Inside this issue

SGMA Measuring What Matters ................. 2

Drought Update at the NSV TAC ............... 3

Emergency Water ........... 3

GSA Public Notice ........... 4

Real-time Groundwater Levels .............................. 5

September Groundwater Level Update .................. 6

Meeting Schedules ......... 8

Lake Oroville Storage ..... 8

Thermalito Afterbay Ambient vs. Fish-Hatchery Water Temperatures ...... 8

Butte County Water & Resource Conservation October, 2015 Volume 16, Issue 10

WaterSolutions

“To manage and conserve water and other resources for the citizens of Butte County”

I was born in Butte County in 1958. My family has lived in the beautiful Feather Falls area for over 100 years. In 1974 I relocated to the Santa Cruz area and graduated at Soquel High School, Santa Cruz County, in 1976. After high school I enlisted in the Coast Guard and served for 5 years, attaining the rank of Petty Officer First Class as an Engineman. I returned to the Feather Falls foothills in 1983.

I am married and have three children ages 19, 22, and 24. I was employed with the Califor-nia Department of Water Resources and worked as a Millwright/Hydroelectric Mechanic for the State Water Project, retiring after 27 years of service. I am presently employed with Northbrook Energy, LLC, as a regional supervisor of four hydroelectric facilities in northern California including the Kanaka hydro power house in Feather Falls on the Sucker Run Creek watershed.

My two homes in Feather Falls are on wells. I am concerned with how Butte County can protect our water rights as well as monitor the diversion of surface and well water being shipped south.

Meet our newest Water Commissioner: Tony Archuleta By Tony Archuleta

Save Our Water launches “Fix It For Good” Public Education Campaign

Courtesy of California Department of Water Resources

Sacramento, CA – Save Our Water – California’s official statewide conservation edu-cation program – today launched its “Fix It For Good” public education campaign at a turf replace-ment demonstration event put on by the California De-partment of General Ser-vices at the State Capitol. The campaign urges Califor-nians to “Fix It For Good” by making permanent changes to save water by rethinking their yards, going water effi-cient with new toilets and fixtures and fixing leaks.

“Save Our Water’s message this summer asked Californi-ans to take extraordinary and immediate actions to save water which helped the state reach a 31.3% reduc-tion in water use in July,” said Jennifer Persike, Deputy Executive Director of Exter-nal Affairs and Operations of the Association of California Water Agencies. “As we shift into fall, Save Our Water is building on that water con-servation momentum and asking Californians to con-sider permanent changes with the “Fix It for Good” message.”

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One of the more critical and difficult aspects of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is the requirement that groundwater sustainability agencies set measurable objectives to achieve groundwater sustainability. Measurable objectives must be set to avoid chronic lowering of groundwater elevations, reduction in groundwater storage, land subsidence that interferes with land uses, degradation of water quality, depletion of interconnected surface waters and seawater intrusion. There are no state standards for measurable objectives. The decision of setting measurable objectives rests with groundwater sustainability agencies. Given the complexity of setting measurable objectives, starting the discussion on setting measurable objectives will lead to better results.

In September, the Union of Concerned Scientists released a report entitled, “Measuring What Matter” that evaluated issues related to setting measurable objectives to achieve sustainable groundwater management in California. The Union of Concerned Scientists, in partnership with the California Water Foundation, convened a multi-stakeholder roundtable to evaluate the report and compile a series of recommendations regarding measurable objectives. The roundtable involved voices from agriculture, water agencies, under-represented communities, environmental interests, and counties throughout the state, including Butte County. The idea of the “Measuring What Matters” report is to inform state regulators and local agencies of the various methods available in measuring sustainability. It provides a summary of best practices in setting effective measurable objectives and recommends a consistent framework for achiev-ing sustainability across California.

Because the amount and quality of data that groundwater basins currently collect varies widely across California, the report recommended that the state should ensure that local agencies have access to consistent data so they can better assess their groundwater conditions over time. The report recommends that effective measurable objectives do the following:

Define clear baselines Set quantitative thresholds Develop protective triggers Incorporate regular measurement and monitoring Account for uncertainty Adapt to changing conditions and new information

Among the conclusions in the report, the Union of Concerned Scientists recommended that the state should establish a common framework, identify existing data sources for basin conditions, require consistent assumption to develop sustainable yield, develop common metrics and, transparent data management and reporting protocols. The report can be found at

http://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/regional-information/california-and-western-states/measuring-what-matters#.VfmfsE2FOot

Sustainable Groundwater Management Act “Measuring What Matters”

By Paul Gosselin

“Fix It For Good” campaign elements include billboards, outdoor media, traditional and digital radio, digital and social media, direct mail, theatre ads, and on-the-street efforts that will be seen and heard throughout areas of the state facing the highest water use reduction targets set by the State Wa-ter Resources Control Board. The campaign also includes Save Our Water’s first television commercial, “Helping Hands,” which challenges Californians to face the drought together. The commercial started airing this past Labor Day weekend in English and

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Drought Update at NSV TAC By Vickie Newlin

The NSV Board has directed the NSV Technical Advisory Committee (NSV TAC) to bring issues of

regional interest to the NSV TAC to inform not only the TAC, but also the general public about

water-related activities throughout the region. For their October 21 meeting, the NSV TAC will

host an important update on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) as part of

the NSV IRWMP’s goal of Public Education and Information Dissemination.

The workshop will provide an update on groundwater conditions throughout the six-county

region as well as updated groundwater contour maps which will show the difference in ground-

water levels over time. Newly appointed NSV TAC member Bill Ehorn, from DWR Northern

Region, will make this presentation and explain what these maps can tell us about the health of

the groundwater basin.

Other presenters at this month’s NSV TAC will include DWR staff that have been assigned to

SGMA implementation. We will hear about draft regulations that were recently made public

and how the public can weigh in on the approach contemplated by DWR through these regula-

tions. We will also have information regarding Prop 1 and other funding sources which may be

made available to local jurisdictions for SGMA implementation activities.

The NSV TAC welcomes public participation in this workshop related to the implementation of

the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which will be held on October 21, 2015. The

NSV TAC meets the third Wednesday of the month at 9:00 am at the Willows City Hall.

Emergency Water Available by Appointment Only in Magalia and Chico

By Vickie Newlin

Butte County proclaimed a Local Emergency caused by drought conditions through their Coun-

ty Chief Administrative Officer, Paul Hahn, which the Board of Supervisors ratified at their July

28, 2015 board meeting. The County executed the proclamation in response to increased re-

ports of residential wells going dry because of drought conditions.

At that time the County identified sources of emergency water within the county and contract-

ed with Cal Water, Chico to set up an access point within the City. The latest public/private

partnership was confirmed last week between Del Oro Water Company and the County. This

agreement provides an access point at the Del Oro Service Center, at 14147 Lakeridge Court in

Magalia. Residential well owners who need water due to drought in these areas are encour-

aged to set up an appointment through our Office of Emergency Management at (530) 538-

7631. The emergency water will be made available by appointment only on Mondays and

Thursdays between 2:00 and 3:00 at the Magalia site and on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Cal

Water, Chico site located at 1951 Locust Street. Appointments must be made 24 hours in ad-

vance.

The locations listed provide potable water for residents to fill and haul themselves. While the

water is potable at the source, there is no guarantee it will remain safe to drink if it is put in a

container that is not certified for hauling potable water. The County encourages residents to

use water from these sites for everyday functions, such as showering, doing laundry, and flush-

ing toilets. Residents should use bottled water for drinking.

It is important for residents whose wells are dry or not producing adequate water to contact

the Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation at 530.538.4343 or com-

plete the well reporting form online, http://goo.gl/fTTtHk. The County needs to know how

many residential well owners do not have adequate water due to the drought in order to ac-

cess necessary emergency resources.

Well owner information, along with other information about the drought can be accessed

online at www.buttecounty.net/drought.

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Spanish on ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, Telemundo and Fox networks in six targeted media markets: Sacramen-to, Fresno/Bakersfield, Chico/Redding, Central Coast, Inland Empire and Palm Springs.

“It is more important than ever to remind Californians that we have to keep saving water as we move into fall and winter,” said Mark Cowin, Director of the Cali-fornia Department of Water Resources. “Even facing a strong El Nino, there are no guarantees that California’s historic drought will end this winter.”

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The Butte County Board of Supervisors will conduct a public hearing on October 13, 2015, at 9:30 a.m., at the Butte County Board of Supervisors Chambers, 25 County Center Drive, Oroville, California, 95965. The purpose of this public hearing will be to consider public testi-mony on whether the County should elect to become a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 (SGMA) for all portions of Butte County that overlie the Vina (5-21.57), West Butte (5-21.58), East Butte (5-21.59) and North Yuba (5-21.60) sub-basins, as depicted by the California Department of Water Resources Bulletin 118.

The proposed resolution and supporting documentation are on file for public review and com-ment at the Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation, 308 Nelson Ave-nue, Oroville, California, starting on September 28, 2015. The proposed resolution and sup-porting documentation are also available on the County website at https://www.buttecounty.net/waterresourceconservation/SustainableGroundwaterManagementAct.aspx.

Notice of Public Hearing Board of Supervisors to Consider Butte County Being a Groundwater Sustainability Agency

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Save Our Water’s website is available in both English and Spanish and is filled with tips, tools, and inspira-tion to help every Californi-an find new and creative ways to conserve. From tips on how to keep trees healthy during the drought to an interactive section allowing users to visually explore how they can save water both inside and out-side the home, Save Our Water has a wealth of re-sources available for Cali-fornians.

Throughout the drought, Save Our Water has aimed to give Californians tools and tips to help everyone easily conserve at home and at work, every day. Save Our Water connects with Californians on its Fa-cebook page, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. has directed the first-ever statewide mandatory water reductions in California, calling on all Californians to reduce their water use by 25 percent and prevent water waste. Save Our Water is a partnership between the Association of California Water Agencies and the California Department of Water Resources.

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Written comments may be submitted until October 10, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. to: Department of Water and Resource Conservation 308 Nelson Avenue Oroville, CA 95965 BCWater@buttecounty.net

The Board of Supervisors will allow oral comments, and will receive additional written com-ments, prior to the conclusion of the hearing. The Board of Supervisors may take action to elect to become a Groundwater Sustainability Agency immediately, and adopt a resolution stating such, at the conclusion of the hearing.

For more information please contact Paul Gosselin, Department of Water and Resource Con-servation, at (530) 538-4343 or BCWater@buttecounty.net.

Real Time Groundwater Levels Available! By Christina Buck

We are excited to share that our pilot project of making real-time data from three dedicated

monitoring well locations available online is off and running. These locations include the moni-

toring well at the Chico State Farm in the Durham-Dayton subregion, one along Nelson road in

the Cherokee subregion and one northwest of Richvale in the Richvale subregion. The data can

be viewed online from the Department of Water Resources’ California Data Exchange Center

(CDEC). The following links will take you there:

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/stationInfo?station_id=13L

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/stationInfo?station_id=24C

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/stationInfo?station_id=07K

These monitoring locations each have a triple-completion monitoring well equipped with data

loggers recording and transmitting water level and temperature information each hour. Data

can be downloaded or viewed graphically from CDEC. We are in the final phase of working out

remaining issues with data collection and transmittal.

This will be demoed at the November Water Commission meeting. Tune in for more details

about the project and the technology that is making this possible. In the meantime, check it

out for yourself!

Contact Christina Buck with questions.

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It’s Fall—Time to Rethink Your Yard

Courtesy of California Department of Water Resources

Most don’t realize this, but early Fall is the ideal time to plant in most regions of California. By planting in early Fall (September – Oc-tober), you will help roots establish before the sum-mer heat returns and allow winter rains to water thirsty young plants. Trees, shrubs and certain edibles and per-ennials also tend to do best when planted during Fall.

The time is now to start rethinking your yard to go more California-friendly. Consider replacing thirsty turf (and be on the lookout for rebates), change out old sprinklers for drip irrigation, and be sure to mulch around your plants!

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Groundwater Level Update September Measurements

By Christina Buck

Monitoring was conducted September 8-15, 2015. The table shows the average depth to water

in wells by sub-region measured each month. In most subregions, water levels have come up a

bit since the August measurement. The map shows the subregions with the average change in

water level since March labeled. Water levels change the most through the irrigation season

where groundwater pumping occurs for agricultural and urban water demands. The greatest

changes in water levels occur in the Chico, Durham Dayton, M&T and Vina areas. The Depart-

ment of Water Resources will conduct the fall measurement in October. This will be the final

monitoring event of the year. However, wells equipped with data loggers will continue to col-

lect water level data through the winter months.

Note: There continues to be quite a few questionable measurements included in these sum-

maries, most of them due to nearby pumps operating. Also, the selection of wells averaged

can change from month to month since pumping or temporary inaccessibility can cause a well

to not be measured. Detailed results for all wells in the monitoring network are available on

our website (http://www.buttecounty.net/waterresourceconservation/GroundwaterLevels).

Contact Christina Buck with questions.

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Check out Plant California for tips on planting in the Fall. They also have a nifty water-wise gardening sec-tion!

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Meeting Schedules

Water Commission

10/7/2015, 1:30 p.m. Board of Supervisors Chambers 25 County Center Drive

11/4/2015, 1:30 p.m. Board of Supervisors Chambers 25 County Center Drive

Board of Supervisors

10/13/2015, 9:00 a.m. Board of Supervisors Chambers

10/27/2015, 9:00 a.m. Board of Supervisors Chambers

Department of Water & Resource Conservation

308 Nelson Avenue Oroville, CA 95965 Phone: 530.538.4343 Fax: 530.538.3807 E-mail: bcwater@buttecounty.net Website: www.buttecounty.net/waterandresource

Water & Resource Conservation Staff

Paul Gosselin, Director Vickie Newlin,

Assistant Director Christina Buck, Water

Resource Scientist Autum Kirk, Administrative

Assistant , Senior

Water Commission

Tony Archuleta George Barber, Chair DC Jones, Vice-Chair Kathy Chance Brad Mattson Ryan Schohr John Scott David Skinner Ernie Washington