2011-070 - Prado Basin Feasibility Study

Home Browse Search

RESOLUTION NO. 2011-070 Lss10/18/11 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA IN SUPPORT OF ORANGE COUNTY WATER DISTRICT'S PRADO BASIN FEASIBILITY STUDY BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The City Council of the City of Santa Ana hereby finds, determines and declares as follows: A. The Orange County Water District has proposed a Prado Basin Feasibility Study (hereinafter "Study") to evaluate regional ecosystem restoration and sediment management solutions through a multijurisdictional, integrated watershed approach; and B. Ecosystem restoration in the Santa Ana Watershed is critical to improving natural resource habitat and water quality; and C. Costly and limited imported water availability from the State Water Project and Colorado River has heightened the need to enhance water supply by increasing local stormwater capture; and D. The Study will evaluate opportunities for ecosystem restoration by developing a regional approach utilizing natural treatment systems throughout the Basin; and E. The Study will investigate opportunities for wetland pond creation, habitat restoration, new nature trails and recreational facilities, and water quality enhancements; and F. The Study will evaluate increasing the amount of stormwater that can be captured at Prado with a goal of providing up to an additional 30,000 acre- feet of water annually, enough water for nearly 250,000 people; and G. The implementation of projects based on the Study may save the ratepayers in the region up to twenty-four million dollars ($24,000,000) annually by avoiding the high cost of importing water through the fragile Bay-Delta or from the oversubscribed Colorado River, while also reducing our dependence from those sources; and H. Increasing the amount of water captured at Prado can be implemented without any construction costs or infrastructure modifications; and Resolution No. 2011-070 Page 1 of 3