WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency Board of Directors on Wednesday voted unanimously to certify the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) and approve the College Lake Integrated Resources Management Project.
“This project was ranked by the Basin Management Plan (BMP) Committee as one of the most cost-effective new water supplies to help stop groundwater overdraft and reach groundwater sustainability. Without this project, I don’t see a clear path to sustainability for the Pajaro Valley,” said Board Chair Amy Newell in a press release. “This approval keeps us moving toward our long-held goals of stopping groundwater overdraft and halting saltwater intrusion into our freshwater aquifers.”
Versions of the College Lake Project have been incorporated into planning documents for almost 30 years.
The PV Water Board directed staff to begin preparing the Environmental Impact Report in January 2017. The Project is anticipated to yield an average of 1,800-2,300 acre-feet per year of water.
“Approval of the College Lake Integrated Resources Management Project marks a pivotal step toward groundwater sustainability,” PVWMA General Manager Brian Lockwood. “Next steps for the Project include continued stakeholder outreach, evaluating grants and other funding opportunities, and pursuing environmental permits. In addition, the Board restated its commitment to forming a technical advisory committee to facilitate the development of an Adaptive Management Plan (AMP).”
The creation of the AMP, which would give PVWMA a roadmap to make adjustments to the plan if new information or concerns arise during implementation, was one of few issues that surfaced during the public comment portion of Wednesday night’s meeting. It was also a topic of contention when PVWMA released the FEIR for public feedback earlier this month.
Vice-chair Bob Culbertson, however, said Wednesday the FEIR did, in fact, state the organization had a “legal” responsibility to create the AMP, which could not be completed until FEIR was approved and the necessary permits were obtained.
“The commitment for the plan was there,” Culbertson said.
Most of the public on hand Wednesday was in favor of the plan, including representatives from some of the area’s top farms that are expected to lose a few acres as a result of the project.
Board member Javier Zamora, a farmer in the Pajaro Valley, said, like many decisions the board has to make, there are negatives and positives with the project.
“You might feel like you’re getting a little sour taste because you might not be getting what you wish you could get, but we don’t always get what we want,” Zamora said. “Just think about the positive impact this will have if we sacrifice now.”
