The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA), Foothill Conservancy and Friends of the River (FOR) have asked the California Department of Water Resources not to certify East Bay Municipal Utility District’s (EBMUD) Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP). The 23 page 12 attachment document outlines numerous examples where EBMUD’s plan is not in conformity with explicit requirements in the Urban Water Management Planning Act and its guidelines. The letter asks DWR to require that EBMUD correct the many flaws in the plan and allow the parties to review and comment on any loan or grant requests from EBMUD. EBMUD relies upon Pardee Dam and Reservoir on the Mokelumne River for the vast majority of its water supply.
In response to a lawsuit filed by Foothill Conservancy, CSPA and FOR, the Sacramento Superior Court, on 25 May 2011, issued a decision that EBMUD’s 2040 Water Supply Management Plan Program EIR was not in compliance the California Environmental Quality Act and directed the utility to set aside its 2040 Water Supply Management Program EIR, and all related approvals pending completion of an adequate EIR for the 2040 WSMP. That process is ongoing.
EBMUD issued a Draft UWMP on May 6, 2011. It was circulated for public comment through May 31, 2011. The Foothill Conservancy, CSPA and FOR provided extensive comments. The Final 2010 UWMP was approved by the EBMUD Board on 28 June 2011 and sent to DWR for review and approval. EBMUD’s UWMP contains many of the assumptions and flaws contained in the vacated Water Supply Management Plan.