Nov 10, 2022 Special GSA Meeting

GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO THE NOVEMBER 10TH MEETING OF THE OF THE MERCED SUB-BASIN GSA.

[00:00:07]

WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? YES, SIR.

. YOU HAVE A FULL QUORUM. ALL RIGHT, MR.

[2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

ALL RIGHT. WE'RE NOW TO ITEM THREE.

THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST WITHIN THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION, NOT ON THE AGENDA.

IS THERE ANYONE IN THE ROOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT? SEEING NONE. I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE ROOM.

IS THERE ANYBODY ONLINE? NOT ONLINE. WE'LL CLOSE THAT PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL.

[4. CONSENT CALENDAR]

ITEM FOUR CONSENT CALENDAR HAS THE STATE OF EMERGENCY FINDINGS, WHICH ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE TO MEET AND ZOOM.

IT HAS THE MEETING MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 13TH AND THE APPROVAL TO PAY THE BILLS WHERE THERE ARE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES.

MR. CHAIR, I HAVE A COUPLE ITEMS ON ITEM SEVEN.

THE RECHARGE FRAMEWORK.

IT SAYS TOWARDS THE END OF THAT BLOCK THAT THE INFORMATION ON THE FRAMEWORK WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.

AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD A NOTE THAT LACY HAD INDICATED THAT SHE WOULD POST IT TO THE WEBSITE, AND THAT WAS OUR MEANS OF PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.

OKAY. AND THEN THE OTHER ITEM IS UNDER ITEM NINE STRATEGIC PLANNING AD HOC COMMITTEE.

THE CURRENTLY READS, BOARD MEMBER PEDRETTI NOTED THE TOPICS WERE COVERED DURING THIS MEETING.

WELL, THE TOPICS DOESN'T REALLY SAY VERY MUCH.

I THINK IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO MAKE IT SAY PRIMARILY REGARDING THE RECHARGE FRAMEWORK, WHICH I THINK WAS THE MAIN FOCUS OF THAT PLANNING AD HOC COMMITTEE MEETING UNDER ITEM SEVEN, ITEM NINE.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT. WHAT? THAT BE CLEARER? YEAH, THAT'D BE FINE WITH ME.

OKAY. ALL RIGHTY.

ANY OTHERS? NOT.

I'LL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ONLINE? NONE ONLINE. I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND CALL FOR THE ROLL CALL VOTE.

IS THERE MOTION? MOVE TO APPROVE.

IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. ALL RIGHT.

MOTION BY GALLO SECONDED BY SWENSON.

NOW CAN WE ROLL CALL? YES.. ITEM DOES PASS.

OKAY. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM FIVE.

I THINK IT. WELL, ITEM FOUR IS THE CONSENT CALENDAR. SO ITEM WE DON'T HAVE TO ANYMORE.

THE STATE CHANGED THAT.

YEAH, THEY CHANGED THE LAW, ALTHOUGH WE JUST IN THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

WE DID THAT. YEAH. SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO RECHARGE CREDIT FRAMEWORK.

[4. RECHARGE CREDIT FRAMEWORK]

ALL THESE PAPERS.

GREG YOUNG WITH SAN HARO WILL PROVIDE OUR SUMMARY.

HELLO. GOOD AFTERNOON.

HOW IS EVERYBODY? GREG YOUNG WITH SAN HARO.

THE RECHARGED FRAMEWORK THAT WAS DISCUSSED AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING.

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WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY COMMENTS, I BELIEVE, BASED ON THE VERSION THAT WAS POSTED PUBLICLY.

SO THE QUICK OVERVIEW HERE IS THE INTENT IS WE WANT TO PUT IN PLACE A FRAMEWORK TO HELP THE LANDOWNERS BE READY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WATER THAT MAY SHOW UP THIS YEAR, THIS THIS COMING WET SEASON WITH A FRAMEWORK THAT STARTS TO ESTABLISH WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO DO AS A LANDOWNER. THE FACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT SOME QUANTIFICATION METHODOLOGIES AND WE'RE GOING TO START TO TRY AND TRACK THAT.

SO THE FRAMEWORK IS OUTLINING ALL OF THOSE PIECES OF WHAT A LANDOWNER MUST DO.

WHAT THE GSA IS GOING TO DO, AND WE'RE GOING TO ULTIMATELY PUT SOME RULES TOGETHER.

SO THIS FRAMEWORK IS IS ESSENTIALLY THE GROUND RULES, THE KIND OF THE GETTING THE WORD OUT THERE FOR ALL THE LANDOWNERS TO START TAKING ACTION.

PARTICIPATING IN SANDY MUSH LAST NIGHT, THEY ARE ALSO MOVING FORWARD WITH THE SAME SORT OF IDEAS THAT MIMICS SOME OF THIS SAME THING, WHICH IS GOOD. THEY'RE GETTING READY TO TRY AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WATER OPPORTUNITIES THAT MIGHT OCCUR THIS COMING WET SEASON.

SO THE INTENT IS TO HAVE THIS BOARD ULTIMATELY ADOPT SOMETHING HERE THAT WE WILL WRITE SPECIFIC POLICIES AROUND AND YOU'LL ADOPT A RESOLUTION AT A LATER POINT.

SO THIS FRAMEWORK IS SIMPLY GETTING THE FLAVORING OF THE RULES SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING TO BE COMING.

THE THE KEY ELEMENTS ARE GOING TO BE DOCUMENTED.

YOUR SERVICE WATER ASSET, AS WE HAD DISCUSSED LAST TIME, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL WHEN COLE WAS HERE, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HISTORICALLY JUST DIVERT WATER VERSUS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO REQUIRE AS THE GSA IS SOME SORT OF DOCUMENTATION OF THAT SURFACE WATER ASSET IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE IT AS CREATING A CREDIT, WE'RE GOING TO NEED THE LANDOWNERS TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTED INFORMATION ON THEIR FACILITIES AND THEIR METHODOLOGIES, AND EACH ONE OF THOSE WILL BE ASSESSED AND THEN HAVE A UNIQUE VALUE ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE.

SO FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU DID A FLOOD MAR, YOU'RE GOING TO PUT IT OUT ON TOP OF FORAGE CROPS AND TRY AND FLOOD THAT.

THAT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT THAN IF YOU BUILT A DEDICATED RECHARGE BASIN.

THAT'S ALSO MIGHT BE DIFFERENT IF YOU BUILT A DEDICATED RECHARGE BASIN IN A SANDY SOIL VERSUS IN A TIGHT CLAY SOIL OR AGAINST RIGHT UP AGAINST A A SURFACE STREAM OF SOME SORT.

SO ALL THOSE ELEMENTS WE'RE GOING TO WANT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.

SO WE WANT THE DETAILS PROVIDED BY THE LANDOWNER.

WE ALSO ARE GOING TO IT'S PUTTING FORTH THERE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO NEED TO BE ABLE TO MEASURE ACCURATELY WHAT'S GOING INTO THE FACILITY.

AND ULTIMATELY, ONCE WE CREATE THE CREDIT MECHANISM, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO KNOW WHERE IT COMES OUT AND HOW IT'S QUANTIFY HOW IT'S GOING TO COME OUT, ESPECIALLY IF WE ESTABLISH SOME SORT OF ALLOCATION, WHICH IS KIND OF THE DIRECTION THIS BOARD IS GOING.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO SAY, I USED MY ALLOCATION PLUS MY CREDIT TO SERVE SOME PURPOSE, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO BE ABLE TO KNOW HOW MUCH WAS PUMPED OUT OF THE GROUND ASSOCIATED WITH THE CREDIT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL WE'LL NEED TO ASSURE THAT WE'RE NOT ALLOWING ONE ENTITY TO TAKE WATER THAT MAYBE BELONGS TO SOMEBODY ELSE.

AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.

IT'S NOT TRYING TO BE HARD AND HARD NOSED ABOUT IT.

IT'S TRYING TO BE PROTECTIVE OF EVERYBODY'S INTERESTS.

THE GSA WILL IDENTIFY KIND OF HOW THAT CREDIT WILL BE GENERATED SO THAT GOING FORWARD, ONCE WE KIND OF HAVE THIS ESTABLISHED, I WOULD ENVISION THAT YOU'D HAVE A SEPARATE CONTRACT THAT THE GSA WOULD HAVE WITH EACH RECHARGE FACILITY THAT WOULD SAY, YOUR RECHARGE FACILITY, WHEN YOU DO PUT IT IN WATER, WE'LL GET THIS MUCH CREDIT FOR EVERY UNIT YOU PUT IN OR SOME SOME CALCULUS THAT EVERYBODY AGREES ON.

AND WE JUST KNOW THAT GOING FORWARD.

AND THEN THEY JUST REPORT OVER TIME, HEY, THIS YEAR I GOT TWO WEEKS OF A WET PERIOD.

I WAS ABLE TO PUT IN 1000 UNITS OF WATER.

WE'RE LIKE, GREAT, OKAY, WE GO TO THE EQUATION THAT GIVES YOU 950 CREDITS OR SOMETHING.

SO WE WANT THAT TO BE FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

SO THE IDEA OF THIS FRAMEWORK IS TO SEARCH, SETTING FORTH THE PIECES OF THAT.

AND ULTIMATELY WE'LL NEED TO BE ABLE TO TRACK THE CREDITS AS THEY COME OUT.

WE'LL NEED SOME SORT OF ACCOUNTING STRUCTURE THAT'S GOING TO ULTIMATELY TIE TO ALLOCATION PROCESSES, ALSO WHERE THERE'S SOME ALLOCATION TIED TO PARCELS OR OWNERSHIPS OR GROUPINGS OF PARCELS OR SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE YET TO DETERMINE BUT WILL.

SO THE RECHARGE FRAMEWORK ITSELF THAT WAS PRESENTED AND AVAILABLE IN THE PACKET LAST; WAS IT IN THE PACKET LAST TIME OR WAS IT JUST DISCUSSED LAST TIME? IT'S IN THE PACKET THIS TIME, ISN'T IT? YES, IT'S IN THE PACKET THIS TIME.

IT HAS BEEN PUBLISHED ONLINE HAD THE FOLLOWING ADDITION FROM PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS, AND THAT WAS THAT THE CONTRACTED WATER SUPPLY THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BRING INTO A RECHARGE FACILITY COULD INCLUDE BESIDES MAYBE A CONTRACT WITH THE WATER DISTRICT SUCH AS MID, YOU MIGHT HAVE A

[00:10:05]

AND THIS WAS THE ONE THAT WAS ADDED ON THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER SEEPAGE AGREEMENTS WHERE SOME PARTIES THAT ARE UP AGAINST THE THE RIVER OR THE BYPASS FACILITIES THAT HAVE HIGHER FLOWS, CREATING SOME SEEPAGE ISSUES DUE TO THE THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS.

THERE ARE SEPARATE LANDOWNER AGREEMENTS WITH THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER GROUP THAT DEFINES HOW MUCH CREDIT THEY GET, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THAT AS A SUPPLY, AS A SUPPLY SOURCE THAT WE CAN THEN LOOK AT IF THEY TAKE THAT AND PUT IT INTO A RECHARGE FACILITY.

SO THAT WAS REALLY THE ONLY ADDITION FROM OUR LAST DISCUSSION ON THIS POINT.

SO I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY OTHER SLIDES.

RIGHT. JUST THIS ONE KIND OF SUMMARY.

SO OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS DISCUSSION FROM BOARD.

YEAH. GREG THE.

SO IF WE'RE GOING TO PUT TOGETHER THIS FRAMEWORK AND AND THEN DOES THE? IS THE GROWER OR THE PERSON WHO'S DOING THE RECHARGE, THEN WE SAY THEY HAVE TO DOCUMENT THEIR SURFACE WATER ASSET AND THEN DOCUMENT HOW IT'S BEING RECHARGED AND THE EFFICACY RIGHT OF THAT RECHARGE.

IS THAT GOING TO BE AN ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT OR IS THAT JUST GOING TO BE OUR PAPERWORK AND WE'RE GOING TO APPROVE IT? I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO BE A PAPERWORK.

IT'S THEIR FACILITY. THEY'RE THE ONES, UNLESS YOU'RE INVOLVING YOURSELF IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SOMETHING.

AND AS A PUBLIC AGENCY NOW, YOU'RE GOING TO BE TRIGGERING CEQA IN SOME WAY BECAUSE YOU'RE MAKING A DISCRETIONARY ACTION WITH FUNDS AND DECISIONS.

BUT IF IT'S A PRIVATE ENTITY BUILDING A RECHARGE FACILITY, WHAT YOU'RE ASKING THEM TO DO IS GIVE ME THE DETAILS OF THAT RECHARGE FACILITY, PROVIDE ME THE DETAILS OF THE WATER THAT'S GOING TO GO IN THERE.

WE'RE GOING TO AGREE ON KIND OF HOW WE DO THE MATH FOR IT.

AND HERE ARE SOME SET ELEMENTS LIKE THERE'S GOING TO BE A AUTOMATIC LEAVE BEHIND.

THERE'S GOING TO MAYBE BE A DURATION OR A DECAY OVER TIME.

YOU CAN'T PUT WATER IN THIS YEAR AND THEN NEXT YEAR AND NEXT YEAR AND KEEP IT FOR 50 YEARS AND SUDDENLY PRETEND THERE'S THIS GIANT MOUNTAIN THAT'S ONLY YOURS.

THAT'S JUST NOT WHAT HAPPENS.

SO WE WE HAVE A FEW PARAMETERS WE HAVE TO PUT IN PLACE.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE.

THIS FRAMEWORK SAYS WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING THOSE KIND OF THINGS IN FORWARD.

WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE.

I WAS ACTUALLY DOING A WORKSHOP THE OTHER DAY DOWN IN MADEIRA RELATED TO RECHARGE FRAMEWORK, AND WE HAD PULLED SEVERAL EXAMPLES FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.

AND THERE'S LEAVE BEHINDS AS AN IDEA OF OR AS ONE CONCEPT, 10-15 TO 20% OF THE WATER THAT'S CREDITED TO PERCOLATION.

SO LET'S SAY YOU TOOK 1000 OUT OF A SURFACE WATER FACILITY, PUT IT INTO YOUR LET'S GO SIMPLE RECHARGE POND AND THEN THAT RECHARGE POND IS SITTING THERE FOR AT LEAST A MONTH AND IT'S EVAPORATING SOME.

SO YOU'VE GOT AN EVAPORATION LOSS.

AND SO YOU PUT 1000 IN, YOU HAVE SOME EVAPORATION THAT'S GOING TO LOSE AND YOU HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT THAT'S GOING TO PERCOLATE WELL OVER THAT AMOUNT THAT PERCOLATES.

THEN THEY'RE SLICING OFF 10% OF THAT AS A LEAVE BEHIND FOR THE GOOD OF THE BASIN OR A 15%.

THE SANDY MUSH MATERIALS WAS THERE INITIALLY DISCUSSING A 5%, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER PIECES.

CONCEPTS ARE ALL THE SAME.

THERE'S SOME NUMBER WE WILL DETERMINE.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT THAT HELPS, BUT THEY'LL WANT TO PROVIDE US INFORMATION.

WE'LL RUN IT THROUGH OUR PROCESS AND AGREE TO.

WELL, I APPRECIATE THE EXPLANATION.

HOWEVER, THAT LEAVES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO GAME THE SYSTEM RIGHT.

AND WE'VE KIND OF ALREADY HAD A FEW INSTANCES HERE IN OUR BASIN WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO GAME THE SYSTEM, RIGHT.

THEY'RE SAYING THAT THEY'VE RECHARGED WATER AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PUMP IT AND SEND IT SOMEWHERE WITH NO PROOF.

RIGHT. AND WHEN WE'VE ASKED THEM, WELL, PROVE UP YOUR METHODOLOGY, NOTHING.

AND SO I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT IF WE ALLOW SOMEBODY TO DESIGN A RECHARGE PROGRAM AND THEN THEY SHOW IT TO US AND WE SAY, OKAY, WELL, WHERE'S THE VERIFICATION? RIGHT? WHERE'S THE? OK. I MEAN, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING IF THERE'S A.

SO, FROM THAT STANDPOINT, LET'S SAY SOMEBODY COMES IN AND SAYS, YEAH, MY PERC RATE IS 20 FEET A DAY, WELL WE PROBABLY ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME THRESHOLDS AND SOME, SOME DOUBLE CHECK OF THAT, SOME VERIFICATION.

THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, NOT REALLY, IT'S PROBABLY THE SOILS OUT THERE OR WHATEVER YOUR SITUATION IS.

IT'S PROBABLY MORE, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF FEET A DAY.

SO THERE'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE AGREE TO.

AND THEN THE GSA WOULD SIGN A CONTRACT WITH THAT LANDOWNER SAYS THE THESE ARE THE PARAMETERS, THESE ARE, THIS IS THE EQUATIONS WE'RE GOING TO USE.

YOU'RE USING THIS WATER SOURCE AND YOU'RE GOING TO PROVIDE TO US MONTHLY.

DATA ABOUT THAT WATER SOURCE AND CONFIRM IT WITH YOUR.

LET'S SAY IT'S A WATER RIGHT THAT THEY HAVE THAT THEY'VE ESTABLISHED IN SOME WAY, MAYBE EVEN A TEMPORARY URGENCY PETITION TYPE WATER.

RIGHT. YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE US WHAT YOU'RE REPORTING TO THE BOARD SO THAT WE CAN VERIFY.

[00:15:01]

I TOOK 1000 UNITS AND DIVERTED IT INTO THIS FACILITY.

SO THAT MATCHES YOUR METER RECORDS THAT WE SEE.

ALSO, WE'RE GOING TO DO THESE DEDUCTIONS.

WE'LL GRANT YOU 900 OF THAT, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT IN YOUR LEDGER AND YOU'RE GOING TO THEN COME BACK AND TELL US WE'RE USING IT FOR THESE APPROVED PARCELS IN SOME MAYBE RADIUS AREA.

I'M GOING TO PUMP IT BACK OUT TWO OR THREE OR FOUR YEARS LATER MAYBE, AND WE'RE GOING TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE GOING TO SUBTRACT OFF YOUR LEDGER ON THAT POINT.

QUESTIONS ABOUT LAST IN FIRST OUT, SOME OF THOSE IDEAS WE STILL NEED TO RUN DOWN.

WE, THE WHOLE INTENT HERE IS TO CREATE FLEXIBILITY FOR FARMERS TO TRANSITION TO AND CREATE DIFFERENT SOURCES.

SO WE DON'T WANT TO SAY YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO USE OR RECHARGE WATER FIRST ONCE WE MAYBE HAVE AN ALLOCATION.

THAT WOULD BE STRANGE TO SAY, NOPE, YOU HAVE TO USE RECHARGE BEFORE AN ALLOCATION.

IF WE HAD SOME WAY THAT THE ALLOCATION CAN ALSO SHIFT OVER TIME.

WE WANT TO SAY YOU TELL US YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF SOURCES OF WATER, WHICH ONE ARE YOU USING SO WE CAN DEDUCT OUT OF THE RIGHT ACCOUNT AND TRACK? YEAH, IT ADDS SOME EFFORT, BUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS ACCOMMODATE THOSE DIFFERENT SOURCES OF WATER.

SEE ERIC REACHING FOR THE MICROPHONE BUTTON.

WELL, I WANTED TO PARTIALLY REPLY TO LLOYD BECAUSE WE'VE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE.

SOME AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE DISCUSSED WAS HAVING AN APPLICATION FORM ACTUALLY TO RECHARGE PRIOR TO STARTING RECHARGE ACTIVITIES OR HOPING TO GET CREDIT FOR IT SO THAT WE COULD DO SOME AT LEAST APPROXIMATE VALIDATION THAT IT SEEMS REASONABLE WHAT THEY'RE PROVIDING AND THAT THE WATER RIGHT IS ALSO APPROPRIATE FOR WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.

SO WE HAD TALKED ABOUT DEVELOPING THAT FORM SOON.

IS THERE AN ANTICIPATION FROM STAFF WHEN THAT FORM MIGHT BE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE TO START FILLING OUT AND SUBMITTING? SO THE ACTION FOR TODAY INCLUDES DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD TO CREATE A FORM LIKE, OKAY, THAT'S YEAH, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT AT LEAST TEN OR 20 DAYS PRIOR TO THEM ACTUALLY STARTING TO TAKE CREDIT FOR RECHARGE, HAVING SUBMITTED THAT FORM TO THE GSA SO THAT AT LEAST THERE WAS SOME TIME TO DO REVIEW AND SOME LEVEL OF VALIDATION.

I HAVE A QUESTION, ERIC.

WHEN YOU SAY TAKE CREDIT FOR THE RECHARGE, YOU MEAN PUMP THE WATER OUT? WELL, THE FRAMEWORK.

OR DO YOU MEAN TO START THE RECHARGE? WELL, THE FRAMEWORK IS GOING TO GIVE YOU CREDIT.

THAT REALLY DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO APPLY UNTIL THERE'S AN ALLOCATION, WHICH WOULD BE 2016.

SO IT WOULD BE THE PROCESS TO START ESTABLISHING THAT CREDIT THAT YOU COULD USE STARTING IN 2016 OR THEREAFTER.

2026. SORRY, I KEEP TAKING TEN YEARS OFF.

I'M JUST GOING BACK IN TIME.

LIKE IN TIME. YEAH. 36.

I PLACE YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT. YEAH, HE WAS JUST KIDDING FOR THOSE YOU LISTENING ON LINE SO 2026.

SO THE I THINK JUST TO REITERATE THAT POINT, WHAT THE INTENT WOULD BE IS FILL OUT A FORM THAT SAYS I HAVE A, I HAVE A PROJECT, I HAVE A VERIFIED.

RIGHT. AND YOU'RE TRYING TO.

WE AS THE GSA WOULD SAY, OKAY, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE DON'T KNOW ALL THE RULES.

WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK AND FIGURE OUT ALL THE DETAILS FOR YOUR SPECIFIC ONE.

BUT YOU'VE PUT US ON NOTICE AND WE'VE AGREED THAT YOU HAVE SOMETHING THERE, AND WE'LL WORK NOW OVER THE NEXT SOME PERIOD OF TIME SO THAT THAT WE WILL QUANTIFY THAT.

WE MAY NOT AS AN EXAMPLE, JUST HYPOTHETICAL.

LET'S SAY YOU ARE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING THIS FEBRUARY AND YOU HAVE A LEGITIMATE RIGHT AND LEGITIMATE FACILITY AND WE AREN'T ABLE UNTIL JUNE OR JULY TO FINALLY KIND OF AGREE ON, HEY, HERE'S THE RIGHT NUMBER.

WELL, IT DOESN'T MATTER.

AND THIS IS TO ERIC'S POINT, IT DOESN'T MATTER UNTIL THERE'S AN ALLOCATION AS TO WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO PULL THAT CREDIT BACK OUT.

SO WE'RE NOT RUSHED TO QUANTIFY, BUT WE'RE WANTING TO KIND OF EXPEDITE LANDOWNERS SAYING, I HAVE SOMETHING LEGITIMATE, I WANT TO GET IT RECOGNIZED.

I WANT TO I WANT TO ADD IT TO THE LIST AND GET IT ON, GET THE PROCESS STARTED.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE SO THAT THEN THEY'LL WANT TO GO OUT AND GRAB WATER IF IT DOES SHOW UP THIS ANYWHERE BETWEEN DECEMBER AND WHENEVER.

SO IS THAT DOES THAT HELP? SO IT'S NOT ABOUT EXTRACTING YET? NO, I UNDERSTAND.

SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS IF YOU PUT THE PUT THE WATER IN THIS WINTER, THEN YOU CAN'T EXTRACT IT UNTIL 26.

WELL, GREAT QUESTION.

LET'S SAY YOU PUT WATER IN THIS WINTER, YOU CAN EXTRACT IT THIS SUMMER.

YOU'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST YOUR OWN ACTION.

IF YOU'RE WANTING TO START TO BUILD A CREDIT ACCOUNT OF SOME SORT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO BE IN PLACE FOR WHEN AN ALLOCATION IS PUT IN AND YOU WANT TO SAY, OKAY, WE'RE IN

[00:20:02]

IT'S HOLDING ALONG HERE.

AND NOW I'M IN THAT FIRST YEAR OR TWO OF AN ALLOCATION.

I'M GOING TO USE PART OF MY BANKED WATER.

THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD BE WANTING TO DO IT FOR, AND THAT'S WHY YOU WOULD WANT TO START TO ALERT US IF YOU'RE JUST PLANNING TO PUMP IT OUT NOW OR NEXT YEAR, YOU'RE JUST PUMPING WATER. I MEAN, IT'S JUST YOU'RE DOING IT BASICALLY YOU'RE PUTTING WATER IN THE GROUND.

IT MIGHT SHOW UP GREAT NEXT TO ONE OF OUR REPRESENTATIVE MONITORING WELLS, AND THAT MIGHT BE GREAT.

IT MIGHT SHOW UP IN SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE LEVEL WATER LEVEL STUFF.

GREAT. YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT LLOYD'S POINT WAS LAST TIME OR NOT.

NOT LLOYD SORRY. COLE'S POINT LAST TIME WAS THAT HE TYPICALLY DIVERTS JUST WHEN THE HIGH FLOW EVENTS ARE OCCURRING TO HELP MINIMIZE SOME OF THE POTENTIAL FLOODING DOWN ON 154.

IS THAT RIGHT? 152.

59. 59 SOME HIGH WAY THAT'S GOT A CONSTRAINT.

I APOLOGIZE THERE THAT HE PUMPS IT OUT AND HE'S LIKE, I'M JUST GOING TO KEEP DOING IT.

IT'S GOOD, IT'S USEFUL, IT'S HELPFUL.

BUT HE'S NOT TRYING TO ASK FOR CREDIT FOR IT TO PLAY AGAINST AN ALLOCATION DOWN THE ROAD.

SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE SAYING ABOUT THIS.

IF YOU WANT TO START GETTING IN A PLACE WHERE YOU WANT TO START BUILDING UP AN ACCOUNT TO USE IT, AND WE WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE BY 2026, THERE IS ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITY WE HAVE TO ACCELERATE SOME OF THAT.

I DON'T IMAGINE IT'S COMING MUCH SOONER THAN THAT, BUT MAYBE WE HAVE AN ALLOCATION IN SOME PARTS A YEAR EARLIER THAN THAT.

SO MAYBE YOU DO WANT TO TRY AND START BUILDING UP SOME CREDIT.

DOES THAT HELP? THANK YOU, GREG.

I HAVE ONE VERY MINOR POINT.

WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL WATER SOURCES, WE ADDED, I THINK YOU MEANT TREATED EFFLUENT, NOT WASTEWATER.

WE WILL UNLIKELY BE GIVING ANYBODY CREDIT FOR UNTREATED WASTEWATER GOING TO GROUNDWATER.

YEAH, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

AND THAT IS A GOOD CLARIFICATION THAT IT WOULD BE RECOGNIZED THROUGH THE STATE OR THROUGH THE REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD THROUGH A CERTIFIED WASTE DISCHARGE IN A TITLE 22 REPORT THAT IT IS RECOGNIZED, TREATED EFFLUENT FROM A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OR WHATEVER THEY WANT TO CALL THOSE NOWADAYS BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY LACEY YOU'VE BEEN WANTING TO OPINE SOMETHING HERE.

DID WE MISS SOMETHING EARLIER? I JUST WANTED TO ADD TO THE QUESTION ON VERIFICATION AS THESE RULES AND KIND OF POLICIES FOR THE RECHARGE POLICY COMES TOGETHER, THERE IS ALWAYS THE OPTION OF HAVING SOME SORT OF THIRD PARTY VERIFICATION AS WELL.

IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD IS INTERESTED IN AS STAFF WE'VE HAD.

VERY INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS WITH UC MERCED JUST INQUIRING AS TO WHETHER THEY ACTUALLY DO.

WHAT WOULD PROVIDE SOMETHING LIKE A THIRD PARTY VERIFICATION TO RECHARGE HERE IN THE MERCED SUB-BASIN AND IF THAT'S SOMETHING THEY MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN.

SO I THINK AS THE CONVERSATION MOVES FORWARD, THERE'S ALWAYS AN OPTION.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE CHAIRMAN WAS GETTING AT IS WHAT'S THE VERIFICATION FOR THIS RECHARGE? AND THERE'S AN OPTION FOR THIRD PARTY VERIFICATION.

ALL RIGHT. SORRY FOR THAT.

GO AHEAD. YOU KNOW, GREG, JUST MY UNDERSTANDING IS MORE THIS POLICY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS MORE ABOUT GETTING THE RECHARGED WATER IN THE GROUND.

AND IT'S PRETTY VAGUE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE RULES YET AS FAR AS PULLING WATER OUT OF THE GROUND THAT WE JUST WANT TO START START THE PROCESS SO PEOPLE CAN START GETTING CREDITS. IF WE ARE BLESSED WITH FLOOD WATER THIS YEAR TO START GETTING WATER IN THE GROUND.

YEAH. AND I WILL ADD TO THAT A LITTLE BIT THAT WILL ALSO PUT THEM ON NOTICE THAT THERE'S, WE NEED DETAILS.

YES. AND YOU NEED TO HAVE A WATER RIGHT.

THAT CAN ACTUALLY BE STORED.

BUT AS FAR AS CHAIRMAN PAREIRA, I THINK EARLIER YOU WERE MENTIONING KIND OF ABOUT COMING OUT SELLING LATER.

THIS DOESN'T HAVE RULES FOR THAT.

THAT'S SOMETHING AS A BOARD WE'D HAVE TO TACKLE LATER ON.

WELL, TO THAT POINT, THE FRAMEWORK DOES SAY SOMETHING ABOUT SPACIAL LIMITS.

SO THE INTENT WOULD BE, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE THAT DEFINED.

THE INTENT WOULD LIKELY BE WE'RE DOING THIS KIND OF RECHARGE AND WE'RE ENCOURAGING THIS RECHARGE FOR THE BENEFIT OF SUSTAINABILITY OF THIS BASIN.

SO TO BENEFIT THIS BASIN, WE WOULD WANT TO SAY YOU'RE YOU'RE GOING TO PUT WATER IN AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO EXPECT YOU TO PUT WATER IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE GSA AND THEN PULL IT OUT WAY DOWN IN THE SUBSIDENCE AREA AND SAY, WELL, THAT WAS MY RECHARGED WATER.

IT'S NOT GOING TO MOVE THAT FAR.

SO, YEAH, AS MUCH AS YOU'D LIKE TO.

SO THERE'S GOING TO NEED TO BE AND WE DO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT, SOME REGIONALITY OR SOME SPATIAL LIMITS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO PUT IT IN HERE AND YOU'RE ONLY REALLY GOING TO BE ALLOWED. THAT'S PART OF WHAT YOU NEED TO SHOW US IS MY INTENT IS TO USE IT ON THESE OTHER PROPERTIES WITHIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE.

THAT RIGHT THERE. I THINK AS PART OF THAT, WE SAY THIS RECHARGE WATER.

WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS RECHARGE WATER BEING EXPORTED OUT OF THIS BASIN.

THIS IS BEING RECHARGED AND A GSA RECOGNIZING A CREDIT TO BE USED IN THE BASIN FOR PURPOSES OF IRRIGATING AND CONSUMING WATER IN THE BASIN.

[00:25:09]

OKAY. LET ME FINISH WITH THE BOARD AND THEN AS IT A BOARD MEMBER.

YEAH, IT'S NIC.

OH. OKAY, GO AHEAD.

ALL RIGHT. AND I HAD A QUESTION.

HOW MANY WATER RIGHTS DO EXIST, I GUESS, IN THAT MAYBE THIS AREA THAT CAN BE STORED UNDERGROUND.

I JUST DON'T WANT TO. I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE.

I DON'T WANT TO FOCUS IN TO A POINT WHERE WE ONLY ACCEPT WATER RIGHTS THAT ARE ALLOWED TO BE STORED UNDERGROUND.

BUT I DON'T KNOW OF ANY I MEAN, I DON'T EVEN THINK MIDS TECHNICALLY RESTORE UNDERGROUND.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE WHEN THE FLOOD WATER RIGHT COMES IN, THAT WILL.

BUT TO THIS POINT, WHAT ELSE DO YOU KNOW OF ANY OTHER WATER RIGHTS THAT CAN BE STORED? NO, NO.

AND THAT'S PART OF THE CHALLENGE.

SO RECOGNIZING THAT THAT ISSUE AND IT'S PART OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED WITH COLE AGAIN LAST TIME IS THE GSA HAS TO, YOU KNOW, IF WE LOOK AT THIS AS WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE A CREDIT AND LET'S LET'S ASSUME WE'RE FIVE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, WE HAVE AN ALLOCATION IN PLACE, THERE'S A WET YEAR, SOMEBODY IS DOING RECHARGE AND THEY JUST HAPPEN TO BE PUMPING A BUNCH OF WATER OUT OF MARIPOSA CREEK.

WELL, MAYBE AT THAT TIME WE ALSO HAVE OUR WATER RIGHT THAT WAS GOING AFTER THAT SAME WATER.

NOW WE HAVE SOMEBODY DIVERTING THAT WE'VE RECOGNIZED TO GIVE THEM CREDITS TO THAT IS ACTUALLY ILLEGALLY DIVERTING AGAINST SOMEBODY WITH ANOTHER WATER.

RIGHT. THAT'S ALLOWED. AND WE'VE GOT A CHALLENGE OF INJURY.

AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS, IS SAY WE DON'T WANT TO GET IN THAT LIABILITY POSITION.

ARE WE COMPETING? AM I COMPETING? SHOULD WE LET JEANNIE TALK? I DON'T THINK SHE'S WANTING TO SPEAK AT OUR MEETING.

I THINK JUST HEARING HER SPEAK, SO.

GOT IT. OKAY, GO AHEAD.

SO TO THAT END, NIC, I THINK THE CHALLENGE IS THERE ARE NOT THOSE THAT HAVE THE UNDERGROUND STORAGE SUPPLEMENT OR WHAT WE DID SAY IS IF YOU'RE GOING TO DIVERT A PRE 14 WATER SUPPLY, YOU CAN DIVERT THAT SO LONG AS YOU'RE NOT CAUSING INJURY TO OTHERS, THOSE DON'T HAVE TO GET THE SUPPLEMENT THE SAME WAY BECAUSE THE BOARD DOESN'T HAVE JURISDICTION OVER THE P-14S THE SAME WAY.

BUT IF SOMEBODY FELT THAT THEY WERE BEING HARMED BECAUSE WE ALLOW OR SOMEBODY WAS DIVERTING WATER TO STORAGE, UNDERGROUND STORAGE, THAT WASN'T ALLOWED BECAUSE IT WAS IN EXCESS OF MAYBE THEIR DIRECT DIVERSION.

RIGHT. OR MAYBE NOT AN EXCESS OF THEIR DIRECT DIVERSION.

RIGHT. BUT IN EXCESS OF THEIR HISTORIC BENEFICIAL USE AND RECORDED DIVERSIONS.

SOMEBODY MIGHT CLAIM AN INJURY AND CHALLENGE THAT IN FRONT OF THROUGH A COURT PROCEEDING WHERE A PRE 14 WOULD BE CHALLENGED AND WE AS THE GSA WOULD LIKELY BE BROUGHT INTO THAT AS YOU ALLOWED IT, YOUR RECOGNIZING CREDIT.

AND THAT'S THE ONLY THING WE'RE BEING CAUTIOUS ON THAT FRONT RIGHT NOW.

SO, ONE OF THOSE POINTS IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT, YEAH, THIS CAN BE DIVERTED AND STORED UNDERGROUND BECAUSE THAT'S NOT A BENEFICIAL USE. STORAGE IS NOT A BENEFICIAL USE.

I MEAN, IF WE HAVE THE PURPOSE JUST TO ENCOURAGE IT, RIGHT? I MEAN, THOSE TWO SENTENCES ARE REALLY BIG, RIGHT? THEY'RE SAYING YOU HAVE TO HAVE A STORAGE, RIGHT? COULD WE HAVE IT SAY I MEAN, WE WILL RECOGNIZE IT UNTIL IT'S UNRECOGNIZABLE.

THAT MAKES SENSE.

I MEAN, I DON'T WANT TO GET HIS DRUG DATING, BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE THIS I DO ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, GOOD BEHAVIOR, RIGHT, DON? RIGHT. I MEAN, I SUSPECT THAT WE'RE ALL IT'S ALL THE SAME BATHTUB THAT WHEN I WHEN I START RECHARGING, ALL THAT WATER IS GOING TO SHOOT OVER TO GENO'S PLACE.

I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE THE WATER FLOWS, RIGHT? SO BUT THE OBJECT IS TO ENCOURAGE AS MUCH RECHARGE WHEREVER IT IS IN THE BASIN, BECAUSE WE ALL SHARE THE SAME GROUNDWATER SOURCE.

THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE WANT TO DO UNTIL IT GETS TO THE POINT WHERE, BRAD, YOU SAY THIS IS I WANT THIS CREDIT, I PUT IN THIS 1000, I WANT TO USE IT NOW AND I DON'T WANT TO USE IT.

AND IF WE'VE RECOGNIZED SOME CREDIT TO YOU THAT YOU NOW CAN PUMP OUT OF THE GROUND, THAT DOESN'T REALLY EXIST.

IT'S A GENERAL. IT'S WE ALL SHARE THE SAME BATHTUB.

IT'S JUST A GENERAL LEDGER AT THAT POINT.

RIGHT. TO THE. YES, ALL OF US, CORRECT? NO. AND THAT'S WHERE FINDING THIS LINE AND THIS IS WHERE YOU START GETTING INTO COST SHARING OR WHETHER IT'S THE GSA TAKING THE ACTION ON THE BENEFIT OF ON THE BEHALF OF EVERYBODY OR WHETHER IF YOU WENT AND SPENT A BUNCH OF MONEY BUILDING FACILITIES, ACQUIRING A WATER SUPPLY, PUTTING IT IN THE GROUND, AND THEN WE SAY, AS THE GSA, WELL, WE'RE NOT GOING TO REALLY RECOGNIZE THAT BECAUSE IT'S FOR THE GOOD OF EVERYBODY.

YOU MIGHT NOT BE THAT EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

MAYBE YOU WOULD. YOU MIGHT BE, BUT OTHERS ARE NOT.

I WOULD NOT. I'M NOT.

OBJECT IS TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR EVERYBODY.

[00:30:03]

THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO AS WELL.

SEPARATELY, THE GSA WANTS TO ENCOURAGE OVERALL RECHARGE AND TRY AND GET PROJECTS AND BUILD THINGS.

AND THAT'S WHERE ULTIMATELY WE CAN LOOK FOR OUTSIDE FUNDING TO HELP BUILD BIGGER PROJECTS ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE GSA.

OR MAYBE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS ARE DOING THE SAME THING, LIKE THE GRAND IS DOING PROJECTS RIGHT TO TRY AND DO THINGS ON BEHALF OF ITS GROWERS AS KIND OF ONE UNIT.

AND THE GSA WOULD RECOGNIZE, YEAH, YOU HAVE A CERTAIN CREDIT TO THE GRANT THAT THEN YOU GUYS SHARE AMONGST YOURSELVES.

THAT'S YOUR QUESTION.

OKAY. THE OTHER THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I THAT I WANT TO BRING UP IS WHAT YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT A WATER, RIGHT? WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE CAPTURING RAINWATER ON THEIR PROPERTY AND RECHARGING IT? HOW WILL THAT PLAY INTO TO THIS? SO THIS ONE GETS INTERESTINGLY GETS TRICKY IF YOU TAKE IT TO ITS ULTIMATE POTENTIAL.

AND THAT WOULD BE IF YOU CONSIDER THE GSP DEVELOPED A WATER MODEL THAT WAS LOOKING AT PERCOLATION AS ONE OF THE CONTRIBUTORS TO THE NATURAL WATER SUPPLY, THE NATIVE YIELD.

THERE'S LATERAL SEEPAGE FROM THE FOOTHILLS, THERE'S PERCOLATION BELOW THE ROOT ZONE, SEEPAGE FROM ALL THE STREAMS AND CHANNELS THAT HAVE WATER IN THEM.

IF EVERYBODY STARTED CAPTURING THAT BEFORE IT MADE IT INTO THOSE, WE'RE NOW ACTUALLY AFFECTING THAT BASELINE.

SO THEY'RE AT ITS ULTIMATE THAT YOU COULD SEE A POTENTIAL CHALLENGE ON A SMALLER SCALE IF YOU'RE CAPTURING KIND OF SOME LOCAL RUNOFF OR YOU'RE CAPTURING OFF YOUR ROOFTOP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I DON'T THINK THE MAGNITUDES ARE GOING TO BE NOTICEABLE.

BUT SO I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CAPTURE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO CAPTURE IT OUT OF A STREAM BED, WELL, NOW YOU'RE DOING A WATER, RIGHT? NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT RAINFALL THAT FALLS ON YOUR FARM.

RIGHT. AND IT WORKS ITS WAY THROUGH AND IT GOES UNDER YOUR FENCE LINE, GOES ACROSS YOUR NEIGHBORS AND ON.

RIGHT. SO IN FLORIDA, THEY REQUIRE YOU TO CAPTURE ALL YOUR RAINWATER.

RIGHT. AND THAT'S HOW THEY KEEP SALTWATER INTRUSION FROM HAPPENING UNDER THE STATE OF FLORIDA.

RIGHT. SO SO THAT JUST HAS ME THINKING OF HERE, RIGHT.

IF SOMEBODY HAS WHATEVER HAS A 1000 ACRES AND THEY CAPTURE THE RAINFALL AND DON'T LET IT LEAVE THEIR PROPERTY, THEN THEN HOW DOES THAT AFFECT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN THIS FRAMEWORK? RIGHT. AND LET'S TAKE THAT 1000 ACRES.

AND IF IT'S PRETTY FLAT, MOST OF IT'S NOT RUNNING OFF UNLESS YOU'RE REALLY, REALLY HEAVY EVENTS AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO GET A LITTLE BIT THAT COMES OFF IF IT IS MORE APT TO BE KIND OF CHANNELIZED OR THEY'RE GOING TO DO SOME ACTION TO CHANNELIZE IT, THEN THAT WATER PROBABLY WAS RUNNING SOMEWHERE AND BECOMING PART OF A OF A EITHER AN UNNAMED BUT A RECOGNIZED STREAM COURSE.

AND NOW YOU'RE INTO WATER RIGHTS WORLD BECAUSE YOU'RE RESTRICTING DIVERSION OR YOU'RE YOU'RE TAKING ILLEGAL DIVERSIONS OF A WATER SOURCE.

LLOYD, HOW WOULD YOU EVEN QUANTIFY THAT? REENGAGE. BUT NOT ALL OF IT RUNS.

I MEAN. WELL, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING.

RIGHT? I MEAN, I'VE GOT FIELDS, RIGHT.

THAT THAT HAVE A LEVEE.

AND WHENEVER IT RAINS, THAT WATER GOES DOWN AND GETS CAUGHT IN THE BASIN.

RIGHT. SO ANYBODY COULD, YOU KNOW, PUT A LEVEE ACROSS THE LOW SPOT THAT RUNS OFF YOUR PROPERTY AND HOLD THAT WATER BACK AND RECHARGE IT.

RIGHT. YOU NEED AN ACCURATE WAY OF METERING IT.

WELL, WHICH IS NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'RE GOING TO REQUIRE IF YOU'RE BRINGING SURFACE WATER IN.

RIGHT. YOU HAVE A WEATHER STATION AND IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, HERE'S BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE EVAPORATION THERE AS WELL.

RIGHT. BUT I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK IT'S I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE LIKE THE ONE OF THE CHEAPEST WAYS THAT WE CAN DO SOME RECHARGE IN THE BASIN. RIGHT.

IS CAPTURING YOUR YOUR RAINWATER AND.

YEAH. AND IT'S REALLY STARTS TO BECOME A MAGNITUDE QUESTION.

YOU KNOW, HOW OFTEN HOW MANY PARCELS CAN YOU START TO DO THAT ON.

AND POTENTIALLY YOU HAVE AN EFFECT ELSEWHERE IN THE, IN THE BASELINE CONDITIONS THAT WE RECOGNIZED.

I KNOW THERE ARE SOME OTHER AND SOME OTHER LOCATIONS.

PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT DRILLING DRY WELLS INTO LITTLE CREEKS SWELLS AND TO BE ABLE TO CAPTURE THAT RUNOFF, WELL, THAT WAS THE RUNOFF.

THAT'S PART OF THE BASELINE CONDITION THAT EVERYTHING WAS UNDERSTANDING.

HERE'S THE GROUNDWATER LEVELS BECAUSE WATER RAN IN THE SWALE AND AND PERCOLATE IT IN.

AND IF YOU GO NOW START DRILLING LITTLE DRY WELLS AND IT'S CLAIMING THAT'S MINE.

THAT DIDN'T SEEM TO BE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO, WHICH WAS AUGMENT BEYOND WHAT THE BASIN IS GETTING ALREADY.

WELL, BUT THAT IS AUGMENTING THE BASIN, RIGHT, BECAUSE VERY LITTLE WATER THAT WORKS ITS WAY INTO STREAMBEDS STAYS IN THE BASIN.

RIGHT. THE MAJORITY OF THAT WATER KEEPS WORKING ITS WAY INTO A RIVER AND GOES OVER TO THE DELTA AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GETS A VIEW OF THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE AND MOVES ON.

[00:35:07]

SO I'M JUST THINKING THAT WE'D BE IT'D BEHOOVE US TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO CAPTURE THAT WATER IF WE COULD.

LET'S KEEP THAT AS THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PERMANENT, THAT WE CAN ALWAYS MODIFY ALL OUR POLICIES AND FRAMEWORK.

I THINK RIGHT NOW WE SHOULD.

LET'S PUT THAT ONE ON THE TABLE.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT ONE FURTHER, ABOUT HOW TO DOCUMENT IT.

I THINK THE EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE TEMPORARY URGENCY PETITION THAT MID IS WORKING ON RIGHT NOW WITH EWR AND SOME PARTNERS FROM THIS BOARD, THEY'RE GOING AFTER WHAT'S CONSIDERED THIS 90TH PERCENTILE FLOW CONDITION MEASURED AT A STREAM AT A CERTAIN POINT.

AND IF WE'RE STARTING TO, WE POTENTIALLY AFFECT THAT BY NOT LETTING WATER RUN OFF FIELDS AND GET TO THAT STREAM COURSE.

NOW POTENTIALLY, WE ARE LIMITING HOW MANY OPPORTUNITIES THERE ARE TO DO THAT ONE.

SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THERE'S ONLY A FINITE AMOUNT OF WATER ULTIMATELY.

AND WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE THE SEASONAL TIMING OF A BUNCH OF IT.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DO.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WELL, I WAS JUST GOING TO MAKE ONE COMMENT, MR. CHAIR, AND THAT IS THIS IS ONLY A FRAMEWORK FOR THE WATER YEAR 2023.

SO THIS IS NOT FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THE NEXT TEN YEARS.

THIS IS FOR ONE YEAR.

I THINK THE ANTICIPATION IS IT WILL EVOLVE AFTER THAT AND CHANGE.

YEAH. SO. I WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT LLOYD ON SOME OF HIS TOPICS BECAUSE, I MEAN, LIKE 2017, WE HAD FOUR YEARS WORTH OF WATER GO BY, IF NOT FIVE, MAYBE EVEN SIX YEARS WORTH OF WATER.

SO ALL THESE LITTLE WILDLIFE PROJECT ACROSS THE SWALE IN HIS FRONT DRIVEWAY, THOSE ARE ALL GOOD THINGS TO DO.

AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DO THOSE KIND OF THINGS BECAUSE THERE'S MULTIPLE BENEFITS TO IT.

IT KEEPS A LOT OF IT.

IT KEEPS A LOT OF DIRTY WATER, YOU KNOW, ON LLOYD'S FARM.

AND AND THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFIT.

THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO PREPARE FOR WET YEARS.

AND WHEN WE HAVE THEM, WE NEED TO CAPTURE AS MUCH OF THAT SHORT WATER AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, IN MY OPINION.

AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR POLICIES SUPPORT THOSE KIND OF EFFORTS.

I SEE NO MORE BOARD COMMENTS.

LET ME GO FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME.

YOU'RE A QUIET GROUP.

I'M NOT COMPLAINING. I'M JUST NOTICING.

GEORGE PARK LONE TREE MUTUAL WATER COMPANY, LONE TREE, HAS KIND OF UNIQUE GEOGRAPHY WITH THE EAST SIDE BYPASS THAT SPLITS THE SERVICE AREA THAT WE HAVE AND WE HAVE WATERS COMING THROUGH US FROM THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER RESTORATION PROJECT, WHICH IS FLOWING IN A FLOOD CONTROL CHANNEL, NOT A RIVER.

BUT THAT'S THEIR CHOICE, NOT NOT OURS.

WE GET A LOT OF SEEPAGE THROUGH THOSE LEVEES THAT ARE NOT KEY LEVEES, AND THE RESTORATION PROGRAM CHOSE TO ABANDON THE WATER THAT SEEPS THROUGH THOSE LEVEES TO THE OWNERS OF ADJOINING PROPERTIES THROUGH SEEPAGE EASEMENTS.

THAT WATER IS USED WITHIN LONE TREE FOR IRRIGATION DURING THE SEASON.

BUT THERE COMES A POINT DURING THE SEASON OR AT THE END OF THE SEASON WHEN THERE'S NO WATER USAGE.

AND UP TILL THIS TIME WE'VE AND THIS ALL STARTED OCCURRING AFTER 2016 WHEN THERE STARTED RESTORATION FLOWS IN THAT SECTION.

THAT WATER WAS PREVIOUSLY TO NOW BEING ABANDONED BACK INTO THE BYPASS.

BUT LONE TREE HAS PURCHASED PROPERTY AND INCLUDES PROPERTY THAT IS SUITABLE FOR FOR USING, FOR RECHARGE.

AND IT'S OUR INTENT TO BEGIN PUTTING THAT WATER INTO THE GROUND IN 2023.

WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE CREDITS FOR OR NOT FOR IT IN 2023 IS REALLY NOT AN ISSUE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT UNDER PUMPING CONSTRAINTS YET.

BUT IT'S A POINT OF IS TRYING TO RECHARGE THE LOWER AQUIFER, WHICH WILL HELP OUR CONVERSION TO PUMPING FROM THE LOWER AQUIFER, THE UPSTREAM TO RECHARGE THE UPPER AQUIFERS. IT WILL HELP IN OUR CONVERSION TO PUMPING FROM THE UPPER AQUIFER.

I DON'T IT DOESN'T QUITE FIT NEATLY INTO THIS POLICY THE WAY OR THE WAY THAT THIS IS STRUCTURED RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US FOR 2023. BUT DOWN THE LINE WE MAY NEED TO CHANGE THIS TO ACCOMMODATE SOME OF THESE OTHER A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT SOURCES OF WATER.

THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME.

GREAT. COULD YOU FOR GEORGE, MENTION THE LINE WE TALKED ABOUT CHANGING.

I THINK HE WASN'T HERE WHEN HE FIRST WALKED IN AND SEE IF THAT WOULD WORK BETTER FOR LONE TREE, PLEASE.

[00:40:02]

SO IN THE VERSION THAT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE ONLINE UNDER THE HEADING OF LANDOWNER MUST UNDER PART ONE PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION OF CONTROL OF THE SURFACE WATER ASSET OR ASSETS BEING USED FOR RECHARGE LIMITED TO AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING AND UNDER B WE SAY CONTRACT WITH WATER SUPPLIER OR WATER RIGHT HOLDER, (OR OTHER RECOGNIZED WATER ASSETS SUCH AS WATER FROM A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT) WHICH WOULD BE A TERTIARY TREATED OR SAN JOAQUIN RIVER SEEPAGE AGREEMENTS.

SO WE SPECIFICALLY ADDED SAN JOAQUIN RIVER SEEPAGE AGREEMENTS TO THE FRAMEWORK THAT'S THERE, IS THAT AT LEAST RECOGNIZE THAT THAT COULD BE A SOURCE.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? IS THERE ANY ONLINE NON ONLINE OK.

THEN WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.

AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR AN ACTION TO IMPROVE THEIR FRAMEWORK.

I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE FRAMEWORK AS IT'S PRESENTED TODAY FOR THE 2023 WATER SEASON.

I'LL SECOND THAT. HERE WE HAVE A MOTION BY PEDRETTI AND A SECOND BY MARCHINI.

I THINK IN ADDITION, STAFF WANTS DIRECTION TO CREATE A REGISTRATION FORM TO GO WITH THIS FRAMEWORK, AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT STAFF BE DIRECTED TO COMPLETE THAT BY THE END OF NOVEMBER 2022.

IF YOU WANT TO ADD THAT TO YOUR MOTION, WHAT A STAFF THINKS THEY CAN GET THEIR APPLICATION DONE BY ITS NOVEMBER 30TH OR DECEMBER 15TH OR 10TH, OR WHAT ARE YOU GUYS OR VETERANS DAY OR VETERAN'S DAY? YEAH, WELL, THEY DON'T LIMIT THEM.

WE CAN GET THAT DONE BEFORE THE END OF THE BY THE END OF THE MONTH.

OKAY. WELL, I AM IN MY MOTION TO ALSO HAVE AN APPLICATION.

THANK YOU, ERIC. BY APPLICATION FOR THE RECHARGE THAT WILL GO OUT TO GROWERS THAT WILL BE READY BY DECEMBER 1ST.

OKAY. DIRECTOR MARCHINI.

OKAY WITH THAT ON YOUR SECOND.

YEP. I WILL AMEND MY SECOND.

ALL RIGHT. PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

YES, SIR.

. PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU.

AND NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS WOODWARD AND CURRAN'S AMENDED SEVENTH AMENDMENT LACEY.

[5. WOODARD AND CURRAN INC. AMENDMENT 7]

THIS AMENDMENT APPROVES THREE ADDITIONAL TASKS TO BE ADDED TO THE WOODWARD AND CURRAN CONTRACT.

THE PREPARATION OF WATER YEAR 2022 ANNUAL REPORT MEETING FACILITATION AND SUPPORT FOR THE COORDINATION COMMITTEE AND THE STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEE FOR 2022 AND 2023.

AND THEN PREPARATION OF A SIGMA IMPLEMENTATION ROUND TWO GRANT APPLICATION SIMILAR TO PRIOR ANNUAL REPORTS PREPARED BY WOODWARD AND KERN FOR THIS SUB BASIN.

THE WATER YEAR 2022 ANNUAL REPORT WILL INCLUDE INFORMATION IN THREE KEY SECTIONS GENERAL INFORMATION BASIN CONDITIONS AND GSP IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS.

THIS TASK IS ACCOMPLISHED FOR THE AMOUNT OF $77,605, WHICH WILL BE SHARED BY THE THREE GSA'S IN THE MERCED BASIN.

THAT TOTAL COST IS AROUND AVERAGE OF WHAT THE ANNUAL REPORTS HAVE BEEN COSTING THE BASIN OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS.

THE MERCED SUBBASIN GSA PORTION, ACCORDING TO THE COORDINATION AGREEMENT, IS 58%, WHICH IS ABOUT 45,000, AND THE GSA HAS BUDGETED 55,000 FOR ITS SHARE OF THE ANNUAL REPORT IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2223 BUDGET.

THE SECOND TASK TO BE APPROVED UNDER THIS CONTRACT IS MEETING FACILITATION AND SUPPORT FOR THE BASIN WIDE COORDINATION COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND THE STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEE MEETINGS FROM OCTOBER 2022 FOR QUARTERLY MEETINGS.

FOR MEETINGS. GOING FORWARD, THESE COMMITTEES MEET IN PERSON WITH A VIRTUAL COMPONENT UNDER THIS TASK WOODWARD AND CURRAN WILL SUPPORT THE MEETINGS WITH MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDAS, SLIDES AND MINUTES.

[00:45:01]

THE TASK IS ACCOMPLISHED FOR $57,910, WHICH IS SHARED BY THE THREE GSA'S.

AGAIN, ACCORDING TO THE COORDINATION AGREEMENT AND THE MERCED SUB-BASIN GSA HAS 275,000 FOR GSP ACTIVITIES IN THE 2223 BUDGET, WHICH IS WHERE THIS IS GOING TO COME FROM.

THE THIRD TASK TO BE APPROVED UNDER THIS CONTRACT IS TO SUPPORT THE GSA'S FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE SUSTAINABLE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT GRANT PROGRAMS. SIGMA IMPLEMENTATION ROUND TWO APPLICATION PREPARATION OF THE GRANT APPLICATION INCLUDES SUPPORTING THE GSA'S AND PROJECT IDENTIFICATION, DRAFTING THE APPLICATION, FINALIZING THE APPLICATION, AND THEN SUBMITTING THE FINAL APPLICATION IN THE GRANTS PORTAL.

THE TOTAL COST OF THIS GRANT APPLICATION PREPARATION IS $32,000 SHARED BY THE GSA, WHICH IS NOT ACCORDING TO THE COORDINATION AGREEMENT, BUT WOULD WOULD BE IN PROPORTION TO THE PROJECTS EACH GSA'S PROJECTS DOLLAR AMOUNTS, WHICH IS HOW YOU'VE SHARED GRANT APPLICATION PREPARATION COSTS IN THE PAST.

AND THE MERCED SUBBASIN GSA HAS BUDGETED 50,000 FOR GRANT WRITING IN THE 22-23 BUDGET.

SO I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.

ANY QUESTIONS? OH, SORRY, BRAD.

YEAH. WHERE ARE WE AT WITH ALL THOSE GRANTS? ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE A SUMMARY OF ON THE NEXT ITEM WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION? I'LL HAVE A SUMMARY OF THE PROJECTS THAT WILL BE IN THIS GRANT.

THANK YOU. THAT YOUR QUESTION? LACEY ON TASK 29, THE 32,420 THAT SPLIT UP.

THAT'S NOT OUR SHARE.

THAT'S SPLIT. NO, THAT THAT IS SPLIT IN PROPORTION.

THAT'S THE TOTAL.

TO WHAT WE? YEAH, WHAT OUR SHARE OF IT IS.

CORRECT. AND AS JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, MID WAS STILL ADJUSTING THEIR AMOUNT.

SO I'M NOT SURE WE KNOW WHAT THE TOTAL FOR [INAUDIBLE] IS YET.

SO WE CAN'T WE CAN'T ACTUALLY CALCULATE THE EXACT AMOUNT FOR THE MERCED SUB-BASIN.

RIGHT. ALL RIGHT.

ANY OTHER BOARD COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT, IF NOT, I'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.

ANYBODY ONLINE? NONE ONLINE. I'LL BRING IT BACK FOR ACTION.

WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? I MOVED TO ADOPT AMENDMENT SEVEN WITH WOODWARD AND CURRAN AS DESCRIBED.

SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION BY DIRECTOR SWENSON AND A SECOND BY DIRECTOR GALLO.

I SEE NO FURTHER REQUESTS TO SPEAK.

PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

SIR.

THANK YOU. OK, OUR NEXT ITEM IS THE SIGMA OR SGM GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZING

[6. SGM GRANT PROGRAM ROUND 2 AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION]

LACEY? SO THE MERCED GSA'S THE THREE GSA'S MERCED SUBBASIN GSA MERCED IRRIGATION, URBAN GSA AND TURNER ISLAND WATER DISTRICT GSA ARE SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES SUSTAINABLE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT SIGMA IMPLEMENTATION ROUND TWO GRANT PROGRAM.

UNDER ROUND TWO OF THIS PROGRAM, ALL HIGH AND MEDIUM PRIORITY BASINS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE APPROXIMATELY $230 MILLION IN COMPETITIVE GRANT FUNDING.

THE MAXIMUM AWARD IS $20 MILLION, THOUGH IT'S EXPECTED TO BE VERY COMPETITIVE.

THE NON CRITICALLY OVERDRAFT BASINS WHO WERE NOT ELIGIBLE IN ROUND ONE WILL RECEIVE PRIORITY IN THIS ROUND.

THE GRANT DEADLINE HAS RECENTLY BEEN EXTENDED.

IT WAS NOVEMBER 30TH.

IT'S NOW DECEMBER 16TH.

THE GSA'S IN THE BASIN HAVE IDENTIFIED SEVEN PROJECTS TO INCLUDE IN THE GRANT APPLICATION AND MEMBERS OF THE COORDINATION COMMITTEE MET ON TUESDAY TO AGREE TO A LOCAL PRIORITIZATION OF THE PROJECTS.

DWR HAS ASKED ALL THE APPLICANTS TO LOCALLY PRIORITIZE AND SHARE THEIR PREFERENCE FOR PROJECTS IN CASE FULL GRANT FUNDING IS NOT AWARDED AND ONLY PARTIAL FUNDING IS AWARDED.

THE PROJECTS INCLUDED IN THE GRANT ARE LISTED ON THIS SLIDE.

I WOULD MAKE A NOTE THAT THE SECOND FROM THE LAST PROJECT, THE MID HOWARD MCCLOY REGULATING AND RECHARGE RESERVOIR HAS BEEN PULLED.

IT WILL EITHER BE REPLACED WITH A POTENTIAL PROJECT THAT'S AN URBAN PROJECT FROM THE CITIES OR THAT $4 MILLION WOULD BE MOVED TO THE [INAUDIBLE]

[00:50:04]

AND SO THAT THE THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IS NOT GOING TO THE TOTAL $16.98 AMOUNT IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE TOO MUCH.

BUT I DO EXPECT IT TO CHANGE.

THE PROJECTS ARE STILL BEING FINALIZED.

THE PRIORITY STARTS WITH THE TOP, THE [INAUDIBLE] PILOT SMALL SCALE RECHARGE PROJECTS THAN THE LONE TREE MUTUAL WATER COMPANY STORAGE AND RECHARGE RESERVOIR, THE MERCED SUB-BASIN GSA WATER PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT THE MUGU.

SO WHILE REGISTRATION AND EXTRACTION MEASUREMENT PROJECT, THE LA PALOMA MUTUAL WATER COMPANY, G RANCH, GROUNDWATER RECHARGE, HABITAT ENHANCEMENT AND FLOODPLAIN EXPANSION AND THE LA PALOMA MUTUAL WATER COMPANY, BEAR CREEK RANCH, GROUNDWATER RECHARGE, HABITAT ENHANCEMENT AND FLOODPLAIN EXPANSION.

AND THEN LAST IS THE LONE TREE AND SANDY MUSH MUTUAL WATER COMPANIES, SHALLOW WELL INVESTIGATION AND CONSTRUCTION IN THE SUBSIDENCE AREA.

SO THE ACTION REQUESTED TODAY IS TO CONSIDER ADOPTING THE REQUIRED RESOLUTION FROM THE MERCED SUBBASIN GSA TO AUTHORIZE MUSSA TO SUBMIT ON BEHALF OF ALL THE GSA'S IN THE MERCED SUBBASIN THE GRANT APPLICATION FOR THE MERCED SUBBASIN 2022 GSP RECHARGE AND SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM, WHICH ENCOMPASSES ALL OF THESE PROJECTS.

AND EVEN THOUGH THIS APPLICATION IS ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE GSA'S IN THE SUB BASIN, TURNER ISLAND WATER DISTRICT DID DECIDE NOT TO SUBMIT ANY ANY GRANT, ANY PROJECTS FOR THIS GRANT APPLICATION.

OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? JUST AS A NOTE, THE BWR, I THINK IN THE LAST WEEK EXTENDED THE DEADLINE FROM I THINK NOVEMBER 30TH TO DECEMBER 16TH.

SO THANKFULLY THERE IS A LITTLE MORE TIME TO FINISH THE PACKAGES UP AND GET THEM TO BWR.

YOU HAVE A QUESTION. SO, GEORGE, YOU GOT NOTHING ON THAT LIST? OH, YOU GOT NUMBER TWO.

AND THEN THE LAST ONE.

AND AFTER ADMINISTRATION.

THERE'S NOTHING ON THAT LIST ON THE ON THE LE GRAND-ATHLONE SIDE AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE WE GOT ALL THE MONEY LAST TIME.

IS THAT THE DEAL? OR WE JUST WE DIDN'T.

WE DIDN'T WAS NOTHING. NOTHING WAS SUBMITTED.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

VERY GOOD. OKAY, I'LL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

IS THERE ANY ONLINE NON ONLINE.

ALL RIGHT, I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ACTION.

TO APPROVE THE.

APPROVED ROUND TWO AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION.

HEY, SIR.

SECOND, I'LL SECOND THAT.

ALL RIGHT. I HAVE A MOTION BY GALLO AND A SECOND BY SWINSON.

PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. YES, SIR.

PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU, SIR.

OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS OUR SIX MONTH REVIEW OF THE GSP CONSISTENCY CRITERIA FOR, WELL, CONSTRUCTION APPLICATIONS.

[7. SIX-MONTH REVIEW OF THE GSP CONSISTENCY CRITERIA FOR WELL CONSTRUCTION APPLICATIONS IMPLEMENTATION]

IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ADOPTED ME A SECOND.

WOULD YOU MOVE THE MIC JUST A LITTLE CLOSER TO YOUR.

WELL. SORRY.

THAT'S OKAY. IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, THE MERCER COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ADOPTED AMENDMENTS TO THE GROUNDWATER MINING AND EXPORT ORDINANCE, WHICH HAD AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF MAY 1ST.

THE AMENDMENT ORDINANCE REQUIRES GSAS TO EVALUATE ALL PERMITS WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTIONS TO ENSURE THAT NON DOMESTIC DE MINIMIS WELL PROPOSALS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE APPLICABLE GSP BEFORE THEY CAN BE REVIEWED BY THE COUNTY'S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION.

ON APRIL 14TH, THIS BOARD ADOPTED A CONSISTENCY CRITERIA FOR WELL CONSTRUCTION APPLICATIONS AS RULE ONE OF THE GSA.

THE RULE ADDRESSES CONSISTENCY CRITERIA FOR APPLICATIONS REGARDING AGRICULTURAL REPLACEMENT WELLS, BACKUP WELLS AS WELL AS NON AGRICULTURAL REPLACEMENT WELLS AND PUBLIC AGENCY WELLS.

SINCE ADOPTION OF THE RULE, THE GHSA HAS EVALUATED FOR WELL PERMIT APPLICATIONS AND DEEM THEM ALL CONSISTENT PURSUANT TO THE POLICY.

ON THIS NEXT SLIDE HERE, WE HAVE A MAP OF WHERE THOSE WELLS ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE GSA'S JURISDICTION.

THE GSA'S EVALUATION OF ALL PROPOSALS INCLUDES ESTABLISHING A BASELINE WATER USE FIGURE FOR THE FIELD SUPPLIED BY THAT WELL TO BE REPLACED USING REMOTE

[00:55:01]

THE GSA THEN SETS A CAP ON THE AMOUNT OF WATER TO BE EXTRACTED BY THAT WELL, AND AS THE APPLICANT ACKNOWLEDGE, THAT THEY WON'T EXCEED THAT AMOUNT AND THAT THEY'LL ADHERE TO MEETING THE METERING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS OF THE POLICY.

AS A LOT OF YOU ARE AWARE, IT ISN'T ALWAYS JUST ONE FIELD BEING IRRIGATED BY ONE.

WELL, AND THEREFORE ENTIRE OPERATIONS ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WITH MULTIPLE WELLS AND MULTIPLE FIELDS IN IN PART TO ENSURE THAT THE LIMIT SET BY THE GSA IS REFLECTIVE OF WHAT'S TAKING PLACE ON THE FIELD.

SO IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS SLIDE HERE, WE SEE THERE'S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT FIELDS THAT CROSS APN LINES AND EVEN IN THIS CASE, A CREEK, SO THAT THE WHOLE OPERATION WAS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN ESTABLISHING A FIGURE THAT THIS WELL WOULD ULTIMATELY HELP PROVIDE WATER FOR.

AT OUR APRIL BOARD MEETING, I MENTIONED THAT SAN HARO STAFF WOULD BE EVALUATING WILL PERMITS FOR THE GSA UNDER THE COUNTY'S CONTRACT WITH SAN HARO UNTIL THE GSA COULD ESTABLISH A CONTRACT OF ITS OWN.

THE STOPGAP SOLUTION TO THE GSA'S WILL EVALUATIONS UNDER SAN HARO PROVIDED SIX MONTHS WORTH OF DATA THAT WILL HELP INFORM THE GSA'S TOTAL CONTRACT COSTS GOING FORWARD. STAFF WILL BE BRINGING FORTH THE CONTRACT WITH SAN HARO AT OUR DECEMBER 8TH BOARD MEETING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TO HELP SUPPORT THE GSA'S IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS RULE.

THE CONTRACT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE SUPPORT FOR THE GSA STRATEGIC PLANNING AD HOC COMMITTEE, WHICH HAS BEEN MEETING TWICE PER MONTH TO WORK ON ESTABLISHING AN ALLOCATION APPROACH BY THE END OF WATER YEAR 2025, AS OUTLINED IN PHASE ONE OF THE GSA'S TWO PHASE IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH.

GREG YOUNG WITH ZEN HERO HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THE WORK CONDUCTED BY THAT HAWK TO DATE AND HAS BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH OTHER GSA'S ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS WELL PERMITTING, DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAND REPURPOSING PROGRAM AND RESUBMISSION OF THE GSP.

I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE POLICY ITSELF.

ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, ACTUALLY, I HAVE A QUESTION NOT SO MUCH ABOUT THE POLICY, BUT THE DECEMBER 8TH BUDGET FROM SAN HARO.

I THINK IT IS ALWAYS APPROPRIATE WHEN POSSIBLE IN THE PUBLIC CONTRACTING WORLD TO GET MULTIPLE QUOTES FOR WORK TO BE DONE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.

SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE STAFF TO GET A MINIMUM OF THREE PROPOSALS THAT COULD BE EVALUATED AND BE PRIOR TO AN AWARD TO EXTEND FOR ANOTHER YEAR.

WE WE DO HAVE AN EXISTING CONTRACT IN PLACE WITH SAN HARO.

HOW THE SCOPE OF WORK WOULD NEED TO BE ADJUSTED IN THE DURATION WOULD NEED TO BE ADJUSTED, BUT THAT'S NOT THE PREFERENCE OF THE BOARD.

BRAD, YOU HAD WERE YOU MAKING A COMMENT OR QUESTION? SO YOU'RE REACHING FOR THE THIS LOOKS LIKE A GOOD AREA FOR GROUNDWATER RECHARGE RIGHT THERE.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

HEY, ANYBODY ELSE? IF NOT, I'LL GO OUT TO PUBLIC COMMENT.

ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? IS THERE ANY ONLINE NON ONLINE? I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND BRING IT BACK BACK TO THE BOARD.

WHAT'S YOUR PLEASURE? I GUESS THIS IS JUST A.

OH, JUST INFORMATION.

I'M SORRY. JUST GENERALLY INFORMING IN ADDITION TO AN UPDATE ON THE POLICY THAT WE WOULD BE BRINGING BACK FORTH THE CONTRACT TO THE BOARD IN DECEMBER.

YES. SO I GUESS THERE'S A QUESTION ON ON WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD FOR PROVIDING SOME DIRECTION TO STAFF.

WE CAN BRING BACK THE CURRENT SAN HARO CONTRACT THAT THE BOARD ALREADY HAS WITHIN HERA WITH ADDITIONAL TASKS TO CONTINUE THE WORK THAT THEY'RE ALREADY DOING AND JUST TRANSITION IT FROM A COUNTY CONTRACT TO A GSA CONTRACT, BECAUSE SAN HARO'S ALREADY PROVIDING THIS SUPPORT.

SO THAT'S SOME SEAMLESS WORK MOVING FORWARD.

WE CAN DO THAT FOR A SEVEN MONTH PERIOD AND HAVE IT END AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

AND THEN IF THE GSA WOULD LIKE TO DECIDE WHAT THEY WANT TO DO IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT TO GO OUT TO BID FOR, THEY CAN DO THAT OR CONTINUE.

OK YEAH, I MEAN, IT MAKES SENSE TO ME TO TO JUST CONTINUE WHAT WE'RE DOING.

BUT IF THERE'S MAJORITY OBJECTS, THEN THEN I'M GOOD WITH, WITH I THINK IT'S I AGREE WITH THAT.

LLOYD LET'S HAVE THE COUNTY JUST KEEP PAYING FOR BE PERFECT.

I SECOND WHEN VICE PRESIDENT MARCHINI SAID RIGHT NOW THE COUNTY IS PAYING FOR IT.

[01:00:02]

YOU KNOW, TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE SERVICE THERE.

NICK. WE COULDN'T HEAR WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT GENO'S TALKING ABOUT.

OH, THAT'S TOO BAD.

I THINK IT'S BEEN BOARD KIND OF POLICY.

WE'VE JUST BEEN A MINI CONTRACTS ONCE WE GIVE OUT THE ORIGINAL.

SO I WOULDN'T MIND JUST SEEING THE AMENDED CONTRACT TILL THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, LIKE YOU WERE MENTIONING, LACEY.

OKAY. SO DO WE NEED DIRECTION? I MEAN, OR IS THAT I MEAN, YOU'VE GOTTEN DIRECTION.

I GUESS IT'S KIND OF 1 TO 3.

THE OTHER TWO HAVE NOT OPINED, BUT YEAH.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS PHASE ONE LAND REPURPOSING PROGRAM UPDATE.

[8. PHASE 1 LAND REPURPOSING PROGRAM UPDATE]

ALL RIGHT. WELCOME TO THE MEETING.

ALTHOUGH I IMAGINE YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

I JUST RECENTLY HAD TO EVACUATE MY BUILDING ABOUT A MINUTES AGO, BUT LUCKILY I'M BACK INSIDE AND IT MUST HAVE BEEN A FALSE ALARM.

SO THAT'S GOOD.

NOW YOU GOT TO TELL US WHY, CHRIS.

WELL, THERE WERE BUZZERS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS OVER THE PA SAYING THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY ON AN UPPER FLOOR AND WE SHOULD ALL BE.

SO THAT'S ALL I REALLY KNOW.

SO. OKAY, SO ARE YOU SEEING MY SCREEN WITH THE.

YES. OKAY, PERFECT.

SO I'LL JUST BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON THE PHASE ONE LANE REPURPOSING PROGRAM TODAY.

SPECIFICALLY, I WILL TALK ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE SOLICITATION.

YOU KNOW, THE SOLICITATION PERIOD IS CURRENTLY OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS.

I'LL DISCUSS THE SCHEDULE, THE WORKSHOPS THAT HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE APPLICATIONS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED SO FAR AND THEN GET INTO NEXT STEPS GOING FORWARD, WHICH INCLUDES THE END OF THAT PATIENT PERIOD COMING UP SOON, AND THEN PROCEEDING WITH SCORING AND PROCESSING OF THE APPLICATIONS AND THE GSA DETERMINING WHAT APPLICATIONS, IF ANY, TO ACCEPT FOR THIS FOR THIS YEAR.

SO HERE IS THE SCHEDULE.

AGAIN, WE'RE SORT OF IN THE END OF THE APPLICATION PERIOD, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY AND ENDING ON OCTOBER 31ST AND HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO NOVEMBER 15TH. AND TO GIVE LANDOWNERS A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO GET THEIR APPLICATIONS IN, WE'LL SOON BE ENTERING INTO OUR APPLICATION PROCESSING AND SCORING PHASE.

YOU CAN SEE THAT BOX IS SORT OF FADING IN WHICH WE'VE ALREADY STARTED TO LOOK AT THE APPLICATION FOR NOT WE'RE NOT WAITING FOR THE VERY END OF THE WINDOW TO CRACK THEM OPEN.

WE DO WANT TO SEE WHAT THERE IS AND HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THEY'RE BEING RESPONSIVE.

SO WE'LL BE PROCEEDING INTO THAT PROCESSING AND SCORING TIME FRAME THAT WILL BE COMPLETED BY MID DECEMBER, AT WHICH POINT WILL NOTIFY APPLICANTS OF THEIR STATUS AND THEN MOVE INTO THE EXECUTION OF AGREEMENTS WITH APPROVED AND ACCEPTED APPLICATIONS AND THEN GO INTO IMPLEMENTATION STARTING 2023.

SO AS PART OF THE OUTREACH FOR THIS PROGRAM, WE CONDUCTED TWO WORKSHOPS SEPTEMBER 8TH AND OCTOBER 18TH.

THEY WERE BOTH AVAILABLE OVER ZOOM FOR REMOTE AUDIENCES, AND THE FIRST FIRST WORKSHOP WAS ALSO HELD IN PERSON IN THE GSA CHAMBERS THERE.

THIS WAS REALLY INFORMATIONAL TO GIVE APPLICANTS AN IDEA OF WHAT THE PROGRAM IS ALL ABOUT, HOW TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION. WE WALKED THROUGH LINE BY LINE AND APPLICATIONS SHOWING THEM WHAT TYPE OF ENTRIES THEY COULD THEY COULD FILL IN TO BE RESPONSIVE.

THOSE ARE THE SORT OF TWO SCREENSHOTS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN.

WE WENT OVER THE APPLICATION SCORING FRAMEWORK, TELLING THEM WHAT CRITERIA WERE GOING TO BE USED TO ASSESS APPLICATIONS AND REMINDING THEM OF WHAT THE GOALS WERE OF THE PROGRAM OVERALL, WHICH IS TO REDUCE CONSUMPTIVE USE OF GROUNDWATER BY CHANGING FROM HIGHER LANDS, HIGHER WATER USE, LAND USES TO LOWER WATER USE PLACES.

WE WENT THROUGH SOME OF THE AGREEMENTS JUST WALKING THROUGH SOME OF THE MAIN SECTIONS OF THAT AGREEMENT AND DEFINITELY POINTING THEM TO THE ONLINE MATERIALS

[01:05:06]

AND THEN THERE WAS A Q&A, OF COURSE, TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE.

AND THE BOTTOM RIGHT GRAPHIC IS SORT OF A FLOW DIAGRAM OF THE PROCESS, STARTING WITH THE APPLICANT LOOKING AT THE MATERIALS, SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION AND THE REVIEWING AND SCORING APPLICATIONS, DECIDING ON WHICH ONES TO ACCEPT ACCORDING TO THE FRAMEWORK, ENTERING INTO AN AGREEMENT.

AND THEN THE APPLICANTS DO THE REPURPOSING ON THEIR LANDS.

THERE'S MONITORING AND THEN ASSUMING COMPLIANCE DURING EACH WATER YEAR, THERE'S AN INCENTIVE PAYMENT MADE AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

SO WE WENT THROUGH THAT WHOLE PROCESS DURING THESE WORKSHOPS.

SO TO DATE, WE HAVE RECEIVED EIGHT APPLICATIONS.

KIND OF GENERALLY LOCATED IN THESE AREAS YOU SEE ON THE MAP.

SO QUITE A GOOD VARIETY OF SPATIAL LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE GSA AREA.

SUMMING UP THE PROPOSED AREAS TO BE REPURPOSED, WE HAVE AT LEAST 450 ACRES.

THAT NUMBER IS LIKELY TO GROW AS WE CLARIFY THE AREAS THAT GO WITH CERTAIN APPLICATIONS.

THERE WERE THERE WERE SOME SORT OF CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FOLLOW UP WITH WITH CERTAIN APPLICANTS TO GET CLARITY ON.

THE MOST COMMON LAND USE FROM APPLICANTS IS ALMONDS OR THE APPLICATIONS TO EXISTING LAND USE OF ALMONDS AND ARE PROPOSING TO REPURPOSE TO FALLOW OR NON IRRIGATED CONDITIONS.

AS I MENTIONED IN THE APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, A NUMBER OF THEM HAD INFORMATION THAT DIDN'T QUITE ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT WE NEEDED. AND SO THE GSA AND BCCI HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING UP TO THOSE APPLICANTS TO REQUEST CLARIFICATION.

SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS RELATE TO WHAT IS THE WHAT ARE THEY PROPOSING TO DO WITH THE LAND, WITH THE REPURPOSED LAND USE THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING? IN SEVERAL CASES, THE ACTUAL LOCATION AND AREAS ON THE LAND THAT THEY INTEND TO REPURPOSE WAS NOT NOT FULLY CLEAR.

SO WE TRIED TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.

SOME APPLICANTS HAD SOMEWHAT CONFUSING ENTRIES FOR THE QUESTION OF PREVIOUS SURFACE WATER USE.

SO AGAIN, TRYING TO CLARIFY THAT AND JUST ONE OR TWO APPLICANTS HAD SOME HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE REQUESTING FOR THE INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PAYMENTS.

SO, AGAIN, AS PART OF THE PROCESS, THE GSA IS DOING AN INITIAL REVIEW OF THESE STAFF WITH THE GSA IS DOING AN INITIAL REVIEW OF THESE APPLICATIONS. AND WHEN THERE ARE INCONSISTENCIES OR NEEDS FOR CLARIFICATION FOLLOWING UP WITH WITH THE APPLICANT.

SO NEXT STEP, AS I MENTIONED, LOOKING FOR CLARIFICATION, CERTAIN CERTAIN APPLICATIONS, MAPPING THOSE APPLICATIONS WHICH WE'VE DONE ON THE MAP THAT YOU SAW BEFORE THAT NOW WE'RE USING THOSE LOCATIONS ALONG WITH THE SPATIAL CRITERIA THAT ARE PART OF THE FRAMEWORK TO EVALUATE THE SCORES THAT THEY RECEIVE FOR THOSE SPATIAL CRITERIA AND THEN CALCULATING THE SCORES FOR THE REMAINING CRITERIA AS WELL TO DEVELOP A TOTAL SCORE.

AGAIN, ALIGNED WITH THE SCORING FRAMEWORK THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE GSA.

ONCE THOSE APPLICATIONS ARE SCORED, THE GSA OR AN AD HOC COMMITTEE THEREOF WILL MAKE A DETERMINATION ON SORT OF WHAT IS A WHAT IS A SCORE THAT CORRESPONDS TO AN ACCEPTABLE APPLICATION.

CONSIDERATIONS THAT WILL BE INVOLVED IN THAT DECISION INCLUDE HOW TO WHAT EXTENT ARE THE APPLICATIONS SUPPORTIVE OF THE PROGRAM GOALS? I MENTIONED THE GOALS EARLIER, PARTICULARLY SAVINGS OF CONSUMPTIVE USE OF GROUNDWATER AND ALSO COSTS.

[01:10:03]

SO THE PLAN WILL BE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.

AND ONCE WE HAVE ALL THE APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AND PROCESSED AND SCORED, THERE'LL BE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SORT OF ACCEPTANCE THRESHOLD, AND THAT'S GENERALLY WHERE WE ARE.

I'M GOING TO END WITH SHOWING OUR FLIER AGAIN, WHICH WAS MAILED OUT.

AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO DO AS MUCH APPLICATION OF THIS PROGRAM AS POSSIBLE TO GET THE WORD OUT AND TO GET AS GREATEST NUMBER OF RESPONSES AS WE CAN.

SO I'LL JUST LEAVE THIS UP HERE FOR EVERYONE'S INFORMATION AND HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? BRAD, YOU'RE UP.

I HAVE QUESTIONS. SO WE ONLY GOT EIGHT APPLICATIONS.

WE JUST GOT TWO MORE DURING THIS MEETING.

SO WE GOT TEN.

THE DEADLINE DOES NOT CLOSE UNTIL NEXT WEEK.

DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE ENOUGH FOR FOR THE 15,000 ACRE FEET REDUCTION? NO, NO, NOT NOT, NOT EVEN NOT CLOSE.

WE HAVE SO FAR. NO.

RIGHT. SO THOSE OF YOU THAT RUN CATTLE SHOULD BE TALKING TO FOLKS, WHETHER IT'S DAIRY COWS OR BEEF, TALKING TO YOUR NEIGHBORS THAT HAVE OKLAHOMANS AND GET THEM TO PULL IT OUT AND DO A WINTER CROP OF WHEAT AND YOU'LL BUY IT FROM THEM.

GO AHEAD, LACY. SO WE WE ARE PLANNING ONCE THE DEADLINE PASSES AND THE APPLICATIONS ARE SCORED, WE ARE PLANNING TO PULL A MEETING OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE WHO'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROGRAM PREVIOUSLY, HOLDING A MEETING WITH THEM TO GO OVER ALL OF THE SCORING OF THE APPLICATIONS AND THEY CAN MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION AS WELL ON WHAT'S GOING TO COME TO THE BOARD ON DECEMBER EIGHT.

AND SO UNLIKELY TO MEET THE 15,000 ACRE FOOT GOAL.

BUT WHAT THAT WILL BE IS GOING TO BE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE AD HOC COMMITTEE AS WELL INFORMED BY OF COURSE, THE SCORING AND.

STAFF. BUT I MEAN, HYPOTHETICALLY, ALL EIGHT HAVE TO BE REVIEWED FOR CONSISTENCY.

AND I MEAN, THERE'S NO POSSIBLE WAY SOMEONE IS GOING TO GAME THE SYSTEM BY SUBMITTING FOUR ACRES IDLE FOR UNGODLY AMOUNT OF MONEY.

RIGHT? THERE'LL BE SOME SORT OF REASONABLENESS TEST.

YES. YES.

THEY'LL SCORE VERY LOW IF YOU'RE SCORING FOUR ACRES FOR AN UNREASONABLE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS, BECAUSE I'LL FILL OUT ANOTHER FIVE APPLICATIONS.

YOU GOT 20 ACRES, HUH? ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT'S RENTED? COULD THE AD HOC COMMITTEE BRING TO THE BOARD THE THOUGHT OF MAYBE POSTPONING THE END OF THIS APPLICATION PERIOD TO A LATER DATE? YOU KNOW, MY SUGGESTION WAS WE DON'T POSTPONE IT, BUT ONCE WE DO IT, THEN WE REOPEN IT.

OKAY. RIGHT. TO GET.

BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED THEIR THEY NEED THEIR DECISIONS MADE.

RIGHT. SO, I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD DO IF I WERE ME.

YEAH, THAT'S AN IDEA.

OKAY. DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING, GREG, THAT YOU THOUGHT WAS BAD FOR YOUR.

THIS WENT ON. OH, IF GREG ON YOUR BORDER, UNDER YOUR.

THERE'S A TRIANGLE THERE THAT'LL RAISE THAT MICROPHONE UP WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE.

I GUESS. I KNOW. I DON'T WANT YOU TO HURT YOUR BACK AS A WORKMAN'S COMP.

OH, WELL, THAT WOULD BE REALLY BAD.

JUST SOMETHING ELSE TO, TO CONTEMPLATE.

AGAIN, WHEN WE'RE SETTING ALL THIS UP, THE GOAL IS 15,000 ACRE FEET A YEAR BY 2025, BY BY THE END OF OUR YEAR 2025, WE WERE HOPING WE COULD GET IT EACH ONE OF THESE YEARS WE MAY NOT.

WE ALSO DON'T HAVE TO ACCEPT ANY OF THE APPLICATIONS.

IF A WHOLE BUNCH OF APPLICATIONS COME IN FOR FOUR ACRES THAT ARE SUPER EXORBITANT DOLLAR AMOUNTS, JUST BECAUSE THEIR SCORE DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO TAKE THEM.

SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE AD HOC NEEDS TO WEIGH IN ON A LITTLE BIT AND LOOK AT IT FROM BASIS AFTER THE TEAM HAS SCORED THEM AND WE AREN'T OBLIGATED.

AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THE NEXT ROUNDS PROP EXCUSE ME PHASE ONE, PROP 218 FEE SETTING FOR NEXT YEAR FOR THIS ELEMENT WOULD

[01:15:01]

RIGHT. SO WHILE NOT IDEAL, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE FIVE YEARS WORTH OF 15,000 ACRE FOOT TOTAL FOR FIVE YEARS.

THAT WOULD BE AWESOME. BUT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY WHAT WE'RE GETTING RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE STILL A WEEK OR WHAT, SIX DAYS STILL LEFT, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE BOARD WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT, TOO.

AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I KIND OF SAID THAT TONGUE IN CHEEK.

BUT IF YOU KNOW PEOPLE THAT ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS OR YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW THEM THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE SOME MONEY AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT TO WHATEVER, IF THEY'RE GROWING ALMONDS OR THEY'RE GROWING WALNUTS OR THEY'RE GROWING WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, KIND OF DON'T DON'T BE AFRAID TO STOP AND SHARE THIS WITH THEM BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, 80 OR 90% OF THE PEOPLE OUT THERE HAVE NO IDEA THAT THIS IS HAPPENING.

RIGHT. EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE GOTTEN A POSTCARD.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, HOW WE ARE, RIGHT, UNTIL SOMETHING IS KIND OF PUT IN FRONT OF US, BUT SOMEBODY WE TRUST, IT'S HARD TO TAKE IT IN AND GET INVOLVED. SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ERIC LACY, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE WHEN IT MEETS ON THE 16TH OF THIS MONTH TO GET AN UPDATE AS TO WHAT THE TOTAL PROPERTY, ACREAGE AND NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS IS? BECAUSE I THINK DEPENDING WHERE THIS PROGRAM GOES, MIGHT AFFECT THE STRATEGIC PLANNING THAT WE NEED TO DO FOR THE FOR THE BASIN.

WE CAN ABSOLUTELY PROVIDE THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS AND THE NUMBER OF ACRES.

THAT'LL BE THE DAY AFTER THE APPLICATIONS HAVE CLOSED.

THE OTHER AD HOC COMMITTEE THAT WORKED ON THE LAND REPURPOSING IS GOING TO MEET LIKELY AFTER THAT DATE IN ORDER TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND SO I DON'T I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU CAN MAKE A DIRECT CORRELATION QUITE YET ON HOW MANY APPLICATIONS AND HOW MANY ACRES WERE SUBMITTED VERSUS WHAT'S GOING TO ACTUALLY BE RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED.

WE JUST DON'T KNOW THAT.

OK IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? I MEAN, I DO HAVE A COMMENT FROM FROM MY FROM MY LET ME I GOT PUBLIC COMMENT OPEN.

WOULD YOU MIND IF I CLOSE IT AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU.

ALL RIGHT. THANKS. SORRY ABOUT THAT.

ANY PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE HOUSE? ANY ONLINE? NOT ONLINE. ALL RIGHT.

SORRY. MAKE A CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT.

SORRY FOR MAKING YOU WAIT SO LONG, BRAD.

GO AHEAD. NO, I JUST LOOKED AT MY MY TAX, YOU KNOW, MY PROPERTY TAX BILLS.

THEY WENT UP.

UNGODLY AMOUNT OF MONEY.

AND SO BECAUSE TO FUND THIS PROGRAM.

RIGHT. SO SO I MEAN, IT WAS I MEAN, I THINK ONE OF MY BILLS WENT UP.

I'M ABOUT 146 BUCKS PER ACRE NOW.

I MEAN, ON ON ON ONE BLOCK.

SO, I MEAN, IT'S A SUBSTANTIAL SUM OF MONEY.

I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE US.

OURS IS. WELL, WHAT'S THE ACTUAL.

ABOUT 25 BUCKS, BUT 20 IT'S ABOUT 23.

$20.4 AND $0.94 OR.

PHASE ONE, NOT INCLUDING THE WATER RIGHTS, WHICH IN YOUR CASE, YOUR MIC IS OFF.

OH, I'M SORRY. IT'S $24.94 FOR THE PHASE ONE.

A FEE THAT'S NOT INCLUDING THE WATER RIGHTS, WHICH IN YOUR CASE MAY BE PAID BY LE GRAND-ATHLONE WATER DISTRICT.

YEAH, WELL, I WAS COUNTING.

SO I'VE GOT A $24 HIT BY BY THIS GROUP, AND THEN ANOTHER $35 HIT FROM LE GRAND-ATHLONE FOR THE FOR THE INNER TYPE PROJECT.

SO YEAH, I MEAN IT WAS, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST OUTPACING MY TRUCKING FEES RIGHT NOW.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

ANY OTHER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, CHRIS.

WE APPRECIATE THE UPDATE.

THEY WILL MOVE ON TO THE.

OH. SO THE NEXT ONE IS THE STRATEGIC PLANNING AD HOC COMMITTEE REPORT.

[9. STRATEGIC PLANNING AD HOC COMMITTEE REPORT]

GO. GO AHEAD. MIKE, DO YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING FIRST? YOU WANT ME TO START, MISHA? YEAH, I CAN START IF YOU WANT.

SO? SO THE AD HOC COMMITTEE MET AND STARTED TO WORK ON THE ALLOCATION POLICIES.

AND WITH THE IDEA OF BRINGING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS BACK TO THE BOARD.

ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT CAME FROM THAT IS THAT INSTEAD OF RECEIVING THE BOARD RECEIVING A SINGLE PACKAGE ALLOCATION POLICY RECOMMENDATION, THE WHOLE PACKAGE, THE THOUGHT WAS TO BRING IT TO THE BOARD IN DIFFERENT PIECES OF ALLOCATION

[01:20:04]

EACH BOARD MEETING, WE COULD DISCUSS PIECES OF THAT POLICY AND.

AND THEN TAKE IT BACK AND PUT IT ALL TOGETHER RATHER THAN TO BRING IT ALL IN ONE PACKAGE. AND SO THE QUESTION FOR THE BOARD IS WHETHER THEY THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA OR NOT.

THE BOARD HAS HAS OR THE COMMITTEE HAS HAS AGREED TO MEET EVERY TWO WEEKS.

SO, I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON THIS THING DILIGENTLY.

BUT THERE'S A LOT TO IT, OBVIOUSLY, AND IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT.

OKAY, ERIC.

TOWARDS THAT END, THE FIRST INCREMENT THAT WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT TODAY AND BRING FORWARD WAS LOOKING AT TWO COMPONENTS TO AN ALLOCATION, THE FIRST BEING THE SUSTAINABLE YIELD THAT WOULD BE THERE FOREVER UNLESS THINGS CHANGE AND THEN TRANSITION WATER.

SO AS OTHER GSA'S HAVE LOOKED AT THAT, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT THAT CONCEPT WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE A FIXED SUSTAINABLE YIELD AND THEN A TRANSITION WATER ALLOCATION THAT WOULD CHANGE OVER TIME, LIKELY BETWEEN NOW AND 2035.

AND AS WE'VE TALKED BEFORE, ALLOCATIONS MIGHT CHANGE AGAIN IN 2040 BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO ACTUALLY RECOVER SOME GROUNDWATER ELEVATIONS.

BUT THE GENERAL CONCEPT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW IS ALLOCATION OF SUSTAINABLE YIELD AND ALLOCATION OF TRANSITION WATER.

ALL RIGHT. YEAH.

AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED TO, YOU KNOW, RIGHT AS A GROUP.

WELL, WELL BEFORE YOU WERE ON THE BOARD, BUT THAT THERE WOULD BE TWO ALLOCATIONS ISH LIKE THAT.

SO THAT'S GOOD THAT IT'S STILL STILL A POSSIBILITY BECAUSE JUST GOING TO THE NATIVE YIELD WILL WRECK A LOT OF ECONOMIES FOR FAMILIES.

SO GOOD. OK ANYTHING ELSE WOULD I SAY? WELL, THAT'S A NATIVE SUSTAINABLE YIELD.

YES. YEAH, RIGHT.

YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

THANKS FOR THE UPDATE. WE'LL MOVE ON TO STAFF REPORTS.

[10. STAFF REPORT]

A COUPLE OF ITEMS TO MENTION.

ONE, THE SANDY MUSH MUTAL WATER CO COMPANY HAD THEIR ANNUAL GROWERS MEETING YESTERDAY EVENING, AND SO THE GHSA WAS THERE.

WE DID GET TO GET ON THEIR AGENDA.

THE WHOLE TEAM WAS THERE.

ADRIAN AND MYSELF AND GREG, WE PRESENTED ON A QUICK OVERVIEW OF SIGMA, THE GSA'S, THE GSP, AND THEN SOME OF THE MAJOR TOPICS OF ACTIVITIES THAT THE GSA IS WORKING ON, LIKE THE RECHARGE FRAMEWORK, ETTY THEIR IDEAS ON ALLOCATION AND THEN THE LAND REPURPOSING PROGRAM.

AND SO IT WAS A REALLY, REALLY GREAT MEETING.

THERE WERE ABOUT 40 PEOPLE THERE.

AND SO I THINK THAT WAS A GOOD OUTREACH EVENT FOR THE GSA.

THE SECOND ITEM I WANT TO MENTION ARE THE PHASE ONE APPEALS.

THE BOARD APPROVED AN APPEAL PROCESS LAST MONTH.

IT'S BEEN ABOUT A MONTH. I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A QUICK UPDATE THAT WE'VE HAD FIVE APPEALS APPROVED AND WE HAVE FOUR MORE PENDING.

AND SO I THINK AS PROPERTY OWNERS OPEN UP THEIR TAX BILLS OVER THE NEXT MONTH, YEAH, A MONTH OR SO, WE'LL PROBABLY CONTINUE TO BE GETTING THOSE PHONE CALLS AND GETTING SOME APPEALS IN.

AND THESE ARE APPEALS FOR THE MS. CATEGORIZED LANDS AND THEN LANDS WHERE THEY'RE IRRIGATED LESS THAN 75%.

SO I DO ANTICIPATE WE'LL BE GETTING MORE.

BUT OVER THE PAST MONTH YOU'VE YOU'VE GOTTEN ABOUT NINE.

AND THEN I THINK WE HAVE ONE MORE ITEM THAT THE BOARD ASKED GREG TO LOOK INTO AN ITEM AT THE LAST MEETING, AND I THINK WE WERE GOING TO USE THE STAFF REPORT JUST TO REPORT BACK ON THAT.

AT THE LAST MEETING, THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR ME TO CHECK INTO THE $50 MILLION THAT WAS BEING EARMARKED IN THE BUDGET OR BY THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE IN SOME MANNER DIRECTED TOWARDS LAND OR LAND, FALLOWING SOMETHING DIRECTOR GALLO HAD BROUGHT UP.

THERE IS A PROGRAM THAT THAT IS STILL IN ITS INFANCY BEING DEVELOPED CALLED THE LAND FLEX PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DESIGN.

I HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME FOLKS INVOLVED WITH THAT, AND ONE OF THE THE EARLY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WAS BEING PUT IN PLACE FOR WHO IS QUALIFIED TO RECEIVE FUNDS UNDER THAT KIND OF PROGRAM WOULD BE YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE AN ALLOCATION IN PLACE.

I SUGGESTED STRONGLY THAT THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE ONLY CRITERIA, A LIMITING CRITERIA, BECAUSE I SAID THERE ARE SOME GSA'S THAT ARE

[01:25:07]

SO I STRONGLY MADE THAT SUGGESTION TO A COUPLE OF FOLKS, AND I STILL HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS GOING ON WITH A COUPLE INVOLVED IN SOME OF THE FORMATION OF THAT PROGRAM.

THANK ME. ANY QUESTIONS OF GREG? WELL, MAYBE A COMMENT.

YOU KNOW, THE THIS PROCESS IS IS CONSTANTLY MOVING AND AND AND, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE HEARD AS A GSA.

AND SO WHAT GREG IS DOING IS IS GREAT.

I THINK THAT IN THE CASES LIKE THIS, HAVING SUPPORT FROM THE GSA LETTERS OF SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, STATING THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS TO OUR GSA WOULD BE A GOOD THING.

SO IF IT'S THE WISHES OF THE BOARD, MAYBE WE COULD PUT A LETTER TOGETHER AND SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS IN THIS CASE.

YEAH, I AGREE WITH YOU.

ANYBODY OVER HERE HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT? I HAVE A THOUGHT PROCESS.

I MEAN, 50 MILLION BUCKS AT 20,000 BUCKS AN ACRE.

THAT'S THAT'S 2500 ACRES, WHICH IS 12,000 ACRE FEET OF DEMAND.

AND IF YOU COULD GO GRAB THAT 50 MILLION BUCKS, WE COULD RETIRE 2500 OF IT AND KNOCK OUT A PRETTY GOOD CHUNK ON YOUR DEMAND SIDE.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS NOT ABSOLUTELY CLEAR, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THAT QUANTITY OF MONEY FOR AS A ONE TIME LIKE FOLLOWING FOR ONE YEAR EVEN SO THERE'S A AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE GOING TO TRY AND SPREAD IT ACROSS THE GSA'S.

BUT THERE IS AN INTERESTING QUESTION.

IT SEEMS THAT THERE'S MORE VALUE IF YOU CAN BUY LAND, KIND OF TAKE PERMANENTLY OUT OF CONSUMPTION.

SO IT WOULDN'T BE A ONE TIME YOU'RE TAKING IT OUT AND BECOMING A CATTLE GRASS GRAZER IT'S UNCLEAR.

THERE'S STILL THAT'S BEING DRAFTED, BUT THE DISCUSSION INITIALLY WAS BECAUSE OF THE DROUGHT IMPLICATIONS, BECAUSE OF THE DRAWDOWN THAT CAN BE AFFECTING DOMESTIC WELLS.

THEY WANT TO TRY AND GET PEOPLE OFF OF TO RETIRE OR TO FALLOW THEIR LAND FOR ONE YEAR AT LEAST, TO HELP MINIMIZE CONTINUED EFFECTS ON SOME DOMESTIC WELLS.

THAT WAS KIND OF THE THE CONSTRUCT OF THE GRANT PROGRAM AS IT WAS GETTING PUT TOGETHER.

AND NOW THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT, WELL, WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR ALL OF THAT? SO I DON'T THINK IT'S LOOKING FOR ANY KIND OF PERMANENCE AT THIS POINT.

BUT THAT'S STILL AN OPEN QUESTION BECAUSE THEY DO SEPARATELY, THERE'S THAT FUND THAT'S GOING INTO THIS MULTI PURPOSE LAND RETIREMENT PROGRAM WHERE IT'S AT MINIMUM TEN YEAR CONTRAC TO REPURPOSE TO SOMETHING ELSE OTHER THAN AGRICULTURAL IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE, WHICH WE SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION FOR. WE WERE ONE OF TEN APPLICANTS AND THEY AWARDED FOUR.

AND THERE'S TALK ABOUT REFUNDING OR ADDING MORE FUNDS TO THAT PROGRAM TOO, AND WE WOULD PURSUE THAT ONE.

SO I GUESS THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS IS A LITTLE UNCLEAR EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.

AND I'VE BEEN REACHING OUT TO A COUPLE TO SEE IF ANYTHING'S PROGRESSED IN THE LAST WEEK.

OKAY. UM, IS THERE.

IS THERE A NEED FOR A LETTER FROM THE BOARD NOW, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT MAYBE IN THE FUTURE WE WOULD DO? I THINK A LETTER ON THE GSA'S LETTERHEAD SIGNED BY THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD DIRECTED TO PROBABLY MR. PAUL GOSLIN AT DWR WHO'S LEADING THE SIGMA EFFORTS TO EMPHASIZE THE VALUE THAT THIS GSA WOULD THE BENEFIT AND THE EFFORTS WERE UNDERTAKEN ALREADY, THAT PROBABLY WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.

I THINK AS A BOARD, IF WE'RE UNDO A LETTER TIME SENSITIVE, WE NEED TO DO THE LETTER NOW BECAUSE, I MEAN, THIS IS GETTING PRETTY CLOSE TO THE FINISH LINE.

[01:30:01]

BUT THE MONEY'S THERE. LIKE IF WE WAIT A MEETING OR TWO, IT MIGHT ALREADY BE DECIDED.

THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE OF WEEKS, HOPEFULLY HAVING A PORTAL OPEN TO APPLY.

DO WE DO WE HAVE ANY POLICY THAT IT WOULD ALLOW US TO TO GENERATE THAT LETTER WITHOUT AGENDA IZING IT? AND. YEAH.

IS THAT. DO WE HAVE COUNCIL ON LINE? OK FIRST.

YEAH. WHAT DO YOU THINK? HOW ABOUT IF WE CHECK WITH LEGAL COUNSEL AND IF WE CAN DO IT, WE'LL DO IT.

IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO US WRITING A LETTER? I THINK, MR. CHAIRMAN, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, I THINK, WELL, WE'VE GOT SOME GOOD GUIDANCE FROM THE BOARD.

I'M NOT SEEING ANY OBJECTIONS, SO I THINK WE COULD WORK IT THROUGH WITH WITH STAFF AND COUNCIL AND GET SOMETHING TO YOU FOR YOUR SIGNATURE.

AND I THINK WHAT WE CAN MAYBE THINK ABOUT PROSPECTIVELY IS MAYBE DOING SOMEWHAT LIKE THE COUNTY DOES, ACTUALLY HAVING SOME FLEXIBILITY, MAYBE DEVELOPING SOME FRAMEWORK AS A PART OF WHAT WE CALL OUR OWN LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM THAT WOULD GIVE US SOME SOME FLEXIBILITY SHOULD THE NEED ARISE TO TO BE RESPONSIVE QUICKLY FOR THE CHAIRMAN'S SIGNATURE.

AND THEN I WOULD SUGGEST THE LETTER GO OUT TO THE BOARD AND HAVE AT LEAST HAVE 24 HOURS JUST IN CASE ANYBODY HAS ANY OBJECTIONS TO ANYTHING WE'RE WRITING.

SINCE WE DIDN'T GET TO SEE IT AHEAD OF TIME, IS THAT.

IS THAT SOUND GOOD? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OKAY.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO BOARD REPORTS.

ANYBODY START TO MY LEFT.

MR. GALLO, ANYTHING? OK MR. PEDRETTI? MR. SWENSON? MR. ROBESON? MR. PAREIRA? I MEAN, MR. MARCHINI? NO, NONE HERE. AND I DON'T HAVE ANY EITHER.

WE ARE ADJOURNED.

THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.