CAW Monterey District Service Area Background

CAW’s Monterey District service area is entirely dependent on local rainfall and local groundwater for its water supply; imported water is not a viable option. Due to its geography and rainfall patterns, the area is prone to severe droughts. Wells located along the Carmel River that draw water from the Carmel River Aquifer are the primary source of water for CAW. An additional source of water for CAW is a network of eight wells located in the Seaside Basin, which CAW shares with a number of users and purveyors. In 1995, the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) adopted Order WR 95-10 directing CAW to implement measures to reduce diversions of the Carmel River. Development of the replacement supply required in Order 95-10 is part of the Regional Desalination Project. The Regional Desalination Project is also intended to reduce CAW’s reliance on water from the Seaside Basin, which is currently CAW’s other principal source of supply for the Monterey District.

Order WR 95-10 states that CAW has been diverting approximately 10,730 acre-feet per year (AFY) from the Carmel River or its underflow without a valid basis of right and directs CAW to diligently undertake the following actions: obtain appropriative rights to the Carmel River water that was being unlawfully diverted; obtain water from other sources and make one-for-one reductions of the unlawful diversions; and/or, contract with other agencies having appropriative rights to divert and use water from the Carmel River.  The Order also prohibits water from being diverted from the San Clemente Dam when stream flows reach a predetermined low flow. The Order directs CAW to maximize use of the Seaside Basin to serve existing connections – while honoring existing allocations – to reduce diversions from the Carmel River to the greatest extent practicable. Further, in October 2009, the SWRCB-Division of Water Rights issued a Cease and Desist Order requiring CAW to reduce their diversions, beginning immediately, by 69 percent by 2016.

The Monterey County Superior Court recently issued a final decision in the case, California American Water v. City of Seaside, et al., Case No. 66343 (Monterey County Superior Court, 2006) (Decision) for the adjudication of water rights of the various parties who produce groundwater from the Seaside Basin.   The decision resulted in an ultimate reduction in available groundwater sourced from the Seaside Groundwater Basin by approximately 50 percent.  The establishment of adjudicated water rights of all the users of the Basin is intended to avoid long-term damage to the Basin, including potential seawater intrusion, subsidence, and other adverse impacts of over-pumping. The Decision establishes a physical solution to Basin management that is “intended to ultimately reduce the drawdown of the aquifer to the level of the Natural Safe Yield; to maximize potential beneficial use of the Basin; and, to provide a means to augment water supply for the Monterey Peninsula.” Prior to the adjudication, CAW pumped approximately 4,000 AFY from the Seaside Basin. Following the adjudication, CAW expects its Seaside Basin allocation to be reduced to 1,474 AFY, and therefore, proposes to replace a portion of its Seaside Basin groundwater supply.