IRRIGATION

PARKS

HYDROELECTRIC

ELECTRIC

DRAINAGE

Prepared For:

CEC’s Joint Agency Workshop on California’s Drought Response

August 28, 2015

Merced River Watershed Area1,037 sq. miles

• Successor in Interest to Water Entities Serving Irrigation Water Since 1870s

• Serving Eastern Merced County for Almost 90 Years

• Holds Riparian, Pre-1914 And Post 1914 Appropriative Water Rights

NEW EXCHEQUER DAM & FACILITIES:

RESERVOIR – LAKE McCLURECapacity 1,024,600 AFSurface area 7,127 acresShoreline 82 milesElevation 867 feet

POWERHOUSECapacity 100,000 KWRated head on turbine 397 feetPenstock diameter 16 feet

RECREATIONCamping, boating, swimming, fishing, hiking.

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Merced River Hydroelectric Project - Facilities

LAKE McSWAIN DAM & FACILITIES:

RESERVOIRCapacity (gross pool) 9,730 acre-feetSurface area (gross pool) 308 acresShoreline (gross pool) 12.5 milesElevation (gross pool) 400 feet

POWERHOUSECapacity 9,100 KilowattsRated head on turbine 54 feetPenstock diameter 15 feet

RECREATIONCamping, boating, swimming, fishing, hiking

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Merced River Hydroelectric Project - Facilities

New Exchequer Dam Capable of Producing 100 Megawatts Of Emission-Free EnergyLarge Hydro Generation Critical Component of Balancing Energy Load Demands with Intermittent Distributed Solar and Wind Energy Coming Online Under Current RPS GoalsHydro Will Become More Important if SB 350 is Enacted, Increasing RPS Target to 50%

Introduction

CURRENT DROUGHT IMPACTS

In 4th Year of an Unprecedented DroughtFeb 5, 2009, Below Normal Year Jan 5, 2011, Wet Year

March 20, 2015

Hydro Generation

Year MWh

2011 480,450

2012 205,360

2013 139,840

2014 77,580

Through June 2015 3,560

MID In-District Surface Water Deliveries, Applied Acreage

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Acre-Feet Delivered 263,194 309,340 265,613 137,910 9,261

AF/Acre Delivered 2.7 3.0 2.6 1.6 NA**

** Represents less than 1/10 of 1 acre foot per acre, delivered

FUTURE CONCERNS

Drought Represents a Harbinger of Disaster for Clean Energy in California– Pending State Water Board Actions Will Result in Lake

McClure and Others Being Emptier More Frequently

According to Pacific Institute (March 2015) – Increase of 8% In CO2 Due to Loss of Hydroelectric Power Over Last 4 Years– Power Plants Combusted Fossil Fuels to Make Up for Deficit

In Hydroelectric Production

Future Concerns

SWRCB SED– Along with Several Other Irrigation Districts Along East Side

of San Joaquin Valley, Faced with Ongoing Future Loss of Stored Water

– 35% Unimpaired Flow Releases February – June– Significantly Impacts Operations– Reduces Generation During Summer Months– Will Have Host of Impacts to Groundwater and Our

Disadvantaged Community’s Economy – Will Have Significant Impact on Ability to Produce Emission-

Free Energy And Provide Load Balancing With Increased Introduction of Solar And Wind Energy

– Will Affect Merced ID’s Ability to Help State Meet Its Goals of RPS Implementation and Greenhouse Gas Reduction

Future Concerns

CURRENT PLANNING ACTIVITIES

Current Planning ActivitiesWorking with SWRCB on its SED– Flows SWRCB Implements Will Significantly Impact Generation

Replace Turbine Runner – Complete– Previous Generation Capacity = 94.5 MW– Generation Capacity After Runner Upgrade = 100 MW

Groundwater Sustainability Act Regional LeadershipIntegrated Regional Water Management Planning

Increase Existing StorageNew Exchequer Reservoir Spillway Modification

Increase Water Supply Upper Watershed Management

Increase Water Supply Upper Watershed Management

Ongoing study for impact of thinning with the University of California, Merced

Speckerman

Nelder

a

Atwater CanalRegulating ReservoirYear 1

McCoy Lateral LowerRegulating ReservoirYear 4

Arena CanalRegulating ReservoirYear 5

McCoy Lateral UpperRegulating ReservoirYear 12

Livingston Canal Water Conveyance System Modernization Components

Bear CreekRegulating ReservoirYear 7

Downstream Regulating Basins

Reduce Unnecessary River ReleasesImprove Tracking of Third Party Diversions

Reduce Unnecessary River Releases Support River Restorations

Optimization of Water Resources

Questions?