CADIZ VALLEY WATER CONSERVATION, RECOVERY AND STORAGE PROJECT

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

Urban Water Institute 2014 ConferenceFebruary 19, 2014

Leslie Moulton, Senior Vice Project, ESA

Key Environmental Considerations for Cadiz Project

•Effective Groundwater Management– Project operations designed to avoid significant impacts– Groundwater Management, Monitoring and Mitigation

Plan (GMMMP) provides rigorous oversight of project operations

•Reducing Reliance on Imported Water– State policies on water, energy, and environmental

management all highlight reduced water imports

Effective Groundwater Management

Project Location

Fenner, Bristol, and Cadiz Watersheds

•2,700 square mile closed watersheds•Water drains from Fenner

Valley to Bristol and Cadiz Dry Lakes•Groundwater basin holds

17-34 million acre feet (MAF) of water in storage•Groundwater flows through

Fenner Gap where it merges with brackish groundwater and evaporates from dry lakes

How It Works

Conceptual Cross Section Showing Groundwater Flow

brine

brine

brine

brine

fresh water

fresh water

fresh water

fresh water

Groundwater Modeling

•USGS Groundwater models were used– INFIL3.0– MODFLOW

•CH2MHill and Geosciences conducted modeling efforts•EIR evaluates a broad range of groundwater recharge

estimates to assess potential effects of lower-than-expected natural recharge – 32,000 AFY– 16,000 AFY– 5,000 AFY

Groundwater Impact Analysis

•EIR evaluated effects of groundwater drawdown to: – Third party wells – Saline water migration– Subsidence – Springs– Vegetation– Dust generation

Model-Predicted Regional Drawdown

Model-Predicted Regional Drawdown

• 80 ft drawdown after 50 years, centered on wellfield / Cadiz property

• GMMMP establishes 80 foot drawdown as floor

• 20-ft drawdown occurs• 5 miles north

• 15 miles west• 5 miles south

• Essex – 16 mi north• Goffs – 33 mi north

•Third-party well impacts from drawdown– None identified within area of significant drawdown– GMMMMP includes

• County set 80-foot drawdown floor• Deepen or replace wells

•Third-party well impacts from saline migration– None identified within area of predicted saline migration– GMMMP includes

• Replace/relocate wells• Modify proposed Project operation

•Subsidence– Model-predicted findings indicate no significant impact to

aquifer storage capacity or railroad tolerance levels– GMMMP includes monitoring and operation modification

Key Groundwater Impact Issues Addressed

•Occur in higher elevations and are fed from above•Are not hydrologically connected to alluvial aquifer•Nearest spring – Bonanza is 11 miles north•No impacts to Springs would occur•GMMMP includes monitoring and response

protocol to ensure Project does not affect springs– Periodic visual, non-invasive monitoring of spring flows at

Bonanza, Whiskey, and Vontrigger Springs– Quarterly monitoring of Bonanza Spring as an “indicator

spring”

Springs

•Potential for Dust Emissions from Dry Lakes– Studies conducted to evaluate potential for groundwater

drawdown to result in dust emissions off the Dry Lakes– Studies conclude that surface soils on Dry Lakes are not

susceptible to wind erosion due to soil chemistry that results in crusting

•Desert Vegetation– Existing depth to groundwater well below plant roots– Where groundwater approaches surface elevation at the

Dry Lakes, it is highly saline and no vegetation exists on the ground surface

Dust and Vegetation Concerns

Cadiz Groundwater Management, Monitoring and Mitigation Plan

•Defines authority and menu of corrective actions that ultimately can reduce or stop Project pumping

•Both SMWD and the County have authority to implement corrective actions and stop pumping

•Sets pump floor of 80 feet below existing groundwater levels to be conservative (EIR evaluates up to 270 feet)

•Adopted as part of County MOU approval and as part of CEQA Mitigation program

Cadiz GMMMP

Critical Resources Monitored by GMMMP•Groundwater Aquifer•Natural Springs•Brine Resources•Air Quality / Dust•Vegetation•Adjacent Watersheds

Monitoring Features•Groundwater Monitoring Wells (water levels and quality)•Springs Observations•Land Subsidence Extensometers•Dust Monitoring Nephelometers

Cadiz GMMMP continued

Impact Avoidance Measures•Action Criteria clearly established for each resource and

potential impact – set below impact significance threshold

•Decision Making Process defined when action criteria are triggered

•Corrective Measures clearly outlined to avoid significant impacts

Effective Groundwater Management

•Baseline condition information collected•Modeling tools tailored to this aquifer – Validated and ready for active use and refinement

•Project designed to avoid/minimize impacts•GMMMP provides for rigorous oversight of

project operations and response if needed, including stop pumping •New Era: Cadiz Project will operate under new,

higher standards set for effective groundwater management

•Insert graphic with SWP and CRA and LAA showing imported water sources

Cadiz Project Water is Local to Southern California

Reduce Reliance on Water Imports

Cadiz Project Key Objectives

•Maximize beneficial uses of groundwater in the Fenner, Bristol, and Cadiz Valleys– Save substantial quantities of water that are presently

wasted and lost to evaporation

•Improve water supply reliability for Southern California Project Participants•Reduce Southern California dependence on

water imported from the Colorado River and Sacramento River Delta

Project Description

•Phase I – Groundwater Conservation and Recovery Component (project level EIR review)– 50,000 AFY average annual groundwater captured

before it evaporates; delivered to participating water suppliers within the southern California region

– Wellfield – network of wells– 43-mile pipeline to Colorado River Aqueduct (CRA)– Groundwater Management, Monitoring, and

Mitigation Plan (GMMMP) guides project operations

•Phase II – Imported Water Storage Component (program level EIR review)– Potential future project element– Not under consideration for approval now

• PROJECT PARTICIPANTS

• SMWD• Three Valleys

Municipal Water District

• Golden State Water Company

• Suburban Water Systems

• Jurupa Community Services District

• Arizona and Calirfornia Railroad Company

Project Location

PROJECT PARTICIPANTS•Santa Margarita Water District (CEQA Lead Agency)•Three Valleys Municipal Water District•Golden State Water Company•Suburban Water Systems•Jurupa Community Services District•California Water Service Company•Arizona and California Railroad Company

PROJECT OPERATOR•Fenner Valley Mutual Water Company

Geographic Context of Project Assessment

Project Participants

Regional Monitoring Facilities(Wells, Nephelometer Station)

EIR Process

• PUBLIC SCOPING: Notice of Preparation– 30-day public review (through March 30, 2011)– Public scoping meetings (March 16 and 24, 2011)

• DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT– Notice of Availability of Draft EIR Posted (December 5,

2011)– 70-day public review (through February 13, 2012)– Community Workshop (January 11, 2012)– Public Meetings (January 24, 2012 and February 1, 2012)

• RESPONSE TO COMMENTS/FINAL EIR• CERTIFICATION of FINAL EIR