Mariposa water board advises supervisors to consider MOU on Flying M storage, warns county needs negotiation capacity

The Mariposa County Water Agency Advisory Board voted to send a minute order recommending that the Board of Supervisors consider entering into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) related to the Flying M storage proposal and associated settlement project.

Board members and public speakers emphasized the MOU is preliminary and that Mariposa County would need legal, technical and negotiation capacity if it participates. Board member John (last name as recorded in the meeting) said the county would be “obligate[d] … to participate in what are gonna be highly technical, highly difficult, time consuming negotiations” and that the county currently lacks the resources “to handle that level of negotiation.”

Why it matters: the MOU would open access to project information and early-stage talks about storing or moving water associated with the settlement. Several speakers framed the MOU as a step that could lead to detailed feasibility work and negotiations over existing contracts, including the county’s contract with MID (as referenced…