Presentation by Brian Powell of Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) at the ASCE Orange County Branch Joint Sustainability + EWRI Orange County Luncheon on 4/7/2016 in Irvine, CA. This presentation covered the following topics: -Background on EMWD -How SGMA addresses Adjudicated Basins -How the San Jacinto Basin was Adjudicated -Example of a Potential Multi-Agency GSA Governance Structure -Potential Impacts without a GSA

1. 1 | emwd.org
Can a GSA be formed within a
Partially Adjudicated Basin?
Brian Powell, P.E.
4/7/2016

2. 2 | emwd.org
Agenda
• Background Information on Eastern Municipal Water District
• How SGMA addresses Adjudicated Basins
• How the San Jacinto Basin was Adjudicated
• Example of a Potential Multi-Agency
GSA Governance Structure
• Potential Impacts without a GSA
• Conclusion

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Background Information on EMWD

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Eastern Municipal Water District
• Formed in 1950
• Services include:
– Water delivery
– Water treatment (2 plants)
– Wastewater collection
– Wastewater treatment (4 plants)
– Recycled water
• Service Area
– Population of 758,000 people
– 542 sq. mi. Service Area

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Eastern Municipal Water District
EMWD is one of 5 SAWPA Member Agencies
EMWD Service Area

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Eastern Municipal Water District
• Moreno Valley (north) to
Temecula (south)
• Seven cities and
the unincorporated
areas
• Wholesale to
Rancho California
Water District and
Lake Hemet
Municipal Water
District
• One of 26 member agencies of
the Metropolitan Water District
of Southern California

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Eastern Municipal Water District
San Jacinto Basin

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How SGMA addresses Adjudicated Basins

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SGMA and Adjudicated Basins
• The SGMA legislation exempts Adjudicated Basins
– The entire San Jacinto Basin is specifically, yet incorrectly, exempted
•

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SGMA and Adjudicated Basins
• The SGMA legislation has an exception to the exemptions:
– The exception only applies to the area for which the adjudication
action has determined those rights.
• Therefore, the areas (water rights) that are not adjudicated
are assumed to be subject to SGMA and require a GSA
• The State Water Resources Control Board will be the agency that
will make a determination on GSA eligibility based on requests
received by local agencies seeking clarifications
10720.8. (continued)

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How the San Jacinto Basin was Adjudicated

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San Jacinto Groundwater Basin
EMWD Service Area
West San Jacinto Basin
* Unadjudicated *
East/West Divide
West San Jacinto Basin
• Unadjudicated
East San Jacinto Basin
• Adjudicated

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San Jacinto Groundwater Basin
West San Jacinto Basin
• AB 3030 Mgmt Plan
• Managed by EMWD
East San Jacinto Basin
• Watermaster
• GW Mgmt Plan

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East San Jacinto Groundwater Basin
Non-Participants
(Yellow)
Participants:
Class A & B
(Blue & Green)
Unidentified non-parties

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East San Jacinto Groundwater Basin
Regulated pumping
(Agencies & Class B)
represents 71.5% of total

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East San Jacinto Groundwater Basin
Non-regulated pumping
(Class A & Non-Participants)
represents 28.5% of total

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East San Jacinto Groundwater Basin
The Stipulated Judgment:
• Is silent on groundwater production
by Non-Participants and unidentified
groundwater producers
• Requires production by the agencies
to be reduced if the basin goes into
overdraft

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Example of a Potential
Multi-Agency GSA Governance Structure

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Example of a Potential Multi-GSA Basin
West San Jacinto Basin:
EMWD GSA
East San Jacinto Basin:
Multi-Agency GSA

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Example of a Potential
Multi-Agency GSA Governance Structure
MOA Agencies
• EMWD
• LHMWD
• Hemet
• San Jacinto
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
• MOA Agencies
• Private Pumper Representative
• Signatories to the MOA
Signatories to the MOA
• Box Springs Mutual Water Co.
• County of Riverside & RC Flood
• City of Menifee
• City of Moreno Valley
• Nuevo Water Company
• City of Perris
Non-Signatories to the MOA
• Ca. Dept. of Fish & Wildlife
• Private GW Producers
• San Jacinto River Watershed
Council
• Valley-Wide Rec. & Park Dist.
• Western R. C. Ag. Coalition
Other Potential
Stakeholders

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Potential Impacts without a GSA

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Without a GSA
• A large commercial water
user, such as a water bottling
facility, acquires property
currently owned by a Class A
or Non-Participant to
construct a bottling facility.
• The bottling company drills
several wells and significantly
increases pumping to serve the overlying beneficial use. The pumping
impacts basin levels and the overall equilibrium of the basin.
• This pumping is not subject to the court’s jurisdiction under the Stipulated
Judgment and, therefore, cannot be regulated by the Watermaster.
• With water levels declining in the basin, the public Agencies would be
required to reduce their pumping to keep the basin in equilibrium.

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With a GSA
• Under this scenario, the Multi-Agency GSA would have the legal authority
to manage the bottling facility’s production by levying a fee against
pumping in excess of historic usage that is causing impacts in the basin.
• The Multi-Agency GSA would then use these funds to replenish the basin
in an amount equal to the excess pumping by the bottling facility.
• The basin would
then return to
equilibrium.

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Conclusion

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Conclusion
West San Jacinto Basin
• GSA is required since there is no
adjudication
• Basin is already being managed
by EMWD (AB 3030)
• No significant overdraft
• Area with rising groundwater
• Water Quality/Salinity issues
Next Steps
• EMWD to form GSA
• Update existing GW Mgmt Plan
• Continue managing the basin
East San Jacinto Basin
• Legal opinions support GSA
formation, awaiting SWRCB
determination
• Basin is already being managed by
Watermaster
• Overdraft being mitigated
• Unregulated pumping is a concern
• WM Agencies want a role in GSA
Next Steps
• Form a Multi-Agency GSA
• Update the existing GW Mgmt Plan
• Continue managing the basin

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Next Steps

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Contact Information
Brian Powell, P.E.
Director of Planning
Phone Number (951) 928-3777 Ext. 4278
Email: powellb@emwd.org