REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
January 11, 2022
FROM
LEONARD X. HERNANDEZ, Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
SUBJECT
Title
Appointment of Pool Committees Member and Alternative to the Chino Basin Watermaster
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve appointment of Steven Raughley (Administrative Analyst) to act as San Bernardino County’s representative and Bradley Jensen (Director of Governmental and Legislative Affairs) to act as San Bernardino County’s alternative representative on the Agricultural, Non-Agricultural, and Appropriative Pool Committees of the Chino Basin Watermaster.
(Presenter: Leonard X. Hernandez, Chief Executive Officer, 387-5417)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of these appointments will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost).
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 Superior Court 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 and the 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 developing policy recommendations for administration of its particular Pool.
The Judgment identifies San Bernardino County (County) as having specific water rights as follows:
1) Overlying Non-Agricultural Rights associated currently with 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 Watermaster to be
an appropriative and not an agricultural use (i.e., water must be purchased for this use).
As a holder of water rights and a user, the County is entitled to appoint a representative to each
of the three Pool Committees - Agricultural, Non-Agricultural, and Appropriative - to speak on
behalf of the County’s interests.
On January 5, 2021 (Item No. 14), the Board of Supervisors (Board) appointed Steven Raughley (Administrative Analyst) and Amanda Meere (Government Relations Analyst) to act as San Bernardino County’s representative and alternative representative, respectively, on the three Pool Committees of the Chino Basin Watermaster. It is recommended that the Board approve the appointment of Steven Raughley (Administrative Analyst), to act as the County’s representative on the three Pool Committees, and Bradley Jensen (Director of Governmental and Legislative Affairs) to act as the County’s alternate representative on the three Pool Committees.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Stephanie Gutierrez, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on January 5, 2022; Finance (Stephenie Shea, Administrative Analyst, 387-4919) on December 22, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Erickson, County Chief Financial Officer, 387-5423) on December 22, 2021.