No impact to the General Fund. Each Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) is responsible for implementing the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) within its GSA boundary. Much of that work can be pooled and costs shared. Contra Costa County is asked to pay the one-eighth cost share, rather than in-kind services, for implementing the GSP. The County's share is estimated to be less than $40,000 per year. The County's cost share will be paid for by the County's Water Agency funds. All GSP implementing costs will be accomplished through existing Water Agency funding and no augmentation to the current budget levels is anticipated.
The purpose of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is for groundwater to be managed by local public agencies (GSAs) to ensure a groundwater basin is operated within its sustainable yield through the development and implementation of a GSP. In 2017, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors became the GSA for portions of East Contra Costa Subbasin and approved an MOU for the development of a GSP.
The East Contra Costa Groundwater Subbasin has been designated by the State of California as a medium priority basin, (Basin 5-22.19, San Joaquin Valley) and is located entirely within Contra Costa County, as shown in Exhibit "A" attached. The seven GSAs listed below, and the Contra Costa Water District, are parties to the existing MOU and developed the GSP.
- City of Antioch
- City of Brentwood
- Byron Bethany Irrigation District
- Contra Costa County
- Diablo Water District
- Discovery Bay Community Services District
- East Contra Costa Irrigation District
On December 7, 2021, the County Board of Supervisors adopted the Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the East Contra Costa Subbasin, Resolution No. 2021/397. The GSAs listed above have also adopted the GSP. The GSP was then submitted to Department of Water Resources on January 25, 2022.
The existing MOU was specific to the preparation and development of the GSP and is not applicable to the implementation of the adopted GSP. Thus, the parties are proposing to amend the existing MOU to continue to work together on GSP implementation, including community outreach and education, monitoring and data management, and preparation of the mandatory annual reports, (see attached Exhibit "B" the Second Amended and Restated MOU).
The Conservation and Development Director recommends the Board adopt the Second Amended and Restated MOU for the administration and implementation of the adopted Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the East Contra Costa Subbasin.
If the Board does not adopt the Second Amended and Restated MOU, the County would no longer be party to implementing the East Contra Costa Groundwater Sustainability Plan, mandated by the Act, and may have to prepare separate compliance documents, including annual reports, at a cost to be borne solely by the County.