Borrego Springs Watermaster: March 14 2024

March 14, 2024, Meeting: Key Decisions and Future Directions

The Borrego Springs Watermaster Board Meeting, held on March 14, 2024, focused on several critical areas affecting the local community and the overarching goal of sustainable water management. The session began with acknowledgments of public correspondence, ensuring the community's voice is heard and considered in the board's deliberations.

A highlight of the meeting was the presentation of the Water Year 2023 Financial Audit, which concluded with a "clean" unmodified opinion, indicating sound financial health and transparency. The audit revealed an increase in the Watermaster's net position and revenues, thanks in part to grants and administrative assessments, alongside a detailed review of expenses primarily related to grant activities.

The Water Year 2023 Annual Report was another focal point, incorporating public comments and outlining the meticulous process undertaken to finalize the report. Despite some comments falling outside the report's scope, such as land subsidence and the quantification of land fallowing impacts, the document is a comprehensive reflection of the past year's activities and findings.

The board engaged in a thoughtful discussion on adopting "Best Available Science" in their decision-making processes. A proposed policy statement aimed to clarify the board's stance on this matter, emphasizing reliance on independent technical advice and prioritizing technical matters based on the board's directives.

Addressing abandoned wells through grant-funded initiatives was also discussed, with plans to utilize a $320,000 SGM grant for identifying and dealing with improperly abandoned wells, either by converting them to monitoring wells or securely destroying them.

An update on the redetermination of the sustainable yield shed light on ongoing efforts to recalibrate models and ensure they accurately reflect current water usage and historical irrigation practices, underscoring the board's commitment to data-driven management.

The meeting also included reports from legal counsel, technical consultants, and the executive director, offering updates on a range of projects from meter accuracy testing to the biological restoration of fallowed lands.

Looking ahead, the board laid out the agenda for the next meeting on April 18, 2024, and provided a glimpse into tentative topics for future discussions, ensuring continued focus on sustainable water management and community engagement.

For more detailed information and access to past meeting records, please visit the Borrego Springs Watermaster website: Past Watermaster Meetings.

• March 14, 2024: Agenda – Agenda Package – Agenda Package Addendum – HANDOUT II.A.i – HANDOUT III.C – Presentation – Minutes – Recording



Stipulated Judgment and Groundwater Management Plan

• Stipulated Judgment (including exhibits), as entered April 8, 2021
• Groundwater Management Plan (Exhibit 1)
• Judgment Findings and Order, filed April 8, 2021
• Minute Order, April 8, 2021 re Motion for Entry of Judgment
• Archived Court Filings (Archive of former site borregowaterlawsuit.com)

Baseline Pumping Allocations

• Baseline Pumping Allocations – Exhibit 4 to the Judgment – Updated October 1, 2023

Rules and Regulations

• Watermaster Rules and Regulations (Exhibit 5 to the Judgment)

Borrego Springs Watermaster Budgets

• Water Year 2024 Budget: Budget Memo (Approved June 2023)
• Water Year 2023 Budget: Budget Memo (Approved July 2022)
• Water Year 2022 Budget: Budget Memo (Approved July 2021)

Annual Reports

• Water Year 2022 Annual Report (West Yost, 2023)
• Start-up Period and Water Year 2021 Annual Report (West Yost, 2022)
• Water Year 2020 Annual Report (West Yost, 2021)
• First Annual Report Covering Water Years 2016 through 2019. (Dudek, 2020)

Technical References

• West Yost. 2022. Extension of the Borrego Valley Hydrologic Model through Water Year 2021.
• DUDEK. 2019. Update to USGS Borrego Valley Hydrologic Model for the Borrego Valley GSA (draft final).
• USGS. 2015. Hydrogeology, Hydrologic Effects of Development, and Simulation of Groundwater Flow in the Borrego Valley, San Diego County, California.