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Eastern San Joaquin Groundwater Basin Groundwater Management Plan Northeastern San Joaquin County Executive Summary Groundwater Banking Authority 16 • Expanded Membership: The membership in the Authority is diverse as are the challenges facing water Eastern San Joaquin County. In 2001, the Central Delta Water Agency and the South Delta Water Agency became full contributing and voting member agencies to the Authority. Associate membership (ex-officio) was also extended to the California Water Service and the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation as their input and support is essential to the success of the Authority. Other members have been contemplated such as SSJID, OID, City of Lathrop, Manteca, Escalon, and Ripon, Calaveras County Water District, Stanislaus County, DWR, Freeport Regional Water Authority, and EBMUD. • Continued Use of the Authority as a Forum: As the Authority looks to implement the Plan, the member agencies will move the outlined projects through the planning, permitting, and design stages and ultimately to construction. In a forum, implementing member agencies will be able to quantify the benefits of its projects to stakeholders and receive comments and suggestions before disputes arise. • Continued Facilitation by the California Center for Collaborative Policy: The California Center for Collaborative Policy (Center) has been an integral part to the success of the Authority’s consensus based process. The Center’s presence has maintained an atmosphere conducive to openness, compromise, and agreement. It is expected that the Center will continue to facilitate Authority meetings and throughout the implementation of the Plan. ES-13 Integrated Conjunctive Use Program The Integrated Regional Conjunctive Use Program is the key element in fulfilling the purpose of the Plan to ensure the sustainability of Groundwater resources in Eastern San Joaquin County. The Program is an inventory of viable options available to stakeholders in Eastern San Joaquin County as described by major supply elements, major surface storage and conveyance elements, and groundwater recharge components. Supply elements are grouped by river system and are a combination of reallocations, new water, and transfers. Entitlements to water are supported by legal claims based on existing water right permits, water service contracts and agreements, and pending water right applications. Major surface storage and conveyance elements are considered existing or proposed regional infrastructure intended for the capture and delivery of substantial amounts of water when available. Groundwater recharge components include groundwater recharge infrastructure improvements programs, drinking water treatment facilities, and incentive based agency conjunctive use programs. Table ES-7 describes each of the Integrated Conjunctive Use Program components. The opportunity for groundwater banking partnerships in Eastern San Joaquin County is considered a viable alternative that creates new water. Groundwater banking is supported regionally and Statewide as an alternative means to new highly-contentious on-stream reservoirs and costly desalinization plants. The underlying Basin has the potential to store over 1 million acre-feet in close proximity to the Delta. The opportunities possible are a logical match for regional and Statewide interests to look to the Authority for groundwater banking opportunities. It is paramount to the Authority that banking rates, extraction rates, and quantities remain under local control.