Water panel shifts to groundwater management

Glenn County's Water Advisory Committee is changing its focus from developing groundwater monitoring plans to groundwater management.

It also is thinking of shrinking the size of the committee from 20 to 13 members to streamline it and doing strategic planning as a group.

Adding one supervisor to chair a technical subcommittee of the Water Advisory Committee is another option being explored. He would not vote, but could give the committee the board's perspective, county officials said.

The Board of Supervisors received that information last week from committee Chairman Larry Domenighini and County Water Coordinator Lester Messina.

A proposed groundwater management ordinance has been under review since November 2010, and received some criticism, Messina said.

However, things have smoothed out since then, he said, and guidelines have been formed for groundwater transfers along with proposed fees and so on, he said.

The board plans to look at the revised ordinance again in February for possible passage.

Supervisor Leigh McDaniel said this week there seems to be agreement among water agencies and groundwater interests that the ordinance is heading in the right direction.

It would provide guidelines for groundwater exports out of the county, including a need for environmental reviews to make sure neighboring groundwater users are not impacted by such transfers, he said.

The original preliminary ordinance gained state recognition, McDaniel added, so the advisory members did not want to lose its landmark status.

But they are adding procedures and amendments to clarify how it would run, he said.

In the meantime, the advisory committee and Messina will begin looking at well spacing and more interactive management on where wells are drilled in the county.

There are some areas where the aquifer is low or failing, Messina said, and the county may want to look at ways of recharging the aquifer or other steps to help it recover.

Glenn County is divided into 14 or 15 sections, McDaniel said, where monitoring wells are used to keep an eye on the major aquifers or water basins in the county region.

"We will do these things in steps," Messina added.

Water quality is another area the water committee wishes to explore.

"I have heard from constituents and lawyers from water agencies saying 'butt out - we don't need you,"' Supervisor Mike Murray said, of past comments on the county's water plan.

"But, hopefully, that has changed now," he said. "If we don't protect it — we're in trouble."

McDaniel said the county might also want to write letters of concern about a state Delta water plan since he has heard components of it are not favorable to the North State.

This major plan, proposed by the Delta Stewardship Council, looks to restore the Delta while keeping California's water sources intact, he said.

However, the direction of some draft language in the Delta plan have water interests concerned since it calls for flow rates in the Delta to remain high so salt water can be cleared out, McDaniel said.

But if this were to go year-round, there might not be any water storage left in the North State, he said. "They could open the dam gates and let the water run."

Messina explained the comment period on the Delta plan's EIR has been extended to February, so it would give Glenn County time to respond.

Many water agencies have been commenting on the Delta Plan, but not many local governments have responded, McDaniel said. "We (the county) may want to reinforce the concerns of other agencies that the people behind the Delta Plan are hearing."

Messina also asked about joining a water agency like the Association of California Water Users, a statewide group that lobbies on water issues.

McDaniel said Glenn County dropped out of the Northern California Association of Water Users because of the cost of dues, but the statewide group is less expensive to join.

Contact Rick Longley at 934-6800 or rlongley@tcnpress.com.