NCSD Half Truth #8: "Every single study say's we have a problem"
NCSD often makes statements like "every single expert study that has been made in the last 15-20 years, says we have a serious water problem here"
This is not true.
NCSD board member, Mike Winn, has incorrectly claimed:
“I want you to understand carefully, and I want to say it carefully, every single expert study that has been made in the last 15-20 years, says we have a serious water problem here. Every single state study that was done by the department of water resources has says Nipomo has a serious problem. Every single county study that has been done here says exactly the same thing, we have a water shortage we have pumping problems” 1/28/12 NCSD Presentation, Mike Winn 0:40:17
Mike Winn does not mention that the Nipomo Mesa Management Area 3rd Annual Report Calendar Year 2010 NMMA TG report does not report on a supply number because there is no enough information. With out those numbers it can not report the amount of a shortage. It also can not report the change in the amount of water in storage from year to year.
Page ES-1: "The TG evaluated the available compiled data to reach the findings presented in the following section of this Executive Summary. The TG recognizes that the data used in the evaluations are not equally reliable but represent what is currently available. In some cases, additional analysis will be required for an adequate characterization of the physical setting within NMMA to develop an appropriately detailed model of the stratigraphy, defining the location and thickness of production aquifers and confining layers. Refinements in the understanding of the physical setting will improve upon estimates of groundwater in storage available for pumping to meet water demands. Such work is an"
Page 32 "The principal sources of inflow are rainfall, streamflow, Supplemental Water, wastewater, groundwater subsurface inflow, and return flow. The principal outflows are groundwater production and subsurface outflow."
Page 33 "The volume of streamflow which enters and leaves the NMMA is not well understood. The TG continues to analyze where it might be appropriate to install temporary or permanent stream gauging sites to determine the volume of water that percolates beneath streams in the NMMA."
Page 33 "The nature and extent of the confining layer(s) beneath the NMMA and the extent that faults in the NMMA may act as barriers to subsurface flow are not well understood. The TG has not yet quantified the subsurface flows; however, the TG is currently evaluating detailed hydrogeologic cross-sections along portions of the NMMA boundary necessary to make estimates of subsurface flow (See Section 9
Recommendations)."Page 35 "The TG’s current understanding of confining conditions within the NMMA precludes calculating change in groundwater storage from groundwater contours at this time for the management area."
Mike Winn does not mention the County study used to support it’s decision for approving development.
1990 Appendix A, South County Plan Water resources of the Nipomo Mesa.
Mike Winn does not mention NCSD used the same report in 1998 when it approved the EIR for the Sundale well that is being used to support the pumping for additional will serves.
“The board of supervisors commissioned a very substantial EIR …. to fully mitigate the impact of additional growth on the Mesa, on the groundwater., Include such things as reduced build out from 25,000 to 18000 … This report does certify, by increasing density in certain areas of the mesa they were able to cause a reduction in actual water use of the area of development. by going to more dense residential development by going to more dense Industrial development the water balance on the Mesa was actually improved.” It’s a fact that the native vegetation and non-native eucalyptus have a s As there features are converted The native vegetation and eucalyptus have a very substantial impact on the mesa, as these features are converted from native and non native plant and ag usage, to reasonable dense residential and commercial uses the impact on the groundwater basin is positive, in other words the draw on the basin decreases” 1/21/98, NCSD Engineer, Jim Garring (about 10m into to the video)
Mike Winn does not mention, The County approved the Woodlands specific plan based on a study that there was enough water for that plan and the other development planned on the Mesa. USI Water Resources Management Study for the Woodlands, April 1996, USI Water Resources Management Study for the Woodlands, April 1996, Data
Mike Winn does not mention the County 1998 Water Master plan, which notes that there was a surplus of 6,090 AF/y at the time and a surplus or small deficiency projected at build out. Water Master Plan: WPA 6 - Nipomo Mesa
Page 6-10 Existing Supply and Demand
Page 6-11 2020 Projected Supply and Demand
Mike Winn does not have a study with any explanation of the difference in conclusions of the studies.
To see studies: http://www.NipomoWater.com/Pages/Water_Studies.html