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Home My WebLink About11/12/97cITy OF ~i WATER BOARD Mark Salvaggio, Chair Patricia M. Smith, Vice-Chair Jaequie Sullivan CITY OF BAKERSFIELD WATER BOARD MEETING WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1997 - 4:30 PM Water Resources Building Conference Room 1000 Buena Vista Road, Bakersfield, CA AGENDA 1). CALL MEETING TO ORDER 2). ROLL CALL 3). APPROVAL OF JULY 15, 1997 MINUTES 4). SCHEDULED PUBLIC STATEMENTS 5). DEFERRED BUSINESS A. KERN RIVER OPERATIONS - EL NllrqO/KERN RIVER CHANNEL MAINTENANCE UPDATE. B. SOUTHWESTERN WILLOW FLYCATCHER - UPDATE ON CURRENT ACTIVITIES. 6). NEW BUSINESS A. PROPOSITION 204 - KERN RIVER PARKWAY PROPERTY FUNDING STATUS. B. TEN MILLION GALLON RESERVOIR COMPLETION. C. KERN RIVER PARKWAY - STATUS OF RECREATIONAL FLOW PROGRAM. 7). CLOSED SESSION A. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - EXISTING LITIGATION. CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54956.9(a) KERN DELTA WATER DISTRICT vs. NORTH KERN WATER STORAGE DISTRICT, et al., TULARE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT CASE Nm. 96-172919. 8). CLOSED SESSION ACTION 9). ADJOURNMENT GenealOgy, Water! Resources Manager ! POSTED: November 5. 1997 A:\WBNVI2AGE 1000 BUENA VISTA ROAD · BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA 93311 · (805) 326-3715 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE WATER BOARD - CITY OF BAKERSFIELD Held Wednesday, November 12, 1997, Water Resources Conference Room, 1000 Buena Vista Road, Bakersfield, CA 93311. 1. The meeting was called to order by Boardmember Salvaggio at 4:32pm. 2. Present: Mark Salvaggio, Chair Patricia M. Smith Jacquie Sullivan (seated at 4:37pm) 3. Boardmember Salvaggio made a motion to approve the minutes of the Special Meeting held July 15, 1997. Motion carried. 4. Mr. Bogart introduced Bill Cooper of the Kern River Parkway Committee to speak before the Board. The Parkway Committee is concerned about an exotic plant problem in the river that may eventually affect water operations of the City. Mr. Bogart requested that staff be allowed to follow-up on the eradication of these plants. Mr. Bogart will get back to the Board with a memo regarding this situation. 5. Deferred business 5A. Hydrographic Supervisor Steve Lafond gave an update on the Kern River operations, El Nifio and Kern River channel maintenance. a. The 1997 water year ended September 30, 1997, the Kern River produced in excess of 1.2 million acre-feet during the 1997 water year. The average water year yield on the Kern River is roughly 700,000. Lake Isabella currently is holding 258,000 acre-feet. Withdrawals of storage in the reservoir are to continue through the Thanksgiving holidays. Barfing any unusual or unforseen activity in the watershed, we expect to be a 245,000 acre-feet for the winter carryover. b. Regarding the El Nifio, peak ocean temperatures are beginning to fall with the October Ist benchmark now shows that the warming trend has reversed. However, expert forecasters have predicated above normal rains for California this winter. The primary concerns of damage from E1 Nifio are the Los Angeles basin and the southern coastline of California where extremely high tides will be occurring in late December and the month of January. c. During the past five weeks maintenance has been completed on sections of the Kern River channel through Bakersfield concentrating on the area above the Calloway River Weir; around the 99 Highway bridge; Coffee Road weir and the "2800 Acres." For Board information only, no action required. 5B. Mr. Core gave an update on current activities regarding the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher situation. A lawsuit has been filed by the Southwest Center for Biological Diversity against the United States Corps of Engineers and United States Fish and Wildlife Service indicating violations of the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Federal Advisory Committee Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act. A main issue is excess carryover allowed in Isabella Reservior that causes a portion of the South Fork Valley to be inundated at times, diminishing the Flycatcher's habitat. As restitution, the Southwest Center is asking the Corps of Engineers to abate operations affecting the habitat of the Flycatcher, mitigate the damages and loss of habitat along the shores of the lake and cease operating with an excess carryover capacity. The City has also received a copy of a letter stating the Southwest Center intends to file a lawsuit against the Kern River Watermaster on the carryover operation of Lake Isabella indicating the Watermaster is libel for damages to the habitat. The City has historically stayed within normal carryover limitations as established by flood control criteria of the Corps of En~,dneers. The City of Bakersfield has not been named in either action by the Southwest Center nor' has any individual Kern River Interest. Two of the Interests, North Kern Water Storage District and Buena Vista Water Storage District, want to intervene in the lawsuit against the Corp of Engineers and Fish and Wildlife Service. Staff recommends that City not join on an intervention at this time. The Board indicated agreement that no financial participation by the City is warrantext on these issues and concluded no formal action is necessary at this time. 6. New business 6A. Mr. Bogart presented to the Board Proposition 204, Kern River Parkway property funding status. Don Anderson from the City Property Management Division and Debby Townsend of the Califomia : Wildlife Conservation Board, toured the properties eligible for the grant monies. The properties will be appraised and prioritized for acquisition. The owners have previously been contacted and some may be interested on a willing seller basis. The negotiations will begin after the highest priority properties are appraised first. If the owner is an unwilling seller, we will go to the next priority property owner on the list and negotiate with them. It is unknown at this time how much acreage will be able to be purchased 'with the $500,000 funding. For Board information, no action required. 6B. The Domestic Water Division Ten Million Gallon Reservoir has been completed within budget and below estimates submitted to the state for our loan. There were change orders amounting to less than $20,000 on this $4,000,000 project. The reservoir is online and ming. For Board information only, no action required. 6C. The status of the Kern River Parkway recreational flow program was brought before the Board by Mr. Core. In December 1996 there was a joint resolution between the Kern County Water Agency and the City of Bakersfield to proceed with the development of a water management program to maximize and increase flows in the Kem River Parkway during the recreation season, defined as the peak summer months. This is to be accomplished through the coordination of water resources and facilities available to both parties. ~Ma agreement is being drafted and should be available for the Board at the next meeting. For Board information only, no action required. 7. Closed Session. The meeting adjourned to Closed Session at 5:42pm. 2 7A. Conference with legal counsel - existing litigation, closed session pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(a) Kern Delta Water District vs. North Kern Water Storage District, et al, Tulare County Superior Court Case No. 96-172919. The meeting reconvened at 5:45pm. 8.Received update, no action taken. 9.The meeting adjourned at 5:45pm. Mark Salvaggio, Chair City of Bakersfield Water Board Sharon Robison, Secretary City of Bakersfield Water Board 3