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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 02231999 - C188 r' Contra TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Costa FROM. TRANSPORTATION WATER & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE County Supervisor[Donna Gerber, Chair Supervisor Mark D®Saulnier DATE., February 1, 1999 SUBJECT: REPORT ON WATER-RELATED ITEMS TO BE REFERRED TO THE TRANSPORTATION, WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIO S REFER the following Items to the Transportation, Water& Infrastructure Committee for 1999: 1. Water-related legislative matters, Including MTBE legislation; 2. Delta water quality Issues, such as CALFED, San Luis Drain extension, and the Grasslands Bypass Project; ; 1 Ship Channel dredging, maintenance and disposal projects (Baldwin Marine Link, Southampton, Suisun/New York Slough maintenance) and related Issues; 4. Upland disposal Issues, such as Long Term Management Strategy (LTMS). & Future water planning (water supply, quality) issues, such as the East County Water Management Association; CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT, _je YES SIGNATURE RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR _Y_RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE _._OTHER �.L "..VOW SIGNATURE(S): SUPERVISOR qp6A GERBER, CHAIR SOFt VISOR MARK DESAULNIER ACTION OF BOARD ON February 23.--19.29 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED-xi_OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES.- NOES. AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE ABSENTS ABSTAIN; BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Contact. Roberta Goulart (525-335-1226) ATTESTED Fe raary 23, 1999 cc: Community Development (Department (CDD) PHIL BATCHELP R, CLERK OF County Administrator THE BOARD O SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR { , DEPUTY ? ra L Rober;a'8 Dlsxe2-23-98.ao WATER-RELATED ITEMS -Z- February 1, 1999 6. Other relevant Water District Projects, such as EBMUD use of American River supply, EBMUD's southern pipeline project, yearly meeting of CCC Board and EBMUD Board: CCWD Los Vaqueros and other projects; 7. Creek and Watershed planning/regional wetlands planning efforts. FISCAL. IMPACT None BAC} QaQQNDI8EAs94N5 FCR REQQMMENDATIQNS On February 1, 1999, the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee received a report from Water Agency staff on relevant water-related issues. A number of the Issues discussed were determined to be of routine or continuing interest to the new Committee, and are recommended for referral to the Committee. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT 651 Pine Street, N. `ting - 4th Floor Martinez, CA 94553 Telephone: (925) 335-1226 Fax: (925) 335-1299 TO: Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee Supervisor Donna Gerber, Chair Supervisor Mark DeSaulnler FROM: Roberta Goulart, Executive Officer, County Water Agency DATE: January 25, 1999 SUBJECT: WATER-RELATED INFORMATION ITEMS WHICH MAY BE OF INTEREST TO THE TRANSPORTATION, WATER & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE There were no outstanding referrals to the Water Committee at the end of 1998. Provided below is a short description of the County Water Agency and a list of water- related issues which may be of interest. The Committee may wish to obtain Board referrals for some or all of these issues if that is determined to be necessary. Additional information on these items is available at your request. The County Water Agency was established in 1957 through legislative action and has boundaries roughly contiguous with the County boundaries. The Water Agency collects a small property tax increment (about $240,000 a year) to allow County monitoring/involvement In water issues with potential to affect water supply/quality to the bread spectrum of water suppliers and water users (individual and community well systems, agricultural water users, small and large surface water suppliers with Delta, Sierra sources through state and federal projects)within the County. The Water Agency through the Board of Supervisors was very active in opposition to the peripheral Canal issue in the early 1980's, and has been active In the past in advcating projects using recycled water, particularly during and after droughts, in the early 111190's. Since that time staff has continued liaison with relevant agencies at local, state and federal levels on issues of import to the Board. Water-related legislation; This committee may wish to review state and federal legislation related to water issues. The federal Water Resources Development Act may e authorized in 1999, which may address issues with potential to affect County ship channel navigation projects. Delta Water Quality: There are several projects with which the County has been involved, such as CALKED and San Luis Drain projects. CALFED is a consensus based interactive process whereby state and federal agencies are working with agricultural, environmental and municipal/industrial water users to broker a solution to the problems plaguing the Delta, such as declining fish populations, degraded water quality, and lack of reliable water supply. Delta 'fixes' being considered include programs to improve through-Delta conveyance; and consideration of a 'peripheral canal' typI(isolated water transfer) facility to improve water quality to water users (primarily south of the Delta), Also under consideration are programs to purchase land for habitat restoration purposes. San Luis Drain: A recent court case has focused on the abandonment of the San Luis Drain Project after the Kesterson debacle In 1985, and potential for this drain to be completed, through Contra Costa County to the mouth of, the delta, for dilution and disposal of selenium in areas of the western San Joaquin Valley. The county Is involved (with other agencies and organizations) in litigation related to this Issue. Grasslands Bypass project: The Delta-Mendota Water Authority has been using an existing section of the San Luis Drain to purvey selenium-tainted runoff past wetlands areas and into the delta. The County (with other agencies and organizations) is in litigation on this matter. Ship channel dredging, maintenance and disposal. There are three ship channel projects in which the County has been involved: maintenance of the Suisun and New York Slough Channel reaches, the Baldwin Ship Channel Deepening/Richmond Marine Link Project, and the Southampton Shoal deepening project. Suisun-New York Slough Channel Maintenance: This involves the proposed assumption of Local Sponsorship (federal-local cost-share) responsibility from the Port of Stockton for maintenance of the two channel reaches in the east county area. Currently, the County Is doing preliminary work on a proposed Joint Powers Agreement and joint Assessment District to enable costs to be paid by channel beneficiaries (Industries located in east County). Baldwin Channel Deepening/Marine Link Pipeline: The project is comprised of deepening of the Baldwin Channel in west county (west of Richmond) to -45 feet, and construction of a pier and tank farm in the Point Molate area linking to an existing pipeline to convey petroleum product to refineries in the Carquinez Strait area. The other option would involve channel deepening of the entire channel into the Carquinez Strait area to enable fully laden vessels to proceed directly to the refineries (this option is not considered viable at this time due to significant environmental consequence). This project would substantially reduce/eliminate llghtering (the off- loading of product onto smaller vessels in south San Francisco Bay). Southampton Shoal and Extension deepening: the project consists of the deepening of the Southampton Shoal (and extension which includes the Point Mo€ate area described above) to a depth of-50 feet, to allow fully-laden vessels to proceed directly Chevron Long wharf as well as the Point folate area described above. Upland disposal - Lang Term Management Strategy (LTMS) for dredged material disposal: The County has historically held a position supporting upland disposal, or beneficial reuse of dredged materials. The County, if it becomes local sponsor for the Suisun and New York Slough channel reaches, will be required to dispose In an upland environment, due to proximity of these channels (and the In-bay disposal site) to the null, or entrapment zone of the delta, which Is important to fish and other species. These sediments have been used for levee rehabilitation purposes in the recent past. The LTMS program, described below, attempts to require significantly greater use of dredged sediments in upland environments. The LTMS program, sponsored by state and federal agencies, looks at placement of dredged materials in ocean, in-bay and upland environments over the next 50 years. Where management of dredged materials is desired, the plan has as a component a 40-40-20 policy which may be of concern; this is 40%ocean, 40% upland and 20%in- bay disposal. Concern arises with the significantly higher cost of upland disposal (at least 3 times greater), the fact that no sites have been permitted yet for this type of use, and significant regulatory constraints exist which have the effect of disallowing most upland disposal scenarios. In the near future, staff will recommend the Board adopt a position that the 40-40-20 policy not be implemented until and unless funding alternatives are addressed, a number of Sites are acquired and permitted, and regulatory constraints revised. The Montezuma Wetlands project and Hamilton Airfield Wetland restoration are potential upland disposal sites (in 1998, the Board supported inclusion of funding for Hamilton in the federal WRDA) where some sediments may be disposed once the above-mentioned constraints have been remedied. East County Water Management Association: Eleven agencies have been involved for several years, working together on future water supply (and water quality) planning for the east county area. Two documents have been compiled, a first phase supply and demand document prepared by the Contra Costa Water Distrit, and a phase two Water Supply Management Study, which provides alternatives for suture planning efforts by subgroups of the Association to satisfy short and longer-term needs as outlined in the report. Currently, most of the abovementioned agencies are involved in a study to determine the extent, yield, source and quality of groundwater resources in the east county area. Other Water District Projects/issues (CCWD, EBMUD): As issues arise, the Water Agency and to some extent past Water Committees have become involved in relevant projects/programs sponsored by the Water Districts. In the past, the Board has met with EBMUD's Board on a yearly basis. The new Committee may wish to consider whether a 'dual Board' meeting is needed this year. Creek and Watersho planning: the Water Agency has recently been working with Public Works and a ' mber of other agencies and organizations on preliminary planning for a County-wide creek symposium. There is a need for creek planning, to reconcile creeks as riparian wildlife corridors with creeks as flood control channels, as well as other, related issues. Also included as part of watershed planning are Blodiversity Projects, not handled through the Water Agency. Water Agency staff however, have been Involved in two projects of this type, a study of the Caldecott Corridor (over the highway 24 tunnel) and a study in the east County area. Also under consideration by a number of agencies at this time is a Habitat Conservation Planning effort for the east County area Regional wetlands planning efforts: the County Water Agency as well as past Water Committees have been involved in work related to wetlands planning, most recently with the McNabney (Shell) marsh, regarding funding for tidal gates and other improvements. Staff has been recently been invited to participate in a East Bay Regional Park District wetlands restoration project in the east County area.