All of the local public agencies with responsibilities for water in the Santa Clarita Valley have crafted an agreement to split the cost of a new Integrated Regional Water Management Plan.

Under state law, a new water management plan is supposed to be crafted every five years. It assesses the amount of available water – in the SCV’s case, both groundwater and imported state water – for planning purposes.

The Legislature crafted the law so local agencies would cooperate and jointly manage their water supplies in order to meet the state’s agricultural, domestic, industrial and environmental needs.

But lo and behold, the state’s got some financial problems and isn’t providing all of the money that’s needed to complete the report this year.

The Castaic Lake Water Agency, as the SCV’s state water importer, is in charge of the plan’s development. It will cost $355,000 to prepare.

CLWA applied for funding from the California Department of Water Resources, but it’s awarding only $266,250 – leaving an $88,750 shortfall in state funding for the state-mandated water plan.

CLWA is putting up $50,000, leaving a balance of $38,750 that the other interested parties have agreed to split evenly.

Under the agreement that is in the process of being adopted by each of the agency’s boards, each of the following would pay $7,750 for the new water plan: The city of Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County Flood Control District, CLWA’s Santa Clarita Water retail division and the Valencia Water Co. (not a public agency but regulated by the PUC).

Also, after the plan is complete, the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy will contribute $10,000 to cover any overage.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will consider approving the agreement Tuesday on behalf of the flood control district.