Board approves Stanislaus County Drought Resilience Plan; staff to convene task force annually

The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve the county's Drought Resilience Plan, a state-required document prepared under Senate Bill 552 with technical support from Stantec.

Christine McKinnon of the Department of Environmental Resources told the board the plan identifies drought and non-drought water shortage risks, estimates about 9,234 domestic wells and 20 state small water systems within the county, and highlights eight clusters with elevated vulnerability. "The purpose of the drought resilience plan is to meet the requirements of Senate Bill 552," McKinnon said, and the plan includes short-term emergency drinking-water actions and six categories of long-term mitigation, including system consolidation and interconnections.

Supervisors asked whether groundwater sustainability agencies and technical advisory groups had seen the plan; staff replied that GSAs were invited to the task force and that materials were shared for comment. Public commenters urged a wider range of supply options — graywater, rooftop capture and desalination — and emphasized the need for funding to move plans into implementation.

The board approved the plan 5-0 and directed staff to hold annual drought task force meetings and to update the plan at least every five years. Staff listed potential funding sources in the plan, including Proposition for Safe Drinking Water programs, state resilience funds, and USDA technical-assistance programs.