Title
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Authorize Chief Engineer and General Manager to Execute Water Banking and Exchange Agreement (Agreement) with Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District (TLBWSD) and Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District (RRBWSD) for Tulare Lake Compost Facility (TLC)
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Summary
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Summary: The TLC facility and agricultural properties have allocations for water and seasonal storage from the State Water Project (SWP) and the Kings and Tule Rivers. Water supplies are often variable, with oversupply in wet years and insufficient supply in drier years. The Board previously authorized the Chief Engineer and General Manager to execute agreements with TLBWSD and RRBWSD to bank excess TLC water in wet years to support farming activities in dry years. The Districts has fully utilized its water banking rights under the previous agreements with RRBWSD, so a new agreement is needed to bank additional water. Under the proposed Agreement, the Districts may deliver up to 10,000 acre-feet of excess SWP water to RRBWSD facilities, and RRBWSD will return one-half the amount stored, less operating losses, when requested by the Districts. The Districts would be responsible for the cost of conveyance, which is estimated to be $1,400,000 over the ten-year term of the Agreement, depending on the amounts stored and recovered. TLBWSD and RRBWSD, in their capacities as lead agencies for purposes of water banking transactions such as this one, have determined that the Agreement is exempt or otherwise not subject to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations (“CEQA Guidelines”) Sections 15301 and 15061(b)(3). This item is consistent with the Districts’ Guiding Principle to plan for both short-term and long-term needs to minimize the need for significant rate increases.
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Staff Recommendation
recommendation
Staff recommends to authorize the Chief Engineer and General Manager to execute an Agreement with TLBWSD and RRBWSD for TLC.