Page 25 - Beaumont Basin Watermaster - DRAFT 2016 Annual Report

Section 3
Status of the Basin and Administration of the Judgment

Annual production by well for each of the five Appropriative Parties for the CY 2003-2011 period
is summarized in Table 3-1A while monthly production for the last five years of operation (CY
2012-16) are presented in a series of tables starting with Table 3-1B for CY 2012 and continuing
on an annual basis through Table 3-1F for CY 2016. Tables 3-1B (2012) and 3-1C (2013) also
include the overall Temporary Surplus Allocation and the amount of unused production that is
eligible for storage for each Appropriator. The year 2013 was the last year that the Temporary
Surplus was allocated. It should be noted that all production by Appropriators is currently being
metered; however, no information is available as to the accuracy of existing meters.

During CY 2016, Appropriators pumped a combined amount of 11,989.70 ac-ft of groundwater
from the Beaumont Basin representing the fifth lowest annual production year since the inception
of the Judgment. While groundwater production by Appropriators in CY 2016 was 8.1 percent
higher than 2015 production, it was approximately 10 percent lower than the 10-year running
average of 13,270 ac-ft/yr.

Compared to groundwater production totals for CY 2015, production for individual agencies in
CY 2016 was mixed. The City of Banning production dropped by 12 percent; however,
production by BCVWD and SMWC increased by 13 percent and 11 percent respectively.
Production by YVWD was rather minimal as less than five ac-ft were pumped during the year. A
comparison of production against a 10-yr running average, all agencies underproduced.
BCVWD production was lower by less than one percent while production by the City of Banning
and SMWC were lower by 23 and 17 percent respectively. YVWD production was less than one
percent of the 10-yr average.

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. All
active wells operated by the larger producers are metered. Meters were installed by individual
owners or as part of an effort initiated by Watermaster in 2013 to obtain a closer production
accounting from Overlying Parties. Production from metered wells represented close to 99
percent of the total production by Overlying Parties in CY 2016.

The remaining wells, operated by smaller producers, did not have meters for some or most of
2016 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 2016
Annual Report uses the updated method developed by WEI as detailed in Appendix C.

Beaumont Basin Watermaster 2016 Annual Report – DRAFT – August 2017 3-4