By Theresa-Marie Wilson
Water is on the minds of nearly everybody living in California. Locally, a small excess supply of water could be available if needed from a neighboring jurisdiction.
The cities of Pismo Beach, Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande city councils each approved a one-time time extension in a contract between the San Luis Obispo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (Zone 3). The zone also includes County Service Area 12 (CSA-12), which is Avila, and the Oceano Community Services District (OCSD).
Pismo, Oceano and Avila are state water contractors. On or before the beginning of the water year, which is every April, they are required to tell the county the amount and source of water they want delivered and when.
“(This) allows a one-time extension of time under which an agency can declare how and which amounts of what water it wants delivered from the Zone 3 project,” said City of Grover Beach Director of Public Works Greg Ray.
Two sources of water are delivered from Lopez Lake one is the lake water itself and the other is water that comes from the state water pipeline.
The OCSD requested the 326 acre-feet of Lopez water that had been delivered be counted as state water. Because of the regional Low Reservoir Response Plan, Lopez water stored in Lopez becomes agency specific.
“You can actually carryover and bank your Lopez water,” said Ray.
A good deal for Oceano, but one that would have little impact on Grover or Arroyo Grande with the exception that under dire circumstances, a city could purchase water stored in Lopez Lake from the OCSD without needing special contractual rights.
“Generally it is neutral,” Ray said. “It has little or no effect on us. It is a one-time extension. I don’t think we would approve this kind of water accounting again.”
The Zone 3 contract doesn’t encourage this sort of water swap, but it is allowed under the right circumstances.
“Basically you can’t go back months or years later and say, ‘Oh what I really meant was, I wanted this amount of water delivered,’” said Ray. “However, if all of the agencies who are subject to that contract within county Zone 3 agree to a one-time extension, the county can, in fact, make that available.”
The City of Grover Beach has an annual delivery entitlement of Lopez water of 800 acre-feet, Arroyo Grande comes in at 2, 290, Pismo at 892, Oceano at 303, and Avila at 245.
Currently there are approximately 900 acre-feet of state water stored in Lopez. The Low Reservoir Response Plan (LRRP) was triggered when the reservoir level fell below 20,000 acre-feet. Stored state water is subtracted from the reservoir level for determining the LRRP triggers, so accounting for the water as Lopez water is a benefit because maintaining a higher lake reservoir elevation delays further reductions in Lopez entitlement.
As a result of the extension, state water contractors will be able to take delivery of additional state water. More available state water ordered and consumed locally reduces demand on local water resources–both surface and groundwater.
“I am especially appreciative of the way the county went about this, basically every agency has to agree to this or they are not going to allow it to move forward,” Ray said.
According to a staff report, the San Luis Obispo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District offered each agency that is a party to both a Lopez Water Supply Contract and a State Water Supply Agreement (the City of Pismo Beach, Oceano Community Services District, Avila Beach Community Services District, Avila Valley Mutual Water Company, and San Luis Coastal Unified School District the opportunity to request a modification to their water delivery schedules for the prior year on or before May 31, 2015. These agencies may receive an additional benefit under the carryover provisions of the recently enacted LRRP by decreasing their Lopez water deliveries and increasing their State water deliveries during the prior year.
