TO: Technical Advisory Group for the Napa County Groundwater Sustainability Agency
FROM: Brian D. Bordona, Director of Planning, Building and Environmental Services
REPORT BY: Jamison Crosby, Natural Resources Conservation Manager
SUBJECT: Presentation on Pajaro Valley Recharge Net Metering Program
RECOMMENDATION
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Andrew Fisher, Professor at University of Santa Cruz, and Lisa Lurie, Executive Director of the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County will make a presentation to the TAG on an innovative groundwater sustainability approach being implemented by the Pajaro Valley Groundwater Management Agency that incentivizes growers to capture and infiltrate surplus stormwater.
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Procedure
Staff introduces.
Questions and answers with the TAG.
Public comments.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Recharge Net Metering (ReNeM) is a community-based water management program that incentivizes growers to capture and infiltrate excess stormwater into the ground, replenishing depleted aquifers. It offers a sustainable and scalable approach to helping address water scarcity and enhance water security in agricultural regions. ReNeM is a partnership of the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency, the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, and researchers from University of California Santa Cruz, together with landowners and growers of the Pajaro Valley. More information is provided in the attached program summary sheet.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
A. Presentation on Pajaro Valley Recharge Net Metering Program (Andrew Fisher, Professor at University of Santa Cruz, and Lisa Lurie, Executive Director of the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, December 2025)
B. Recharge Net Metering Briefing Sheet