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: Update on Implementation of the Water Conservation, Groundwater Pumping Reduction and Interconnected Surface Water/Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems Workplans
RECOMMENDATION
title
Receive an update on Napa Valley Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) implementation progress.
body
Procedure
Staff introduces.
Questions and answers with the TAG.
Public comments.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Overview of GSP implementation Progress
The GSP sets forth the Napa Valley Subbasin sustainability goal and provides a roadmap for implementation efforts. Following the NCGSA's adoption of the GSP in January 2022, GSA staff and technical consultants developed several workplans regarding interconnected surface waters and groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs), water conservation, stormwater resources, groundwater pumping reduction, and outreach. Since early 2024, workplan implementation has included implementing advanced technologies for water conservation, pumping reduction, potential utilization of surplus stormflows for managed aquifer recharge, measures for tracking and reporting groundwater use in the Subbasin, and assessments of GDEs within the Subbasin.
GSAs are required to evaluate their GSPs at least every five years; for the Napa Valley Subbasin, the Periodic Evaluation is due January 31, 2027. Among other elements, the Periodic Evaluation "shall describe whether the Plan implementation, including implementation of projects and management actions, are meeting the sustainability goal in the basin" (GSP Regulations 356.4). If progress towards achieving the sustainability goal by at least 2042 is not occurring, then the NCGSA may require mandatory actions to ensure that progress is being made to achieve the sustainability g...
Click here for full text