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APPROVE A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO PARTICIPATE ON THE GREATER SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY REGIONAL WATER COORDINATING COMMITTEE
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution to:
1. Approve the Memorandum of Understanding to participate on the Greater San Joaquin County Regional Water Coordinating Committee, and
2. Authorize the Municipal Utilities Department (MUD) to work with the Regional Water Coordinating Committee and its member agencies to achieve Integrated Regional Water Management planning and project funding objectives.
It is also 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
Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) is a collaborative effort of local agencies to identify and implement water management solutions. The IRWM program began when the Regional Water Management Planning Act 2002 was passed by the State Legislature. The City of Stockton has participated in the IRWM planning efforts since the beginning of the statewide program. The Department of Water Resources has compiled a report with the key needs for the IRWM regions, which included wider participation by disadvantaged communities and other underrepresented communities.
Based on the report, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was developed to form a new organization in San Joaquin County to allow for greater participation in the region. The MOU forms the Greater San Joaquin County Regional Water Coordinating Committee (Coordinating Committee) with a membership of those in the County that wish to participate in the Integrated Regional Water Management planning and potential project funding opportunities.
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Memorandum of Understanding to participate on the Greater San Joaquin County Regional Water Coordinating Committee and authorize the Municipal Utilities Department (MUD) to work with the Coordinating Committee and its member agencies to achieve the Integrated Regional Water Management planning and project funding goals and objectives.
DISCUSSION
Background
The Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) is a collaborative effort to identify and implement water management solutions on a regional scale that increase self-reliance, reduce conflict, and manage water supplies to concurrently achieve social, environmental, and economic objectives. This approach delivers higher value for investments by considering many interests, providing multiple benefits, and working across jurisdictional boundaries. Examples can include improved water quality, better flood management, restored and enhanced ecosystems, and more reliable local surface and groundwater supplies.
The IRWM program began in 2002, when the Regional Water Management Planning Act was passed by the State Legislature. Since then, various bond acts approved by California voters have provided over $1.5 billion in State funding to support and advance integrated, multi-benefit regional projects. Cities, counties, water districts, community/environmental groups, tribes and others across the State have worked collaboratively to organize and establish 48 regional water management groups (RWMGs), covering over 87 percent of the State's area and 99 percent of its population.
The City of Stockton has participated in the IRWM planning since the beginning of the Statewide program and was a member of the 11-member Eastern San Joaquin Groundwater Basin Authority (GBA), which developed and adopted the IRWM Plans for the region in 2007 and 2014. The GBA was formed as a Joint Powers Authority in 2001 and employed a consensus-based approach in its goal to develop, “locally supported conjunctive use projects that improve water supply reliability in San Joaquin County.”
Over the years, numerous IRWM planning grants have helped regions develop, adopt and update IRWM plans to identify strategies and projects to address the unique needs and conditions of their regions. IRWM implementation grants awarded to date have resulted in implementation of 800+ IRWM projects providing a wide range of benefits. More recently, grants have been awarded to increase involvement of disadvantaged communities and underrepresented communities (including tribes) in the regional IRWM planning and decision-making processes.
Present Situation
The State found that the practice of IRWM by local agencies has not fully developed in California. While some IRWM regions are successfully implementing their IRWM plans, others have fallen behind. Based on extensive stakeholder input, the Department of Water Resources compiled the key needs of the IRWM regions, including wider participation by disadvantaged communities and other underrepresented communities, like tribes, and greater recognition and support by federal, state and local agencies.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been developed by San Joaquin County to form a new organization to allow for greater participation within a portion of the San Joaquin Region (Attachment A). The purpose of the MOU is to form the Greater San Joaquin County Regional Water Coordinating Committee (Coordinating Committee) with a proposed membership of those that wish to participate in the Integrated Regional Water Management planning.
The goals of the Coordinating Committee are:
• To develop a comprehensive IRWM Plan update (required by DWR) to facilitate regional cooperation in providing water supply reliability, water recycling, water conservation, water quality improvement, stormwater capture and management, flood management, and environmental and habitat protection and improvement.
• To foster coordination, collaboration, and communication between Coordinating Committee organizations and interested stakeholders, to achieve greater efficiencies, enhance public services, and build public support for vital projects.
• To support the procurement of State and Federal grant funding.
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Memorandum of Understanding to participate on the Greater San Joaquin County Regional Water Coordinating Committee and authorize the Municipal Utilities Department (MUD) to work with the Coordinating Committee and its member agencies to achieve the Integrated Regional Water Management Planning and project funding goals and objectives.
The staff recommendation to approve the Memorandum of Understanding to participate on the Greater San Joaquin County Regional Water Coordinating Committee was considered and approved by both the Water Advisory Group and the Council Water Committee at their respective March 2020 meetings to forward to the City Council for consideration and approval.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Financial participation in Greater San Joaquin County Regional Water Coordinating Committee activities will be reviewed and approved under the annual MUD budgeting process.
If the City participates in future IRWM grant applications, under the MOU, the total cost of the application preparation will be shared by those entities with projects included in the grant applications. If an entity does not provide a project for a grant application, that entity is not responsible for providing funding for that grant application.
There is no impact to the General Fund, or any other unrestricted fund, from this action.
Attachment A - San Joaquin River Hydrologic Region