Page 10 - Beaumont Basin Watermaster
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Section 1
Background
Supplemental replenishment water can be in the form of recycled water, imported State
Project Water, or other imported water. Replenishment can be accomplished by
spreading and percolation, injection, or in-lieu use of surface water or imported water.
A minimum of 200,000 ac-ft of groundwater storage capacity shall be reserved for
conjunctive use. Any person, party to the Judgment can make reasonable beneficial use
of the groundwater storage capacity for storage of supplemental water provided that it is
in accordance with a storage agreement with Watermaster.
Minimal producers, those producing less than 10 ac-ft/yr from the basin, and not listed in
the Judgment, are exempt from the provisions of the Judgment.
1.3 Watermaster Responsibilities
Under the Judgment, the Watermaster is granted discretionary powers to develop and
implement a groundwater management plan for the Beaumont Basin, including water quality
and quantity considerations and being reflective of the provisions of the Judgment.
In carrying out its duties, Watermaster is responsible for providing the legal and practical means
of ensuring that the waters of the Basin are put to maximum beneficial use. Specific
responsibilities are summarized below.
1.- Administer the Beaumont Basin Judgment. Watermaster operates under the Judgment
and the Rules and Regulations, which were originally adopted June 8, 2004, and subsequently
amended in 2006 and 2008. The Judgment and the Rules and Regulations establish the
procedures by which Watermaster accounts for the water resources of the Basin. Watermaster
has the power to collect administrative assessments from all Appropriators and replenishment
assessments from those parties (Appropriative and Overlying) pumping in excess of their
pumping right to fund its operations. Each year, Watermaster publishes an Annual Report,
which documents production and recharge activities in the Beaumont Basin.
2.- Approve Producer Activities. All producers must notify and obtain approval, as necessary,
from Watermaster for activities, such as recharging water, transferring or exchanging water,
storing local water, and storing or recovering supplemental water.
3.- Maintain and Improve Water Supply. On an annual basis, Watermaster determines the
amount of groundwater that each producer is entitled to pump from the Basin without incurring a
replenishment obligation. Further, Watermaster is responsible for facilitating and coordinating
the acquisition, recharge, and storage of imported water or other local supplemental water to
replenish and/or conjunctively manage the Basin to increase local supplies.
4.- Monitor and Understand the Basin. Watermaster is responsible for collecting information
from producers, and other cooperating agencies, in order to enhance its knowledge of how the
Basin works and manage it more effectively. Information collected by the Watermaster includes:
Water production, water level, and water quality information from the Appropriator
Parties.
Water production and water level information from the Overlying Parties.
Beaumont Basin Watermaster 2013 Annual Report – DRAFT – August 2014 1-3
