Page 18 - Beaumont Basin Watermaster - DRAFT 2016 Annual Report

Section 2
Watermaster Activities

flows that occur within their service area as a result of their activities. The return policy is to
be brought back to the Committee for additional discussion.

ƒ Conditions Related to the Groundwater Storage Agreement in the Beaumont Basin for the
San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency (SGPWA) [Memorandum 16-21]. Member Zoba
reported that the Committee is ready to move forward with the agreement subject to the five
conditions and that an update will be provided at the next meeting. SGPWA’s General
Manager made a commitment to have something for Committee consideration at the
February 2017 regular meeting.

2.2.4 Redetermination of Safe Yield

Under the Judgment (2003) the Safe Yield of the Beaumont Basin was established at 8,650 ac-
ft/yr. to be distributed among the Overlying Producers. The Judgment indicates that the Safe
Yield of the Beaumont Basin shall be redetermined at least every 10 years beginning 10 years
after the date of entry of the Judgment (February 4, 2004).

At the February 2013 Watermaster meeting, the Watermaster Committee authorized a study to
develop a hydrologic model of the groundwater basin to be used as a tool in the re-evaluation of
the safe yield of the basin. At the February 2015 Watermaster meeting a formal presentation of
the final-draft document was made to provide members of the Committee with an opportunity to
ask questions and addressed any unresolved issues. The final document was presented for
approval and adoption at the April 2015 Watermaster meeting.

Resolution No. 2015-01 was adopted at the April 1 , 2015 Regular Watermaster Committee
st
meeting. Through this resolution, the Final 2013 Reevaluation of the Beaumont Basin Safe Yield
Report and Redetermination of the Safe Yield of the Beaumont Basin were adopted.

The Beaumont Basin Watermaster re-determined the Safe Yield of the Beaumont Basin to be 6,700
ac-ft per year.

2.3 Storage Applications and Agreements

The first applications to use the Basin for storage purposes were approved in FY 2005-06 when
Watermaster approved applications by Banning, BCVWD, SMWC, and YVWD to store up to
135,000 ac-ft of water in the Basin. The City of Beaumont’s application to store water was
approved by Watermaster in FY 2007-08 bringing the total storage allocation to 157,000 ac-ft. In
FY 2009-10, Watermaster approved additional applications by Banning, BCVWD, Beaumont,
and YVWD to increase the total storage allowed to 260,000 ac-ft. It is our understanding that
the Watermaster Committee has not yet amended the respective Storage Agreements to reflect
the current storage limits.

An application for a storage agreement was received by the Watermaster from the San
Gorgonio Pass Water Agency (SGPWA) in mid 2010 and brought for discussion at the summer
of 2012. The application was rejected because it was determined to be incomplete.

An application for a storage agreement was also received from the Morongo Band of Mission
Indians at the December 2012 meeting. Watermaster deemed the application incomplete and

Beaumont Basin Watermaster 2016 Annual Report – DRAFT – August 2017 2-5