New Fee Proposed for Well Owners & Water Systems

Dear Friends & Neighbors,

A new fee is being proposed for most well owners and water systems in North Monterey County. This fee is the result of the state demanding more extensive groundwater monitoring. My concern is that the fee will do nothing to improve the quality or quantity of water for much of North County.

The requirement for these fees dates to 2014. That is when California enacted new groundwater legislation known as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). This law provided for the creation of local groundwater sustainability agencies, in lieu of state control, to address decades of declining groundwater levels, which is a huge issue for all of California. In 2017, the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) was created, which must implement plans for sustainable groundwater management by 2040. Sustainability means as much groundwater is being recharged as is being used.

The northern SVBGSA boundary roughly runs along the ridges from east of the Elkhorn Slough to Highway 101 north of the Crazy Horse Canyon offramp. The areas to the north side of these ridges are overseen by the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency, which has its own groundwater sustainability agency.

North County is home to most of the smaller water systems in the county -- those with 2 to 199 connections. There are also many private well owners here. The simple fact is that North County will face the major brunt of these new fees.

Many North County residents do not realize that they have been funding the dams in South County since the 1950s. When Nacimiento Dam was built, its main purpose was flood control. For some reason, the hills of the greater Prunedale area (an area that includes Royal Oaks and Elkhorn, but which I will refer to as the North County highlands) were included in those assessments for dam maintenance, even though there is no realistic way that the North County highlands could be flooded. That is visible on property tax bills as Zone 2C.

Flood control is not the primary purpose of the dams now. That purpose is to recharge groundwater levels for agriculture and Salinas Valley residents as water flows down the Salinas River. The problem for residents in the North County highlands is that the Salinas River does not directly recharge the water that the residents in the hills of North County use. Most of our water comes from rainfall percolation. It is true that keeping higher water levels in the Valley may keep the water in North County from seeping outward, but that is only because the groundwater levels in the Salinas Valley are depleted. While I am not against the North County highland area continuing to pay Zone 2C fees for upkeep of the dams, I strongly believe that it is time the residents who have been paying various fees for 70 years deserve some benefit for their tax dollars.

There has never been a significant water project in this area of North County. Some years ago, there was an effort to put in a pipeline, but it died. In the two years that I have been on the Board of Supervisors, I have been strongly advocating that attention and resources need to be directed to this area of North County. I am reasonably optimistic that we are heading in that direction because of my persistent call for some action.

The SGMA legislation requires that the neglected areas of the North County highlands develop increased and more reliable groundwater monitoring. That costs money; hence the new fees. Our failure to develop this monitoring will open the door for the California State Water Resources Control Board to step in and directly regulate how we achieve groundwater sustainability. The one thing we do not want is to have Sacramento manage our water supply. We will have minimal input. That outcome will be much more unpleasant than a new fee.

The proposed new fees include initial and annual well registration that also includes groundwater extraction, water level and quality monitoring. The proposed new fees are likely to run approximately $200 a year per well. The original proposal was closer to $400 per well, but I called for that to be lowered.

Our options are limited as we must comply with state requirements. However, for the 20,000 to 25,000 people who live within the North County highlands, it is high time that they get some direct benefit for their taxes and fees. North County once had many more streams, ponds and wetlands. Encouraging their return, even seasonally, will enhance the water supply by increasing percolation. It is just one of the practical steps that can be taken. It is time for something to happen, especially if North County is once again being asked to fund Salinas Valley water projects with no direct benefit for itself.

As always, don't hesitate to reach out to my office for assistance. You can reach us at 831-755-5022 or district2@countyofmonterey.gov.

Sincerely,