Agricultural Water Management And Conservation Planning

P r o v i d e s a b a sis for capitali m p r o v e m e n t projects P r o v i d e s a b a sis for grant applications Est a b l i sh e s a concise set ofi n f o r m a t i o n for future managers tou seWM CP s a r e i n t ended to produce ands yn t h e si z e k n o w ledge that is useful tot h e d i s t r i c t w h i le preparing the districtf o r f u t u r e p r e s sures and uncertainties.A l t h o u g h t h e r e are state requirementst h a t m u s t b e m et when submitting aW M C P, i t i s m ost important that the plani s u n d e r s t o o d a nd easily used by dist rictmanagers.T h e f o l l o w i n g chapters provide ad es cr i p t i o n o f a nd guidelines forc r e a t i n g a w a t e r management andc o n s e r v a t i o n p l an. They outline thei n f o r m a t i o n r e quirements of a plan, whyt h i s i n f o r m a t i o n is important and w ay st o g a t h e r i n f o r mation and meet theser e q u i r e m e n t s . The examples provideda r e t o i l l u s t r a t e the complex and oftenc h a n g i n g e n v i r onment in which districtsm a n a g e l i m i t e d water supplies.Guidebook OverviewF o r d i s t r i c t m a nagers who have notp r e v i o u s l y d e v eloped and submitted aWM CP, a r e v i e w of C hapter 2 “O verv ie wo f P l a n R e q u i r ements,” will be helpful.T h i s c h a p t e r e x plains more about whata W M C P i s , w h o must prepare a WMCP,a n d w h a t k i n d of information it contains.C h a p t e r 2 a l s o includes other usefuli n f o r m a t i o n i n a question and answerf o r m a t , w i t h r e ferences to subsequents e c t i o n s o f t h i s guidebook and anya p p l i c a b l e s t a t ute. The summary alsop r o v i d e s a b r i e f overview of how WRDe v a l u a t e s a W MCP and how the typicalr e v i e w p r o c e s s works.2Chapter 3 “Initiating the Plan Proces s ”provides some helpful hints onbeginning the process and a checklis t o fthe va r ious c ompone nts in a W MCP.Cha pte r 4 “ Guida nc e f or Pr e pa r ingPlan” provides step-by-step informat i o non how to de ve lop e a c h of the r e quir e dcomponents: Water Supplier Description, Water Conservation Element, Water Curtailment Plan, and Water Supply Element.Chapter 4 also includes a sectionon finalizing the WMCP, additionalrequirements, and an overview of theWRD review process. References to t h especific part of Division 86 or otherrelated rules that apply to each secti o na r e inc lude d.Additionally, because there are oftenseveral meanings to terms usedthroughout this guidebook and in therules relating to water conservationa nd ma na ge me nt, the r e is a glossa r y o fwater terms and definitions provided i nthe Appe ndix A. This glossa r y c ontain sgeneral water terminology as well asspe c if ic de f initions unde r Division 8 6and other related rules. Definitions o ff r e que ntly use d a c r onyms a r e liste d o npa ge iv.There are also appendices provided a sresources that irrigation districts andothe r a gr ic ultur a l wa te r supplie r s ma yfind useful in preparing a WMCP. Th eothe r a ppe ndic e s inc lude : Sa mple Distr ic t W MCP ( Appe ndix B) , WMCP Review Worksheet used byWRD (Appendix C), OAR Chapter 690 Division 86 rul e s( Appe ndix D) ,Water Management & Conservation Planning

O A R Chapter 690 D ivision 85 Rule s( A p p e n dix E ), and O t h e r valuable resources.D i s t r i c t Managers may use thisg u i d e b o o k to prepare a plan, write ar e q u e s t f or a proposal, review proposals,a n d / o r r e view plans prepared for them bya c o n t r a c tor.Chapter 1: Introduction3

4Water Management & Conservation Planning

Chapter 2Overview Of Plan RequirementsTh i s c h apter provides an over viewo f t h e s t a te requirements related toWa t e r M a nagement and C onserva tionP l a n s ( W MCPs) under Division 86.T h e r e a r e some related provisionsa p p l y i n g to water right transfers andp e r m i t e xtensions that are under othe rr u l e s , k n own as Divisions 385 and 315r e s p e c t i v ely, which are referen ced, butn o t i n c l u ded, in this guidebook. Thiso v e r v i e w is provided in a questiona n d a n sw er form at so that reade r sc a n q u i c k ly and easily find topics ofi n t e r e s t . The complete text of Division8 6 i s i n c luded in Appendix C and hass p e c i f i c sections and rules pertaining toW M C P s f or agricultural water suppliers.D i v i s i o n s 385 and 315 are avai lablet h r o u g h W R D ’s w ebsite at: http ://e gov.o r e g o n . g o v/O WR D /A d e t a i l e d description of the process ofp r e p a r i n g and submitting a WMCP, andg u i d a n c e for meeting state requirementsa r e p r o v i ded in the following chaptero f t h i s G uidebook. There is significanto v e r l a p b etween this overview sectiona n d t h e f ollowing chapters to make ite a s i e r t o find the information you need.S o m e t o p ics are adequately describedb e l o w a n d needed no further description,w h i l e o t h er topics are discussed in depthi n C h a p t e r 4.What is a Water Management andConservation Plan?A W MC P is a plan created by a distr ic td o c u m e n t ing the water rights, wateru se , m a n agem ent, w ater conser va tion,a n d f u t u r e plans for water suppliesChapter 2: Overview of Plan Requirementsin the distr ic t. The Division 86 r u le sgove r n the sta te r e quir e me nts f o rdeveloping a WMCP. In 2002, c h a n g e swe r e imple me nte d tha t a lte r e d th e s c o p eof Division 86 for municipal w a t e rsuppliers. No substantial chang e s w e r emade relating to agricultural s u p p l i e r s .To create a WMCP, districts ex a m i n etheir supply, demand, future ne e d s ,and water conservation tools. B y u s i n gthis process, districts can creat e a“water budget” for their curren t a n df utur e ne e ds. This wa te r budget, a lo n gwith projected future demands o n t h esyste m, he lp to c la r if y how mu c h w a te ris required to meet current and f u t u r eneeds.WRD is the state agency with t h eresponsibility to make sure therequirements of the Division 8 6 r u l e sare met and coordinates plan re v i e wto meet federal requirements u n d e rthe Section 210(b) of the Recla m a t i o nRe f or m Ac t. W RD sta ff c a n be c o n ta c te df or f ur the r inf or ma tion on pr e p a r in g aW MCP.Who must submit a WMCP?Preparation of WMCPs by dist r i c t s i slargely voluntary; however, th e r e a r esome instances when districts m u s tsubmit WMCPs.I n most c ir c umsta nc e s, a distr i c t mu s tsubmit a W MCP if : The district needs to transfe r w a t e rrights from a place within t h e d i s t r i c tto pr e ve nt f or f e itur e , or5

T h e d i s t r i c t contracts for water fromf e d e r a l w a t er projects, such as theB O R. A n a p proved state WMC P pla nwi l l m e e t f e deral requirements.O A R 6 9 0 -086-0220(5)O A R 6 9 0 -385-5000 (2)O RS 5 4 0 . 572What are the major elements of a WMCP?A W M C P h a s t he following majorel em e n t s: Wa t e r S u p p l ier Description, Wa t e r C o n s e rvation Element, Wa t e r C u r t a ilment Plan, and Wa t e r S u p p l y Element.A n o v e r v i e w o f each of these requiredc o m p o n e n t s a n d necessary elements isp ro v i d e d b e l o w.What should the Water SupplierDescription include?T h e Wa t e r S u p plier Description shouldi n cl u d e e n o u g h inform ation to tell th es t o r y o f t h e d i strict and the district’sw a t e r s y s t e m . Aside from the requirede l e m e n t s , o t h e r information may beo f b e n e f i t t o y our district or to theW R D r e v i e w e r in understanding yourd i s t r i c t ’s s y s t e m.T h e e i g h t n e c e ssary elements includet h e fo l l o w i n g : Wa t e r r i g h t s served by the district; S o u r c e s o f water, including anyt r a n s f e r, r o t ation, exchange, ori n t e rg o v e r n mental agreements; Ma p o f t h e w ater delivery system ,i n c l u d i n g s t orage, drainage, andm a j o r o p e r a tional spills; C u r r e n t w a t er use, including peak anda n n u a l d i v e rsions;6 Major water uses, includingbeneficial use classifications,acreage, and number of accounts; Types of on-farm irrigation system sc ommon in the distr ic t’s se r vic e ar e a ; Crops typically grown, with estim a t e daverage and peak water use; and Ope r a tions a nd ma inte na nc e pla n.Guida nc e Cha pte r 4, pa ge 19OAR 690- 086- 0240What should the Water ConservationElement include?The Water Conservation Element sho u l ddescribe all water conservation meas u r e sunde r ta ke n or to be unde r ta ke n bythe district, (including past, current,a nd f utur e a c tions) . Division 86 listsspecific conservation measures thedistr ic t should e va lua te f or this e le m e n t.In addressing required conservationmeasures, the district needs to evalu a t ethe viability of each of the measures a n dimple me nt a ny of the me a sur e s tha t ar ef e a sible . The r e a r e a lso c onse r va tionme a sur e s tha t a r e not r e quir e d by W RD ,but that may be useful to investigateas a water efficiency and managemen ttool for your system. A descriptionand schedule for implementation ofconservation measures, as well as amonitoring plan, need to be included .Guida nc e Cha pte r 4, pa ge 31OAR 690- 086- 0250What should the Water CurtailmentElement include?The Water Curtailment Element will h e l pthe district react quickly and effectiv e l yto meet their patrons needs in the ev e n tof a wa te r supply e me rge nc y, suc has supply shortage due to drought,contamination, or infrastructure failu r e .This element requires a district toWater Management & Conservation Planning

p r e p a r e a curtailm ent plan w ith sta ge so f a l e r t which will trigger increasinglyr e s t r i c t i v e water use requirements. Thed i s t r i c t must also review its ab ilityt o m a i n t a in water delivery during al o n g - t e r m drought. T he district shouldc o n s i d e r any past curtailment plans thatm a y h a v e been required under droughtd e c l a r a t i ons that may still be in effectf o r d i st r i c t service areas.G u idance C hapter 4, page 49O A R 690-086-0260What should the WaterSupply Element include?T h e Wa t e r Supply Element shouldi n c l u d e a n estimate of the district’sp r o j e c t e d water demands for 20y e a r s . A n y expected district boundarye x p a n si o n and anticipated crop orb e n e f i c i a l use changes should also bei n c l u d e d . These demands should beb a s e d u p on population projections anda n t i c i p a t ed development as found inc o m p r e h e nsive land use plans or othersi m i l a r p lanning docum ents rela ting toa g r i c u l t u ral lands, water resources ands u p p l y, p ublic facilities and services, oru r b a n i z a t ion.U r b a n i z a tion and other land use tr e ndsa r e f a c t o rs that must be consideredw h e n e v a luating long-range waters u p p l y n e eds. The impact of changingl a n d u s e patterns, whether as a result ofu r b a n i z a t ion or conversion from irrigatedl a n d s t o a non-irrigated use of the land,c a n h a v e major impacts on the district’sl o n g - r a n ge water needs. Impacts thats h o u l d b e considered include changesi n p l a c e of use as a result of st ructuresa n d r o a d s replacing crops on th e la nd,o r c h a n g es affecting the type o f use andd i s t r i b u t i on of water. Other aspects ofu r b a n i z a t ion such as annexation to citiesa n d c o m petition for water through theu s e o f e x empt wells may be elementsChapter 2: Overview of Plan Requirementsthat are important depending o n t h esitua tion.I n a ddition to pr oje c ting de ma n d ,the wa te r supply e le me nt of a WM CPevaluates the adequacy of curre n t w a t e rrights, contracts, and other wat e r s u p p l ysources held by the district in m e e t i n gthe projected demand. Based o n t h i sevaluation, the district creates a l i s t o fpotential sources of water, incl u d i n greuse and conservation opportu n i t i e s ,to me e t the de ma nd. The distr ic t isalso required to compare the co s t s ,availability, reliability, and lik e l yenvironmental impacts among t h epote ntia l supply sour c e ( s) .Guida nc e Cha pte r 4, pa ge 5 2OAR 690- 086- 0270What additional information must beconsidered when creating a WMCP?There are several additional ite m s w h i c hmust be considered when creat i n g aWMCP. The district must include a l i s t o faffected local governments t o w h o ma dr a f t of the W MCP wa s ma d eavailable for review and com m e n tand any comments from tho s elocal governments. The affe c t e dgovernments must be notifie d o f t h edraft plan by the district 30 d a y sprior to submission to WRD . I n a l lc a se s this inc lude s a ny Cou n ty o rCity Planning Department o r P o r tAuthor ity tha t the Distr ic t p h y s ic a llytouches or transmits water t h r o u g h .In some specific cases this n o t i c ema y inc lude othe r distr ic ts w ith w a te ruse agreements or any down s t r e a mdistrict that may be affected b yc ha nge s in disc ha rge . The district must propose a d a t ef or submitta l of a n upda te d W M CPwithin 10 ye a r s. The pr opos e d d a te7

s h o u l d b e b a sed on the timing thatw o r k s b e s t f or the district consideringc o m m u n i t y planning activitiesan d o t h e r c h a nges expected by thed i st r i c t . I f t h e d i s t r i ct believes future updatedW M C P s a r e unnecessary, the districtm u st e x p l a i n w hy. I f a d i s t r i c t has requested additionalt i m e t o i m p l ement metering or otherm e a s u r e s e s tablished in a previouslyap p r o v e d W M C P, the district m ustp r o v i d e r e a sons w hy.G u i d a n c e C hapter 4, page 56O A R 6 9 0 -086-0225What criteria will WRDuse to evaluate a WMCP?W R D w i l l r e v i ew a WMCP and evalu atew h e t h e r o r n o t it meets the requirementso f D i v i s i o n 8 6 . After an initial reviewo f a d r a f t p l a n , WRD will provide thed i s t r i c t w i t h c o mments on each section.T h e w o r k s h e e t of criteria used for thisr e v i e w i s i n c l u ded in Appendix C. Inp art i c u l a r, W RD w ill use the follow ingcri t er i a : Supply e le me nt inc lude s: Potential sources to meet proje c t e ddemand, and Development of conservationme a sur e s whic h a r e a va ila ble at alowe r c ost tha n othe r options.Guida nc e Cha pte r, pa geOAR 690- 086- 0910What process and timelines are involvedin WRD’s review of the WMCP?After a district decides that a plan isready for submission, the typical pro c e s sis depicted in Figure 1 and is as follo w s :( 1) The district prepares a draft WM C P,( 2) The distr ic t pr ovide s 30- da y notic eto any local affected governmen t s ,( 3) The distr ic t submits a dr a f t W M CPto WRD,( 4) WRD issues public notice of thereceipt of the WMCP,( 5) W RD pr e pa r e s a pr e limina r y r e v ie wof the W MCP, c onside r ing a nypublic comments, and provides t h er e vie w to the distr ic t, Th e p l a n i n c ludes all of thei n f o r m a t i o n required under Division86.( 6) The district responds to WRD’sreview by revising the WMCP, a sappropriate, and submits a finaldr a f t of pla n, C o n s e r v a t i o n measures have beenev a l u a t e d b y:( 7) WRD conducts final review of p l a n , A b i l i t y f or district to usec o n s e r v a tion as tool(s) ini n c r e a si n g w ater use efficiency E c o n o m i c costs to district ini m p l e m e n ting, Ti m e n e e d ed to implem ent, and E n v i r o n mental impacts ofm e a su r e s.8( 8) If the criteria are met, WRD issu e s aProposed Final Order to approve t h eWMCP,( 9) WRD notifies the district and an yc omme nting pa r tie s,( 10) The distr ic t a nd c omme nte r s ha v e 3 0days to appeal the proposed orde r,and( 11) I f no a ppe a l is r e c e ive d, W RDissue s f ina l or de r a ppr oving theW MCP.Water Management & Conservation Planning

T h e p r e l i minary review process can takea s l i t t l e a s 90 days. However, reviewa n d a p p r oval of a WMCP that does notm e e t t h e criteria may take substantiallyl o n g e r t h an 90 days. The worksheet usedb y W R D for WMCP review is includeda s A p p e n dix C. For deficient WMCPsa w o r k p l an may be proposed by WRD,i n c o n su l tation w ith the distric t. Aw o r k p l a n provides strict direction forf u t u r e a c tivity, but allows approval of aW M C P. ( See “What is a workplan?” int h i s c h a p ter.) There are also resoursesa v a i l a b l e to the district when the pland o e s n o t meet the review criteria, sucha s r e q u e s ting additional time from WRD,a r e v i e w by a Director-appointed board,o r a f i l e review by the Water ResourcesC o m m i s s ion (WRC). Following ther e c o m m e ndations of this guideb ookc a n a ssi st districts in creating a W MCPt h a t m e e t s WRD criteria and serves as av a l u a b l e water managem ent tool.G u idance C hapter 4O A R 690-086-0900 to 0920What is a work plan?A w o r k p lan may be required if, aftersu b m i t t i ng a WMC P and revising tha tp l a n b a s e d on comments from WRD,t h e p l a n still does not meet Division 86r e q u i r e m ents. In these cases, WRD mayr e q u i r e t h e district to develop a wor kp l a n t o m eet the requirem ents.T h e w o r k plan will include a schedulef o r c o m p letion of any additional workn e c e ssa r y to com ply w ith WMCPr e q u i r e m ents. Districts who are requiredt o s u b m i t

Water Management and Conservation Plan Description WMCPs are an important element in the state’s program to encourage water conservation and stewardship of Oregon’s water resources for both present and future needs. A WMCP is a long-term