2025 Northern Cities Management Area
(NCMA) Technical Group Strategic Plan
Agenda Item 12.A
By Rosemarie Gaglione, PE
Public Works Director
Meeting Date: March 3, 2026
Northern Cities
Management Area
•City of Pismo Beach
•City of Grover Beach
•City of Arroyo Grande
•Oceano Community Services District
NCMA Technical Group
Preserve and enhance the sustainability, quality and affordability of water supplies for the Northern Cities Area by: •Managing groundwater resources using science-based approaches •Enhancing supply reliability
•Advancing the legacy of cooperative water resource management •Promoting adaptive management
•Protecting water quality and supply through proactive monitoring •Maintaining cost-effective water supplies
NCMA Technical Group Mission Statement
Value of a Strategic Plan
•Clarity and alignment between agencies
•Prioritization of resources
•Adaptability and flexibility
•Focused and informed decision making
•Drive meaningful results
Strategic Plan Update Process
VISIONING REFLECTION WORKSHOP DRAFT
PLAN
FINAL
PLAN
Executive
Management Input
Executive Management
Review & Feedback
Technical Group
Key Objectives of the NCMA Technical Group
Enhance Water Supply Reliability:
•Develop a coordinated response plan for seawater intrusion and other supply emergencies
•Support implementation of projects and initiatives that increase water supply reliability
•Prepare the Northern Cities for prolonged drought conditions •Adaptively manage pumping from the groundwater basin in response to changing conditions
•Mitigate threats to groundwater sustainability
Key Objectives of the NCMA Technical Group
Support Effective Water Resource Management:
•Effectively manage water resources through conjunctive use and other strategies
•Encourage collaboration between technical and managerial requirements •Abide by the legal/regulatory groundwater management requirements •Support understanding of current and historic groundwater conditions to inform water resources initiatives
Key Objectives of the NCMA Technical Group
Conduct Effective Outreach and Regional Coordination:
•Maintain effective cooperation and information sharing to further the objectives of the NCMA agencies
•Reinforce the role of the NCMA Technical Group as the recognized technical experts for water resources within the Northern Cities Management Area
Ongoing Initiatives
•Quarterly Monitoring
•Annual Report
•NCMA & Agricultural Representatives
Collaboration
•Maintain Internal and External
Engagement
2025 NCMA Technical Group Strategic Plan
Outcomes
Implementation Plan
•Identify required actions, participants and estimated NCMA Budget •Inform annual budgeting, goal-setting and TG priorities •Adaptable over time to meet the needs and constraints of NCMA Agencies
Implementation Plan Highlights
•The 2025 Strategic Plan workshops resulted in 14
strategic initiatives
•Initiatives were evaluated based on:
•Reliability and sustainability
•Enhanced management
•Cost effectiveness
•Ease of implementation
•The following slides will focus on initiatives of most importance to the City of Pismo Beach…
Implement Management Agreement
Adopt Management Agreement Update and Adaptive
Groundwater Management Plan
•Key Objective: Support effective water resource management •This is the guiding document by which the NCMA Technical Group operates together to be good stewards of the
groundwater basin.
Groundwater Model Management Scenarios
Utilize model to simulate regional groundwater
management scenarios
•Key Objective: Support effective water resource management •This is key to our understanding of how water moves beneath the surface and how the sub-basins interact
•Will further refine our understanding of the Nipomo Mesa Management Area (NMMA) pumping depression
•Will help to quantify how much water the NCMA may be losing to the NMMA due to their over-pumping vs natural gradients
NCMA Legal Strategy
Develop legal strategy to protect NCMA rights
•Key Objective: Enhance water supply reliability
•Development in the NMMA has intensified the pumping
depression, resulting in more NCMA water flowing into the NMMA
•An enhanced regional groundwater model will help to define and quantify the loss of NCMA water
•Updating the types and amount of development in the NMMA •We are updating the legal and the development history
•This is key to protecting Pismo’s water supply
NCMA Managerial/Legal Framework for
Development Review
Improve managerial and legal coordination on new development outside the NCMA agencies’ service areas •Key Objective: Conduct effective outreach and regional coordination •The NCMA might have benefitted from a more structured process in commenting and potentially taking action on large developments like the Dana Reserve •Water is in short supply on the Central Coast and the NCMA is tasked with being stewards of our sub basin •Development outside of NCMA agencies’ jurisdiction has an impact on the sub basin
Conjunctive Use Plan
Develop a Conjunctive Use Plan to optimize use of available groundwater storage including Advanced Water Purification Facility projects that can recharge the basin •Key Objective: Support effective water resource management •A full and well-rounded water portfolio is a more resilient portfolio. •Central Coast Blue will be a key part of the Pismo Beach water portfolio •Central Coast Blue will also help to protect the basin from seawater intrusion. •It can potentially make more water available to the region.
Questions?