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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda Report - September 16, 1992 (52)OF CITY OF LODI COUNCIL, COMMUNICATION AGENDA TITLE: Council consideration/possible direction on the request of the North San Joaquin Water Conservation District that the City join in a hearing before the Regional Water Quality Control Board regarding water allocations from the Moke 1 uirne River. MEETING DATE: September 16, 1992 PREPARED BY: City Attorney RECOMIENDED ACTION: Council consideration/possible direction on the request of the North San Joaquin Water Conservation District that the City join in a hearing before the Regional Water Quality Control Board regarding water allocations from the Mokelumne River. BACKGROUND: A request has been received from Stewart Adams, attorney representing the North San Joaquin Water Conservation District that the City participate in scheduled hearings before the Regional Water Quality Control Board. The topic will be water allocations from the Mokelumne River. Apparently, the Water Board is considering the request of the Fish and Game Department to reduce the amount of water East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) can take from the Mokelumne in order to protect fish in the river. Mr. Aciams is proposing that. the City both provide witnesses for the hearing and possibly participate financially in the costs of adjudicating those issues in front of the Regional Water Board. A shirteleeve session on this topic is now schodulEd for the September 15, 1992 meeting of the Council. FUNDING: Unknown. Respectfully submitted, Bob MCNatt City Attorney BM/vc MEMORANDUM, City of Lodi, Public Works Department T0: City Manager City Council FROM: Public Works Director DATE : September 23, 1992 SUBJECT: Public Works Director's Testimony at Mokelumne River Hearing Attached for your information is a copy of my testimony which will be made as part of North San Joaquin Water Conservation District's (NSJWCD) presentation to the State Water Resources Control Board's hearing on the M,,,kelumne River water rights. This testimony has been coordinated through discussions with Woodbridge Irrigation District, and John Pulver, San Joa,-yin County's Water Coordinator. The Mayor and the City Manager reviewed the final draft of this document before it was submitted to NSJWCD. If you have any questions concerning this, please contact me 4ckRonsko PWorks Director JLR/ lm Attachment cc: City Attorney MCM9221/TXTW.02M TESTIMONY OF JACK L; RONSKO PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR CITY OF LODI LODI, CALIFORNIA September 18, 1992 I'm Jack Ronsko, the Public Works Director of the City of Lodi. Lodi is a community of 53,000 population, approximately 10 square miles in area, and its northerly city limit is the Mokelumne River. As with most Valley towns, we have relied solely on the groundwater basin for our municipal water supply and have done so since our incorporation in 1906. Even though Lodi has had an extensive water conservation program since 1076, it is experiencing a substantial reduction in groundwater levels at the City's 23 well sites.- Fortunately, because of our proximity to the Mokelumne River, our groundwater levels have not decreased at the same rate as many other• County areas. NSJ Exhibits No. 11 through 13 show the groundwater decline in three typical Lodi wells. The difference in the declining rates appears to be related Lo the proximity of the well to both the river and other wells in the system and how deep the well is cased. Over the last 16 years, the groundwater elevation: in our wells have been receding at the rate of approximately 1 foot per year due to the overdraft of the basin. With the continued overdraft of the groundwater basin, our pumping costs continue to increase as does the easterly movement of saline water toward Lodi. The majority of the city of Lodi is within the North San Joaquin h'ater Conservation Districi. The direct benefit our citizens receive from STATEMNTiTXTW.02M -1- NSJ Exhibit No. 10 v being in this District is by the District reducing the rate of the groundwater decline beneath Lodi. The only way the District can make this happen is to have an assured supplemental surface water supply to provide to the farmers in the District. This takes agricultural wells out of production and leaves the unused water in the basin for municipal use. The District's Exhibit E in Exhibit NSJ No. 1, Technical Report, clearly shows that when the District was ,provided with water, 1964-1975 and 1978-1986, the g.oundwater decline was definitely curtailed. North San Joaquin Water. Conservation District did not receive the gravity flow water from the American River ; ney were promised via the Folsom South Canal which was to be extended to San Joaquin County. If American River water had been made avai able to the District, it's clear the groundwater decline in our basin would have been reduced considerably. Therefore, the City of Lodi fully supports the District's request for an assured supply of Mokelumne River water. The Lodi City Council, on behalf of its citizens, passed Resolution No. 92-165 (NSJ Exhibit No. 14) which unanimously supports the District's position in trying to secure an assured supplemental water supply from the Mokelunme River. The city of Lodi is also adjacent to the Woodbridge Irrigation District (WID) whese canals run adjacent to and through our city limits. Any reductions in ►'ID's allocation which would reduce flows in its canals could also be detrimental to the citizens of Lodi. It is a known fact that WID's unlined canals 1Pak, providing considerable groundwater STATEMNT/TXTW.02M -2- recharge. A reduction in its allocation will also appreciably increase the rate of the declining water level in our groundwater bas i r . todi Lake Park is a 117 -acre recreational facility which borders on the south side of the Mokelumne River and serves approximately 200,000 todi, San Joaquin County, and Sacramento County residents per year. This park, which has been operated by the City since 1934, contains a 30 -acre lake which also provides groundwater recharge. Any lowering ;,f the elevation of Lodi Lake, or decreasing of the flows in the river, would reduce our groundwater recharge potential. Lowering the lake elevation would also greatly decrease the recreational usage of Lodi Lake Park. From the well data I have furnished, it is clear that the groundwater table under cur community is seriously declining. This decline must be arrested in order to protect this valuable natural resource for the current and future citizens of our community. Therefore, the City of , Lodi respectfully urges your full support of the request of the North San Joaquin Water Conservation District for the allocation of a dependab ; a supplemental surface water supply from the Mokehmme River. on behalf of the North San Joaquin Water Conservation District and the City of Lodi, I'd like to thank the Board for the opportunity to make this statement. m uo wes co CD N O N et N CD co O N � m co to punojE) A%O" U -j X 3 to tiJ mat 3 teat 09at an& ,mat cast sast swat ►gat Ent zest t9W 086t Wt QLat LL6t RM fV LO HSJ Exhibit No. 11 v Rt N O m uo wes co CD N O N et N CD co O N � m co to punojE) A%O" U -j X 3 to tiJ mat 3 teat 09at an& ,mat cast sast swat ►gat Ent zest t9W 086t Wt QLat LL6t RM fV LO HSJ Exhibit No. 11 v Ft "ow Growd t71 lJ1A 1z i�- 0 6 6 K) c co a) A NJ ign 197E i Ign 1960 1982 1983 1984 im ises 1997 000 1906 1900 1900 1991 1092 m CA) EknmtIon cn CL 3 t�oP"s C4 C4 C14 CD C14 X CO CO C' tit 1061 6961 8961 Z96t &96& on& Us& RLU L161 91st O 0N v cp CO 0 CN Iq Cr., LO LO LO Ln CO punoiD mclog 1-4 NSJ Exhibit No. 13