Memorandum
Date: April 2, 2024
To: The Board of Directors of the Lake County Watershed Protection District acting as the Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA)
From: Scott De Leon, Director of Water Resources
Subject: (Sitting as Board of Directors of Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency)
Approve Agreement between the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and Lake County Watershed Protection District for Technical Support Services (TSS) and License for Groundwater Monitoring Station in order to Drill Groundwater Monitor Wells on County Owned Land within the Big Valley Basin to Further Monitor Groundwater Conditions & Authorize Chair to Sign.
Executive Summary:
The Lake County Watershed Protection District (District) on behalf of the Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency (BVGSA) applied for Technical Support Services (TSS) through the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) on December 8th 2021 for drilling of various monitor wells in the Big Valley Basin to further address knowledge gaps of the Big Valley Basin identified within our Big Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP). These knowledge gaps include: groundwater - streambed interaction, groundwater - Clear Lake interaction, geologic information on our deeper aquifers, and water quality of our deeper aquifers.
The District currently monitors ~50 private wells in the Big Valley Basin. The addition of new monitoring wells on County owned land will ensure the wells are monitored in perpetuity for the life of the well, as opposed to access agreements with changing landowners.
On December 15th 2022, the District was notified by DWR that the Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) TSS application had been approved. On November 7th, 2023, DWR staff and District staff made site visits to proposed well drilling locations to determine the locations. (see Attachment A). DWR fast-tracked the drilling timeline of two wells on Kelsey/Adobe creek due to the Emergency Proclamation of the Clear Lake Hitch and to assist in the study of groundwater - surface water interaction.
The District requests that the Chair of the Lake County Board of Supervisors, acting as the chair of the Board of Directors of the Big Valley GSA sign the authorizing documentation for the drilling of wells on County land in the Big Valley Basin
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Recommended Action:
The District recommends that the Chair of the Lake County Board of Supervisors, acting as the Lake County Board of Directors and Big Valley GSA sign the Agreement between the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and Lake County Watershed Protection District for Technical Support Services (TSS) and License for Groundwater Monitoring Station in order to Drill Groundwater Monitor Wells on County Owned Land within the Big Valley Basin to Further Monitor Groundwater Conditions & Authorize Chair to Sign.