DEPARTMENT Water Enterprise AGENDA NO. 7c
MEETING DATE October 10, 2023
AGENDA ITEM
Public Utilities Commission
City and County of San Francisco
Calendar: Consent Calendar
Contract/Project Manager: Tim Ramirez
Approve Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. CS-1405, United States Geologic Survey Joint Funding Agreement
Summary of Proposed
Commission Action:
Approve Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. CS -1405, United States Geologic Survey Joint Funding Agreement, with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), to increase the contract by $95,910, for a new total not-to-exceed contract amount of $2,933,680, with no change to the contract duration, to allow the S an Francisco Public U tilities Commission and the USGS to continue a cooperative Water Resource Investigations Program for hydrologic monitoring and stream and reservoir gauge maintenance in the Alameda and Peninsula Watersheds in order to construct and provide monitoring at five new monitoring stations.
Background: The USGS, a federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, works with local, state, and other federal agencies to collect water resources data at more than a million sites across the country, including rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, through regular monitoring and operation and maintenance of gauging instruments that measure stream flow and characterize hydrology. The USGS, which is recognized for its third- party independence, reliability, and scientific expertise in hydrologic monitoring, has
an established cooperative “Water Resource
Investigations” programs to advance this work with agencies that are responsible for water resources management and policy, and it incorporates the water information that is collected through the program in partnership with other agencies, in real-time, into a national database that is publicly accessible on the USGS website for use by citizens, public agencies, and scientists.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) has partnered with the USGS to i mplement a cooperative Water resource Investigations Program for the collection of water resources data in the Alameda and Peninsula Watersheds for many years, and it has entered into a series of Joint Funding Agreements under which both the SFPUC and the USGS contribute funding to cover the cost of necessary field and analytical work related to this program. The SFPUC relies on the USGS’s independence, credibility, and expertise in this area to maintain hydrologic records in the Alameda and Peninsula Wate rsheds that are Agenda Title: 1BApprove Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. CS-1405, United States Geologic Survey Joint Funding Agreement
Commission Meeting Date: October 10, 2023
critical to required reporting of SFPUC water rights, informing the SFPUC’s reservoir and water management operations, and ensuring the SFPUC meets federal and state minimum instream flow requirements.
On August 23, 2022, by Resolution No. 22-0146, this Commission awarded Contract No. CS -1405, United States Geologic Survey Joint Funding Agreement, in an amount not -to-exceed $2,837,770 and with a duration of six years.
Scope of Contract: The Joint Funding Agreement work locations are within the SFPUC Alameda and Peninsula Watersheds in Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Mateo Counties.
The Joint Funding Agreement work consists of operations, monitoring, and maintenance of complex streamflow and reservoir elevation equipment in the Alameda and Peninsula Watersheds, as well as satellite telemetry, to collect water resources information and incorporate it, in real -time, into USGS’s publicly accessible online database. The SFPUC needs the information collected for water rights required reporting, informing the SFPUC’s reservoir and water management operations, and ensuring that the SFPUC meets federal and state minimum instream flow requirements.
The Joint Funding Agreement covers work that is being performed at 26 different stations in three counties (often remote and in rugged terrain), and these stations report information to the USGS ’s public website every 15 minutes, which provides the transparency the SFPUC seeks as part of meeting its water rights and federal and stat e environmental compliance reporting requirements. The USGS staff are also required to visit these sites regularly and as necessary (e.g., during storms when equipment fails) to ensure these records are continuous and accurate as part of this Joint Funding Agreement.
Modifications to the
Contract:
Proposed Amendment No. 1: Staff is seeking Commission approval of a first amendment to Contract No. CS -1405, increasing the contract amount by $95,910, with no change to the c ontract duration, to install and operate five new monitoring stations , for a total not -to-exceed contract amount of $ 2,933,680.
Funding and Costs: Funding Source: Water Enterprise Operating Budget
Original Not-to-Exceed Amount: $ 2,837,770
Proposed Modification No. 1: $95,910
Total Not-To-Exceed Contract Amount: $2,933,680
Agenda Title: 1BApprove Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. CS-1405, United States Geologic Survey Joint Funding Agreement
Commission Meeting Date: October 10, 2023
Schedule: Original Duration: six years
Total Duration: six years
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
City and County of San Francisco
RESOLUTION NO.
WHEREAS, The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) works with local, state, and other federal agencies to collect water resources data at more than a million sites across the United States, including rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, through regular monitoring and operation and maintenance of gauging instruments that measure stream flow and characterize hydrology, and is recognized for its third-party independence, reliability, and scientific expertise in hydrologic monitoring; and WHEREAS, The USGS has an established cooperative “Water Resource Investigations” programs to advance this work with agencies that are responsible for water resources management and policy, and it incorporates the water information that is collected through the program in partnership with other agencies, in real-time, into a national database that is publicly accessible on the USGS website for use by citizens, public agencies, and scientists; and WHEREAS, The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) has partnered with the USGS to implement a cooperative Water Resource Investigations program for the collection of water resources data in the Alameda and Peninsula Watersheds for many years, and has entered into a series of Joint Funding Agreements under which both the SFPUC and the USGS contribute funding to cover the cost of necessary field and analytical work related to this program; and WHEREAS, The SFPUC relies on the independence, credibility, and expertise of the USGS to maintain hydrologic records in the Alameda and Peninsula Watersheds under these Joint Funding Agreements that are critical to required reporting of SFPUC water rights, informi ng the SFPUC’s reservoir and water management operations, and ensuring the SFPUC meets federal and state minimum instream flow requirements; and
WHEREAS, On August 23, 2023, by Resolution No. 22-0146, the Commission awarded Contract 1BApprove Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. CS-1405, United States Geologic Survey Joint Funding Agreement , and authorized the General Manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) to execute the Joint Funding Agreement, with an amount not -to- exceed $2,837,770 and with a duration of six years; and
WHEREAS, Staff recommends approval of Amendment No. 1 to increase the Joint Funding Agreement contract amount by $95,910, to allow the SFPUC and the USGS to construct and provide monitoring at five new monitoring stations, increasing the total not-to-exceed contract amount to $2,933,680 with no change to the contract duration; and
WHEREAS, Funds for this contract are available from the Water Enterprise operating budget, and now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Commission hereby approves Amendment No. 1 to Contract No.
CS-1405, United States Geologic Survey Joint Funding Agreement with USGS, increasing the contract amount by $95,910 for a total not -to-exceed contract amount of $ 2,933,680, with no change to the contract duration.
I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was adopted by the Public Utilities Commission at its meeting of October 10, 2023.
Secretary, Public Utilities Commission