Approve a Memorandum of Understanding with the California Department of Water Resources to create a partnership regarding flood protection, water supply, habitat enhancement, and agricultural and recreational projects in Yolo County, and authorize the Chair to sign a separate agreement on staff funding.  (No general fund impact) (Webb/Snyder)

This item seeks Board approval of the attached Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and Board authorization for the Chair to sign an amendment to the Big Notch Project MOU. As explained further below, the proposed MOU seeks to enhance interagency collaboration on existing and future projects and, in addition, identifies funding for local habitat enhancement, flood protection, recreation, and agricultural sustainability efforts.

Previously, on January 4, 2022, Yolo County and DWR executed an MOU for the Yolo Bypass Salmonid Habitat Restoration and Fish Passage Project (“Big Notch Project”). A significant achievement after nearly a decade of discussions, the Big Notch Project MOU memorialized the parties’ shared commitment to project-specific coordination and, through funding for a County staff position, helped ensure ongoing, general collaboration on future matters affecting the Yolo Bypass, including agricultural and managed wetland sustainability and public outreach. The Big Notch Project MOU also identified $2.5 million in state funding for water infrastructure improvements in the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, benefiting agriculture and wetland habitat management.

As the Board is aware, the Big Notch Project and its related MOU developed at about the same time as other efforts to improve collaboration on water policy and habitat restoration issues. Such other efforts included:

The proposed MOU is an outgrowth of discussions between DWR and the County regarding each of the efforts mentioned above and the County’s ongoing concerns with the Big Notch Project. Over the last several months, DWR and the County have engaged in extensive discussions to resolve these issues with a mutual desire to improve collaboration given forthcoming projects in and near the Yolo Bypass. The resulting MOU captures the outcome of these discussions by formalizing a broader working relationship and provides as follows:

Under the proposed MOU, DWR agrees to advance two years of funding for County staffing, a component of the Big Notch MOU. The parties are therefore required to amend the Big Notch Project MOU to complete this term of the proposed MOU. This addresses an existing short-term funding gap resulting from permitting delays in Project operations.

Finally, the terms of the proposed MOU are consistent with, and supportive of, the County’s previously adopted Position Statement, ensuring the County’s role and interests are reflected in regional planning and implementation efforts.

For these reasons, staff recommend that the Board authorize execution of the new MOU. In addition, staff recommend that the Board authorize the Chair to sign an amendment to the Big Notch Project MOU to advance County position funding, as described above.

Office of County Counsel, Yolo Bypass Ad Hoc Committee, CA Department of Water Resources