Attachment 1Attachment 1Letter of Intent by and between the City of Hesperia Attachment 1
Attachment 1
And Fenner Gap Mutual Water Company
RECITALS
The City of Hesperia is known as the Gateway to the High Desert with a population over 100,000 and one of the most desirable places to live in California’s Mojave Desert region.
The City of Hesperia obtains its water supply almost entirely from pumped groundwater from the Mojave River Groundwater Basin and is connected to the Mojave Water Agency’s Regional Recharge and Recovery (R3), a conjunctive use project that stores State Water Project (SWP) water underground in the local aquifer and has invested in recycling, storm water capture, water use efficiency and water retention programs to conserve and manage water supplies for the long term needs of its residents.
Fenner Gap Mutual Water Company (“Fenner Gap”) is a non-profit mutual benefit corporation formed in 2010 for purposes of managing and distributing 2.5 million acre-feet of groundwater resources from the Cadiz Water Conservation, Storage and Supply Project in the Cadiz Valley region of San Bernardino County (“Cadiz”) and is a member of Fenner Valley Water Authority.
Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (VVWRA) is a Joint Powers Authority providing wastewater treatment, water recycling, and renewable green energy, and treats about 12 million gallons of wastewater per day, whose members include the City of Victorville, City of Hesperia, Town of Apple Valley, and San Bernardino County Special Districts 42 and 64.
Fenner Valley Water Authority is a Joint Powers Authority whose members include the County of San Bernardino, Fenner Gap and other public water agencies.
Fenner Gap and Cadiz own and manage groundwater resources in Mojave Desert watersheds adjacent to the regions served by VVWRA and 220-miles of buried pipelines that can directly connect new waters supplies to groundwater recharge basins in the Mojave Groundwater Basin.
The Mojave-San Bernardino County One Water Project is collaboration among public water agencies in San Bernardino County to develop a regional, integrated and sustainably-managed water system that considers the current and future needs of all its users, meets human needs with environmental best practices, and makes cost-effective investments in infrastructure to preserve access and affordability for all.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing recitals, the Parties will exercise good faith and reasonable best efforts to convert this Letter of Intent (''LOI") into a final definitive public, private, partnership agreement (''Agreement'') in collaboration with other participating agencies.
The key terms of the Agreement are as follows:
Subject to the approval of and terms and conditions imposed upon the Parties by their respective governing boards, shareholders, member agencies and/or applicable law:
The City of Hesperia will participate in the Mojave-San Bernardino One Water Project and collaborate with other participating agencies in the design, development, construction, and operation of water infrastructure facilities necessary to utilize all potential sources of water to create water security, climate resiliency and equitable distribution of water resources in Mojave Basin and other connected regions in San Bernardino County.
The City of Hesperia will participate with Fenner Gap, VVWRA and other public agencies in coordinating the financial, technical, and managerial resources of all entities participating in the Mojave-San Bernardino One Water project to optimize and access maximum available financial resources.
Fenner Gap will make available groundwater resources from the Cadiz Water Conservation, Supply and Storage Project in Cadiz Valley to entities participating in Mojave-San Bernardino County One Water for purposes of groundwater replenishment, water supply reliability and ecosystem preservation.
Fenner Gap and the City of Hesperia will exercise good faith and reasonable efforts to enter into an Agreement for delivery of 75,000 acre-feet of groundwater supply for the benefit of the City of Hesperia on substantially similar terms and conditions as contained in the attached Exhibit A - Non-Binding Term Sheet.
Signatures
__________________________________________Date___________ City of Hesperia
__________________________________________Date___________ Susan P Kennedy, President
Fenner Gap Mutual Water Company