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Santa Barbara City Of - 3-053 FOOTHILL
A. Applicant Information
Requesting Agency Information
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| Agency Name: | Santa Barbara City Of | ||
| Address: | 630 Garden Street | ||
| City: | Santa Barbara | Zip: | 93101 |
| Work Phone: | (805) 564-5387 | Cell Phone: | |
| Email: | dhoffenberg@santabarbaraca.gov | Fax: | |
| Revision Request Manager Information
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| Person Name: | Dana Hoffenberg | ||
| Address: | PO Box 1990 | ||
| City: | Santa Barbara | Zip: | 93102-1990 |
| Work Phone: | (805) 560-7585 | Cell Phone: | |
| Email: | dhoffenberg@santabarbaraca.gov | Fax: | |
B. Description of Proposed Boundary Modification
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External Scientific revision to modify the northern boundary of the Foothill basin.
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- Scientific External
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This request is to align the northern boundary of the Foothill basin with the northern boundary as it is depicted in USGS Report 89-4017, Geohydrology of the Foothill Groundwater Basin near Santa Barbara, California, prepared by John Freckleton (1989 Freckleton report). The City has worked closely with USGS to manage the basin for decades, including managing a robust network of monitoring wells and creating a complex groundwater model. This change will ensure the work the City has done to model and manage the basin with USGS is accurately reflected in the DWR depiction of the basin. Additionally, the area that will be included in the basin as a result of the modification has been identified as an area that contributes to recharge of the basin. Recharge occurs in the basin through seepage from streams, including Cieneguitas Creek, Arroyo Burro Creek, and San Roque Creek which run through the area of modification. If this area of recharge is excluded from the groundwater basin, a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) or combination of GSAs could not manage this area cohesively with the rest of the basin under a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP). Managing this area outside the authority of a GSA or GSP could be difficult as this recharge area overlies multiple jurisdictions (County of Santa Barbara, City of Santa Barbara, and the Goleta Water District Service area). Including this area within the basin boundaries would facilitate sustainable groundwater management by allowing this area, which contributes to important recharge of the basin and overlies multiple jurisdictions, to be part of a cohesive effort to manage the entire basin through a GSA or multiple coordinated GSAs and GSPs.
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- 3-053 FOOTHILL
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NA
C. Initial Notification and Combination of Requests
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Yes
Local Agency Potential Basin(s)/Subbasin(s) Santa Barbara City Of 3-053 FOOTHILL -
No
D. Required Documents for All Modifications
This basin boundary modification request does not qualify as a project under CEQA.
E. General Information
The City recognizes the current written description of the Foothill basin as published in Bulletin 118 to be generally correct. The attached document is essentially a duplication of a portion of the existing Bulletin 118 description with a clarifying change in the first paragraph. The updated description references the 1989 Freckleton report which is also attached.
F. Notice and Consultation
The Goleta Water District service area, the City of Santa Barbara, and the County of Santa Barbara overlie the area being modified. However, the City of Santa Barbara is the only one of these agencies that pumps from the Foothill basin.
The City has been managing groundwater in the Foothill basin for decades and is familiar with agencies and water purveyors operating in the basin. The only known agencies and public water systems operating in the area of change are the City of Santa Barbara and the Goleta Water District (although the Goleta Water District does not pump from the Foothill basin). The City also referenced DWR's Water Agency dataset provided in D-5. The City communicated verbally and in writing with neighboring agencies of the City's intent to submit a groundwater basin boundary modification request.
The City also posted information on its website including information regarding the proposed modification and a method to contact the City should any party wish to be included on the City's list of interested parties or have any inquiries regarding the request. The website posting is attached.
The City notified neighboring agencies of our intent to submit a basin boundary modification request verbally at the Santa Barbara County Water Purveyor meeting on January 14, 2016. The City also notified neighboring agencies of its intent in writing. Although La Cumbre Mutual Water Company's (LCMWC) service area does not lie within the basin, the City notified LCMWC of its intent in writing because LCMWC pumps from the basin. The City notified the County of Santa Barbara and the Goleta Water District (GWD) because these agencies overlie the area being modified. Because the City often works closely with Montecito Water District (MWD), the City notified MWD of its intent to submit the modification request even though MWD does not pump from, overlie, or border the Foothill basin.
Copies of the letters the City sent to neighboring agencies are attached, along with a recipient list.
On 4/13/16 and 4/14/16 the City sent a notice that the City's basin boundary modification request was complete and available for public input and a map of the proposed boundary to local agencies and water systems. The City sent the notice and map to GWD, MWD, LCMWC, the County of Santa Barbara, San Vicente Water Company, and Lincolnwood Water Company. The notice was also posted on the City's website. The notice and map are attached.
Authorization to pursue a basin boundary modification was discussed at the City of Santa Barbara Water Commission meeting on January 21, 2016. This is a recurring public meeting and was noticed according to the Brown Act. The agenda for the meeting was posted in multiple public locations and on the City's website at least 72 hours prior to the meeting. The agenda and minutes are attached.
A resolution of the Council of the City of Santa Barbara authorizing the Public Works Director to submit a request to the California Department of Water Resources for a groundwater basin boundary modification for the Foothill groundwater basin was included as a consent item during the City Council meeting on February 9, 2016. No public comment was made on the item. This meeting was also noticed according to the Brown Act. The agenda for the meeting was published in multiple public locations and on the City's website at least 72 hours prior to the meeting. The agenda and minutes are attached.
No comments from the public or neighboring agencies were received regarding the basin boundary revision request.
H. Local Support
All requests for boundary modification must include the following:
The City sent letters to affected agencies and potentially interested neighboring agencies. A copy of all letters is attached as well as a list of all letter recipients.
No affected agencies submitted comments and/or documents in support or opposition of the proposed boundary.
NA
I. Hydrogeologic Conceptual Model
Requests for boundary modification, must include a document or text to a clearly defined hydrogeologic conceptual model demonstrating each of the following:
In 1977, the City of Santa Barbara entered into an agreement with the U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS) to create a groundwater monitoring program for a portion of the Santa Barbara basin (3-17). That study eventually grew into a new scope of work including evaluating effects of pumping on groundwater levels and quality and a groundwater flow model. After increasing pumping in the adjacent Foothill basin, the City requested USGS to conduct a similar study on the Foothill basin. The result of that request is the attached USGS report 89-4017, Geohydrology of the Foothill Groundwater Basin near Santa Barbara, California, prepared by John Freckleton (1989 Freckleton report).
The 1989 Freckleton report defines the geohydrology of the Foothill basin and explores the effects of pumping on the basin. A groundwater model was also created as a result of this study, and the City continues to model the basin with USGS.
The attached 1989 Freckleton report addresses all components of the required hydrogeologic conceptual model in narrative form on pages 1-24. The remainder of the report focuses on the mathematical model.
