Page 24 - Beaumont Basin Watermaster

Section 3
Status of the Basin and Administration of the Judgment

It should be noted that all production by Appropriators is currently being metered; no information
is available as to the accuracy of existing meters.

During CY 2013, Appropriators pumped a combined amount of 14,537 ac-ft of groundwater from
the Beaumont Basin representing the third highest production year since the inception of the
Judgment. Groundwater production by Appropriators in CY 2013 was over 17 percent higher
than the 12,348 ac-ft recorded in CY 2012 (See Table 3-1J), but more than 13 percent lower
than the highest production level of 16,505 ac-ft pumped in CY 2007 (See Table 3-1E). With the
exception of BCVWD, all Appropriators pumped less than their share of the Operating Yield in
CY 2013 thus resulting in the addition of 5,758.2 ac-ft of water to their storage accounts.

Amongst appropriators, production by the City of Banning and YVWD increased significantly
from 2012; Banning’s production jumped by over 100 percent and YVWD’s by 47 percent.
BCVWD’s production increased by nine percent while production by SMWC decreased by 31
percent.

3.2.2 Overlying Party Production
Overlying Parties are defined in the Judgment as persons, or their assignees, that are part of the
Judgment and who are owners of land which overlies the Beaumont Basin and have exercised
Overlying Water Rights to pump therefrom. Overlying Parties include successors in interest and
assignees. Overlying Producers were assigned a share of the Basin’s Safe Yield, estimated in
2003 at 8,650 ac-ft/yr. Individual Overlying Producers may not pump more than five times their
assigned share of the Basin’s Safe Yield in any five-year consecutive period without incurring a
replenishment obligation.

Currently, there are 17 Overlying Producers in the Basin pumping from 22 groundwater wells.
The majority of the larger wells are metered; however, there is limited information as to the
accuracy of these meters. Production meters at the wells at the Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet
Canyon were calibrated at the end of 2012; copies of the results have been provided by the
Morongo Band of Mission Indians.

The remaining wells did not have meters for some or most of 2013 and their production is
estimated using the water duty method. This method was initially proposed by Wildermuth
Environmental Inc. (WEI), during the preparation of the 2005-06 Annual Report. After being
accepted by the Watermaster, an updated water duty method was developed by WEI and it has
been used since. The estimate of unmetered production for the CY 2013 Annual Report uses the
updated method developed by WEI as detailed in Appendix C.

It should be noted that production meters began to be installed at the end of 2013 as part of an
effort by the Watermaster agencies to obtain a closer production accounting from overlying
users. Installation of production meters at all wells is anticipated to be completed in CY 2014.

During CY 2013, five of the 17 Overlying Parties to the Judgment metered their wells.
Production for the Tukwet Canyon Golf Course was reported by the Morongo Band of Mission
Indians while production for the other four overlyers was collected and reported by BCVWD.

Beaumont Basin Watermaster 2013 Annual Report – DRAFT August 2014 3-4