REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
March 11, 2025
FROM
LUTHER SNOKE, Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
BRETT J. GODOWN, Director, Department of Airports
SUBJECT
Title
Delegation of Authority to the Chief Executive Officer to Execute Chino Basin Watermaster Forms
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Authorize the Chief Executive Officer to execute non-financial Chino Basin Watermaster Forms.
2. Authorize the Deputy Executive Officer or the Director of Airports to submit non-financial Chino Basin Watermaster forms to the Chino Basin Watermaster.
(Presenter: Luther Snoke, Chief Executive Officer, 387-4811)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) as this item is non-financial in nature.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Management of the Chino Basin aquifer is subject to the judgment entered in the case of Chino Basin Municipal Water District v. City of Chino, et al., San Bernardino County case No. 164327 effective as of July 1, 1977 (Judgment). The Judgment established the Chino Basin Watermaster (Watermaster) be comprised of three stakeholder groups, called Pools. Corresponding separate Pool Committees were formed as:
• Overlying Agricultural Pool Committee (dairymen, farmers, State of California);
• Overlying Non-Agricultural Pool Committee (area industries); and
• Appropriative Pool Committee (local cities, public water districts, and private water companies).
Each Pool Committee is responsible for the administration of its particular Pool.
The Judgment identifies the County as having specific water rights as follows:
1. Overlying Non-Agricultural Rights associated currently with the water used for the Chino Airport; and
2. Agricultural Rights associated with water used at facilities at Prado Regional Park and County-owned properties leased to agricultural users in the Chino Basin.
Additionally, the portion of Prado Regional Park used for the 1984 Olympics shooting contests, and now by a concessionaire operating a shooting park, were determined by the Watermaster to be an appropriative use of water and not an agricultural one (i.e., water must be purchased for this use).
Given the County’s water rights, administrative duties are required at times, including the completion of non-financial forms related to the County’s water rights. An example is a form that must be submitted annually by the Department of Airports, due to its seat on the Non-Agricultural Pool Committee, to the Watermaster exercising its right to carry over excess water for future use. Occasionally, the County is required to verify water production through a different Watermaster form. These forms do not include legally binding terms but are for Watermaster’s use in basin administration. If the Department of Airports no longer needed to carry over its excess water and instead wanted to sell it to a third party, that item would be brought to the Board of Supervisors (Board) for consideration for approval.
Approval of this item will authorize the Chief Executive Officer to execute non-financial Watermaster forms. Forms that include deviations from standard County contract terms, or involve monetary action will continue to be processed pursuant to County Policy and, as required, to the Board for review and approval.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Maria Insixiengmay, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on February 10, 2025; Airports (Brett J. Godown, Director, 387-8810) on February 10, 2025; Finance (Erika Rodarte, Administrative Analyst, 387-4919) on February 21, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on February 24, 2025.