TO: Napa County Planning Commission
FROM: Brian D. Bordona, Director of Planning, Building and Environmental Services
REPORT BY: Patrick Ryan, Assistant Director of Planning, Building and Environmental Services
SUBJECT: Presentation on Public Draft 2026 Water Availability Analysis
RECOMMENDATION
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Receive a presentation on the Napa County Public Draft 2026 Water Availability Analysis (WAA) Guidance document and supplemental Technical Report.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Public Draft 2026 WAA Guidance supports groundwater policies in the Napa County General Plan (2008) which will undergo an comprehensive update starting in summer 2026. Through proper management, water conservation, and ongoing stewardship of natural resources, the groundwater and interconnected surface water resources found within the County can be sustained for future generations.
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.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
In a presentation to the Groundwater Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on January 12, 2023, (then) Interim Director of Planning Building and Environmental Services (PBES), Brian Bordona, provided background information on the chronology of events which led to the development and evolution of Napa County's Water Availability Analysis (first adopted in 1991 and revised in 2015) and set the stage for further revisions which have been incorporated into the 2026 Public Draft WAA Guidance document.
The Napa County Board of Supervisors (BOS) is committed to preserving groundwater for agriculture and rural residential uses within the County. The Public Draft 2026 WAA Guidance supports groundwater policies in the Napa County General Plan which will be updated starting in summer 2026 following the completion of an updated Baseline Data Report (BDR) which was released to the public in March 2026. Throug...
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