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RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE 2024 EASTERN SAN JOAQUIN GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY PLAN AMENDMENT AND AUTHORIZE THE SUBMITTAL OF THE 2025 PERIODIC EVALUATION FOR THE EASTERN SAN JOAQUIN SUBBASIN TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended the City Council, acting as the City of Stockton Groundwater Sustainability Agency, adopt a resolution to:
1. Approve and adopt the 2024 Groundwater Sustainability Plan Amendment for the Eastern San Joaquin Subbasin.
2. Authorize the Eastern San Joaquin Groundwater Authority, its consultants, and the Plan Manager to take such other actions as may be reasonably necessary to submit the 2024 Groundwater Sustainability Plan Amendment to the Department of Water Resources and implement the plan.
3. Authorize the Municipal Utilities Department to work in collaboration with other local agencies to implement the projects and programs developed in the 2024 Groundwater Sustainability Plan in compliance with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
4. Authorize the submittal of the first Periodic Evaluation.
5. Authorize Eastern San Joaquin Groundwater Authority, its staff, and its consultants to take such other actions as may be reasonably necessary to submit the 2025 Periodic Evaluation to the Department of Water Resources.
It is recommended that the City Manager be authorized to take appropriate actions to carry out the purpose and intent of this resolution.
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Summary
The drinking water supply for the City of Stockton comes from a variety of sources including the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the Mokelumne, Calaveras, and Stanislaus rivers, and the groundwater aquifer that underlies the City. The Municipal Utilities Department (MUD) operates a water treatment plant and also maintains groundwater wells throughout the City, which provide drinking water supply to the City’s water distribution system. Groundwater supply is important to the City as a supply source, particularly in times of drought when local rivers experience decreased water flows.
The State of California passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014, which established a statewide framework for groundwater management through Groundwater Sustainability Agencies. The City has a vested interest in the sustainable management of the local groundwater subbasin and became a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) in 2015. As a GSA, the City is responsible for groundwater management, monitoring and other activities within its sphere of influence to help control and protect the City’s groundwater supply and improve the sustainability of the basin.
The City and 15 other member GSAs form the Eastern San Joaquin Groundwater Authority (GWA) and are responsible for preparing the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the Eastern San Joaquin Subbasin. In December 2019, the GWA created the first GSP and approved and adopted the plan in compliance with SGMA. The GWA continues to make significant progress toward achieving sustainability goals. This progress includes the following:
• Most monitoring wells show groundwater levels at or above their measurable objectives with interim milestones being met throughout the subbasin.
• Groundwater quality in the subbasin remains suitable to support beneficial uses and is expected to surpass measurable objectives with no exceedances of minimum thresholds observed.
• Groundwater quality should meet measurable objectives or minimum thresholds over the next five years.
Staff recommends that the City Council, acting under its authority as a GSA, approve and adopt the new 2024 GSP Amendment for the Eastern San Joaquin Subbasin (Exhibit 1 to the Resolution) and authorize the GWA to take actions as may be reasonably necessary to submit the 2025 Periodic Evaluation (Exhibit 2 to the Resolution) for the Eastern San Joaquin Subbasin to the State Department of Water Resources (DWR).
DISCUSSION
Background
The SGMA was signed into law in 2014 and provides for local or regional management of groundwater resources under the responsibility of GSAs. Section 10723 of California Water Code states that “the following agencies created by statute to manage groundwater shall be deemed the exclusive local agencies within their respective statutory boundaries with powers to become a GSA.” The City of Stockton became an approved GSA in 2015.
As described in DWR Bulletin 118, of the 515 groundwater basins in California, 127 are categorized as medium or high priority basins. The Eastern San Joaquin Subbasin is listed as a “high priority” basin. The SGMA requires medium and high-priority basins to develop groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs), develop groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) by 2020 and manage groundwater for long-term sustainability. On behalf of the City of Stockton and the other 15 member agencies, the GWA submitted the 2020 Eastern San Joaquin GSP to the DWR on January 29, 2020.
The GSP must provide, among other items, detailed physical descriptions, monitoring programs, and management provisions, and describe interaction with other plans, such as the Stockton General Plan. The GSP must also indicate a path to groundwater sustainability within 20 years of adoption. A sustainable groundwater basin, as described in the SGMA, includes no groundwater depletions that have significant and unreasonable adverse impacts on beneficial uses or users of groundwater.
Present Situation
The Eastern San Joaquin Groundwater Authority continues to make significant progress toward achieving the sustainability goals outlined in the 2020 Groundwater Sustainability Plan and the 2022 Revised GSP. Progress in the groundwater sustainability goals include the following:
• Most monitoring wells show groundwater levels at or above their measurable objectives with interim milestones being met throughout the subbasin.
• Groundwater quality in the subbasin remains suitable to support beneficial uses and is expected to surpass measurable objectives with no exceedances of minimum thresholds observed.
• Groundwater quality should meet measurable objectives or minimum thresholds over the next five years.
The SGMA requires evaluations of GSPs every five years that include responses to recommended corrective actions from DWR should they remain outstanding. The City coordinated the preparation of the 2024 GSP Amendment with the GWA and all other Eastern San Joaquin subbasin GSAs to respond to DWR’s Recommended Corrective Actions as set forth in their 2023 determination letter. In addition, the GWA agencies also coordinated in the preparation of the first periodic evaluation (2025 Periodic Evaluation) of the GSP to be submitted to DWR.
On July 24, 2024, the GWA noticed the intent to adopt the 2024 GSP Amendment pursuant to California Water Code Section 10728.4. From October 1 through October 31, 2024 a public review period was held to solicit comments from members of the public on the 2024 GSP Amendment. In addition, the Water Advisory Group and Council Water Committee reviewed and recommended the submission of the 2024 GSP Amendment for the Eastern San Joaquin Subbasin to DWR at meetings held on October 2, 2024 and October 10, 2024, respectively.
Staff recommends the City Council, acting under its authority as the City of Stockton GSA, adopt the 2024 GSP Amendment for the Eastern San Joaquin Subbasin and authorize the GWA, its consultants, and the Plan Manager to take all necessary actions to submit the 2025 Periodic Evaluation of the subbasin to DWR.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The costs for this planning activity are available in the FY 2024-25 Budget in the Water Fund - Administration Division.
Future financial requirements for GSP compliance and implementation under the SGMA will be reviewed and subject to Council approval during the annual budget development process.
There is no impact to the General Fund, or any other unrestricted fund, from this action.