachment.
Deliverables:SanAntonioCreek1)InflowGeologicCrossSectionMap,2)InflowEstimateReport,and3)ConfluenceGeotechnicalReport.
2.6VenturaRiverInflowMonitoring(0%Complete)ThemajorsurfacewaterinflowtothebasinisVenturaRiverjustaboveCaminoCieloBridge,themostnorthernandup-gradientpointofthebasin.TheCountyofVenturamaintainsasurfaceflowgaugeatthislocation;however,groundwaterinflowshaveneverbeenmonitored.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 21
Thistaskinvolvesmonitoringwaterlevelsinanexistingwellatthislocation,alongwithresearchingthearea’ssubsurfacealluvialgeologytomoreaccuratelyquantifygroundwaterinflowtothebasin.ThisinflowdataisanotherimportantdatapointforrefiningUVRGA’sconceptualgroundwatermodelandcalibratingtheSWRCB’ssurfacewater-groundwatermodel.
Writtenpermissionwillbesoughtfromtheownerofanexistingwellatthislocation.Ifpermissioncannotbeobtained,theflowwillbeestimatedusingthedatafromthegeotechnicalborings,bridgeconstruction,andassumptionsregardinggradientandsaturatedthicknessbasedonalluvialtopographyassumedtobesaturatedandinbalancewiththesurfacewaterthroughthiswell-definedchannel.
Deliverables:VenturaRiver:1)InflowGeologicCrossSectionMap,and2)VenturaRiverInflowEstimateReport.
2.7CasitasSpringsSurfaceFlowMonitoring(0%Complete)TheCasitasSpringsareaisimportantforbothsurfacewaterandgroundwaterproductionintheVenturaRiverwatershed.BecauseofthesignificantcontributionofwaterfromSanAntonioCreekandnarrowingofthebasin,thestretchoftheVenturaRiverbetweentheSanAntonioCreekconfluenceandthebottomofthebasinisagainingreach,referredtoas“thelivereach.”Unlikemostoftheriveroverthebasin,thisreachoftherivertypicallyflowsyear-roundexceptinmulti-yeardryperiods.Thisisalsoanareaofsignificanthistoricalsurfacewaterdiversionandgroundwaterextraction.
AbigmanagementissuefortheURVGA,especiallyrelatedtosteelheadhabitat,iskeepingwaterinthisreach.SurfacewaterismonitoredonSanAntonioCreekneartheconfluencewithVenturaRiveranditismonitoredattheverybottomofthebasin,butitisnotmonitoredinthisreach.Thisrepresentsasignificantdatagap.Itpreventsestimatingthecontributionofgroundwatertotheriverinthiscriticalperenniallyflowingreach,andtherebypreventsanaccuratesurfacewater-groundwaterinteractionmodel.
Thistaskinvolvesestablishinglong-termsurfaceflowmonitoringinthisreach.DatafromthismonitoringwillbeusedtodeveloptheconceptualgroundwatermodelandcalibratingtheSWRCB’ssurfacewater-groundwatermodel.
Deliverables:CasitasSpringsSurfaceFlowquarterlyreport.
2.8WellInventoryDatabase(0%Complete)Aninventoryofwellswithmetersinthebasinisneededtounderstandcurrentgroundwaterextractionandmeteringneeds.Thistaskinvolvesacquiringexistingwellmeterinformationfrompropertyownersviamailrequestsandfieldvisits.InformationgatheredwillincludeGPSlocationsofwellsandmetermodels.Thedatabaseofwellswithmeterswillalsobeusedforafutureanalysisofoptionsforongoingwellextractiondatareporting.
Deliverables:Wellinventorydatabase.
2.9EstimateofNaturalHabitatEvapotranspiration(0%Complete)Amajorcomponentofbasinoutputisthetranspirationofgroundwaterfromnativeandnon-nativevegetationthroughoutthewatershed.Arundodonaxisaninvasivespecieswithveryhighwaterusage.ItisimportanttounderstandtheeffectvegetationhasonwatertablefluctuationsandoccurrenceofsurfaceflowinrefiningtheconceptualgroundwatermodelandcalibratingtheSWRCBsurfacewater-groundwatermodel.Surfacewaterandgroundwaterresponsescanonlybeseeninhigh-frequencymonitoringdata.
Toevaluatethis,UVRGAwillequipkeywellsinthesectionofthebasinwheregroundwaterandsurfacewaterareinbalance,connected,andlackunsaturatedseparationbetweensurfaceandgroundwaterwithhigh-frequencydataloggersandmonitorsurfaceflowandtemperaturetoestimatethetimingandintensityofdiurnalandnocturnalfluctuationsinevapotranspirationandhydrologicresponse.ThesedatawillbeanalyzedandareportproducedwithhydrographsandtemperaturegraphsofgroundwaterandsurfacewaterintheCaminoCieloarea(losingreach)andthegainingreachfortheperiodofobservation,estimatedtobeonewateryear(e.g.,October12017toSeptember30,2018).
Thisanalysiswillexpandonestimatesinanearlierreport,whichusedadistributedparameterwatershedmodelofevapotranspiration.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 22
Deliverables:NaturalHabitatEvapotranspirationReport.
Task3.GSPPlanning(61%complete)
Thistaskinvolvestheplanninginvolvedinlaunchingamulti-yearefforttoprepareacomprehensivegroundwatermanagementplan.Someworkhasalreadybegun.TheUVRGABoardwasprovidedguidanceonlegalconsiderationsrelatedtoGSPdevelopmentattheirMay2017boardmeeting,andboarddiscussiononthetopichascontinuedsincethen.PreliminaryplanningforGSPdevelopmentbeganinJuly2017,andaGSPprojectmanagerwashiredinAug2017.Additionally,preparationofthisgrantproposalwasasignificantstepinGSPplanning.
NextstepsincludeformationofaGSPStakeholderAdvisoryCommittee,andpreparingawrittenstatementforthegeneralpublicdescribingthemannerinwhichtheymayparticipateindevelopmentoftheGSP.SpecialoutreachwillbefocusedonthecommunityofCasitasSprings,whichistheonlydisadvantagedcommunityintheUVRGA’sservicearea.Aplanfornoticing,communicatingwith,andhandlinginputfromcommitteemembers,relevantpublicagencies,andotherstakeholderswillbedeveloped.Similarly,theVenturaRiverWatershedCouncilwillbeaskedtoplayaformalroleinongoingstakeholderengagementthroughoutGSPdevelopment.TheUVRGAwillstriveforaprocessthatistransparent,inclusive,andresponsivetoconcernsraisedbystakeholders.Writtenandoralcommunicationsreceivedorgeneratedbytheprojectwillberetained.
ThistaskalsoincludessubmittingaplaninitiationnoticetoDWR,developingrelevantdataandrecordsmanagementsystems,retainingotherexpertiseneededontheGSPPreparationTeam,andassessmentofthefundingplanoverthetermoftheproject.PlanningmeetingswillbeheldwiththeUVRGABoard,StakeholderAdvisoryCommittee,andGSPprojectmanagertoreviewandmodifythedraftGSPWorkPlan.
Deliverables:GSPAdvisoryCommitteeroster,andStakeholderEngagementPlan.
Task4.GSPChapter2:PlanAreaandBasinSetting
ThistaskinvolvesresearchingandwritingtheGSP’s“PlanAreaandBasinSetting”chapter.Asofthiswriting,thisisexpectedtoincludethesectionsdescribedbelow.
4.1DescriptionofPlanArea(0%Complete)
4.1.1RegionalContextThissectionoftheGSPprovidesanoverviewofthecontextoftheplanareaandtheplanningeffort.Itwillincludesummarysections,alongwithmapswhereappropriate,ofthephysicalsettingofthebasin,theclimate,theareacoveredbyGSP,otherrelevantagencieswithinthebasin,andrelevantjurisdictionalboundaries.Thissectionwillalsodescribeandillustrateexistinglandusesinthebasin,anddiscusstrendsinlanduse.
4.1.2WaterResourcesMonitoringandManagementProgramsThissectionwillincludeanoverviewofthearea’swaterresources,includingsurfaceandgroundwaterhydrology,historicalandprojectedwaterdemandsandsupplies;waterusers(e.g.,beneficialusers)andwaterrights;conjunctiveuseprograms;andwaterconservationandmanagementprograms.Amapofdensityofwellspersquaremilewillbeincluded.
Existingwatermonitoringprogramswillbedescribed,includingthetypeofmeasurementsandfrequencyateachlocation,forprecipitation,surfaceflows,groundwaterelevation,groundwaterquality,landsubsidence,andsurfacewater-groundwaterinteraction.Forgroundwaterquantityandquality,asummaryofmonitoringinformationsuchaswelldepth,screened intervals,andaquiferzonesmonitored,andasummaryofthetypeofwellsreliedonfortheinformation,includingpublic,private,municipal,irrigation,domestic,industrial,andmonitoringwellswillbeincludedaswell asmonitoringprocedures.
Existingpoliciesandregulationsrelatedtowellswillbesummarized,includingwellheadprotection,wellabandonmentanddestruction,andwellconstruction.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 23
4.1.3LandUseandWaterResourcesPlansandPoliciesThissectionwillincludeadiscussiononthelanduseplanningpoliciesoftheCountyofVenturathatcouldhaveabearingonorbeimpactedbytheGSPplanningeffort.(Thebasinliesoutsideofcityjurisdiction.)ThesepoliciesincludetheVenturaCountyGuidelinesforOrderlyDevelopment,VenturaCountySOAROrdinance,VenturaCountyGeneralPlan,andVenturaCounty’sOjaiValleyAreaPlan.
Waterresources-relatedplansandprogramswithinthebasinwillalsobedescribedalongwithanassessmentofhowtheGSPmayaffectthoseplans.TheseplansincludetheVenturaRiverWatershedManagementPlan,UrbanWaterManagementPlan,theVenturaCountyIntegratedRegionalWaterManagementPlan,RoblesFishPassageFacilitiesBiologicalOpinion,SouthernCaliforniaSteelheadRecoveryPlan,MatilijaDamEcosystemRestorationProject,ConditionalWaiverofWasteDischargeRequirementsforDischargesfromIrrigatedLandswithintheLosAngelesRegion(OrderR4-2010-0186).
Deliverables:Draftof“DescriptionofPlanArea”section.
4.2BasinSetting
4.2.1CurrentandHistoricalGroundwaterConditions(0%Complete)ThissectionoftheGSPincludesbackgroundinformationonthebasin,itscontextinthewatershed,waterusersandsuppliers,hydrogeologicalpropertiesoftheaquifersystemunderlyingthebasin,thebasin’sgroundwaterelevations,waterstorage,waterquality,inelasticlandsurfacesubsidence,surfacewaterhydrologyandsurfacewater-groundwaterinteractions,andgroundwater-dependentecosystems.MuchofthisinformationhasalreadybeensummarizedintheVenturaRiverWatershedManagementPlanorisavailableinotherwatershedandgroundwaterdocuments,andcanbereadilycompiled.
Thehydrogeologicsummarieswillincludecharacterizationofgeologicunitsandvariationsingeologyacrossthebasin,adescriptionofthedepositionalenvironments,geologicstructureandflowbarriers,underflowbetweenbasinsandtheocean,andverticalgradientsbetweenaquifersystems.Thehorizontalandverticaldistributionofwaterbearingunitswillbesummarized,aswellasthedegreeofconfinement,andotherhydrogeologicproperties.Groundwaterleveltrendsandseasonalcycles,andcontributingfactorswillbeidentified.ThesedescriptionswillbebasedonexistingdataalongwithnewdatadevelopedinTask2.
Thesurfacewater-groundwaterinteractionsdescriptionwillbeanewanalysisincorporatingthenewdataproducedinTask2.Theidentificationofgroundwater-dependentecosystemswillalsobeanewanalysis,andwillbeinformedbythemethodologyunderdevelopmentbyTheNatureConservancyinpartnershipwiththeFoxCanyonGroundwaterManagementAgency.
Indescribingwaterqualityissues,theUVRGAwillseektocollaboratewiththeVenturaCountyAgricultureIrrigatedLandsGroup(VCAILG),whichwilllikelybeconductinggroundwaterqualityanalysisinthebasinbythattime.VCAILGactsasoneunifieddischargergroupforagriculturallandownersandgrowersforthepurposeofcompliancewiththeLosAngelesRegionalWaterQualityControlBoard’sConditionalWaiverprogram.Aspartofthatprogram,growersinthebasinmustcomplywithrequirementsrelatedtogroundwaterqualitytrackingandtrendmonitoringofgroundwaterbeneathirrigatedagriculturallands.
4.2.2WaterBudget(0%Complete)Adetailedwaterbudgetforthebasinwillbedevelopedthatincludesallsurfacewaterandgroundwaterinflowsandoutflows,subsurfaceinflowsandoutflows,totalgroundwaterpumping,returnflows,consumptiveuse,andnetchangeingroundwaterstorage.Thiswaterbudgetwillbuilduponandrefineanexisting,high-levelcoarsewaterbudgetanalysis,andwillbegreatlyenhancedbythenewdatadevelopedinTask2,including:estimatesoflandscapeirrigationviainfraredimagery,SanAntonioCreekandVenturaRiverinflowdata,andCasitasSpringssurfaceflowmonitoringdata.
Thewaterbudgetwillincludeahistoricallookatactualtrendsinthebasinwaterbudgetfromhistoricaldata,aswellasaforecastbaseduponassumptionsaboutfuturetrendsinwaterusesandsupplies.Thehistoricalwater
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 24
budgetwillbecalibratedagainsthistoricalgroundwaterelevationdatatoensureitsrelativeaccuracyforuseasabasin-widetool.Climatechangeanditspotentialimpactsonthewaterbudgetwillalsobeaddressed.Thesustainableyieldwillbediscussedintermsofthebasin’sshallowunconfinedaquiferwithitsregularcyclesofdischargeandrecharge.
4.2.3ConceptualGroundwaterModel(0%Complete)Thistaskincludesdeveloping,anddescribingintheGSP,aconceptualgroundwatermodel.Themodelwillbuildoffofasimpleexistinggroundwatermodel,andintegratethenewdatadevelopedinTask2,including:estimatesoflandscapeirrigationviainfraredimagery,estimatesofnaturalhabitatevapotranspiration,dataloggerhydrographs,thecomparisonanalysisofwateryears2011and2017,SanAntonioCreekandVenturaRiverinflowdata,historicwet/drystreamreachdata,andCasitasSpringssurfaceflowmonitoringdata.
The“ConceptualGroundwaterModel”sectionoftheplanwillsummarizeexistinggroundwatermodelspreparedandusedin thepast,andthosecurrently indevelopment.Itwillincludeaclear,qualitative,descriptionofthegroundwateranditsflowinthebasin,thebestavailableinformationregardingsurfacewater-groundwaterinteraction,sustainableyield,andfuturegroundwaterconditionprojections.Itwillincludemapsofthebasin’sphysicalcharacteristics,geologiccross-sectiondiagrams,andphotosofassociatedsurfaceflowconditions.
TheconceptualgroundwatermodelwillformthebasisoftheGSPuntilsuchtimeasrelevantnewdatabecomesavailable,suchasfromthenumericalsurfacewater-groundwatermodelbeingdevelopedbySWRCB.
4.3StakeholderInvolvement,CoordinationwithSWRCB&DraftReviews(0%Complete)Thistaskinvolvescoordinationwithstakeholdersthroughoutthechapter’sdevelopment,andcoordinatingwithSWRCBontheirsurfacewater-groundwatermodelingeffortasitappliestothechapter.CommentsonthepreliminarydraftofChapter2willbesoughtfromtheStakeholderAdvisoryCommitteeandUVRGABoardandthedraftupdated.Additionally,becausetheconceptualgroundwatermodelissofoundationaltotheGSP,anditsfindingscoulddirectlyimpactstakeholders,aspecialpublicmeetingwillalsobeheldtoaddressthisoneelementofGSP.
ThereviseddraftofChapter2willbepostedonUVRGA’swebsiteforaccessbythepublic.
Deliverables:Draftof“Chapter2:PlanAreaandBasinSetting.”
Task5.GSPChapter3:SustainableManagementCriteria
5.1SustainabilityGoal(0%Complete)InthissectiontheUVRGA’sbasin-specificdefinitionofsustainabilitywillbedeveloped.Includedwillbeadescriptionofhowthegoalwasestablished,andhowitislikelytobeachievedwithin20yearsofplanimplementationaswellasmaintainedthroughtheplanningandimplementationhorizon.
5.2UndesirableResults(0%Complete)AsdiscussedintheintroductiontothisWorkPlan,ofthesixundesirableresultsidentifiedbytheState,theissueofsurfacewater-groundwaterinterconnectionisofprimaryconcerngiventhecharacteristicsoftheUpperVenturaRiverBasin.Depletionofsurfacewaterinthe“livereach”oftheriver,which,unlikemostoftherestoftheriveroverthebasingenerallystaysperenniallywet,isapotentialundesirableresultthatmayaffectbiologicalresourcesandotherbeneficialuses.However,inthissectioneachofthesustainabilityindicatorswillbeevaluatedtodeterminethepotentialforundesirableresults.Thedataandrationalefordeterminingifanindicatorwillnotproduceundesirableresultswillbepresented.Forindicatorsthatmayproduceundesirableresults,theindicatorandpotentialthreatswillbedescribed.
5.3MinimumThresholds(0%Complete)Thissectionwillincludeadescriptionofeachminimumthresholdandhowtheywereestablishedforeachrelevantsustainabilityindicator;therelationshipbetweeneachsustainabilityindicator;adescriptionofhowminimumthresholdshavebeenselectedtoavoidcausingUndesirableResults;adescriptionofhowminimumthresholdsmay
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 25
affecttheinterestsofbeneficialusesandusers,standardsrelatedtosustainabilityindicators,andhoweachminimumthresholdwillbequantitativelymeasuredforeachrelevantsustainabilityindicator.
5.4MeasurableObjectives(0%Complete)MeasurableobjectiveswillbedevelopedtotrackandevaluatetheprogresstowardsachievingtheGSPssustainabilitygoals.Measurableobjectivedescriptionswillincludehowthemeasurableobjectiveswereestablishedforeachrelevantsustainabilityindicator,whowillbeinvolvedintheobjective,whatthedesiredoutcomeis,andthemetricsthatwillbeusedtoverifyprogress.Milestonesthatarequantitativeandmeasurablewillbedevelopedforfiveyears,10years,and15yearsafterGSPimplementation.
5.5MonitoringNetwork(25%Complete)Thissectionwillprovideacomprehensivecharacterizationofthemonitoringnetworkinthebasin.ThischaracterizationwillcomplywiththespecificrequirementsdetailedintheWaterCode,includingadescriptionofthemonitoringnetwork,monitoringprotocolsfordatacollectionandmonitoring,representativemonitoring,andanassessmentoftheneedforimprovementofthemonitoringnetwork.
TheUVRGArecentlyinstalleddataloggersinasixkeywellstoestablishawellmonitoringnetwork.Thesewellsarespacedalongbasin,givegoodcoverageofthebasin,andallhavelong-termrecords.Thedataloggersnowproducereadingsevery90minutes.Newsupplementalsurfacewatermonitoringisalsoplanned.Themonitoringnetworkwillbeevaluatedandadditionalmonitoringwilloccurasneedarisesthroughadaptivemanagement.
5.6StakeholderInvolvement,CoordinationwithSWRCB&DraftReviews(0%Complete)Thistaskinvolvescoordinationwithstakeholdersthroughoutthechapter’sdevelopment,andcoordinatingwithSWRCBontheirsurfacewater-groundwatermodelingeffortasitappliestothechapter.CommentsonthepreliminarydraftofChapter3willbesoughtfromtheStakeholderAdvisoryCommitteeandUVRGABoardandthedraftupdated.
Deliverables:Draftof“Chapter3:SustainableManagementCriteria.”
Task6.GSPChapter4:ProjectsandManagementActions
6.1ProjectsandManagementActions(0%Complete)Thistaskfocusesondescribingspecificprojectsandmanagementactions(projects)designedtomeetGSPobjectivesandachievesustainabilitywithin20yearsofplanimplementation.Projectswillincludebothcurrentandplannedprojects,aswellaslocalandregionalprojects.
Projectdescriptionswillincludehowtheprojectwillbeaccomplished,thetimingofimplementation,estimatedcosts,andpotentialdifficulties.PotentialprojectswillbeanalyzedbasedonthemeasurableobjectivesdevelopedinChapter3,theabilitytoimplement,andotherfactors.
6.2StakeholderInvolvement,CoordinationwithSWRCB&DraftReviews(0%Complete)Thistaskinvolvescoordinationwithstakeholdersthroughoutthechapter’sdevelopment,andcoordinatingwithSWRCBontheirsurfacewater-groundwatermodelingeffortasitappliestothechapter.CommentsonthepreliminarydraftofChapter4willbesoughtfromtheStakeholderAdvisoryCommitteeandUVRGABoardandthedraftupdated.
Deliverables:Draftof“Chapter4:ProjectsandManagementActions.”
Task7.GSPChapter5:PlanImplementation
7.1ImplementationSchedule,Costs,Reporting&Evaluations(0%Complete)Thistaskinvolvesdescribingtheapproach,schedule,andapproximatecostsofimplementingtheplan.Strategiesforobtainingfundingwillbeoutlined. Effortsrequiredandspecificresponsibilitiesforimprovingdataandforrefiningthe GSP's uncertaintiestomanageable levelswill be identified.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 26
Aplanforcomplyingwiththeannualreportingrequirementwillalsobepresented.Theplanwillincludeamonitoringplanforhydrologicparametersincludingwaterlevels(andhistorichydrographs),groundwaterextractionsandmethodsofmeasurement,waterquality,surfacewatersupplyanduse,climatedatafortheyear,changesingroundwaterstorage,andotherparametersasrequiredbytheregulations.UVRGA’sprocessforcomplyingwiththerequirementforperiodicevaluationsbyDWRwillalsobedescribed.
7.2AdaptiveManagement(0%Complete)Thissectionwilladdresshowtheplanninggoals,objectives,and/oractionsoftheUVRGA’sGSPmaybefurtherdeveloped,modified,orreplacedbasedonthediscoveryofnewknowledgeinresponsetochangingphysicalconditionsorreductionofuncertainty.Thissectionwillspecifyaframeworkforapplicationofadaptivemanagementstrategiestocorrectchangestoprojectedoutcomes.Identificationoffuturedataneedswillbeincludedinthissection.
7.3StakeholderInvolvement(0%Complete)ThissectionwilldescribeUVRGA’splansforkeepingstakeholdersinformedandengagedonanongoingbasisastheyimplementtheGSP.Thiswillincludestakeholderinvolvementinthedecision-makingprocess,andthemeansbywhichUVRGAwillkeepthepublicinformedonGSPimplementationprogress.
7.4StakeholderInvolvement&DraftReviews(0%Complete)Thistaskinvolvescoordinationwithstakeholdersthroughoutthechapter’sdevelopment.CommentsonthepreliminarydraftofChapter5willbesoughtfromtheStakeholderAdvisoryCommitteeandUVRGABoardandthedraftupdated.
Deliverables:Draftof“Chapter5:PlanImplementation.”
Task8.GSPIntroduction,ExecutiveSummaryReferences&Appendices(0%Complete)
ThistaskinvolvesresearchingandwritingtheGSP’s“Introduction”chapter.TheIntroductionwillsummarizethevariouschaptersoftheplan,andwillhaveoverviewsectionsincluding:thepurposeoftheplan,theUVRGA’ssustainabilitygoal,theUpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterAgency(itshistory,members,decision-makingprocess,andfunding),theplanningprocess,andpublicandpartnerinvolvement.
Thistaskalsoinvolvespreparingthedocument’sReferencesandAppendices,andExecutiveSummary.Appendixinformationwillinclude:contactinformationforplanmanagerandtheUVRGA’smailingaddress,alistofpublicmeetings,thecommentsandresponsesreceivedduringtheGSP’s90-daypublicreviewperiod,conceptualgroundwatermodeldocumentation,andothertechnicaldocumentation.
Reviewofthesechaptersandelementsoftheplanwilloccuraspartoffinalplanreview(seeTask9).
Deliverables:Draftsof“Chapter1:Introduction,”“ExecutiveSummary,”“References,”and“Appendices.”
Task9.GSPReviewsandApprovalsandPreparationofFinalDocument(0%Complete)
ThistaskinvolvespreparingapreliminaryfinalGSPdocument,ensuringthatallinformationrequiredbytheSGMAlegislationisaddressed.ThepreliminaryfinaldraftwillbereviewedbytheStakeholderAdvisoryCommittee,andafterbeingupdatedinresponsetotheircomments,thedraftwillbepresentedtotheUVRGABoard.OnceapprovedbytheBoard,thedraftfinalGSPshallbepostedontheUVRGA’swebsiteanda90-daypubliccommentperiodinitiated.Duringthe90-daypubliccommentperiod,apublicmeetingwillbeheldtoanswerquestionsregardingthedraftfinalGSP.Allstakeholdercommentsreceivedduringthe90-daycommentperiodandresponsestothesecommentswillbedocumented.
AfteronemoreroundofmeetingswiththeStakeholderAdvisoryCommitteeandUVRGABoardtoreviewrevisionsmadeinresponsetocomments,thefinalGSPwillbesubmittedtotheBoardforapproval.AfterreceivingapprovalfromtheBoard,thefinalGSPwillbesubmittedtoDWRandpostedonUVRGA’swebsite.
Deliverables:FinalGSP.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 27
Task10.ProjectManagement&Reporting(0%Complete)
Thistaskinvolvesgeneralgrantprojectmanagementandcoordinationactivities,includingsettingupaprojectexecutionstrategy;contracting;settingupfinancialtrackingsystems;preparinggrantprogressandfinalreports;cost,budget,andscheduletracking;invoicing;teammeetings;andcoordinationwithDWR.InadditiontoattendingtheUVRGABoardmeetingsaspartofGSPtasksdescribedabove,theprojectmanagermayalsobeaskedtoattendorprovideupdatesatotherboardmeetingsoverthecourseoftheproject,aswellastoattendotherrelevantmeetingswithpartnerorganizationsorregulatoryagencies.Theprojectmanagerwillalsomaintainadatamanagementsystem.
Deliverables:Requiredgrantreports.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 28
PermissionLetters
LettergrantingpermissiontousepropertyforinstallationofSanAntonioCreekconfluencemonitoringwell.
[insertHarrisonletter]
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 29
LettergrantingpermissiontousepropertyforaccesstoSanAntonioCreekconfluencemonitoringwell.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 30
Attachment 5. Budget
ProjectBudgetUpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlanProjectservesaneedofaDAC?:YesCostShareWaiverrequest?:No
Tasks
(a) (b) (c) (d)
RequestedGrant
Amount
CostShare:Non-StateSource1
OtherCostShare
TotalCost
1 GSADevelopment&Support 1.1StakeholderEngagement $- $26,258 $26,258 1.2BasinBoundaryModification $- $24,410 $24,410
1.3FormJointPowersAuthorityandGroundwaterSustainabilityAgency
$1,080 $240,190
$232,410
2 NewDataCollection&TechnicalAnalyses 2.1EstablishWellMonitoringNetworkinKeyWells $26,850 $6,997 $33,847 2.2HistoricWet/DryStreamReachData $15,680 $4,300 $19,980 2.3IrrigationEstimateviaInfraredAerialImagery $370 $20,550 $20,920 2.4ComparisonAnalysisofWaterYears2011and2017 $19,865 $13,100 $32,965 2.5SanAntonioCreekInflowMonitoring $41,540 $2,800 $44,340 2.6VenturaRiverInflowMonitoring $7,940 $2,800 $10,740 2.7CasitasSpringsSurfaceFlowMonitoring $12,525 $2,800 $15,325 2.8WellInventoryDatabase $24,370 $7,480 $31,850 2.9NaturalHabitatEvapotranspirationAnalysis $7,940 $2,800 $10,7402 GSPPlanning $12,840 $46,546 $59,3864 GSPChapter2:PlanAreaandBasinSetting 4.1DescriptionofPlanAreas 4.1.1RegionalContext $1,330 $2,920 $4,250
4.1.2WaterResourcesMonitoringandManagement
Programs $2,090 $2,152 $4,242
4.1.3LandUseandWaterResourcesPlansandPolicies $1,490 $1,768 $3,258 4.2BasinSetting 4.2.1CurrentandHistoricalGroundwaterConditions $4,075 $3,304 $7,379 4.2.2WaterBudget $10,500 $4,000 $14,500 4.2.3ConceptualGroundwaterModel $17,425 $5,152 $22,577
4.3StakeholderInvolvement,Coordw/SWRCB&DraftReviews
$8,910 $5,900 $14,810
5 GSPChapter3:SustainableManagementCriteria 5.1SustainabilityGoal $6,980 $3,000 $9,980 5.2UndesirableResults $59,160 $2,800 $61,960 5.3MinimumThresholds $37,470 $2,800 $40,270 5.4MeasurableObjectives $12,200 $3,800 $16,000 5.5MonitoringNetwork $10,100 $4,336 $14,436
5.6StakeholderInvolvement,Coordw/SWRCB&DraftReviews
$19,800 $12,000 $31,800
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 31
6 GSPChapter4:ProjectsandManagementActions 6.1ProjectsandManagementActions $26,320 $2,480 $28,800
6.2StakeholderInvolvement,Coordw/SWRCB&DraftReviews $16,180 $6,440 $22,620
7 GSPChapter5:PlanImplementation 7.1ImplementationSchedule,Costs,Reporting&Evaluations $8,680 $1,000 $9,680 7.2AdaptiveManagement $1,330 $1,000 $2,330 7.3StakeholderInvolvement $825 $1,000 $1,825 7.4StakeholderInvolvement&DraftReviews $6,730 $3,940 $10,670
8 GSPIntroduction,ExecutiveSummary,References&Appendices
$8,665 $588 $9,253
9 GSPReviewsandApprovalsandFinalDocumentPrep $21,640 $8,440 $30,08010 ProjectManagement&Reporting $40,180 $54,720 $94,900 TOTALS $493,080 $525,711 $1,018,791
1Sourcesoffunding:1)UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterAgencyJPABoardmembersandagencies(CountyofVentura,CityofVentura,CasitasMunicipalWaterDistrict,MeinersOaksWaterDistrict,andVenturaRiverWaterDistrict)forin-kindstafftime,andadministrative,outreach,legal,andhydrogeologicalexpertisecosts;2)otherUpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterAgencyBoardmemberin-kind-stafftime.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 32
BudgetNarrative
Thetotalprojectbudgetis$1,018,791,with$493,080inrequestedgrantfunds.
Thebudgetincludesaslocalcostshareexpensesfortechnical,administrative,andgovernanceworkalreadyconductedaspartofGSAformation,beginninginJanuary2016.Thecostshareforpastworkamountsto$290,711.Theremaining$235,000incostsharewillbemetthroughthecontributionoflegal,administrative,andGISexpenses,alongwiththein-kindstafftimefromUVRGAmemberagenciesandBoardmembers.Giventhatthesecostshareexpenseswillbefairlyevenlyspacedoverthefour-yeartermofthegrant,meetingthisobligationiswellwithintheUVRGA’scapacity.
EstimatedcostsinthebudgetarebasedontheexperienceofUVRGABoardmembers,theagency’shydrogeologistconsultant,andreviewofworkplansandbudgetsofothergroundwatermanagementplanningefforts.
Everyefforthasbeenmadetoberealisticinestimatingthecoststhatwillberequiredtocompletetheproject.AsstatedaboveintheSchedulesection,thisisalong-termproject,apotentiallycontroversialproject,andthefirstattemptatmeetingaveryambitioussetofnewStaterequirements.Unforeseencostswillcertainlyarise.GivenwhatisknownatthistimeabouttheGSPmandate,theestimatedcostsarebelievedtobesufficient.
BudgetDetailTable1belowsummarizestheprojectbudgetbythemainprojectobjectives,plusprojectmanagement.
BudgetDetailTable1
Tasks %ofTotalCost TotalCost
Task1 GSADevelopment&Support 28.2% $287,698Task2 NewDataCollection&TechnicalAnalyses 21.7% $220,707
Tasks3-9 GSPDevelopment 40.5% $415,486Task10 ProjectManagement&Reporting 9.3% $94,900
TOTAL $1,018,791
BudgetDetailTables2and3belowsummarizeprojectcostsbycategory.Asshown,consultant,staff,andotherlaborcostscomprisethemajorityofthebudget.
BudgetDetailTable2
Labor/ConsultantType Rate %ofTotalLaborCost
TotalLaborCost
Hydrogeologist $200-240/hr 30.1% $298,770GSAMemberAgenciesandBoardMembers $100/hr(avg) 22.5% $223,621LegalServices $325-565/hrdependingonissue 15.5% $153,987ProjectManager/Hydrogeologst $185/hr 10.6% $106,560AdministrativeSupport $35/hr 8.0% $79,148Writing/Editing&Graphics $60-80-/hr 6.9% $68,040OutreachCoordinator $80/hr 2.6% $25,600WebsiteCreation/Maintenance $60/hr 1.4% $13,886InfraredImageryConsultant Perflight 1.4% $13,750GISTechnician $96/hr 0.9% $8,832 TOTAL 100.0% $992,194
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 33
BudgetDetailTable3
OtherCostCategories Rate TotalCost
CapitalCosts Drillingonemonitoringwell $10,000Surfaceflowmonitoringequipment $2,000Sixdataloggers(monitoringnetwork) $4,197 Rent&utilities(fractionallocatedtoGSP) $200/mo.For52months. $10,400
TOTAL $26,597
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 34
Attachment 6. Schedule
AschedulefortheUpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlanProjectisprovidedbelowandgraphicallyinattachmentAtt6_2017SGWPC2_Schedule_2of2.ThetasksshownareconsistentwiththetasksintheprojectWorkPlanandBudget.
Workontheprojecthasbeenunderwaysince2015.ThisincludesmostoftheeffortinvolvedinformationoftheGSA.DevelopmentofaGSP⎯theprimarygoaloftheproject⎯isscheduledforcompletionbyDec31,2021.
EstimateddatesarebasedontheseasonedexperienceofUVRGABoardmembers,theagency’shydrogeologistconsultant,andtherecentlyhiredGSPprojectmanager.Thesearepeoplewithextensiveknowledgeofthebasin,thewatershed,thelocalwatermanagementplayers,andtheavailabletechnicaldata,publications,andotherrelevantresources.Thescheduleisalsobasedonprecursorydatacollectiontasks,explainedintheWorkPlan,specifictotheprojectandoccurringorplannedpriortohavingatheprojectstartdate.
Theproposedscheduleisbelievedtoberealistic,reasonable,andaccomplishable.Atthesametime,itisunderstoodthatoverthecourseofafour-yearproject,theremaybeunforeseenscheduledelays,especiallygiventhepotentiallycontroversialnatureofestablishinggroundwatermanagementwherenoneexistedbefore.Additionally,DWRisstilldevelopingsomeofthecriteriathatmustbeusedinplandevelopment,whichmeansthatassumptionshadtobemadewithregardtotheseexternalfactors.Toaddressthiscontingency,thescheduleisgenerouswiththeassumptionoftimepertask.
KeyScheduleDependencies
CompletingtheComparisonAnalysisofWaterYears2011and2017reportisdependentupondatacollectedinTasks2.1,2.2,and2.3.
Creatinganupdatedconceptualgroundwatermodelandwaterbudget(partofTask4)isdependentuponcollectingandanalyzingnewdata(Task2).Notethatdatamonitoringwillcontinuethroughouttheproject,andgroundwatermodelandwaterbudgetassumptionswillcontinuetobecalibratedagainstnewdata.
Developingappropriatesustainabilitycriteria(Task5)andmanagementactions(Task6)aredependentupontheimprovedgroundwatermodelandwaterbudget(Task4).
PlandevelopmentTasks3,4,5,6,7,8,and9arealsogenerallysequentialinnature,withthedataandinformationdevelopedineachprecedingTaskneededforcompletionofthenextTask.
ScheduleDetailTable–Start/CompleteDatesTask TasksSchedule Start Complete1 GSADevelopment&Support 01-2016 06-2018 1.1StakeholderEngagement 01-2016 06-2018 1.2BasinBoundaryModification 01-2016 06-2016 1.3FormJPAandGSA 01-2016 06-2018
2 NewDataCollection&TechnicalAnalyses 04-2016 12-2021 2.1Establish/AnalyzeDataFromWellMonitoringNetwork 04-2016 12-2021 2.2HistoricWet/DryStreamReachData 01-2017 03-2018 2.3IrrigationEstimateviaInfraredAerialImagery 07-2017 03-2018 2.4ComparisonAnalysisofWYs2011&2017 04-2016 06-2018 2.5SanAntonioCreekInflowMonitoring 01-2018 12-2021 2.6VenturaRiverInflowMonitoring 01-2018 12-2021
2.7CasitasSpringsSurfaceFlowMonitoring 01-2018 12-2021 2.8WellInventoryDatabase 01-2018 06-2021 2.9NaturalHabitatEvapotranspirationAnalysis 04-2018 12-20183 GSPPlanning 04-2017 06-2018
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 35
Task TasksSchedule Start Complete4 GSPChapter2:PlanAreaandBasinSetting 01-2018 06-2021 4.1DescriptionofPlanArea 01-2018 09-2019 4.2BasinSetting 01-2018 09-2019 4.3StakeholderInvolvement,Coordw/SWRCB&DraftReviews 04-2019 09-2019
5 GSPChapter3:SustainableManagementCriteria 07-2018 03-2020 5.1SustainabilityGoal 07-2018 03-2020 5.2UndesirableResults 07-2018 03-2020 5.3MinimumThresholds 07-2018 03-2020 5.4MeasureableObjectives 07-2018 03-2020
5.5MonitoringNetwork 07-2018 03-2020 5.6StakeholderInvolvement,Coordw/SWRCB&DraftReviews 03-20206 GSPChapter4:ProjectsandManagementActions 10-2019 09-2020 6.1ProjectsandManagementActions 10-2019 09-2020 6.2StakeholderInvolvement,Coordw/SWRCB&DraftReviews 04-2020 09-20207 GSPChapter5:PlanImplementation 01-2020 03-2021 7.1ImplementationSchedule,Costs,Reporting&Evaluations 01-2020 03-2021
7.2GSA&StakeholderReviewofDraft&CommentsIntegrated 10-2020 03-20218 GSPIntroduction,ExecutiveSummaryReferences&Appendices 10-2019 03-20219 GSPReviewsandApprovals 04-2021 12-202110 ProjectManagement&Reporting 01-2018 03-2022
SeetheWorkPlanDeliverables/MilestonestableintheWorkPlanforasummaryofmilestonesbydate.
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 36
Attachment 7. New Data Collection Maps
NewWellMonitoringNetworkMap(Task2.1)
DRAFT:UpperVenturaRiverGroundwaterSustainabilityAgencyandPlan 37
NewInflowandSurfaceFlowMonitoringLocationsMap(Tasks2.5–2.7)