Page 9 - Beaumont Basin Watermaster

B. Presentation of the Draft 2017 Consolidated Annual Report and Engineering Report

Recommendation: No recommendation.
Engineer Hannibal Blandon drew attention to the document for member review
and comment. It must be finalized at the March meeting: he reminded
members the meeting date was changed to accommodate the April 1 deadline.

Mr. Blandon reviewed two resolutions passed in 2017.
Mr. Blandon noted the 100 year average precipitation from 1918 to 2017 was
17.16 inches annually. He pointed out changes in tracking of different types of
water rights as part of the adjudication. Production rights of appropriators are
now based on transfers of underproduction from overlying parties or other
appropriators, purchase of water, and maintenance of a storage account in the
Basin.
In 2017, production was 13,462 Acre-Feet (AF), slightly higher than the 5-year
average. The highest production recorded was in 2007 at 16,505 AF. Water
production has been inching up toward that number each of the last three
years. The operating safe yield was revised in 2013 to 6,700 AF.

To create the report, production information is requested from the overlying
users, and there is an issue with the Plantation by the Lake. Previous reports
must be revised, as there is a significant discrepancy with how the data has
been reported for the last few years.

Mr. Blandon discussed the transfer of overlying rights from Oak Valley Partners
to Yucaipa Valley Water District under an agreement that YVWD will provide
water to the development.

Member Warsinski expressed concern about the data as reported. He
suggested a smaller time span sample of Cumulative Departure from the Mean
Precipitation than the 100-year data in the chart. Mr. Blandon will add a smaller
data set with the final version.
Mr. Tom Harder addressed the preliminary 2017 Operating Safe Yield
Estimates, indicating 2,289 AF of operating safe yield, which is significantly
lower than it has been in the past. The average from 2012-2017 is about 6,000
AF per year, so it is running a bit below the long-term safe yield. There is not
a lot of change in storage from precipitation. He shared the 2016-17 changes
in groundwater elevation noting increases in water levels around the Noble
Creek recharge facility and downward trends at Tukwet Canyon and Beaumont
Well 29.
Mr. Blandon said area water quality meets state and federal standards with
the exception of one well which once exceeded the notification limit for
Vanadium.
Member Zoba asked about the potential of developing a water recharge policy
now that the model is in place and calibrated. Mr. Blandon explained more
information on discharge would be needed. Mr. Harder added that more
investigation is needed, and recommend putting in some monitoring wells.
It was suggested to attach the slides as appendices to the report and include
graphs of safe yield.

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