Page 49 - Yucaipa Valley Water District

Director Memorandum No. 18-022 Page 3 of 22

SAN BERNARDINO BASIN GROUNDWATER COUNCIL FRAMEWORK
AGREEMENT

This SAN BERNARDINO BASIN GROUNDWATER COUNCIL FRAMEWORK
AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is entered into and effective this ___ day of ____________, 2018
by and among the City of Colton (“Colton”), the City of Redlands (“Redlands”), the City of Rialto
(“Rialto”), the City of San Bernardino Municipal Water Department (“SBMWD”), City of Loma
Linda (“Loma Linda”), East Valley Water District (“East Valley”), San Bernardino Valley
Municipal Water District (“Valley District”), San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District
(“Conservation District”), Fontana Water Company (“FWC”), West Valley Water District
(“WVWD”), Yucaipa Valley Water District (“Yucaipa”), Bear Valley Mutual Water Company
(“BVMWC”), and Loma Linda University (“LLU”) each of which is referred to as a “Party,” for
the purpose of coordinating the development and implementation of groundwater management
activities that individually or cumulatively address groundwater management in the Bunker Hill
Sub-basin of the Upper Santa Ana Valley Basin (“Basin”), and achieving groundwater
sustainability throughout the Basin.

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Parties to this Agreement all overlie, produce water from, or are
otherwise interested in the management and long-term sustainability of the groundwater basin
identified as the San Bernardino Basin Area; and

WHEREAS, California Department of Water Resources’ (“DWR”) Bulletin 118 defines
the Upper Santa Ana Valley Bunker Hill Sub-basin (No. 8-002.06), the boundaries of which, as
defined therein and as may be amended in the future, constitute the limits of the Basin covered
hereunder. A map depicting that Basin is attached hereto as Exhibit A. DWR Bulletin 118
presently classifies the Bunker Hill Basin as high priority.

WHEREAS, surface water and groundwater supplies in large portions of the Basin are
governed by a number of judicial decrees and contracts, including but not limited to the Orange
County Water District v. City of Chino et al. (Orange County Superior Court, Case No. 117628,
April 17, 1969) Western Municipal Water District of Riverside County v. East San Bernardino
County Water District et al. (Riverside County Superior Court Case No. 78426, April 17, 1969);
Big Bear Municipal Water District v. North Fork Water Company, San Bernardino Superior Court
Case No. SCV 165493, and City of San Bernardino v. Fontana Water Company, San Bernardino
Superior Court Case No.17030 (January 28, 1924).

WHEREAS, Water Code § 10720.8(a) identifies the San Bernardino Basin Area as an
adjudicated area. As such, this area is exempt from the Sustainable Groundwater Management
Act (SGMA) passed by the California Legislature in September 2014, other than providing certain
kinds of data to DWR per Water Code § 10720.8(f).

WHEREAS, notwithstanding that the Basin is not required to comply with SGMA, the
Parties to this Agreement wish to collaborate their efforts to identify their respective access to and
application of imported water supplies, and to harmonize use of such supplies with available
groundwater in the Basin. The goal is to ensure that the water imported into the Basin, and the

Yucaipa Valley Water District - February 6, 2018 - Page 49 of 175