REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 11, 2024
FROM
BEAHTA R. DAVIS, Director, Regional Parks Department
SUBJECT
Title
Mojave Basin Area Watermaster Payment
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RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve the Payment for Replacement Water Assessment to the Mojave Basin Area Watermaster for Mojave Narrows Regional Park in the amount of $565 per acre-foot for 833 acre-feet of water for the water year ending September 30, 2023, in an amount not to exceed $470,645.
2. Authorize the Purchasing Agent to issue a Purchase Order to Mojave Basin Area Watermaster in an amount not to exceed $470,645 for the costs identified in Recommendation No. 1.
(Presenter: Beahta R. Davis, Director, 387-2340)
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COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of these recommendations will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Regional Parks 2023-24 budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In 1966, groundwater rights in the Mojave Basin Area were adjudicated through a judgment in the City of Barstow et al. v. City of Adelanto et al. (Riverside County Superior Court Case No. 208568). Under the judgment, the County has a Free Production Allowance (FPA) to pump 1,147 acre-feet of water every year for use at Mojave Narrows Regional Park (Park).
The Department has received two letters from the Mojave Basin Area Watermaster. The first letter was received on February 29, 2024, indicating that the Mojave Narrows Regional Park had a replacement water obligation. This initial letter showed an 833-acre replacement obligation at a total cost of $470,645. This letter was a preliminary copy showing the Department's Replacement Water Assessment charges. The second letter was received on March 12, 2024, and provided a final obligation ...
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