California Code of Regulations › Title 23 - Waters › Division 7 - California Water Commission › Chapter 1 - Water Storage Investment Program › Article 2 - Application Process › Section 6004 - Requirements for the Quantification of Benefits

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a) The
				  applicant shall quantify the physical and economic magnitude of public and
				  non-public benefits that would be provided by the proposed project. The
				  applicant shall indicate whether a benefit is public or non-public to provide
				  an accurate cost allocation to determine allowable Program funding. The net
				  public and non-public physical benefits shall be calculated using the physical,
				  chemical, or biological change in each benefit resource condition that is
				  created by or caused by the proposed project, less any negative impacts of
				  similar physical units, location, and timing, created or caused by the proposed
				  project as compared to the without-project conditions at the same reference
				  point (i.e. 2030 future conditions, 2070 future conditions). To comply with
				  this section, the applicant shall select the most appropriate method described
				  in the Technical Reference to quantify the physical and economic magnitude of
				  the net public and non-public benefits of the proposed project. Pursuant to the
				  Technical Reference, an applicant may also select a method not included in the
				  Technical Reference if the method is scientifically sound, appropriate for the
				  project, and adequately described and documented. The quantification of public
				  and non-public benefits shall include the following:
(1) Without-Project Future Conditions. Except
				  as provided in subsection (E), all applicants shall use the Climate and
				  Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model results data for the two
				  without-project future conditions (2030 future conditions and 2070 future
				  conditions) provided by the Program on September 9, 2016 incorporated by
				  reference herein. In addition, applicants defined in subsection (E) shall use
				  the CalSim-II and DSM2 model products provided by the Program on November 2,
				  2016 incorporated by reference herein. If the model products provided by the
				  Program do not adequately describe the without-project future conditions
				  relevant to the project, applicants may also use other tools or models to
				  complete the description of the without-project future conditions.
(A) The without-project future conditions
				  shall be defined for surface water and groundwater operations and physical,
				  chemical, biological, economic, and other resource conditions; and include
				  information relevant to quantifying the potential public and non-public
				  physical and economic benefits and costs of the proposed project for the
				  planning horizon.
(B) The
				  without-project future conditions shall include the infrastructure, population,
				  land use, water use, water operations, laws, regulations and other
				  characteristics relevant to the analysis of the project, including all existing
				  mitigation or compliance obligations. The without-project future conditions
				  shall be developed using best available information on current conditions and
				  include projects, programs, and water management actions that would be
				  reasonably expected to occur in the foreseeable future. To be included in the
				  without-project future conditions, projects, programs, and water management
				  actions must be under construction or approved and permitted. Potential sources
				  of uncertainty in future conditions are addressed in section
				  6004(a)(8).
(C) The applicant's analysis of
				  without-project future conditions shall include any watershed(s) or region(s)
				  that would affect or would be affected by the proposed project. If the project
				  affects State Water Project or Central Valley Project operations or both, the
				  analysis must include the watersheds where the affected State Water Project or
				  Central Valley Project facilities and water uses, as applicable, are
				  located.
(D) The without-project
				  future conditions shall represent the change in climate and sea level
				  conditions for California at the years 2030 and 2070. The level of change in
				  climate and sea level conditions for 2030 and 2070 is defined in Section
				  2.12 of the Technical
				  Reference.
(E) Applicants for the
				  following categories of proposed water storage projects shall use the model
				  products provided, as described in section
				  6004(a)(1):
1. CALFED surface storage projects, as
				  defined in section
				  6001(a)(10);
				  and
2. All projects requesting
				  funding for quantified benefits within the Delta or resulting from Delta
				  improvements.
(F)
				  Applicants that quantify flood control benefits using hydrologic and hydraulic
				  modeling of future flood events may provide such modeling analysis using one of
				  the following. If 6004(a)(1)(F)1. or 2. is used, applicants must explain how
				  benefits might be different under the provided future climate and sea level
				  conditions. In all cases, monetization of flood control benefits must be
				  consistent with this section.
1. Modeling
				  provided in their feasibility studies;
2. New modeling using historical flood events
				  or historical hydrology; or
3. New
				  modeling using the climate change hydrology data set
				  provided.