Proposal to Prepare Prepared
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Proposal to Prepare GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY PLAN OWENS VALLEY GROUNDWATER BASIN Prepared for County of Inyo Water Department Prepared by William R. Hutchison Independent Groundwater Consultant July 2018 Cover Letter July 30, 2018 Mr. Bob Harrington, Director Inyo County Water Department 135 S. Jackson Street Independence, California 93526 Subject: LSCE Team Proposal for Support Services to Develop a Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the Owens Valley Groundwater Basin Dear Mr. Harrington: Luhdorff & Scalmanini Consulting Engineers (LSCE), in association with TEAM Engineering and Management Inc., Dr. Bill Hutchison, Pacific Agroecology, Consensus and Collaboration Program (CCP), and ERA Economics (ERA) are pleased to submit this proposal in response to the June 20, 2018 Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to develop a single Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the Owens Valley Groundwater Basin. To assist the Owens Valley Groundwater Authority (OVGA, exclusive GSA for the Basin) with the development of a GSP, we have assembled this team of highly experienced firms. LSCE will serve as the prime contractor; TEAM will provide local support for many tasks in the scope; Bill Hutchison will support tasks relating to water budget analyses and lead the task related to evaluation of existing groundwater flow models and recommendations; Pacific Agroecology (PAE) will support tasks related to outreach to beneficial users, particularly as related to groundwater dependent ecosystems and fish habitat and ecological considerations; the Consensus and Collaboration Program (CCP) group will lead the preparation of a public engagement plan and activities necessary to comply with SGMA requirements for public outreach and communication; and ERA will prepare a cost and rate study and provide a preliminary evaluation of the economic and financial feasibility of projects and potential management actions. This proposal includes a scope and budget for developing a GSP to fulfill the requirements of the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and the GSP regulations. We also recognize the critical need for the GSP to be compatible with the Inyo County/Los Angeles Long- Term Water Agreement. The proposed scope closely follows the tasks outlined in the RFQ complemented by two potential optional elements described in greater detail. We anticipate working closely with the OVGA to prepare the GSP, including to scale the GSP content to the budget as needed to align with available funding. The information presented in this proposal addresses the required information as delineated in the RFQ, and the table of contents in the proposal identifies the proposal’s main sections and organization. The firms comprising the LSCE Team have a long history work in and familiarity with the Owens Valley. • LSCE’s experience in Owens Valley includes historical projects (late 1980s and 1990s) involving monitoring well construction, aquifer testing to assess impacts of proposed pumping on water levels and spring flow in a wetlands area, and utilizing a groundwater LSCE Team Proposal to Develop a GSP for the Owens Valley Groundwater Basin flow model developed by Dr. Bill Hutchison when he served as Inyo County’s hydrologist and subsequently was a hydrologist at LSCE. LSCE was involved in the development of groundwater management plans for the water resources of the Owens Valley with the objective of protecting the environmental resources of the Valley while providing for surface and groundwater development for export to Los Angeles. • TEAM was founded in 1987 in Bishop, California and has served clients in the Eastern Sierra and the Owens Valley for more than 30 years and continues to do so. • Dr. Hutchison brings substantial knowledge of the historical hydrology of the Owens Valley and technical procedures that have been implemented for nearly 30 years as part of the Inyo County/LA Water Agreement. • PAE’s experience in the Owens Valley region includes development of three regional geodatabases and subsequent analyses for plant species distributions, fish species distributions, and meadow delineations. Dr. David Herbst, PAE Research Biologist, has conducted numerous aquatic habitat studies in the Owens Valley from 1997 through 2012, including Owens Lake basin seeps and springs and flood irrigated ponds and wetlands, stream bioassessment surveys, and surveys of the Upper Owens River related to the distribution of non-native New Zealand Mud Snail. • CCP has facilitated the Owens lakebed advisory committee to help refine a proposed “master project” for the lakebed that would include dust control, habitat enhancement, surface water conservation by accessing groundwater for a portion of the dust control, and public access and recreation elements. CCP has facilitated and managed the GSA formation in Owens Valley. Some team members have offices located in or near the Owens Valley enabling close coordination during GSP development. The LSCE Team will successfully perform the broad range of services that will be critical for the development of a SGMA-compliant GSP and establish the framework for effective long-term management of groundwater resources in the Owens Valley Groundwater Basin. We very much appreciate the opportunity to submit this proposal. _____________________________________ ____________________________________ Luhdorff & Scalmanini, Consulting Engineers Luhdorff & Scalmanini Consulting Engineers Vicki Kretsinger Grabert, President Peter Leffler, PG, CHG, Principal Hydrogeologist (530) 661-0109 Project Manager for Owens Valley Groundwater Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan LSCE Team Proposal to Develop a GSP for the Owens Valley Groundwater Basin Table of Contents Cover Letter ............................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1 A. Team Firms ........................................................................................................................ 2 B. Team Staff .......................................................................................................................... 7 C. Recent Experience ........................................................................................................... 16 D. Scope ................................................................................................................................ 28 E. Schedule ........................................................................................................................... 50 F. Budget .............................................................................................................................. 52 G. References ........................................................................................................................ 57 H. Meeting Deadlines ........................................................................................................... 60 I. Disclosure ......................................................................................................................... 60 J. County of Inyo Contract Acceptance ............................................................................... 61 K. Additional Information .................................................................................................... 61 L. Project Proposal Signatures: ............................................................................................ 61 Appendix A: Key Staff Resumes .............................................................................................. 62 Appendix B: LSCE Team Firm Fee Schedules ...................................................................... 63 INTRODUCTION LSCE Team Luhdorff & Scalmanini Consulting Engineers (LSCE), in association with TEAM Engineering and Management Inc. (TEAM), Dr. Bill Hutchison, Pacific Agroecology (PAE), Collaboration and Consensus Program (CCP), and ERA Economics (ERA) have assembled this team to provide the County of Inyo Water Department with support services to develop a single Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the Owens Valley Groundwater Basin on behalf of the Owens Valley Groundwater Authority (OVGA). The LSCE Team understands the OVGA is a joint powers authority formed to implement the requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) for the Owens Valley Groundwater Basin, and intends to develop a single comprehensive, regulatory compliant GSP for the entire Basin. The OVGA is in the process of becoming the designated, exclusive Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) for the entire Basin (notice posted June 27, 2018). While the OVGA attains status as the exclusive GSA, the contract to prepare the Owens Valley Groundwater Basin GSP will be with the County of Inyo Water Department. Recognizing the OVGA intends to become the exclusive GSA, the LSCE Team refers to the OVGA as the designated GSA. The LSCE Team understands that the OVGA GSA seeks the necessary support to complete technical work and corresponding outreach to develop a compliant, effective, and defensible GSP. Our team is comprised of highly experienced firms with expertise relating to water resources analysis and management. The LSCE Team is pleased to bring a long history of work conducted in the Owens Valley, extending from many decades ago to today. Our team is highly familiar with the provisions of LSCE Team Proposal