FOR: Water Subcommittee Meeting [February 28, 2024]
TO: Honorable Water Subcommittee Members
APPROVAL: Stephen Dopudja, P.E., Interim Utilities Manager
Toyasha Sebbag, Assistant to the City Manager
...Title
Request that the Water Subcommittee Provide Feedback on Staff and Elected Appointments for Negotiations with the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Regarding Recharge and Operating Agreement to the Cactus Basins.
(ACTION)
...Body
BACKGROUND:
On June 13, 2023, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Flood Control District, approved a Joint Groundwater Recharge and Facilities Planning Agreement with the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District (San Bernardino Valley) for a 20-year term from June 27, 2023, through June 26, 2043, followed by 10 automatic one-year renewal terms. The Agreement includes the use of seven basins and channels, streams, and rivers within the region, in the general areas of San Bernardino and Yucaipa, including East Twin Basins, Lynwood Basins, Oak Glen Basins, Sweetwater Basins, Waterman Basins, Wildwood Basins, and Wilsons Basin (ATTACHMENT 1). The exact volume of recharged water varies with the source availability; these facilities have a combined recharge capacity of approximately 8,133 million gallons a year (assuming six months of continuous recharge). Between 2012 and 2019, these locations allowed for an additional 45,619 million gallons of water to be recharged for community use in dry periods.
Mentioned in the Joint Groundwater Recharge and Facilities Planning Agreement are the Cactus Basins located in Rialto. As stated in 5b. of the Agreement, "At this time, there will not be recharge in Cactus Basins...The County, Flood Control District, and San Bernardino Valley will continue to consider strategies and alternatives to address the risks, and if recharge were to occur, it would be subject to a separate agreement mutu...
Click here for full text