NID to Review Revised AWMP this Wednesday Thank you and congratulations to all Dam Watchdogs that gave public comments again during the public hearing March 24, 2021 on the draft Agricultural Water Management Plan (AWMP). The NID Board heard the public's concerns and comments and chose to not certify the draft AWMP. Instead, the Board directed staff and consultants to respond to comments and revise the Plan during the month of April. You can read NID's response to the Foothills Water Network's comments and other public comments in the NID Staff Report here, starting page 111. This Wednesday, the NID Board will consider once again whether to formally adopt the AWMP before submitting it to the California Department of Water Resources by the May 1, 2021 deadline. SYRCL and the Network thank NID for supporting public engagement and transparency and acknowledging comments. We applaud the District's efforts to address some of our concerns in the Plan amendments. Our work is not, however, done. In March, SYRCL asked the NID Board to revisit NID’s methodology for drafting and producing water management plans in the context of improving overall District planning for a sustainable water future before The Plan for Water process begins in Fall 2021. While the revised resolution reflects that promise, it does not include the timeline and milestones to improve the methodology for data analysis and modeling before The Plan for Water begins. This is an important request because the AWMP is a critical tool that can help NID improve efficiencies and provide information and a record to the public on the District's stewardship of our precious water resources. Additionally, the AWMP and Urban Water Management Plan will inform the update to the Raw Water Master Plan, also known as The Plan for Water, later this year. These Plans will guide NID in determining if our community needs additional water storage. Despite the recent changes, the AWMP remains fundamentally flawed due to its incorporation of the original Water Planning Projections published in October 2020 that have incomplete data sets and inflate demand. It's essential these Plans include thorough and accurate data and modeling so that the community can understand our present and future water needs. We look forward to working with NID to update these Plans this summer. Want to learn more? Join us this Wednesday. |