1. Sustainable Groundwater Sonoma Valley Governance
3/17/2015
Sustainable Groundwater
Management Act
Sonoma Valley Governance
March 27, 2017, Community Meeting

2. Agenda Welcome Meeting Purpose Summary & Background
3/17/2015
Agenda
Welcome
Meeting Purpose
Summary & Background
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act Requirements
Basin Conditions
Governance in Sonoma Valley
Board, Advisory Committee
Staffing & Funding
Next Steps/Timeline

3. SGMA Brief Summary Three medium priority basins must comply with SGMA
3/17/2015
SGMA Brief Summary
Three medium priority basins must comply with SGMA
Sonoma Valley
Petaluma Valley
Santa Rosa Plain
Became law in 2015
Affects Medium & high priority DWR Bulletin 118 basins: Sonoma & Petaluma Valleys, Santa Rosa Plain

4. Required Steps to Groundwater Sustainability
3/17/2015
Required Steps to Groundwater Sustainability
Step two
Develop Groundwater Sustainability Plan
January 31, 2022
Step three
Achieve Sustainability
20 years after adoption of plan*
Step one
Form Groundwater Sustainability Agency
June 30, 2017
We are currently focused on step one, Creation of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies or GSAs.
* DWR may grant up to two, five-year extensions on implementation upon showing of good cause and progress

5. Management Authorities under SGMA
3/17/2015
Management Authorities under SGMA
Groundwater Sustainability Agencies have authority to:
Conduct studies
Register & monitor wells
Set well spacing requirements
Require extraction reporting
Regulate extractions
Implement capital projects
Assess fees to cover costs
Required to Develop Groundwater Sustainability Plan by 2022
Go through this quickly!

6. Sonoma Valley Water Conditions
3/17/2015
Estimated Total Water Use: 17,900 Acre-Feet (2012)
Estimated Groundwater Use:
10,500 Acre-Feet (2012)
Urban demand primarily met through imported Russian River water
Agricultural and rural residential demand primarily met through local groundwater
At least 2,200 permitted groundwater wells

7. PROPOSED GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE IN SONOMA VALLEY
Forming Groundwater Sustainability Agencies
PROPOSED GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE IN SONOMA VALLEY

8. Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) Framework Structure
3/17/2015
Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) Framework Structure
Petaluma Valley
GSA & GSP
Sonoma Valley
GSA & GSP
Santa Rosa Plain
GSA & GSP
This framework grew out of stakeholder assessment.
People wanted local control of basins. People in Sonoma Valley want to make decision about what happens in the plain, they don’t want decisions made by Petaluma.
People also strongly felt that there should be robust coordination to ensure efficiencies and to stretch dollars.
An example of coordination is the recent $250K grant, which will provide a database and public data portal for all three basins.
This framework was vetted at public workshops in the fall
Vetted with all boards and councils
The working group has built it’s discussion from there.
1 GSA & 1 GSP per basin with formal coordination between basins

9. Local Implementation: GSA-Eligible Agencies
3/17/2015
Local Implementation: GSA-Eligible Agencies
PETALUMA VALLEY
SANTA ROSA PLAIN
SONOMA VALLEY
City of Petaluma
City of Cotati
City of Sonoma
North Bay Water District
City of Rohnert Park
Valley of the Moon Water District
County of Sonoma
City of Santa Rosa
Sonoma County Water Agency
City of Sebastopol
Sonoma Resource Conservation District
Town of Windsor
Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District
These are the agencies that are eligible to serve as GSAs in each of the three basins. SV highlighted.
The state has a process by which agencies can ask whether they are eligible. The agencies must be local agencies and have water supply, water management or land use responsibilities.

10. Possible Areas of Coordination Between Basins
Development of Groundwater Sustainability Plans
Data framework/management system
Basin boundary adjustments
Funding requests to external entities (such as the state)
Any activities that impact the adjacent basin
Communication with state and federal agencies
Projects that cross basin boundaries
Regulation development
Development of funding mechanisms
Public outreach and stakeholder engagement
Monitoring protocols and coordination with adjacent basins
Staffing

11. Adopted Principles for Developing GSA Governance Options
3/17/2015
Adopted Principles for Developing GSA Governance Options
Build upon existing cooperation and successful water management efforts in Sonoma County
Reinforce “local management” principles in SGMA
Share resources and identify cohesive approach
Costs should be equitably shared
Represent community stakeholders through advisory committees
Conduct robust and transparent outreach
(Don’t read; just refer to them.)
These principles have been reviewed by all boards and councils.
They are guiding staff discussions.

12. Proposed Governance: Sonoma Valley GSA Board
3/17/2015
Proposed Governance: Sonoma Valley GSA Board
GSA Eligibility: Determined by State
GSA Board: One rep from each GSA-eligible entity
Representation: Elected/appointed officials from each entity serve on board

13. Proposed Governance: Sonoma Valley
3/17/2015
Proposed Governance: Sonoma Valley
Voting: One vote per entity
Simple majority for “housekeeping” (contracts, setting meeting dates, etc.)
Super-majority vote (2/3%) needed for fees, regulations, budgets
Unanimous vote needed to assess entities (if additional funds are needed for operating the GSA)

14. Proposed Governance Sonoma Valley Advisory Body
3/17/2015
Proposed Governance Sonoma Valley Advisory Body
Strong advisory body: Created for stakeholder input
Purpose: Advise GSA Board on plan development & implementation
Appointments: Formal application process
Representation: Most entities prefer advisory panel open to community members and staff
Terms: Two-year terms
Transparency: Public process, Brown Act meetings
Decision-making: Charter & protocols
In all three basins we heard from the public regarding the importance of strong advisory body. Several people referred to the Ag & Open Space model.
The GSA board would also be provided the flexibility to create other working committees and advisory committees, including a TAC. Staff is recommending that initially, technical input be provided by the staff and consultants of the GSA-eligible agencies.

15. Advisory Body Role Advise GSA Board on:
3/17/2015
Advisory Body Role
Advise GSA Board on:
Development and implementation of Groundwater Sustainability plan
Regulations
Fees
Capital projects
Programs
Communications with stakeholder constituencies
The advisory bodies would have significant policy-making roles, through providing recommendations to the GSA board on a broad array of issues, including the groundwater sustainability plan itself and how that plan would be implemented through regulations, projects, programs and funding.

16. Proposed Governance Sonoma Valley Advisory Body
3/17/2015
Proposed Governance Sonoma Valley Advisory Body
GSA-ELIGIBLE ENTITY APPOINTMENTS
AT-LARGE APPOINTMENTS
One from each GSA-eligible entity
Represent SGMA-defined stakeholders
Total of six:
North Bay Water District
Sonoma County
Sonoma County Water Agency
Sonoma Resource Conservation District
Valley of the Moon Water District
City of Sonoma
Environmental representative
Rural residential well owner
Business community
Agricultural interest (surface water or GW user)
At-large community rep
At-large community rep (hydrologist/geologist preferred)
Appointed by boards/councils
Appointed by GSA Board
Formal application process encouraged
Formal application process
In Sonoma Valley, the advisory body would include 12 representatives. After the last public meeting, one additional community representative was added, with preference for a hydrologist/geologist.

17. Start-Up Costs Funding subcommittee formed representing all basins
3/17/2015
Start-Up Costs
Funding subcommittee formed representing all basins
3 start-up cost components:
GSP preparation (largest cost component)
Administration & operations
Development of revenue mechanism
Estimates compare well with estimates from other areas
Focusing on coordination & utilization of existing staff to reduce costs
Start-up costs will be covered by commitments from GSA-participating entities

18. Estimated Year One Start-Up Costs
3/17/2015
Estimated Year One Start-Up Costs
BASIN
YEAR ONE COSTS
Petaluma Valley
$470,000
Santa Rosa Plain
$460,000
Sonoma Valley
TOTAL
$1,400,000
Staff subcommittee worked for several months to develop an estimated range of costs for start-up period (between formation of GSA and creation of GSP, when fees could possibly be assessed).
This chart shows estimated first year costs – July 2017-June 30, 2018
Major costs included board and advisory body management; fee study; outreach.
We checked these numbers against estimates being developed in other areas of the state, and they are in line with what is being estimated.
These options include a high level of coordination between the basins.

19. Sonoma Valley Management & Staffing
3/17/2015
Sonoma Valley Management & Staffing
No new staff during first year
Valley of the Moon Water District will serve as interim administrator until GSA Board determines management structure
Other entities will provide in-kind services for:
Technical services
Monitoring
Fiscal services
Outreach
Staff from all entities will serve as sounding board for contracts and other issues
Staff subcommittee worked for several months to develop an estimated range of costs for start-up period (between formation of GSA and creation of GSP, when fees could possibly be assessed).
This chart shows estimated first year costs – July 2017-June 30, 2018and most significantly, development of groundwater sustainability plan.
We checked these numbers against estimates being developed in other areas of the state, and they are in line with what is being estimated.
These options include a high level of coordination between the basins, and the lower numbers assume that we will delay GSP tasks until year 2.

20. Final Decision Making on GSA Formation
Decision-makers: Boards and Councils of GSA-eligible agencies
Public Input: Public officials will consider public input
When? Spring 2017
How? Legal documents will be completed in April-May 2017 for approval by Boards and Councils

21. What’s Next
3/17/2015
Outreach on SMA
Fall 2015
Basin boundaries (req'd by DWR)
Dec 2015
Outreach on GSAs options
Fall 2016
Finalize GSAs Structure
April/May 2017
Public hearings
May/June 2017
Deadline: GSA Formation
June 30, 2017
April/May: Councils/Boards consider adoption of legal agreement
May/June: GSA holds public hearing to form
June: State notified of formation

22. Sonoma Valley Boards & Council Hearing Dates
3/17/2015
GSA-ELIGIBLE ENTITY
DATE FOR CONSIDERATION OF LEGAL AGREEMENT
City of Sonoma
May 1
Valley of the Moon Water District
May 2
County of Sonoma
April 25
Sonoma County Water Agency
Sonoma Resource Conservation District
April 27
North Bay Water District
TBD

23. Go online and join email list to receive monthly updates
3/17/2015
Resources & List
Go online and join list to receive monthly updates

24. Domestic Wells and SGMA
3/17/2015
Domestic Wells and SGMA
Referred to as “de minimis” users in SGMA
Use 2 acre-feet per year or less for domestic purposes
De minimis users are subject to SGMA, depending on local needs
GSAs will decide how de minimis users are incorporated
GSAs can decide to exclude or include
GSAs can decide on fees
GSAs cannot require metering
May be subject to reporting and fees to state if intervention occurs
Domestic wells can also be regulated by authorities (counties and cities, etc.) outside the scope of SGMA