In 2012, the Watermaster parties collectively agreed to enhance the management of the Six Basins beyond the execution of the Judgment by developing a Strategic Plan for the Six Basins (Strategic Plan). The Strategic Plan is a water-resources management program that sustains and enhances the water supplies available to the Six Basins in a cost-effective manner and in accordance with the Judgment. The development of the Strategic Plan was a multi-year effort that occurred in two phases.
The Phase I Draft Report for the Strategic Plan was completed in 2013 and included the following:
- A description of the physical water resources of the Six Basins.
- A description of the past, present, and future water demands of the water purveyors in the Six Basins, and the water supplies available to meet those demands.
- A description of the needs and wants of the parties, their common goals for management of the Six Basins, and the impediments to achieving those goals.
- A conceptual-level description of recommended Strategic Plan initiatives that, if implemented, will remove the impediments and achieve the goals of the parties.
Phase 2 of the Strategic Plan process was completed in December 2015 and included the following:
- A more detailed description of potential Strategic Plan projects that were developed on a conceptual level during Phase 1.
- The construction and calibration of a numerical, computer-simulation model of the Six Basins and the use it to evaluate the Strategic Plan projects.
- Economic and institutional evaluations of the Strategic Plan projects.
- A recommended Strategic Plan.
- An implementation plan.
- A draft final Strategic Plan Report.
Implementation of the Strategic Plan is in progress. The Watermaster will not construct and operate projects to implement the Strategic Plan but will provide support to project proponents. In July 2017, the Watermaster approved a Planning Proposal for Strategic Plan Implementation, which describes a three-year implementation program for the Watermaster to:
- Finalize and adopt the Final Strategic Plan report which included a final framework for defining projects that are consistent with Strategic Plan Goals, refinements to the proposed conceptual projects, and final implementation plan.
- Select a Lead Agency for environmental review of the Strategic Plan pursuant to CEQA.
- Prepare and certify a programmatic environmental impact report (PEIR).
- Update the Watermaster’s policies and procedures for review and approval of projects.
- Identify an apply for grants and low‐cost loans to support projects.
The Strategic Plan report was finalized in November 2017. The Three Valleys Municipal Water District (TVMWD) was selected as the Lead Agency for the environmental review pursuant to CEQA. On September 12, 2018, TVMWD distributed a Notice of Preparation of the PEIR for the Strategic Plan which requested that responsible and trustee agencies, other interested agencies, organizations, and the general public to provide input on the preparation of the draft PEIR. The PEIR will analyze the full set of environmental topics identified in the CEQA Environmental Checklist for significant environmental impacts. Therefore, no Initial Study has been prepared for the Strategic Plan.
Listed below are links to important documents related to the Strategic Plan and its implementation:
Strategic Plan for the Six Basins (Final Report, November 2017)
Note: This webpage and associated links will be updated as progress is made toward Strategic Plan implementation.
