COUNCILMEMBER DONNA FRYE
CITY OF SAN DIEGO
SIXTH DISTRICT

Memorandum

As you know, City staff have been engaging in preliminary discussions/negotiations with the Barona Band of Mission Indians regarding the proposed installation of a pipeline and pump station from the San Vicente Reservoir to the Barona Band of Mission Indians' reservation.

This issue started because of the serious decline in water supply in the Barona area. This water shortage came about due to a combination of below normal rain levels and the major expansion at the reservation, including the resort, casino, and new golf course. This reduced water supply impacted the Barona Band as well as the Old Barona Road residents. Due to the water shortage, and the impending development of a 400-room hotel, the Barona Band approached the City in the summer of 2002 about the possibility of importing City of San Diego water from the San Vicente reservoir to the Barona reservation. The Barona Band asked that the pipeline project be expedited due to its "emergency" status.

The Barona Band did not request that the agreement include the Old Barona Road residents. The Barona Band did not believe they were taking water from the same basin, and therefore did not believe their facility was impacting the water supply of the surrounding residents. The Old Barona Road residents, however, maintained that the groundwater was coming from the same basin, that they were being negatively effected by the Band's activities, and that they should therefore be included as part of the Barona Band's potential water deal with the City.

In the course of review by City staff, it was determined that the Barona Band's request did not merit "emergency" status, and therefore the project must undergo CEQA review. In addition, the County hydrologist determined that the best evidence available shows that the Barona Band and the Old Barona Road residents do in fact use the same well for groundwater extraction (see attached letter from County of San Diego dated November 21, 2002).

City staff is now apparently reviewing their next steps for the negotiations regarding this proposed project. Given the high level of interest in this project and the lack of any public hearing on this subject, I respectfully request that we docket this issue for an informational item at the Natural Resources and Culture Committee as soon as possible.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

cc: Mayor and Councilmembers