Report Prepared by: Mike Conway, Assistant to the City Manager
Title
SUBJECT: Resolution Opposing the State Water Resources Control Board Substitute Environmental Document
REPORT IN BRIEF
Request council approve resolution opposing the State Water Resources Control Board Substitute Environmental Document.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion approving Resolution 2018-57, a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Merced, California, opposing the State Water Resources Control Board Substitute Environmental Document regarding potential changes to the water quality control plan for the San Francisco Bay - Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta Estuary.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve, as recommended by staff; or,
2. Approve, subject to other than recommended by staff (identify specific findings and/or conditions amended to be addressed in the motion); or,
3. Deny; or,
4. Refer to staff for consideration of specific items (specific items to be addressed in the motion); or,
5. Continue to a future meeting (date and time to be specified in the motion).
AUTHORITY
Charter City of Merced, Sec. 200.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
As provided for in the 2018-19 Council Priorities.
DISCUSSION
The State Water Resources Control Board spent nine years before issuing its Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan for the Lower San Joaquin River and Southern Delta and the accompanying Substitute Environmental Document in July.
The SWRCB ignored non-flow alternatives that are less costly and wasn't open to working with Valley interests before releasing the plan. As written the document will cause extreme hardship for Merced County and the City of Merced. More than 800 family farms in the region would be lost because of the plan and 128,295 acres of prime agricultural land would lay idle because of it.
The impact on farming would have an immense influence on the City of Merced. It would cost 1,190 people their jobs in agriculture, and that would ripple through the City's ec...
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