TAHOE REGIONAL PLANNING AGENCY

  ----------------------- ------- ----------------------- -------- ----------------
  308 Dorla Court                 P.O.Box 1038                     Phone: (775)
                                                                   588-4547

  Elks Point, Nevada              Zephyr Cove, Nevada              Fax (775)
                                  89448-1038                       588-4527

  www.ceres.ca.gov/trpa                                            Email:
                                                                   trpa@trpa.org
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MEMORANDUM

August 25, 2000

To: Lake Tahoe Water Quality Working Group and Steering Team Members.

From: Jon Paul Kiel, Senior Water Quality Planner, Long Range Planning
Division.

Subject: Meeting Minutes and Action Items from August 8, 2000 Steering
Team and Water Quality Working Group meetings, Special Meeting Notice,
September 12, 2000.

Please review the following meeting minutes for glaring omissions and
errors, and check the list of action items to be completed. Note the
Special Meeting Notice and Agenda attached. If you have any revisions to
the minutes, or questions about the action items, please contact me at
775-588-4547, extension 261, or via Email at <jpkiel@trpa.org>.

**Meeting Minutes**

**August 8, 2000**

**Steering Team, Water Quality Working Group**

Members Present:

Jon Paul Kiel, TRPA

Rita Whitney, TRPA

Sherry Hazelhurst

Lucia Machado, NDEP

Jane Freeman, EPA

Bruce Lee, El Dorado County

Jenny Scanland, NTRT

Bruce Warden, LRWQCB

Dave Zander, CTC

John Tracy, DRI

Others Present:

Amir Soltani, NDOT

## (Steering Team Meeting Minutes Continued)

Meeting called to order, introductions made. Jon Paul Kiel reviewed
round robin items and action items from the last meeting:

**Round Robin**:

Election of Chairperson: A majority of votes were received for Jon Paul
Kiel to continue as Chairperson for the Steering Team and Working Group.

Steering Team Members/Alternates: Based on input during the meeting, the
Water Quality Working Group Steering Team Membership, including
Alternates, has been updated and is attached.

Jon Paul Kiel reviewed the work program's 15 milestones and reported the
working group's progress as follows (Refer to your copy of the work
program for clarity):

> 1: Identify milestones---Done.

2: Regular meeting established---Done.

3: Top 5 WG objectives---reviewed once, agenda item for next meeting

4: Presentations on work programs---TRPA 208 and RTM, Lahontan Basin
Plan, Nevada Tahoe Resource Team have been done.

5: Technical presentations/research topics---TRG presented clarity
model, Lahontan for Golf Course fertilizer plans---suggestions include
someone to talk about bio-assessment efforts in the basin, Dave Herbst
and SNARL, CTC is having graduate student for 15 streams starting in
August, have both for next Nov. meeting? Also NDEP could give a TMDL
discussion, with USFS input on application at Heavenly.

> 6: Establish an LTIMP contact list for WG, by agency. Rita Whitney can
> provide current active members
>
> 7: Using a contact from the WG for dissemination of information from
> working group affiliates to the group
>
> 8: Activities and information of the group outreached to the larger
> water quality community, through a newsletter or? Investigate posting
> through the Tahoe Clearinghouse website, where LTIMP and TCEAN both
> have minutes posted.

9: Working group inventory was completed by TRPA and is on that website.

10: Procedure for WG to make recommendations to policy makers, the
example of motorized watercraft was mentioned. This ties to milestone
11.

11: A policy-changing recommendation shall be made. Non made to date.

12: Existing monitoring database and GIS layer being developed by LTIMP.

> 13: Public outreach through the Lake Tahoe Education Coalition, a
> progress report on the integration of TCEAN to this group was given.

14: Current project priority methods identified.

15: Project Priority methods- deferred to the agenda item, some talk of
the 205j grant to TRG, which includes a related task.

16: Re-evaluate work program (purpose of this review.)

(Steering Team Meeting Minutes Continued)

**Discussion on Action Items from last (May 9, 2000) meeting**:

Robert Erlich (Alternate for Lauri Kemper) to contact Steve Goldman to
set up an agenda item for the next LTIMP meeting with regards to
implementing an Eric Strecker project in the Lake Tahoe Region. Bruce
Warden did not know if this action item was completed. Jon Paul Kiel to
check with Erlich.

**Project Funding Coordination**:

Jane Freeman: Jane brought up funding coordination issues which led to a
more specific subject related to EPA funds routed through the state to
go to a the USGS as a federal agency. Questions on other federal
agencies, why just the USGS, and the implication to future grants,
especially 319's from the states. Which led to a point from the local
jurisdictions on applications for 319 grants often not worth the
considerable effort for the amount of money awarded. Jane discussed the
lack of applications for 319 grants, which is inconsistent with the call
that the federal government has not come forward with federal dollars
for the lake. For those that need NDPES permits the 319 cannot be
applied, another barrier for local entities. A spreadsheet idea from
Jenny to map out sources of funding and who and what projects are in
need would be helpful. It was decided to have a special working group
meeting for the purpose of funding coordination Sept. 12 (See agenda
below.)

**EIP Project Criteria and Priority:**

The project priority criteria developed for EIP was explained by JP,
followed by a lengthy discussion. JP reviewed the comments received to
date which included a need to keep it simple, some suggestions for
additional risk assessment (303d listing) and much was centered on how
the criteria would be applied. A need was identified for the EIP to
address this in a program introductory statement so any public
perception that the ranking of projects is not set in stone, which JP
has already had discussions with Carl about. The updating of the EIP was
also discussed as a 'living' document to be reviewed and refined through
input by various agencies.

Four of 36 proposed EIP projects submitted were reviewed by the EIP New
Project Review Team. These projects were broken out by TRPA staff as
marginally meeting EIP new project criteria. All four were determined to
be operations and maintenance projects, which is currently not a key
element of the EIP. TRPA is working on an Operations and Maintenance
program, but much work is yet to be done. Proponents of projects
determined by TRPA not to meet EIP inclusion criteria may appeal TRPA
staff's decision to the TRPA Governing Board.

# Action Items From August 8, 2000 Water Quality Working Group Steering Team Meeting

1.  **All Steering Team members** to provide "Pros and Cons" of
    prioritizing EIP projects to Jon Paul Kiel for consideration by the
    Environmental Improvement Program Integration Team on or before
    September 15, 2000.

2.  **Rita Whitney** to check with Robert Erlich regarding Eric Strecker
    working with LTIMP.

3.  **Jon Paul Kiel** to update Steering Team membership, including
    alternates and email list.

4.  **Jon Paul Kiel** to incorporate EIP comments re priority into Water
    Quality Priority Criteria.

5.  **Jon Paul Kiel** to submit list of proposed water quality EIP
    projects that do not meet the current criteria to Carl Hasty for
    compilation and further review.

6.  **Jon Paul Kiel** to schedule and set agenda for a September 12,
    9-12 WQWG meeting to discuss project funding issues.

**Meeting Minutes**

**August 8, 2000**

#### Water Quality Working Group

> (Presentation Only)

The afternoon presentation was by Bruce Warden of Lahontan on the
Fertilizer Management plans recently approved by the Lahontan board.
Data from ten years of monitoring by Tahoe City Golf Course, and other
monitoring data shows various levels of compliance. There were questions
asked and copies of Brockway's plan was distributed.

### Water Quality Working Group

**Mission Statement:** As partners working together to address relevant
water quality issues, The Lake Tahoe Water Quality Working Group has
been formed to foster coordination, communication, unified direction,
and appropriate decision making within and between agencies, and to use
limited resources in a cost-effective manner for the purposes of
protecting, enhancing, and restoring identified water quality values in
the Lake Tahoe Region.

## Special Meeting 

**Lake Tahoe Water Quality Working Group**

September 12, 2000

Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Conference Room

A special meeting of the Lake Tahoe Water Quality Working Group has been
scheduled for September 12, 2000 in the TRPA Conference Room at 308
Dorla Court, Zephyr Cove, NV. This meeting has been called to
specifically discuss water quality project funding issues. TRPA staff
does not have all the answers or information related to the agenda items
listed below: Be prepared to participate and contribute your knowledge
at the meeting. Please email Jon Paul Kiel at <jpkiel@trpa.org> on or
before Friday, September 8, 2000 if you plan on attending. Should the
number of respondents dictate, the meeting location may change to
accommodate a larger number of participants.

## Tentative Agenda

1\. Water Quality Project Funding Options.

Where is the Money?

> Federal

State

TRPA

Other

(Eligibility, Funding cycles, Matching requirements)

2\. Barriers Preventing Requests of Certain Water Quality Funds.

3\. Relationship to Environmental Improvement Program Finance Plan.

4\. Coordination: Finding the Funds in a Timely Manner.

> Building a *Funding Road Map* for Water Quality Projects in the Lake
> Tahoe Region

5\. Note Action Items, Schedule Future Meeting if Necessary.

(If you have any suggestions to revise or add to the agenda, please
contact Jon Paul Kiel. An agenda for the regularly scheduled November
14, 2000 meeting will be provided under separate cover.)

**Current Water Quality Working Group Steering Team Membership, August
8, 2000:**

  ---------------- ------------------ ------------------------------------
  **Primary        **Designated       **Affiliation**
  Member**         Alternate**        

  Brad Vidro\*\*                      City of South Lake Tahoe

  Brian                               Washoe Tribe of NV and CA
  Wallace\*\*\*                       

  Bruce Lee\*\*    Clayton Chappel    El Dorado County

  Dave Roberts                        League to Save Lake Tahoe

  Jane Freeman     Stephanie Wilson   US Environmental Protection Agency

  Jenny Scanland   Jim Lawrence       Nevada Tahoe Resource Team

  John Reuter      Alan Hayvaert      Tahoe Research Group

  John Tracy       Alan McKay         Desert Research Institute

  Jon Paul Kiel\*  Rita Whitney       Tahoe Regional Planning Agency

  Kathy Sertic     Lucia Machado      Nevada Division of Environmental
                                      Protection

  Lauri Kemper     Robert Erlich      Lahontan Regional Water Quality
                                      Control Board

  Sherry           Sally Champion     Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
  Hazelhurst\*\*                      

  Steve Goldman    Dave Zander        California Tahoe Conservancy

  Terry Rees                          US Geological Survey
  ---------------- ------------------ ------------------------------------

\*Chairperson

\*\*New Affiliate Member Since Original Roster

\*\*\*Inactive Member

Note: The Water Quality Steering Team invites participation from all
local jurisdictions. El Dorado County and the City of South Lake Tahoe
have recently chosen to actively participate in the Water Quality
Working Group's work program. Their input has been invaluable. Placer,
Washoe, and Douglas County are urged to participate starting with the
September meeting to be announced.

With the exception of the upcoming, specially scheduled September
meeting, the Water Quality Working Group Steering Team and the full
group meet quarterly, on the second Tuesday of the second month.