Natural Heritage Institute
2140 Shattuck Avenue, Fifth Floor
Berkeley, CA 94704-1222
(510) 644-2900
Fax: (510) 644-4428
Sender's e-mail: [email protected]
December 16, 2002
Charles A. Rich
Chief, Complaints Unit
Division of Water Rights
State Water Resources Control Board
P.O. Box 2000
Sacramento, CA 95814
Re: Westside Groundwater Basin and Lake Merced (DWR reference 363:CAR:262.0(41-23-01)
Dear Mr. Rich
The City of San Bruno and the California Water Service Company have entered into contracts with the City and County of San Francisco to study the feasibility of a conjunctive use program. The study will test the impacts on the aquifer of a pilot program whereby San Bruno and Cal Water seasonally reduce aquifer pumping, and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (PUC) provides supplemental water from Hetch Hetchy. See Attachments 1 and 2.
San Francisco PUC is undertaking another pilot program of adding supplemental water directly to Lake Merced to test effectiveness of this strategy to manage the lake level. An initial test, conducted in October 2002, consisted of adding available Hetch Hetchy water to raise the lake level by a target of 12 inches above the level recorded on July 15, 2002. A total of 345 acre-feet of water was added at rates exceeding 10 MG/D. The resulting lake level was just under the specified target. A second test, planned for the period February 15 to April 15, 2003, will have a target level of 6 inches above the level recorded on February 15, 2003.
Daly City, through the North San Mateo County Sanitation District, has awarded a contract to construct the Tertiary Recycled Water Facilities addressed in our second progress report as filed May 21, 2002. These facilities will provide up to 2.8 MG/D of tertiary water to local golf courses and for other uses, as replacement for aquifer pumping. See Attachment 3.
Daly City and San Francisco PUC have completed construction of a stormwater interceptor on the Vista Grande Canal adjacent to Lake Merced. This winter, they will test a treatment method that may allow stormwater to be discharged directly into the lake in the future.
Luhdorff and Scalmanini Consulting Engineers (LSCE), as consultant to San Francisco PUC, continue to monitor a network of wells throughout the Westside Basin. The monitoring results will be used to test specific hypotheses about the relative influence of pumping and other factors on the level and quality of the aquifer and Lake Merced. See Attachment 4. For example, LSCE will evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program of adding Hetch Hetchy water to manage the lake level. LSCE has expanded the monitoring network since our second progress report, and the network now consists of a total of 23 wells and lake locations where permanent equipment is installed. IN addition, San Francisco PUC has applied to the Department of Water Resources for a grant to expand the network to better understand the potential for seawater intruction. See Attachment 5.
San Francisco PUC has engaged a consultant, EDAW, to study the availability and quality of habitat for fish and wildlife at different levels of Lake Merced. This study will assist in the eventual determination of the appropriate level for lake management. See Attachment 6.
Finally, San Mateo County has entered into a settlement with Committee to Save Lake Merced in a related case. See Attachment 7. It will amend its permitting ordinance to provide for environmental review for any proposed well exceeding 50 G/M or 1,000 G/D. It also will participate as appropriate in the ongoing mediation of this case.
On a going-forward basis, we request permission to vary the quarterly reporting required by your August 20 2001 letter. We have filed progress reports on a lesser frequency, as significant developments warranted reporting to assure that the Board and interested persons are current. We request that you permit us to continue to file these reports on a flexible basis, not less than semi-annually, whenever significant developments so warrant.
I am authorized to represent that counsel for City and County of San Francisco, Daly City, City of San Bruno, California Water Service Company, and Committee to Save Lake Merced have approved this progress report.
Please call me if you have any questions. Thank you for your cooperation.
Respectfully submitted,
(signed)
Richard Roos Collins
NATURAL HERITAGE INSTITUTE
Attorney for CALIFORNIA TROUT, INC.
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