To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: Ann DuBay 521-1164
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Russian River Watershed Program and Sonoma County Watersheds Program
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
In an ongoing effort to improve watershed health through monitoring and restoration projects:
A) Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to execute the Second Amended Agreement for Funding of Russian River Watershed Program with Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District to continue to provide groundwater sustainability planning, reporting, and watershed health education and outreach. The second amended agreement increases the amount by $100,000, and extends the agreement term two years for a new not-to-exceed agreement total of $187,000 and end date of August 31, 2021.
B) Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to execute the Agreement for funding of the Sonoma County Watersheds Program with Sonoma Resource Conservation District through August 31, 2021 in the not-to-exceed amount of $120,000. Sonoma Resource Conservation District will conduct landowner outreach activities and provide funding development for watershed health and habitat restoration.
C) Adopt a resolution authorizing adjustments to the Board Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 for the Russian River Projects Fund, in the amount of $55,000.
(4/5th Vote Requirement)
end
Executive Summary:
This item requests authority for Sonoma County Water Agency's (Sonoma Water) General Manager to execute a second amended agreement with Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District (Gold Ridge) to add two years and $100,000 for groundwater sustainability planning, reporting and education, and collaboration within the community to restore resources and improve water quality and habitat. Gold Ridge will continue to conduct landowner outreach activities, water quality testing in tributary streams, and develop grants that could fund salmonid restoration projects to help improve Russian River watershed conditions.
This item also requests authority for Sonoma Water’s General Manager to execute a funding agreement with Sonoma Resource Conservation District (Sonoma RCD) through August 31, 2021, in the not-to-exceed amount of $120,000. Sonoma RCD will conduct landowner outreach activities and assistance, provide educational materials to sub-watershed groups and residents in the Russian River, Petaluma, and Sonoma Valley watersheds, and provide funding development for watershed health and habitat restoration.
Discussion:
Sonoma Water has a long history of partnership with Gold Ridge, Southern Sonoma, and Sonoma Resource Conservation (formerly Sotoyome RCD) Districts to provide technical and landowner assistance, public education and information, watershed stewardship, watershed monitoring, interagency coordination, resource enhancement, and planning assistance to local groups to help improve land management and restore fish habitat. The purpose of these funding agreements is to expand knowledge on the critical connection between landowner activities and the impacts on local creeks, streams and other water bodies. Sotoyome and Southern Sonoma Resource Conservation Districts combined in 2013 as Sonoma Resource Conservation District.
The Resource Conservation Districts are uniquely qualified to work directly with landowners with non-regulatory, cooperative agreements, and are a trusted source of accurate and useful information.
Amended Agreement between Sonoma Water and Gold Ridge
Gold Ridge's service area consists of 134,000 acres of diverse resources including streams, coastal areas, rangeland, woodland life and fisheries habitat, vineyards, orchards, and cropland, as well as rural and urban areas located in the Russian River and Bodega Bay watersheds.
Since 2001, Gold Ridge has received funding from Sonoma Water to create a long-term system of organization, training, communication, and improvements in land management to improve the health of the watershed and enhance and restore habitat for threatened fish species.
Sonoma Water and Gold Ridge worked cooperatively on past fishery resource-related projects including instream habitat improvement projects on Dutch Bill, Green Valley, Purrington, Atascadero, Redwood, and Freezeout creeks; coordinating water quality sampling on Dutch Bill Creek; and riparian planting and erosion control work on Purrington, Green Valley, and Dutch Bill creeks.
It is in the interest of Sonoma Water to work with and provide funding for Gold Ridge to partially carry out components of Gold Ridge's annual work-plan, which include salmonid restoration and improvements to tributary streams, and it is in the interest of Gold Ridge to work with Sonoma Water and carry out Russian River Watershed restoration activities.
Sonoma Water and Gold Ridge entered into an agreement for funding of the Russian River Watershed Program on October 25, 2017 in the amount of $60,000.
The First Amended Agreement, dated September 11, 2018, expanded the scope to include groundwater sustainability planning and reporting and increased the amount by $27,000 to fund the additional work.
Sonoma Water and Gold Ridge wish to continue the agreement, which also serves to educate landowners on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Coho, Captive Broodstock Program.
Agreement between Sonoma Water and Sonoma RCD
Sonoma Water and Sonoma RCD have previously entered into agreements for funding of cooperative Russian River Watershed programs. The most recent agreement expired on December 31, 2015. Under the proposed agreement, Sonoma RCD will conduct landowner outreach activities and assistance; provide educational materials to sub-watershed groups and residents in the Russian River, Petaluma, and Sonoma Valley watersheds; and provide funding development for watershed health and habitat restoration.
It is in the interest of Sonoma Water to work with and provide funding for Sonoma RCD to improve Sonoma Water’s understanding of watershed conditions; create opportunities to educate agricultural and urban communities about key issues, including groundwater, water conservation, storm water and rainwater catchment, and development of habitat enhancement; and to enhance Sonoma Water’s goals of protecting water quality, improving watershed health, and building community partnerships.
SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED
Amended Agreement between Sonoma Water and Gold Ridge:
Under the proposed amended agreement, Gold Ridge will continue to conduct landowner outreach activities, water quality testing in tributary streams, and develop grants that could fund salmonid restoration projects to help improve Russian River Watershed conditions. In addition, recent changes to regional groundwater management calls for closer coordination with landowners living within the Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Basin. Gold Ridge will serve as a liaison to those communities and contribute to the overall development of a Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Basin.
The cost of services will not exceed $50,000 in fiscal year 2019/2020 and $50,000 in fiscal year 2020/2021. The total agreement amount is $187,000. The new end date is August 31, 2021.
Agreement between Sonoma Water and Sonoma RCD:
Under the proposed agreement, Sonoma RCD will conduct landowner outreach activities and assistance, provide educational materials to sub-watershed groups and residents in the Russian River, Petaluma, and Sonoma Valley watersheds, and provide funding development for watershed health and habitat restoration.
The cost of services will not exceed $60,000 in fiscal year 2019/2020 and $60,000 in fiscal year 2020/2021. The total agreement amount is $120,000. The term end date is August 31, 2021.
Each agreement includes two options for Sonoma Water to extend the agreements for a period of one year each by providing written notice to the other party thirty days in advance of the expiration date of the agreement and of the first extension option.
Prior Board Actions:
09/11/2018: Approved first amended agreement between Sonoma Water and Gold Ridge for funding of Program. Cost $87,000; term end August 31, 2019.
09/19/2017: Approved agreement between Sonoma Water and Gold Ridge for funding of Program. Cost $60,000; term end August 31, 2019.
12/15/2015: Board Chair executed Agreement for Funding of Gold Ridge's Program between Sonoma Water and Gold Ridge, a two-year agreement in the amount of $60,000.
09/16/2014: Board Chair executed the First Amended Agreement for Funding of Gold Ridge's Program (2013/2014) between Sonoma Water and Gold Ridge, adding $11,000, expanding the scope total of $55,200 and end date of June 30, 2015.
03/19/2013: Board Chair executed the Agreement for Funding of Gold Ridge's Program (2013/2014) between Sonoma Water and Gold Ridge, a two-year agreement in the amount of $44,200.
12/14/2010: Board Chair executed the Agreement for Funding of Gold Ridge's Program (2011/2012) between Sonoma Water and Gold Ridge, a two-year agreement in the amount of $37,000.
12/14/2010: Board Chair executed the Agreement for Funding of Sonoma’s Program (2011/2012) between Sonoma Water and Sonoma, a two-year agreement in the amount of $37,000.
05/13/2013: Board Chair executed the Agreement for Funding of Sotoyome's Program (2013/2015) and for Mill Creek assessment between Sonoma Water and Sotoyome, a two-year agreement in the amount of $92,109.
06/09/2009: Board Chair executed the Agreement for Funding of Gold Ridge's Program (2009/2010) between Sonoma Water and Gold Ridge, a two-year agreement in the amount of $50,000.
04/10/2007: Board Chair executed the Agreement for Funding of Gold Ridge's Program (2007 /2008) between Sonoma Water and Gold Ridge, a two-year agreement in the amount of $53,000.
09/24/2004: Board Chair executed the Agreement for Funding of Gold Ridge's Program between Sonoma Water and Gold Ridge, a two-year agreement in the amount of $30,000.
01/15/2002: Board Chair executed the Agreement for Funding of Gold Ridge's Russian River Watershed Efforts between Sonoma Water and Gold Ridge, a two-year agreement in the amount of $50,000.
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY 19-20 Adopted |
FY20-21 Projected |
FY 21-22 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
$55,000 |
$110,000 |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
$55,000 |
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Total Expenditures |
$110,000 |
$110,000 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
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Fees/Other |
$55,000 |
$110,000 |
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Use of Fund Balance |
$55,000 |
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Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$110,000 |
$110,000 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Amended Agreement between Sonoma Water and Gold Ridge
Budgeted amount of $35,000 is available from FY 2019/2020 appropriations for the Russian River Projects fund. Additional appropriations of $15,000 are required to process this expense. With Board approval of the attached budgetary resolution, FY 2019/2020 appropriations of $15,000 will be made in the Russian River Projects fund. FY 2020/2021 appropriations will be budgeted in that fiscal year.
Agreement between Sonoma Water and Sonoma RCD
Budgeted amount of $20,000 is available from FY 2019/2020 appropriations for the Russian River Projects fund. Additional appropriations of $40,000 are required to process this expense. With Board approval of the attached budgetary resolution, FY 2019/2020 appropriations of $40,000 will be made in the Russian River Projects fund. FY 2020/2021 appropriations will be budgeted in that fiscal year.
With Board approval of the requested additional appropriations, in the amount of $55,000, the Russian River Projects Fund ending fund balance will be approximately $543,000.
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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:
Attachment 1: Resolution
Attachment 2: Second Amended Agreement with Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District
Attachment 3: Agreement with Sonoma Resource Conservation District
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None