A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
OF THE SAN BENITO COUNTY
WATER DISTRICT
ESTABLISHING DISTRICT
POLICY
REGARDING CENTRAL VALLEY
PROJECT WATER TRANSFERS
AND CERTAIN RELATED
MATTERS
WHEREAS, Zone
6 was established as the benefit area for the importation of surface water from
the Central Valley Project through the San Felipe Project facilities; and
WHEREAS,
the benefits of water imported from the Central Valley Project through the San
Felipe Project facilities are derived from water served directly to
Agricultural and Municipal and Industrial customers through a District pipeline
distribution system (San Felipe Distribution System), from the in lieu recharge
that results from direct delivery of San Felipe water and from percolation into
the groundwater (artificial recharge); and
WHEREAS,
District finds that there are times when the water available to the District
from the Central Valley Project (San Felipe Project Water) exceeds the needs of
its San Felipe Distribution System users; and
WHEREAS,
opportunities exist for the transfer of water to other users within the CVP
service area; and
WHEREAS,
numerous landowners within Zone 6 have requested the extension of the San
Felipe Distribution System to their property or other access to San Felipe
Project water; and
WHEREAS, numerous landowners in
areas adjacent to Zone 6 have expressed interest in access to San Felipe
Project Water; and
WHEREAS, the boundaries of Zone
6 should be reviewed to assure that, under current and foreseeable future
conditions, all areas benefiting from San Felipe Project Water are within Zone
6; and
WHEREAS,
under current conditions certain groundwater sub-basins are experiencing high
groundwater levels and it is in the best interest of the landowners and
constituents of the District that groundwater levels be managed within a range
which preserves reasonable groundwater storage for drought and emergency water
supply protection and avoids or minimizes adverse impacts due to high
groundwater conditions.
NOW,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS:
1.
That the
District shall develop for use in water year 2001/2002 procedures for the sale
of any additional San Felipe Project Water available during that water year to
all landowners within Zone 6. That said
sale of additional water shall be subject to the same conditions as applied to
the sale of additional San Felipe Project Water to San Felipe Distribution
System customers.
2.
That it
is the intent of the District to develop specific programs to make high quality
water available to other areas within the District and outside Zone 6 and that
a Board committee shall be established and charged with oversight of the
development of such programs.
3.
That the
District will undertake water transfers of District San Felipe Project Water to
other CVP contractors when all customer water allocation requests have been
filled and approval requests for additional water can be met.
4.
When
considering transfers of District San Felipe Project Water to other CVP
contracting Districts, preference shall be given to transfers to farmers (ag
operators) operating on land within the District provided that such preference
will be limited to transfers to lands operated by such individual or entity in
other CVP contracting districts.
5.
In areas where
additional groundwater pumping is desirable as determined annually by the Board
of Directors, water users who agree to pump groundwater replacing all or a
portion of their initial allocation will be permitted to transfer San Felipe
Project Water to lands operated by that water user in other CVP contracting
districts on a preference basis.
6.
Water
users engaging in preference transfers through the District will make any and
all arrangements necessary with the receiving district to effect that transfer and
shall pay the San Benito County Water District such charges as are established
from time-to-time for preference transfers.
The initial charge for preference transfers shall be $2.00 per acre foot
with a minimum charge of $25.00. This
charge shall be in addition to the greater of the current District rate for San
Felipe Project Water or the transfer rate prevailing at the time of the
preference transfer including any “administrative charge”
7.
Request
for preference transfers shall be on forms provided by the District and shall
be allowed only with the approval of the District Manager whose approval shall
not be given until all charges have been paid in full.
8.
No water
user delinquent in their payments (blue valve, well or other) to the District
shall be eligible for a preference transfer.
9.
Transfers
under this policy are limited to transfers within a single water or contract
year consistent with Bureau of Reclamation policy including the Bureau’s policy
for rescheduled water.
10.
The
policy established by this Resolution shall be effective through February 28,
2002.
PASSED
AND ADOPTED by the
Board of Directors of the San County Water District this 27th day of September
2000 by the following vote:
AYES: Directors: Tobias, Perry, Swanson, Gonzales, Keck
NOES: Directors: None
ABSENT: Directors: None
______/s/John
Tobias_________
John Tobias
President
ATTEST: ___/s/Janet
L. Torres__________________
Janet L. Torres
Administrative Services
Officer