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Chino Basin Watermaster - 9-007 SAN LUIS REY VALLEY
A. Applicant Information
Requesting Agency Information
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| Agency Name: | Chino Basin Watermaster | ||
| Address: | 9641 San Bernardino Road | ||
| City: | Rancho Cucamonga | Zip: | 91730 |
| Work Phone: | 909-484-3888 | Cell Phone: | |
| Email: | info@cbwm.org | Fax: | 909-484-3890 |
| Revision Request Manager Information
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| Person Name: | Cari Dale | ||
| Address: | Water Utilities Department, 300 N. Coast Highway | ||
| City: | Oceanside | Zip: | 92054 |
| Work Phone: | (760) 435-5827 | Cell Phone: | |
| Email: | cdale@ci.oceanside.ca.us | Fax: | |
B. Description of Proposed Boundary Modification
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Two boundary modifications for the San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin in San Diego County.
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- Scientific Internal
- Jurisdiction Internal
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The City of Oceanside, in conjunction with the County of San Diego, proposes two boundary modifications to DWR Basin 9-7 (San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin). The first revision is a Scientific Internal modification whereby the existing San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin would be divided into two groundwater basins. The upper portion of the groundwater basin would be designated as the 'Pauma Valley Groundwater Basin' and would consist of the portion of the groundwater basin where groundwater has been deemed to be percolating by State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Decision 1645 (2002). The lower portion of the existing groundwater basin would be designated as the ?San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin? and would consist of the remainder of the Basin 9-7 where groundwater has been deemed to be subterranean flow of the San Luis Rey River through SWRCB Decision 1645 and Division of Public Works Decision D-432 (1938). The basin prioritization ranking for the revised San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin may be recalculated as low or very low priority as the SWRCB?s determined that groundwater in this basin is located in a subterranean stream flowing through known and definite channels and, therefore, not subject to be sustainably managed through the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). If DWR determines that the revised San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin should remain a medium-priority groundwater basin for the purposes of SGMA, a second revision is requested (Jurisdictional Internal modification) to establish the Mission Sub-basin and the Bonsall-Pala Sub-basin in the newly revised San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin. The Mission Sub-basin would comprise the portion of the San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin that underlies the City of Oceanside?s water service area and Camp Pendleton, and reflects the Mission Basin as has been described in past documents (including water rights documentation) and information presently used for groundwater management. The Bonsall-Pala Sub-basin would also reflect the Bonsall and Pala areas that have been described in the same documents.
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- 9-007 SAN LUIS REY VALLEY
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1. Pauma Valley Groundwater Basin (9-33) 2. San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin (9-07) - Mission Sub-Basin (9-7.1) - Bonsall-Pala Sub-Bain (9-7.2)
C. Initial Notification and Combination of Requests
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Yes
Local Agency Potential Basin(s)/Subbasin(s) City of Oceanside County of San Diego -
YesThe County of San Diego submitted initial notification for the proposed Scientific Internal modification on March 22, 2016. The City of Oceanside submitted initial notification for the proposed Jurisdictional Internal modification on March 13, 2016. Both of the aforementioned initial notifications pertain to the San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin (Basin 9-7). Therefore, these two modification requests are being consolidated into one Basin Boundary Modification Request, provided herein.
D. Required Documents for All Modifications
The City of Oceanside's request to make modifications to the San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin is not a project, because the decision to adjust the boundary is within DWR's authority. Additionally, per CEQA §15060 (c) the City's request does not exercise discretionary power by a public agency, result in foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and is not a project as defined in CEQA §15378.
E. General Information
The existing San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin underlies an east-west-trending alluvium-filled valley located along the western coast of San Diego County. The major hydrologic feature is the San Luis Rey River, which drains the valley overlying the basin. The basin is bounded on the east, northeast and southeast by the contact of alluvium with impermeable Mesozoic granitic and Pre-Cretaceous metamorphic rocks. In the northwest and southwest of the lower portion of the basin, alluvium is in contact with the semi-permeable Eocene marine deposits and Tertiary non-marine deposits. The basin is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean.
The proposed Pauma Valley Groundwater Basin extends from the confluence of the San Luis Rey River and Paradise Creek to the Agua Tibia Narrows near the confluence of the San Luis Rey River and Frey Creek. The Pauma Valley is approximately 7.5 miles long and varies in width from approximately one mile to 2.25 miles. The Pauma Valley Basin is bounded by a pre-Tertiary basement complex of metamorphic and igneous rocks. The alluvial fill in the Pauma Valley Basin comprises river channel deposits and younger alluvium (0-130 feet thick), alluvial fan deposits (up to 370 feet), and older alluvium (maximum thickness of 160 feet). The San Luis Rey River flows in a northwesterly direction through the Pauma Valley. Although overlain by the San Luis Rey River and hydraulically connected, groundwater in the Pauma Valley Basin is considered percolating groundwater that seeps or filters through the ground and is not part of the flow of the river.
The proposed San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin extends from the Agua Tibia Narrows through three valleys (Pala, Bonsall, and Mission) and ends at the Pacific Ocean in the City of Oceanside. The valleys, which are separated by narrow, steep-walled canyons, are underlain by alluvial fill of varying thickness. Groundwater is present in this alluvial fill. The groundwater sub-basins share the same name as the valleys (Mission, Bonsall, and Pala). Groundwater in the Mission, Bonsall, and Pala sub-basins flows in a subterranean stream with known and definite channels, and is confined by relatively impermeable bed and banks. Downstream of the proposed boundary of the San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin with the Pauma Valley Groundwater Basin, the San Luis River transitions from its northwesterly flow direction and curves to the southwest.
F. Notice and Consultation
USMC Camp Pendleton, Rainbow Municipal Water District, Vista Irrigation District, City of Carlsbad, County of San Diego, Valley Center Municipal Water District, Yuima Municipal Water District, San Luis Rey Municipal Water District, Mootami Municipal Water District, Pauma Valley Community Services District, Upper San Luis Rey Water Authority, San Luis Rey Indian Water Authority (Pala Band of Mission Indians), and Pauma Municipal Water District.
a. The City of Oceanside sent letters directly to entities that would be potentially impacted by the Mission Sub-Basin Jurisdictional modification. Those entities included: USMC Camp Pendleton, Rainbow Municipal Water District, Vista Irrigation District, City of Carlsbad, and County of San Diego.
The County of San Diego sent letters directly to entities that would be potentially impacted by the San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin Scientific Internal modification to subdivide the existing groundwater basin into two, new groundwater basins. Entities contacted included: the City of Oceanside, Pala-Pauma Community Sponsor Group, Valley Center Municipal Water District, San Luis Rey Municipal Water District, Upper San Luis Rey Resource Conservation District, Rancho Pauma Mutual Water Company, Yuima Municipal Water District, Mootamai Municipal Water District, Rainbow Municipal Water District, and Pauma Municipal Water District.
Information about the proposed basin modifications is included on City of Oceanside website, and a public hearing is planned to be held during a regular meeting of the Oceanside City Council on April 20, 2016.
b. The Center for Collaborative Policy (CCP) has conducted outreach to parties in the San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin. Two meetings with stakeholders were held on March 3, 2016, one for the lower basin and one for the upper basin.
c. Meetings were held with basin stakeholders on August 4, 2015, August 25, 2015, and September 18, 2015 to discuss SGMA implementation and possible GSA formation alternatives. Two of the three meetings were organized by the County of San Diego. The third meeting was organized by basin stakeholders.
As mentioned in Section C, two initial notifications were filed: one by the City of Oceanside, and one by the County of San Diego. Example copies of both the City of Oceanside's letters and the County of San Diego's letters notifying stakeholders are attached, along with the distribution list. The same letter was sent to each person on the attached distribution list.
Proposed boundary modification was considered by the City of Oceanside City Council and approved on April 20th.
Responses to initial notification letters sent by the County of San Diego and the City of Oceanside have been received from the County of San Diego, the Rainbow Municipal Water District, Valley Center Municipal Water District, San Luis Rey Municipal Water District, Carlsbad Municipal Water District, USMC Camp Pendleton, Yuima Municipal Water District, and the Vista Irrigation District.
All of the responses indicate support for the proposed boundary modification, except for the comment letter received from the Carlsbad Municipal Water District and the Valley Center Municipal Water District. The Carlsbad Municipal Water District indicated opposition due to the fact that the basin boundary modification request may interfere with ongoing litigation. The Valley Center Municipal Water District indicated opposition to the County's boundary adjustment based on a need for clarifications, including clarifications about whether the County's proposed adjustment was in conflict with the City of Oceanside's proposed adjustment.
G. General Existing Groundwater Management
All requests for jurisdictional modification pursuant to Section 342.4 MUST include responses to the following questions.
Refer to attachment.
a. The proposed groundwater basin subdivision would not impact the ability of any other portion of the groundwater basin to sustainably manage groundwater. Groundwater flow in the current San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin is westward, from the Pauma and Pala basins at the head of the valley, west towards the Mission Basin and Pacific Ocean. The headwaters portion of the basin (the proposed Pauma Valley Groundwater Basin) is considered to have percolating groundwater, whereas the lower portion of the basin (including the Bonsall-Pala and Mission Sub-basins) has groundwater considered to be subterranean flow and is therefore managed as surface water.
b. Separate management of the Pauma Valley Groundwater Basin will not significantly impact downstream entities, and will be completed in a manner consistent with the way that the basin is currently managed. Similarly, groundwater management activities in the proposed Mission Subbasin will not impact upgradient groundwater use or management as the proposed subbasin is at the terminus of the San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin. However, because groundwater management activities in the upper portion of the San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin (the proposed Bonsall-Pala Sub-basin) will affect groundwater management in the proposed Mission Sub-basin, the City of Oceanside intends to continue coordination with other San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin users to ensure sustainability of groundwater in the proposed Mission Sub-basin.
Groundwater use in the San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin peaked in the 1950s and 1960s, resulting in drastic declines in groundwater water levels due to groundwater development and over-pumping (leading to seawater intrusion that extended between two and six miles inland from the Pacific Coast). Delivery of imported water into the San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin began after completion of the first San Diego Aqueduct in 1947; the introduction of imported water into the basin led to reduced groundwater pumping, which over time, has reduced groundwater pumping and allowed groundwater levels to recover to historical levels. Water importation has also reduced impacts associated with seawater intrusion. However, during this same time period, increased development and increased irrigation with imported water led to increased salt loading into the watershed, which affected groundwater quality to the point that groundwater use further declined. As a result of severely reduced groundwater pumping, the depth of groundwater has risen such that perennial waters in the San Luis Rey River have moved upstream, and groundwater levels have risen to near pre-development levels and averages range from zero to 20 feet below land surface. (City of Oceanside et al., 2008). As it sits at the terminus of the San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin and is therefore the first to be impacted by seawater intrusion, the City of Oceanside has actively pursued groundwater sustainability in the proposed Mission Sub-basin in order to protect an important part of its water supply system. The City has used a combination of imported surface water and recycled water to offset groundwater demands, and closely monitors both groundwater levels and quality to ensure the continued sustainability of this supply.
In two separate water rights decisions (the 1938 Division of Public Works Decision D-432 and the 2002 SWRCB Decision 1645), groundwater underlying the Pala, Bonsall and Mission Basins (sub-watersheds) of the San Luis Rey River were determined to be flowing through defined subterranean channels and were considered, through the water rights decision, to be surface water. As such, groundwater in these three areas have been sustainably managed as surface water flows by the SWRCB Division of Water Rights.
The proposed basin subdivision will not impact any state program and will help facilitate implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). All entities in the basin will continue to monitor wells as currently required for the CASGEM program, and will provide those data to the County of San Diego for compilation and submittal to the State. At present, there is no groundwater management plan for the San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin, and groundwater in the Pala, Bonsall and Mission Basins (sub-watersheds) will continue to be managed as surface water by the SWRCB Division of Water Rights.
Relative to SGMA, if the revised San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin is not found to be exempt from SGMA (as a result of the subterranean flow designation), the City intends to be the Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) for the proposed Mission Sub-basin, and to develop and implement a Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the new sub-basin. Additionally, the City plans to continue coordination relative to groundwater management with neighboring agencies in the San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin. For the Pauma Valley Groundwater Basin and the Pala-Bonsall Sub-basin, the entities located within those areas are currently in discussion regarding how GSA formation will take place. These entities are committed to working together to implement the provisions of SGMA.
H. Local Support
All requests for boundary modification must include the following:
Refer to Section F.1 and F.2 regarding the letter that was provided to neighboring entities.
Refer to Section F.5 regarding responses that were received regarding the proposed basin modification requests.
As indicated previously, the responses received regarding the proposed boundary modification have been largely supportive, with the exception of comments from the Carlsbad Municipal Water District and the Valley Center Municipal Water District.
With regard to comments from the Carlsbad Municipal Water District, the City is not in a position to comment on litigation filed by the Carlsbad Municipal Water District.
With regard to comments from the Valley Center Municipal Water District, this boundary modification request clarifies that the City of Oceanside and the County of San Diego have combined their modification requests, and therefore, these requests are not in conflict. Additional comments about mapping clarifications are also resolved with the GIS files that are being provided as part of this request.
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:
See attachment.
K. Technical Studies for Internal Scientific Modifications
Requests for an internal scientific modification involving a hydrogeologic barrier must include a document or text that demonstrates the presence or absence of subsurface restrictions on lateral groundwater flow. Provide the following:
See exhibits submitted and attached to the 1938 Division of Public Works Decision D-432 and the 2002 SWRCB Decision 1645 providing for determination of subterranean flow in the current San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin.
See exhibits submitted and attached to the 1938 Division of Public Works Decision D-432 and the 2002 SWRCB Decision 1645 providing for determination of subterranean flow in the current San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin.
L. Technical Studies for All Jurisdictional Modifications
Requests for a jurisdictional boundary must attach or provide a URL or upload a file for the following:
The 1938 Division of Public Works Decision D-432 and the 2002 SWRCB Decision 1645 determined that groundwater in the Pala, Bonsall and Mission Basins (sub-watersheds) of the San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin was subterranean flow of the San Luis Rey River. As such, groundwater in these areas has been sustainably managed as surface water by the SWRCB Division of Water Rights.
In 2016, the California Department of Water Resources provided professional facilitators from the California State University Sacramento?s Center for Collaborative Policy to conduct a series of stakeholder interviews and coordinate with entities in the San Luis Valley Groundwater Basin. Through these efforts, interested parties have been discussing actions pertaining to sustainable groundwater management of the San Luis Valley Groundwater Basin.
As a result of this coordination, a recognition of a distinct ?upper? and ?lower? portion of the groundwater basin has been recognized, with the upper basin corresponding to the proposed Pauma Valley Groundwater Basin and the lower basin corresponding to the proposed San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin. According to the County of San Diego, parties in the upper portion of the basin have been meeting regularly to discuss cooperatively implementing SGMA and sustainably managing groundwater in the proposed Pauma Valley Groundwater Basin in its entirety.
Furthermore, in the lower basin, the City of Oceanside has, in the past, coordinated groundwater management activities with its neighbors, including Camp Pendleton, Rainbow Municipal Water District, Carlsbad Municipal Water District and Vista Irrigation District. The City also has participated in the San Luis Rey Watershed Council, formed in 1997 to manage the interests of the San Luis Rey River watershed. The City anticipates continued coordination with management agencies in the overall San Luis Rey Valley Groundwater Basin, including other GSAs that may form in the basin. The form of this coordination has not yet been determined as the GSAs have not yet been established.
