What is the Strategic Plan? Why is the Strategic Plan

1. Ensure District fiscal sustainability2. Plan, design and improve facilities to use surface water3. Sustainably manage groundwater to maintain local control4. Increase the total water supply available5. Protect the Mokelumne River water right6. Develop a sustainable District governance and staffing structure7. Improve District communication and transparency

State intervention in localgroundwater management

State fees on groundwater usage

Groundwater pumping restrictions

Potential Mokelumne River surfacewater right loss

The 2014 Sustainable GroundwaterManagement Act requires landownersin critically overdrafted groundwaterbasins to reduce groundwater use.Failure to achieve change will result in:

Why is the Strategic Plan important?The proposed Strategic Plancontains 7 goals, 16 objectives,and 75 actions to sustainablymanage water in the District tobenefit the local environment,community, and economy.

N O R T H S A N J O A Q U I N W A T E R C O N S E R V A T I O N D I S T R I C T

What is the Strategic Plan?

PROPOSED STRATEGIC PLAN FACT SHEET

Proposed Strategic Plan goals

April 13, 2021

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C

B

AB

D

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David Simpson

Tom FlinnJoe Valente

Charles Starr

Marden Wilber

Proposed project

areas

Provide comments on theproposed Strategic PlanParticipate in public meetings Help seek feedback fromother landowners

Opportunities to engage:We ant to hear from you!

Questions or comments?Contact the District at:[email protected]

If funded, proposed infrastructure impro ements ill:

Build additional directgroundwater rechargefacilities (location to bedetermined)

Achieve full operabilityof the north surfacewater delivery system

Complete thegroundwater recharge,banking, and recoveryDREAM pilot project

Achieve full operabilityof the south surfacewater delivery system

April 13, 2021

NORTH SANJOAQUIN WATERCONSERVATIONDISTRICTS T R A T E G I C P L A N

May 2020

209-368-2101www.nsjgroundwater.org 498 East Kett leman Lane Lodi , CA 95240

Prepared by:

Staff Administrative Draft May 2020


The North San Joaquin Water Conservation District

covers 150,000 acres in northeastern San Joaquin

County east of the City of Lodi. The District includes

about 70,000 acres of irrigated farmland, including

winegrapes, cherries, almonds, walnuts, and various

other crops. The Mokelumne River runs through the

center of the District. The District has a relatively junior

water right to divert up to 20,000 acre-feet of water

per year from the river. The District has never fully

utilized this right due to a lack of efficient and

functional water delivery infrastructure.

Most District growers rely exclusively on groundwater,

pumping an average of 140,000 acre-feet from the

critically overdrafted Eastern San Joaquin Groundwater

Subbasin every year. Groundwater levels in the District

have been declining an average of one foot per year,

increasing costs for landowners. This trend will continue

unless landowners reduce groundwater pumping by

using alternate surface water supplies, or fallow land.

In addition, the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater

Management Act requires the District, and the 15 other

agencies in the Eastern San Joaquin Groundwater

Subbasin, to manage local groundwater sustainably or

face state intervention. Fortunately, groundwater

overdraft in the District can be significantly reduced, if

not eliminated, if landowners use the surface water

available from the District’s Mokelumne River surface

water right.

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BACKGROUND

Staff Administrative Draft May 2020Staff Administrative Draft May 2020


State intervention in local groundwater management

and associated state fees on individual well owners if

the District fails to sustainably manage groundwater.

Groundwater pumping restrictions if the District fails

to complete the projects identified in the Strategic

Plan

Loss of the District’s surface water right on the

Mokelumne River if the District fails to implement

projects to fully utilize the right.

The District’s ability to sustainably manage water to

benefit the local environment, community and economy

depends on the support and engagement of

stakeholders to help avoid the following three threats:

The District developed the Strategic Plan to address

these threats, identify and effectively implement

priority initiatives, and provide the foundation to seek

additional funding to augment existing resources. The

Plan contains seven goals to help achieve the District's

mission, supported by measurable objectives to define

clear projects necessary to achieve the goals. Each

objective also is associated with actions and an

estimated timeline to allow the District and stakeholders

to track progress towards meeting the objectives. The

District will use the priorities to guide development of

annual budgets and efforts to secure additional

funding. The District also developed a ten-year budget

to estimate the cost to complete the Strategic Plan’s

objectives. The District expects to update the Strategic

Plan every five years to address changing priorities and

conditions.

PURPOSE

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FUNDINGSuccess of the Strategic Plan depends on landowner

willingness to help pay for implementation. The District is

the only water district in the Eastern San Joaquin

Groundwater Subbasin without a land or water-based

revenue source to fund operations, planning, and

projects. The District’s only consistent revenue source is

about $300,000 per year in property taxes. The Plan

therefore includes numerous projects for which no

funding is available.

The District will need to obtain a landowner-based

revenue source to implement the Strategic Plan, such as

groundwater charges and/or acreage assessments.

Landowner engagement in the Strategic Plan process is

critical to help guide the District’s decision making

process. If the District is not successful in obtaining a

landowner-based revenue source, the District cannot

fulfill the Plan's objectives, and the threat of state

intervention, fees, groundwater pumping restrictions,

and loss of surface water rights will become reality.

If the District falls out of compliance with the

Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, the

minimum state fees for agricultural and industrial

groundwater users are $300 per well, plus $10 per

metered acre-foot and $25 per unmetered acre-foot of

groundwater pumped. Landowners would pay these fees

directly to the state, so the funding would not help

implement District projects. If the state has to implement

a management plan, the fees increase to $40-$55 per

acre-foot. More information is available from the State

Water Resources Control Board page describing

Sustainability Plan compliance fees. Alternatively, if

landowners agree to fund this Plan, the District believes

it can build and operate projects to achieve

groundwater sustainability for a fraction of what the

state would charge in fees.

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GOAL 1

P R O T E C T T H EM O K E L U M N ER I V E R W A T E RR I G H T

GOAL 2

E N S U R E F I S C A LS U S T A I N A B I L I T Y

GOAL 3

I N C R E A S E T H ET O T A L W A T E RS U P P L YA V A I L A B L E

GOAL 4

S U S T A I N A B L YM A N A G EG R O U N D W A T E RT O M A I N T A I NL O C A L C O N T R O L

GOAL 5P L A N , D E S I G NA N D I M P R O V EF A C I L I T I E S T OU S E S U R F A C EW A T E R

GOAL 6D E V E L O PS U S T A I N A B L EG O V E R N A N C EA N D S T A F F I N GS T R U C T U R E

MISSIONTO SUSTAINABLY MANAGE WATER IN THE NORTH SANJOAQUIN WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT TO BENEFITTHE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNITY AND ECONOMY

GOALS

GOAL 7I M P R O V E

C O M M U N I C A T I O NA N D T R A N S P A R E N C Y

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GOAL 1ENSURE FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY

O B J E C T I V E 1E S T A B L I S H A S U F F I C I E N T L A N D - B A S E D R E V E N U ES O U R C E T O C O V E R T H E D I S T R I C T ' S P L A N N I N G ,

C A P I T A L A N D O P E R A T I O N S E X P E N S E S F O R T H E N E X T1 0 Y E A R S F O R A L L A C T I V I T I E S T H A T B E N E F I T T H E

D I S T R I C T A S A W H O L E

The District must maintain a sustainable, stable source of funding toimplement projects necessary to improve the surface waterirrigation system and increase groundwater recharge, as well asoperate the system. The District cannot achieve the other goals inthis plan without first achieving fiscal sustainability. The Districtplans to ensure fiscal sustainability by completing the followingthree objectives:

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O B J E C T I V E 2E S T A B L I S H A N A D D I T I O N A L R E V E N U E S O U R C E F R O ML A N D O W N E R S W H O W A N T T O U S E S U R F A C E W A T E RT O C O V E R A F A I R S H A R E O F T H E C O S T O F C A P I T A L

F A C I L I T I E S T H A T D E L I V E R S U R F A C E W A T E R

O B J E C T I V E 3A C T I V E L Y S E E K G R A N T F U N D I N G



GOAL 2PLAN, DESIGN AND IMPROVE FACILITIES TO USE

SURFACE WATER

O B J E C T I V E 1A C H I E V E F U L L O P E R A B I L I T Y O F T H E S O U T H S Y S T E M

A N D D E L I V E R U P T O 1 2 , 0 0 0 A F A O F W A T E R F O RI R R I G A T I O N A N D G R O U N D W A T E R R E C H A R G E

The District must plan, design and improve its surface waterdelivery facilities to (1) allow the District to conduct groundwaterrecharge for the benefit of the District as a whole; and (2) deliversurface water to farmers to reduce groundwater pumping. Fulfilling this goal is critical to using and protecting the District’sfull Mokelumne River water right and achieving groundwatersustainability. The District’s Tracy Lake Recharge Project is fullyoperable but has limited capacity (1,500-2,000 afa), the Cal—FedRecharge Project is fully operable but has limited capacity (500-1,000 afa), the North System is inoperable, and the South System isonly partially operable. Objectives to achieve this goal include:

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O B J E C T I V E 2A C H I E V E F U L L O P E R A B I L I T Y O F T H E N O R T H S Y S T E MA N D U P T O 3 , 0 0 0 A F A O F W A T E R F O R I R R I G A T I O N

A N D G R O U N D W A T E R R E C H A R G E

O B J E C T I V E 3B U I L D D I R E C T R E C H A R G E F A C I L I T I E S T O D I R E C T L YR E C H A R G E U P T O 3 , 0 0 0 A F A O F S U R F A C E W A T E R



GOAL 3SUSTAINABLY MANAGE GROUNDWATER TO

MAINTAIN LOCAL CONTROL

O B J E C T I V E 1F U N D T H E D I S T R I C T ’ S P R O P O R T I O N A T E S H A R E O F

S U B B A S I N M A N A G E M E N T A C T I V I T I E S T H R O U G H T H EE A S T E R N S A N J O A Q U I N G R O U N D W A T E R A U T H O R I T Y

The District elected to become a Groundwater SustainabilityAgency under the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Actto maintain local control of groundwater for the benefit oflandowners. The District worked with other water agencies in thesubbasin to prepare and submit a Groundwater Sustainability Planto the state in January 2020. To avoid state intervention, theDistrict must make substantial progress on the Plan annually andachieve groundwater sustainability by 2040. The District's plannedirrigation system improvements and recharge projects, discussed inGoal 2, are a critical part of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan,but are not the only requirement. The District must participate inSustainability Plan updates, monitor groundwater levels, andcoordinate with neighboring subbasins as required by law.

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O B J E C T I V E 2A C T I V E L Y P A R T I C I P A T E I N T H E C O O R D I N A T I O N O F

S U B B A S I N G R O U N D W A T E R M A N A G E M E N T A C T I V I T I E SA N D C O O R D I N A T E W I T H A D J A C E N T S U B B A S I N S O N

G R O U N D W A T E R A N D M A N A G E M E N T A S R E Q U I R E D B YL A W



GOAL 4INCREASE THE TOTAL WATER SUPPLY AVAILABLE

O B J E C T I V E 1C O M P L E T E T H E P I L O T D R E A M P R O J E C T ( R E C H A R G E ,

B A N K I N G A N D R E C O V E R Y ) F O R 1 , 0 0 0 A F A

The District is working with other local agencies to increase thetotal water supply available in Eastern San Joaquin County. TheDREAM Pilot Project, for example, is a proposed pilot scalegroundwater storage project that will allow the East Bay MunicipalUtility District to temporarily store Mokelumne River water in anunderground basin and recover up to half of the banked water inthe future. The other half of the banked water would stay in ourbasin for local use. This project would provide a supplemental dryyear supply for EBMUD and additional water for the localgroundwater basin.

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O B J E C T I V E 2D E S I G N A N D P E R M I T T H E F U L L E B M U D B A N K I N G

P R O J E C T T O O B T A I N A D D I T I O N A L W A T E R S U P P L I E SO F U P T O 8 , 0 0 0 A F A



GOAL 5FULLY UTILIZE AND PROTECT THE MOKELUMNE

RIVER WATER RIGHTLike all water rights in California, the District’s Mokelumne Riverwater right faces increasing pressure from other water users andinterest groups. In addition to building and operating projects touse the water right, the District must actively participate inregulatory and legal proceedings to protect the right.

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O B J E C T I V E 1P A R T I C I P A T E I N R E G U L A T O R Y A N D L E G A L

P R O C E E D I N G S T O P R O T E C T T H E W A T E R R I G H T



GOAL 6DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE AND

STAFFING STRUCTURE

O B J E C T I V E 1E V A L U A T E S T A F F I N G N E E D S

The District currently is managed by a volunteer Board of Directorsand independent contractors who assist with day-to-dayoperations, including the general counsel, district engineer, anddeputy secretary. The District does not have permanent, full-timestaff. To operate the District facilities properly and efficiently, andto implement the objectives in this Strategic Plan, the District needsto develop a sustainable governance and staffing structure.

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O B J E C T I V E 2F I L L S T A F F I N G N E E D S

O B J E C T I V E 3F O R M A L I Z E D I S T R I C T P O L I C I E S A N D P R O C E D U R E S



GOAL 7IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY

O B J E C T I V E 1D E V E L O P A N D M A I N T A I N A S T R A T E G I C P L A N A N D

A S S O C I A T E D A C T I O N P L A N

The District believes communication with landowners, localagencies, and other stakeholders is critical to achieving theDistrict's mission and the goals as outlined in the Strategic Plan.The District aims to increase the frequency and professionalism ofcommunication with the public, as well as improve planningassociated with implementation of priority projects. The District'sfirst-ever Strategic Plan is the first step in this effort to improvecommunication and transparency, but the District is also committedto providing regular updates on progress towards meeting theDistrict's goals and objectives.

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O B J E C T I V E 2I M P R O V E C O M M U N I C A T I O N A N D E D U C A T I O N F O RL A N D O W N E R S A N D R E S I D E N T S I N T H E D I S T R I C T



Documents

What is the Strategic Plan? Why is the Strategic Plan