John Fio led the EKI teams’ contribution to the successful procurement of $5.5 Million of Department of Water Resources (DWR) Prop 68 Grant Funds to Implement Groundwater Management in the Santa Ynez Basin in Santa Barbara County. The Team is currently providing Basin Wide coordination to the GSAs and implementing select tasks for SGMA Compliance and Implementation.
SGMA Implementation in the Santa Ynez River Basin – DWR Proposition 68 Grant Component Management and Implementation, Santa Barbara County, CA
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) delineated groundwater basins and subbasins in California and charged local agencies with managing groundwater for long-term sustainability. The Santa Ynez River Valley Groundwater Basin (Basin) comprises three groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) representing three management areas: the Western Management Area (WMA GSA), Central Management Area (CMA GSA), and Eastern Management Area (EMA GSA). Through a coordination agreement, the three GSAs are cooperatively implementing their Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) to manage groundwater in the Basin. The Santa Ynez Water Conservation District (District) is a member of all three GSAs and the Basin contact with the Department of Water Resources (DWR).
EKI, working for the City of Lompoc, and the District spearheaded the effort for the basin to win $5.5M in DWR Prop 68 Grant Funds to implement groundwater management in the Basin. The Grant Award funds eight Components, and the District is the Grantee and Grant Administrator for the award. The DWR will refund the GSP implementation activities by the GSAs described in these components through the Grantee as specified in the Grant Agreement between DWR and the District. EKI is assisting by coordinating GSA implementation of the:
- Well Extraction Measurement Demonstration Projects and Basin Reporting Program, and
- Monitoring Improvement and Expansion.
Part of EKI’s responsibility is to integrate the GSAs’ respective work products from these components into basin wide deliverables to DWR.
As the WMA GSA is the primary geographic focus for three other components, EKI is implementing the following:
- Stormwater Capture and Infiltration Project Design,
- Water Use Efficiency Strategic Plan, and
- Recycled Water Feasibility Study.
Meet EKI’s John Fio at: https://www.ekiconsult.com/people/
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