To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: Candace Messner 707-291-3161
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Stream Maintenance Program 2024 Update
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to enter into agreements up to $100,000 as necessary to meet mitigation requirements imposed by regulatory agencies in connection with Sonoma County Water Agency’s Stream Maintenance Program, following review and approval by County Counsel as to form.
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Executive Summary:
The Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) Stream Maintenance Program was initiated in 2009. The Stream Maintenance Program addresses three primary flood maintenance activities: sediment management, vegetation management, and bank stabilization. The Stream Maintenance Program Manual and regulatory permits require that Sonoma Water enter into agreements with other organizations to mitigate the impacts of Stream Maintenance Program flood maintenance activities.
In 2010, the Board of Directors authorized Sonoma Water’s General Manager to enter into agreements up to $50,000 as necessary to meet mitigation requirements imposed by regulatory agencies in connection with the Stream Maintenance Program. In 2017, the Board of Directors authorized the General Manager to enter into such agreements up to $75,000. Sonoma Water recommends increasing this authority from $75,000 to $100,000.
Discussion:
Stream Maintenance Program
Sonoma Water maintains approximately 85 miles of engineered channels, including flood control channels, detention basins, and storm drain conduits; approximately 100 miles of modified and natural channels; and other related facilities (access roads, fence lines, reservoir inlets, and v-ditches). These facilities are located in the unincorporated areas of Sonoma County; in the cities of Cotati, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, and Sonoma; and in the Town of Windsor.
The Stream Maintenance Program has been implemented since its approval by the Board of Directors in June 2009. Sonoma Water implements flood control channel maintenance following specific requirements detailed in a Stream Maintenance Program Manual (Manual) and permits from regulatory agencies. The Manual was developed by Sonoma Water staff to provide the organizational framework to oversee routine stream and channel maintenance activities. It identifies best management practices and operations to improve habitat conditions and hydrologic function of Sonoma Water-maintained streams and channels and to balance the Stream Maintenance Program goals of flood protection, environmental sustainability, and efficient permitting.
Sonoma Water is authorized to implement the Stream Maintenance Program in compliance with existing environmental laws and regulations under programmatic permit approvals from the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Marine Fisheries Service, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Management and operation of the Stream Maintenance Program occurs as an annual cycle with a tight calendar sequence. As required by the Manual and regulatory permits, the work cycle begins with program-wide stream and facilities assessments. These assessments then guide the development of that year’s maintenance activities list, project descriptions, designs, and mitigation plans. By May 15 of each year, Sonoma Water develops and submits a Stream Maintenance Program workplan notification packet to relevant regulatory agencies. Projects and mitigation plans approved by regulatory agencies are then implemented during the summer and fall. The work cycle concludes with the development and submittal of an annual report describing the Stream Maintenance Program work conducted to regulatory agencies by January 31 of the following year.
The Stream Maintenance Program addresses three primary maintenance activities: sediment management, vegetation management, and bank stabilization. These core maintenance activities occur mainly in engineered flood control channels but may also occur in other facilities, such as in-channel engineered structures and sediment basins, on an as-needed basis. Maintenance activity impacts are greatly reduced through the avoidance and minimization measures described in the Manual. To address impacts not reduced or avoided through such steps, the Stream Maintenance Program implements a watershed mitigation approach that seeks to first compensate for the impacts at the specific project site (on-site mitigation), then expands to seek watershed opportunities (off-site mitigation). On-site mitigation activities include a robust planting program to develop a fuller riparian corridor, the removal of exotic and invasive species, and the construction of geomorphic features to enhance instream habitat and remove fish migration barriers.
Since 2009, over 29 miles and 96 acres of engineered flood control channels have been directly managed for sediment removal and on-site native plantings have been installed. Stream Maintenance Program on-site mitigation (direct restoration) has planted over 7,500 native trees and over 38,000 native shrubs and grasses.
Need for Subsequent Agreements for Mitigation
The Stream Maintenance Program implements a watershed mitigation approach to help meet program goals. The Manual and regulatory permits require that Sonoma Water enter into agreements with other organizations to help mitigate the impacts of Stream Maintenance Program sediment removal and bank stabilization activities off-site. This program, titled the Watershed Partnerships Program, requires that Sonoma Water contribute at least 10% of its annual sediment removal and bank stabilization construction costs to other organizations for additional watershed improvements, such as riparian habitat restoration and enhancement. Area restored or enhanced under the Watershed Partnerships Program is required to be a minimum of 10% of actual area impacted during each flood control maintenance year. This requirement offsets temporal impacts (time needed for habitat function to be restored following disturbance) of the Stream Maintenance Program’s sediment removal and bank stabilization activities. Restored areas must be monitored and maintained to meet success criteria for five consecutive years after initial implementation. Regulatory permits generally require native plant revegetation projects to meet success criteria at a minimum survival rate of 75% for installed plantings for five years. If the survival rate falls below 75% during that time period, then replacement plantings must be installed and maintained with the same survival requirement for five years after planting. Annual mitigation monitoring results are reported and proposed watershed improvements are approved as mitigation credit by the Stream Maintenance Program regulatory permitting agencies.
Since 2009, Sonoma Water has contributed $2,338,301 to meet off-site mitigation requirements for the Stream Maintenance Program through the Watershed Partnerships Program. The program assists local organizations and landowners to implement projects that improve water quality and restore habitats and ecosystem. Funding is prioritized for projects that also provide an opportunity to reduce sediment loading to flood control channels maintained by Sonoma Water. Sonoma Waters’ previous Watershed Partnerships Program agreements have been with multiple partners including Circuit Rider Productions, City of Santa Rosa, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, Point Blue Conservation Science, Sonoma Ecology Center, and Sonoma Resource Conservation District. Completed Watershed Partnerships Program have included native plant installation, cattle exclusion fencing, bank stabilization using biological revetments, and non-native plant species removal. The Watershed Partnerships Program has engaged over 3,500 local students and volunteers, helped to restore and enhance over 70 acres of riparian habitat, and installed and managed over 9,000 native trees and plants.
In addition to the Watershed Partnerships Program, Sonoma Water must enter into agreements with California Native American tribes and resource regulatory agencies to meet mitigation requirements in connection with the Stream Maintenance Program. For example, in order to mitigate for impacts of the Stream Maintenance Program on the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense), a federally endangered species, Sonoma Water must purchase mitigation credits in California tiger salamander preserves located on the Santa Rosa Plain.
Need for Increased Delegated Authority
The authority delegated to Sonoma Water’s General Manager to enter into agreements to meet mitigation requirements imposed by regulating agencies improves the feasibility of meeting the Stream Maintenance Program’s work cycle deadlines. This authority also improves the effectiveness of the Stream Maintenance Program at meeting mitigation requirements by saving staff time and reducing costs. This authority also supports the Watershed Partnerships Program, which provides opportunities for local organizations and landowners to accomplish watershed improvements that provide regional benefits.
In 2010, the Board of Directors authorized the General Manager to enter into agreements up to $50,000 as necessary to meet mitigation requirements in connection with the Stream Maintenance Program. In 2017, the Board of Directors authorized such agreements up to $75,000. Since 2017, there have been significantly increased costs in the goods and services necessary to fulfill the various mitigations required for the Stream Maintenance Program. These increases are attributable to rising prevailing wage rates, rising costs of goods and services, and the impacts of more frequent and extreme weather events including droughts and floods. These factors are increasing the need for contingency reserves in the budgets for Watershed Partnerships Program agreements in order to ensure required success criteria are met as efficiently as possible and within five years. For example, budget is needed to cover extended supplemental irrigation periods for restoration plantings in drought years. These increased costs are necessitating agreements over $75,000 in order to comply with Stream Maintenance Program mitigation requirements.
Recommendation
In order to facilitate the ongoing operation of the Stream Maintenance Program, Sonoma Water recommends that the Board of Directors authorize the General Manager to enter into mitigation-related agreements for the Stream Maintenance Program, provided that the amount to be paid by Sonoma Water does not exceed $100,000 and that the agreements are reviewed and approved by County Counsel as to form. Not providing authority for the General Manager to enter into agreements up to $100,000 for mitigation required for the Stream Maintenance Program will make it necessary to bring, on average, three to four mitigation agreements to the Board for consideration and approval each year, even though Sonoma Water must enter into such agreements to comply with the Stream Maintenance Program mitigation requirements. Allowing the General Manager to execute these agreements will save staff time and reduce the administrative cost of the Stream Maintenance Program.
County of Sonoma Strategic Plan Alignment
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Organizational Excellence
Goal: Goal 1: Strengthen operational effectiveness, fiscal reliability, and accountability
Objective: Objective 4: Streamline routine administrative procedures and workflows and delegate more signature authority to department heads in order to re-direct work force resources to more strategic priorities.
Sonoma Water Strategic Plan Alignment
This item directly supports Sonoma Water’s Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following goal, strategy, and action item.
Goal: 3. Environmental Stewardship - Protect and sustain our watersheds to maintain water resources, ecosystems, and communities.
Strategy: 3.2 Protect, enhance, and monitor natural resources, watershed conditions, and ecosystem health that are vital to the Russian River, Petaluma River, and Sonoma Creek watersheds.
Action Item: 3.2.1 Support collaborative efforts to improve habitat and pursue restoration opportunities that provide integrated regional benefit.
This subject action will help provide an efficient and effective Stream Maintenance Program and its Watershed Partnerships Program. The Watershed Partnerships Program identifies, funds, and implements collaborative habitat restoration and enhancement projects with local organizations that provide both watershed benefits and help the Stream Maintenance Program to comply with mitigation requirements imposed by regulating agencies.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
01/24/17: Authorized Sonoma Water’s General Manager to enter into agreements up to $75,000 as necessary to meet mitigation requirements imposed by regulatory agencies in connection with the Sonoma Water’s Stream Maintenance Program, following review and approval by County Counsel as to form.
07/13/10: Authorized Sonoma Water’s General Manager to enter into agreements up to $50,000 as necessary to meet mitigation requirements imposed by regulatory agencies in connection with the Sonoma Water’s Stream Maintenance Program, following review and approval by County Counsel as to form.
06/23/09: Approved and Certified Sonoma Water’s Stream Maintenance Program Final Environmental Impact Report and Project.
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY23-24 Adopted |
FY24-25 Projected |
FY25-26 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$300,000 |
$300,000 |
$300,000 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
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Total Expenditures |
$300,000 |
$300,000 |
$300,000 |
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Funding Sources |
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|
|
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General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
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Fees/Other |
$300,000 |
$300,000 |
$300,000 |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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|
|
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General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$300,000 |
$300,000 |
$300,000 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Up to $300,000 is budgeted annually in the Flood Control Zone funds for the Stream Maintenance Program and its mitigation activities.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
None
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None