From the California Water Commission:
The California Water Commission today released the next round of staff-recommended scores for eight proposed water storage projects seeking Proposition 1 funding.
The three scores released today evaluate the projects based on their ability to meet the state’s environmental and water quality priorities, their resiliency, and potential risks to construction or operation, as required by Water Storage Investment Program regulations.
“The latest round of scoring moves us one step closer to awarding funds to projects that will help ensure a reliable water supply for California for years to come,” Commission Chair Armando Quintero said.
The scores released today will be combined with public benefit scores, which build on public benefit ratios determined earlier this month, to create a final score on each project’s overall expected return on investment. The Commission will then use this final score to conditionally award nearly $2.7 billion in funding to help expand the state’s water storage capacity.
The eight projects under consideration collectively would add 4.3 million acre-feet of water storage capacity to California via diverse projects scattered throughout the state.
Proposition 1, approved by 67 percent of California voters in 2014, created a competitive process for funding projects based on their public benefit. The projects are being evaluated and ranked on criteria established in the Water Storage Investment Program regulations.
The projects are being scored by a team of scientists, engineers, hydrologists and other subject matter experts from the California Water Commission, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Department of Water Resources and the State Water Resources Control Board.
Additional detail on the scoring process is available in an FAQ here.
Today marks the beginning of the 30-day public comment period before the Commission meets to review and possibly adjust these scores. The Commission will make its determinations on the scores at its June 27-29 meetings. Preliminary funding decisions will be made in July.
A summary of the Commission’s staff-recommended determinations is below. Additional detail on the technical reviews is available here.
Staff Recommendations for Component Scores
Project Recommended Public Benefit Ratio and Non-Monetized Benefit (Max Score 33)
Recommended Relative Environmental Value Score (Max Score 27)
Recommended Resiliency Score (Max Score 25)
Recommended Implementation Risk Score (Max Score 15)
Chino Basin Conjunctive Use Environmental Water Storage / Exchange Program
23 24 12 10 Kern Fan Groundwater Storage Project
12 13 12 11 Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project
23 17 22 14 Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project
27 21 23 11 Sites Project
13 15 21 12 South Sacramento County Agriculture & Habitat Lands Recycled Water, Groundwater Storage and Conjunctive Use Program
12 27 20 15 Temperance Flat Reservoir Project
33 10 19 9 Willow Springs Water Bank Conjunctive Use Project
12 17 14 10 The nine-member California Water Commission is charged with advising the director of the California Department of Water Resources, approving rules and regulations, and furthering development of state policies that support integrated and sustainable water resources management. For more information regarding the California Water Commission visit www.cwc.ca.gov
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