Fox Canyon hires Woodard & Curran for feasibility study of northern East Los Posas in‑lieu options

The Fox Canyon board on June 24 authorized staff to execute a professional services contract with Woodard & Curran (not‑to‑exceed amount approved by the board) to perform a feasibility study for BOP Project 7, which would investigate supplemental water supplies and delivery infrastructure for the northern East Los Posas management area.

Staff framed the study as technical and exploratory: it will model volumes and locations for supplemental supplies, investigate potential water sources, identify existing or required infrastructure and prepare rough order‑of‑magnitude cost and construction schedules. Staff said the northern East Los Posas area has experienced long‑term groundwater declines—cited hydrographs show roughly 100‑foot historical declines in some wells north of the Moorpark anticline—and faces challenges with delivering and penetrating recharge to the aquifer in that area.

The agency conducted an RFP and received three responsive proposals; the evaluation panel (agency staff plus representatives from Metropolitan Water District and County Water and Sanitation) ranked Woodard & Curran highest overall. Board members asked about contract timelines and recommended including specific schedule provisions and remedies for delays; staff said the proposed timeline had been tightened through negotiations and is included in contract exhibits.

The motion to approve the recommended action was moved, seconded and carried by voice vote. Staff will present drafts to the Technical Advisory Committee and Policy Advisory Committee and will incorporate their input before producing a final feasibility report.