Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Heather Dyer, General Manager, San Bernardino Municipal Water District
Meeting In-Person and via ZOOM
Minutes
Present: Deborah Barmack, Carole Beswick, Greg Bradbard, Luis Cetina, Ken Coate, Heather Dyer, Kevin Dyerly, Dr. Sam Gibbs, Louis Goodwin, Otis Greer, T. Milford Harrison, Mark Kaenel, Lowell King, Steve Lambert, Mike Layne, Bill Lemann, Miguel Mendoza, John Mirau, Michale Moore, Robert Nava, Norm Nunez, Vikki Ostermann, Cat Pritchett, Thomas Rice, Michael Rivera, Dan Roberts, LaShe Rodriguez, Elizabeth Romero, Dan Schenkel, Kristine Scott, Paul Shimoff, and Ray Wolfe.
Guests: Rebeccah Goldware & Carrie Schindler.
Announcements: 1) The Inland Center for Sustainable Development (ICSD), a research center of the UCR School of Public Policy, is hosting six seminars about warehousing and logistics in the region. The next seminars are planned for October 11, and November 1, 2023. It aims to provide a broad overview of this economic sector as well as the role of public policy. The Zoom webinar will take place on September 28 from 4 to 5 p.m. Attendees can register for free for the in-person event here: https://ucr.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7S0Sg1TuQw6Cl6norAQLpw#/registration or for more information, please contact icsd@ucr.edu. The next seminars are planned for October 11, and November 1, 2023. 2) Dorene Dominguez, Chair & CEO, Vanir Construction Management & the Vanir Group, will discuss “The Impact of Women Entrepreneurs” on Monday, October 2, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. as the speaker at the Cal State University, San Bernardino Presidential Distinguished Lecture series. Rsvp to invitereply@csusc.edu 3) IEHP’S 2nd Annual Future of Health Summit will be held on Friday, October 13, 2023, from 8:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. 4) The 44th annual art show, Art, For Heven’s Sake! will be held from October 13-15, 2023 at 168 Bellevue Ave, Redlands. Admission is free. 5) The membership has been invited to San Bernardino Valley College Foundations President’s Luncheon on Monday October 16, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. -1:00p.m. Rsvp by October 1, 2023 at 909-384-4471. 6) The Federal Bar Association, Inland Empire Chapter will present their 23rd Annual Constitutional Law Forum on Thursday, October 26, 2023 from 12:00p.m.-1:30 p.m. via Zoom. Admission is free but Rsvp no later than October 19, 2023 by e-mail to Sherrigomez4@gmail.com. 7) The Community Action Partnership will hold their gala on Friday, October 27, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. at the Double Tree by Hilton Ontario Airport. 8) Dignity Health Foundation will hold an evening of Wine and Roses on Saturday, November 4, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. They will present their Human Kindness award to Wilfred “Bill” Lemann.
Kevin Dyerly, Chair presiding.
Motion by T. Rice/Second/Passed: Minutes from September 19, 2023
Milford Harrison introduced Heather Dyerly, General Manager, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District who joined us in person.
San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District (Valley District) was formed in 1954 and is a regional agency to plan a long-range water supply for the San Bernardino Valley. The Valley District imports water into the service area through participation in the State Water Project and manages groundwater storage. They provide water, as well as wastewater and storm water disposal, recreation, and fire protection services. As a water wholesaler and State Water Contractor, they cover 15 retail water agencies in a 325 sq. mile service area (the eastern two-thirds of the San Bernardino Valley) that services 700,000 people. The Valley District utilizes stormwater capture, the state water project, managing demand and water recycling to achieve a reliable water supply. Regional cooperation is integral to their success, and they have become a model for others across the state.
The Santa Ana River Watershed is the largest coastal stream system in Southern California, but the Valley District must ready themselves and be prepared for unknown factors such as:
- Weather extremes
- Maximize value of atmospheric rivers
- Increase water storage (considered our savings account)
- Adapt tools for changed climate.
- Increase efficiency of water use (stretching our savings account)
- Increase regional collaboration.
The state’s water infrastructure is getting older and stressed beyond its capabilities and the Sites Reservoir is a part of the solution. Located on the west side of the Sacramento Valley, Sites Reservoir is an environmentally beneficial, off-river reservoir that will capture excess water from major storms instead of reliance on fluctuating snowmelt. The final Environmental Impact Report is expected to be issued in 2024.
Regional Recycled Water System- Weaver Basins is a new facility constructed in Highland on Greenspot Rd. that will be a new groundwater recharge facility for water produced from the Sterling Natural Resource Center (SNRC) and the City of San Bernardino Water Department.
Watershed Connect is a regional infrastructure program, a network of forward-looking projects designed to achieve water supply reliability, climate resilience, and long-term ecological health of the Upper Santa Ana River (Upper SAR) Watershed. Working as a region they are using their collective resources to secure the best low interest long-term loans available.
Seven Oaks Dam began operation in 2000 and was built with the sole purpose of mitigating flood risk. The Valley District is working legislatively to broaden its usage to include water supply and conservation. Although typically empty they recently entered into a water rights agreement to use the released water for enhanced recharge basins that look like ponds. The Corps of Engineers has now agreed to work under a Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO). FIRO is a flexible water management approach that uses data from watershed monitoring and improved weather forecasting to help water managers selectively retain or release water from reservoirs for increased resilience to droughts and floods.
The Valley District supports SB 366: California Water for All Act (Caballero) which will:
- Establish statutory program that expands on Governor’s water supply strategy and extends beyond any one Administration.
- Statewide goal: modernize the CA Water Plan and establish water supply target for ALL needs.
- Achieve with an “all-of-the-above” approach – new supplies, storage, connections, in-lieu.
- Includes stakeholder input, transparency, and accountability measures.
- Public relations campaign to support: CA Water for All.
Q & A period followed
Meeting adjourned 8:29 a.m.