Regional Acceptance Process InterviewGreater Monterey County Region

July 7, 2009

Representing the Greater Monterey County Region:

Bill Phillips, Monterey County Water Resources Agency

Donna Meyers, Big Sur Land Trust

Bridget Hoover, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Paul Robins, Resource Conservation District of Monterey County

RAP Interview

Overview:

• Region Boundary

• Regional Water Management Group

Interview Questions

Expands and supersedes the Salinas Valley IRWM FEP Region

Eliminates previous IRWM coverage voids in Monterey County

New “Greater Monterey County” Region:

New Region Expands Salinas

Valley FEP Region

Salinas Valley FEP Region was defined by boundaries of the Salinas Valley groundwater basin

But significant IRWM coverage voids existed within Monterey County with the previous regional alignments, including:

• The larger Salinas valley• Big Sur coastal watersheds• Gabilan watershed

New Region Expands Salinas

Valley FEP Region

The new Greater Monterey County Region eliminates those IRWM coverage voids

New Region Expands Salinas

Valley FEP Region

The new Greater Monterey County Region eliminates those IRWM coverage voids

The Greater Monterey County Region is based on watershed boundaries as well as groundwater basins, political jurisdictions, and historical management of water resources

New Region Expands Salinas

Valley FEP Region

The Region includes all of Monterey County exclusive of the Pajaro River Watershed IRWM Region and the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel Bay, and South Monterey Bay IRWM Region, and includes a small portion of western San Benito County

The new Greater Monterey County Region eliminates those IRWM coverage voids

The Greater Monterey County RWMG has been carefully composed to ensure balanced and inclusive representation of water resource issues, geographic areas, and the interests of disadvantaged communities in the Region. RWMG members include representation of:

Greater Monterey County Region Also Expands the former Salinas Valley IRWM RWMG

• Major water suppliers and water districts• Major wastewater treatment providers• Water quality interests• Flood management agencies• Federal and State coastal policy agencies• Academic institutions and research facilities• Environmental justice organizations and disadvantaged communities• Environmental nonprofits• Agricultural interests• Municipalities• Watershed groups• Plus all major geographic regions

Greater Monterey County Region Also Expands the former Salinas Valley IRWM RWMG

• Monterey County Water Resources Agency

• Castroville Community Services District

• Marina Coast Water District

• Monterey County Water Resources Agency• Castroville Community Services District• Marina Coast Water District• Big Sur Land Trust• Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary• Monterey County Resource Conservation District• California Coastal Commission • California State University Monterey Bay• California Water Service Company• City of Salinas• Coastlands Mutual Water Company• Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve• Environmental Justice Coalition for Water• Garrapata Creek Watershed Council• Monterey County Ag Commissioner’s Office• Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency• Moss Landing Marine Laboratories• San Jerardo Farmworkers Co-operative

Interview Questions

Question 1. Long-term Financing Options and how private funding will provide a sustainable

regional planning effort

IRWMP development is supported through private grant funds and in-kind staff support from RWMG entities

• Continued in-kind staff support from RWMG entities• Other federal, state, and private grant funds, as needed

Note that the RWMG will set up a dedicated Funding Committee which will meet two or three times/year to identify funding sources beyond IRWM grant funds to help support the Region’s projects as well as future IRWMP efforts

Future amendments to the plan as well as IRWMP implementation and activities will be supported by:

Question 2. Adjacent Regions Monterey Peninsula, Carmel Bay, and South Monterey Bay IRWM Region

Why our regions are separate

1. There is no comingling of surface and groundwater supplies between the regions

2. Flood control is separate between the regions (i.e., one region does not contribute flood water to another)

3. Management responsibility for water resources is separated by existing agreements

4. Water quantity and quality issues are managed quite differently between the regions

5. Combining planning regions at this time could result in a paralysis of existing planning efforts

6. The planning process within the Monterey Peninsula IRWM region is functioning well

Question 2. Adjacent Regions Monterey Peninsula, Carmel Bay, and South Monterey Bay IRWM Region:

Shared Interests:

• Seaside and Salinas Valley Groundwater Basins• Ord Community (former Fort Ord)• Highway 68 Corridor (Laguna Seca/Toro Area)• Pacific Ocean and Coast

Benefits and Disadvantages of this Arrangement:

• Opportunities for coordination on fisheries improvements and ocean protection• Opportunities for coordination on fire management and its effects• Agreement to coordinate efforts regarding Regional Water Supply Project • There are no disadvantages!

Question 2. Adjacent Regions San Luis Obispo County IRWM Region

Shared Interests:

Joint Cooperative Efforts:

Plan for Continued Cooperative Efforts:

• Salinas River Watershed• Nacimiento Watershed, Reservoir, and River• Pacific Ocean and Coast

• Nacimiento Water Project • Nacitone Watersheds Management Plan• Invasive species management• Agriculture water quality management

• Opportunities for coordination on fisheries improvements and ocean protection• Opportunities for coordination on fire management and its effects• Continued agriculture-related water quality efforts

Question 2. Adjacent Regions Pajaro River Watershed IRWM Region

• There is little overlap between the Pajaro River Watershed and the Greater Monterey County IRWM Regions: Monterey County comprises only about 1% of the Pajaro River Watershed

• The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency was formed (subsequent to MCWRA) to deal with water resource planning and management issues in the lower Pajaro Valley – as separate and distinct from the Salinas Valley

• A three-party MOU was signed between MCWRA, MPWMD, and PVWMA outlining management responsibilities in the region and signifying intent to cooperate and coordinate efforts

• However, one overlapping interest does exist between the two regions – flood prevention – which involves not just the two regions but four counties

Boundary issues will be managed primarily according to existing agreements and historical arrangements between the water management agencies in the two Regions.

Question 3. Disadvantaged Communities Update of DAC Activity since RAP Submittal:

Environmental Justice Coalition for Water, in partnership with the San Jerardo Farmworker Co-operative:

Has been conducting one-on-one meetings with other community organizations to let them know about the IRWMP process, and to identify issues; thus far they have identified four DAC projects in the communities of San Jerardo, San Lucas, and the farm labor camp of Camp 21 near Chualar;

Has been engaging in regular meetings with organizations that work closely with DACs, including California Rural Legal Assistance, CHISPA, and Clinicas de Salud;

Has been working closely with County Supervisor Simon Salinas and staff to ensure they are aware of IRWMP process;

Question 3. Disadvantaged Communities Update of DAC Activity since RAP Submittal:

Environmental Justice Coalition for Water, in partnership with the San Jerardo Farmworker Co-operative:

Has begun planning general water workshops in several DACs which will also serve to inform DAC community members about the IRWMP process;

Has developed a plan for doing outreach to DACs throughout IRWMP development, specifically for public workshops;

Has been communicating with RWQCB3 to ensure issues they deal with specific to DACs are included in the plan, particularly re: nitrate contamination.

Question 4. MOU Status

The MOU has gone through several drafts and is now in the final drafting stage.

We anticipate final approval on the Draft MOU within two weeks.

We anticipate having a signed MOU by mid-August.

Question 5. How the former Salinas Valley IRWMP FEP Led to Development of the New

Greater Monterey County IRWM Region

• January 30, 2007 – A Central Coast Funding Meeting was held in Watsonville to review Central Coast funding opportunities from Prop’s 50, 84, and 1E. Attendees included representatives from all six Central Coast IRWM Regions.

• Under discussion of “Adequacy of Existing Plans” it was raised that the Salinas Valley Plan and Monterey Peninsula Plans did not provide coverage for many parts of Monterey County including the Big Sur Coast, the Gabilan watershed and lower Salinas, and areas of Salinas Valley not associated with the groundwater basin.

• A subgroup of the Big Sur Land Trust, Monterey County Resource Conservation District, Monterey County Water Resources Agency and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary met to review and discuss expanding the Salinas Valley IRWM FEP into a Greater Monterey Plan in anticipation of Prop 84 and Prop 1E.

• A decision was made to expand the plan (if resources could be obtained) into the Greater Monterey County IRWMP to meet Prop 84 and Prop 1E guidelines and opportunities.

Question 5. How the former Salinas Valley IRWMP FEP Led to Development of the New

Greater Monterey County IRWM Region

• This was presented at subsequent meetings of the Central Coast Funding Group on February 22, 2007 and April 16, 2007. The MCWRA and MBNMS continue to represent the Greater Monterey County IRWM Region on the Central Coast Funders Group providing consistency between the groups.

• The Greater Monterey County IRWMP planning committee began formally meeting on February 11, 2008 and has been meeting monthly since that time to the current day.

• January 26, 2009: MCWRA Staff Report recommended adoption of the Salinas Valley IRWMP by the Board of Directors, as adoption of the plan would “provide a starting point for the expansion of integrated water planning to include other portions of the County not currently within an IRWMP.” The Board adopted the plan with that intent.

Question 6. Inclusion of Parks Agencies in IRWM RWMG Process

Both State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service have been invited to participate in the RWMG, and are currently examining their potential roles – whether as RWMG members or as stakeholders

If they should decide not to join the RWMG, they will participate actively as stakeholders

Question 7. How RWMG Utilizes a Collaborative, Multi-stakeholder Process

“How does the RWMG utilize a collaborative, multi-stakeholder process to assist DACs, address water management issues, or develop regional solutions?”

• The RWMG was carefully composed with the goal of providing broad, balanced, and inclusive representation of water resource issues, geographic areas, and DACs in the Greater Monterey County Region.

• We believe we have succeeded in this effort!

• In addition to the RWMG, over 130 stakeholder groups have been invited to participate in the process. Three public workshops – each of which will be held in two different locations, for a total of six workshops – will be conducted to obtain public input throughout the process.

Question 7. How RWMG Utilizes a Collaborative, Multi-stakeholder Process

“How does the RWMG utilize a collaborative, multi-stakeholder process to assist DACs, address water management issues, or develop regional solutions?”

• Note also that our RWMG is a “working group” – all RWMG members have committed to joining subcommittees or otherwise actively participating in the IRWMP decision-making process. This ensures involvement of all RWMG members in assisting DACs, addressing water management issues, and developing regional solutions as part of the IRWMP process.

• The RWMG recognizes the changing involvement of stakeholders over time. We anticipate that both the RWMG and stakeholders will change from time to time; the MOU is designed to be inclusive and to allow such change easily.

• The RWMG’s strong diversity – along with stakeholder groups – will ensure a collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach to integrated regional water management planning in the Greater Monterey County Region.

Summary

The Greater Monterey County RWMG is a diverse, collaborative group – including water management agencies, water suppliers, wastewater treatment providers, federal and state coastal policy agencies, nonprofit organizations representing environmental interests and disadvantaged communities, agricultural groups, academic institutions, and municipalities – that is eager to work together to develop regional solutions to the Greater Monterey County Region’s water resource issues.

The Greater Monterey County IRWM Region makes sense from a watershed perspective, a groundwater basin perspective, a political perspective, and from an historical water resource management perspective.

The new Region eliminates significant IRWM coverage voids, and provides increased opportunities for collaboration between water resource agencies and organizations and for participation of diverse stakeholders into the IRWM process, as well as increased integration of a broader array of water resource-related projects throughout the Monterey County region.

Thank you! California state university monterey Bay

City of salinas

Garrapata creek watershed council

San jerardo Co-operative