BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1585 Page 1 Date of Hearing: April 27, 2016 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Lorena Gonzalez, Chair AB 1585 (Alejo) - As Amended April 4, 2016 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Water, Parks and Wildlife |Vote:|12 - 1 | |Committee: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Urgency: Yes State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No SUMMARY: This bill appropriates $25 million from an unspecified fund to the Monterey County Water Resources Agency (Agency) for construction of a water conveyance tunnel between Lake Nacimiento and Lake San Antonio in Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties. FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriates $25 million from an unspecified state account to the Agency. AB 1585 Page 2 COMMENTS: 1)Purpose. According to the author, increasing water capture capacity in the Salinas Valley watershed is important regionally and statewide. This bill partially funds an Interlake Tunnel (Tunnel) to allow excess water from Lake Nacimiento to flow to Lake San Antonio in order to maximize the capture of water in the Salinas Valley watershed. The author's office indicates that the local region intends for over two-thirds of the anticipated costs for the project to be financed by local farmers and rate payers through a Proposition 218 process. 2)Background. The Agency is a special act district created as a flood control and water agency in Monterey County. The Agency manages Lake Nacimiento and Lake San Antonio, two reservoirs that provide flood control, water supply and recreation in the Salinas Valley. Lake Nacimiento's watershed fills the Lake Nacimiento reservoir nearly three times faster than Lake San Antonio's watershed fills its reservoir. The Agency often releases water from Lake Nacimiento because it reaches its capacity, even when Lake San Antonio still has excess storage available. Agency officials have proposed building a tunnel or pipeline between Lake Nacimiento and Lake San Antonio to redirect water from Lake Nacimiento that would otherwise be released out to sea and, instead, use it to fill excess capacity in Lake San Antonio. 3)Prior and Related Legislation: AB 155 (Alejo), Chapter 865, AB 1585 Page 3 Statutes of 2014, authorized the Agency to award a design-build contract for the combined design and construction of a project to connect Lake San Antonio, located in the County of Monterey, and Lake Nacimiento, located in the County of San Luis Obispo, with an underground tunnel or pipeline for the purpose of maximizing water storage, supply, and groundwater recharge. Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916) 319-2081