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TRANSPORTATION, WATER & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE

Meeting Date:	02/08/2021
Subject: Groundwater Sustainability Plan Update - East Contra Costa Subbasin
Submitted For:	TRANSPORTATION, WATER & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE
Department:	Conservation & Development
Referral No.:	6
Referral Name:	Sustainable Groundwater
Presenter:	Ryan Hernandez, DCD - Water Agency	Contact:	Ryan Hernandez (925)674-7824

Information

Referral History:

This report is in fulfillment of the TWIC referral to monitor compliance of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

Contra Costa County is a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) and overlies a portion of the East Contra Costa Groundwater Subbasin. Together with our partner GSAs, we are preparing a Groundwater Sustainability Plan to be submitted to the Department of Water Resources by January 31, 2022.

Referral Update:

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (Act) authorizes local agencies to manage groundwater in a sustainable fashion. The Act requires all high- and medium priority groundwater basins, as designated by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), to be managed by a GSA. The East Contra Costa Groundwater Subbasin (Subbasin) is designated a medium priority basin, (DWR Basin 5-22.19, San Joaquin Valley). Including the County, there are seven GSAs that overly the Subbasin, the Cities of Antioch and Brentwood, Byron Bethany Irrigation District, Diablo Water District, Discovery Bay Community Services District and East Contra Costa Irrigation District (together Overlying Agencies). Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) is a member of the working group and contributes to the development of the GSP.

The County GSA continues to work cooperatively with the Overlying Agencies and CCWD to develop a singular GSP.
We are:

• attending and participating in monthly planning meetings;

• creating maps;

• helping develop a groundwater website https://www.eccc-irwm.org/about-sgma;

• establishing an email account to answer questions about groundwater - groundwaterinfo@dcd.cccounty.us;

• establishing and maintaining a current list of stakeholders, and

• publishing timely notices in local newspapers of opportunities to participate and/or comment on the development of the GSP.

We are continuing to seek public comment on draft chapters of the GSP as they become available. It is our intent to publish a complete draft GSP this summer in anticipation of bringing the draft GSP to the Board of Supervisors before the end of the year.

Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):

RECEIVE report on the preparation of a draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan. The Board of Supervisors will consider adopting the draft GSP later this year per the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, and DIRECT staff as appropriate.

Fiscal Impact (if any):

Costs to prepare the groundwater sustainability plan will be divided evenly among the parties to the MOU, except that the County may elect to satisfy some or all of its cost-share obligation through in-kind services performed by County staff, which will be funded by the Water Agency.

Attachments
ECC Subbasin Map
ECC Subbasin Presentation