Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
December 26, 2007
5. Agencies, Programs, People
NATOMAS LEVEE ISSUES:
Natomas levee permit delayed - Sacramento Bee
EXPANSION PLANS:
Paradise Irrigation District moves closer to expanding - Paradise Post
WATER PROJECT ISSUES:
Guest Opinion: Rubber dam project out of control -
Lake Oroville's low level exposes debris and artifacts - Chico Enterprise Record
RETIREMENT:
Selfless public servant; Just-retired official Richard Webb gave up his own house so levee could be built - Marysville Appeal Democrat
NATOMAS LEVEE ISSUES:
Natomas levee permit delayed
The state Reclamation Board opted Friday to wait until January to consider granting a construction permit for a huge Natomas levee project, and asked for more hydraulic analysis on the proposal.
The board did vote, however, to ask the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for permission to modify the levees, a crucial procedural step.
The Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, sponsor of the $400 million project, agreed to perform more hydraulic modeling in time for the board's Jan. 18 meeting.
The board wants SAFCA to analyze effects on levees in
The Reclamation Board's action addressed only the first phase of construction along 5 miles of the
SAFCA Executive Director Stein Buer said the board's request to the Corps of Engineers was key to ensure that federal analysis of the project remains on track.
Delaying the construction permit until January, he said, won't upset plans to start work next summer. #
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/586195.html
EXPANSION PLANS:
Paradise Irrigation District moves closer to expanding
By Paul Wellersdick, staff writer
The controversial expansion of the Paradise Irrigation District didn't stop the board from unanimously passing its negative declaration Wednesday night. The negative declaration is a document that addresses environmental issues of a given project. It's an alternative to an environmental impact review and proves a project will not affect the area of the project.
After passing the negative declaration, PID can now proceed to increase its sphere of influence with the Butte County Local Agency Formation Commission, which means PID can continue with its ability to negotiate with the Del Oro Water Company, PID Manager George Barber said.
"Our main goal in this process is to bring in additional water for drought conditions," he said.
The sphere of influence would be expanded to include the Magalia and Lime Saddle districts now owned by Del Oro. LAFCo had required PID to increase its sphere before continuing with any negotiations with Del Oro. LAFCo recommended PID increase its sphere to roughly match the Town of
PID is considering wheeling water to the districts, or selling and trading water between the purveyors. PID also has assessed acquiring the districts through eminent domain, a government entity taking of a private business, Del Oro Attorney Robert MacKenzie said.
PID would use the governing power because Del Oro insists the districts are not for sale, Del Oro Director of Community Relations Kristin Aguiar said. Del Oro President Robert Fortino said, in a letter to PID that some of the board may have been confused that the districts were for sale.
"I have no idea why some PID board members apparently believe that a PID taking of DOWC would be beneficial for the customers of either entity," the letter stated. "In my opinion, there is absolutely no legitimate reason for PID to go to the expense of taking DOWC. Hence, (the agenda item) has been placed on (Wednesday's) agenda in error."
The district has not settled on acquisitions and will do what is the best economic alternative for the district, Barber said. PID would affectively stop Del Oro's ability to serve its remaining Ridge District if PID took the two districts from Del Oro, MacKenzie said. Barber argued that acquisitions would be accompanied by a contract to wheel water to Del Oro to serve its customers.
MacKenzie said the solution is not a government taking of the district but contractual arrangements. He also said the acquisitions wouldn't be the most efficient way for PID to operate. Barber said the district made sure the board was not swayed in their decision to approve the negative declaration by keeping the economic analysis of the acquisition in closed session, Barber said.
Other controversy manifested from concerns about a possible growth inducing nature of acquisitions, expansions and wheeling. The Butte Environmental Council argued, in a letter to PID the project would be growth inducing because it thought PID would be developing service areas in previously un-served areas, the letter read.
Barber said nothing would induce growth and other issues stifle growth on the Ridge like a lack of sewer and lack of roads.
"The actions we're taking don't turn a shovel of dirt," he said. "No areas are waiting for water. We're providing drought supply water to areas, and water to the pines for their declining wells." #
http://www.paradisepost.com//ci_7800154?IADID=Search-www.paradisepost.com-www.paradisepost.com
WATER PROJECT ISSUES:
Guest Opinion: Rubber dam project out of control
By Susan Goldbeck, lawyer and former member of the Pacific Grove City Council
Voters in
These were lofty goals, and voters heartily embraced them.
Five years later, after one county misstep after the other, the rubber dam project's cost has stretched to a figure likely to exceed $70 million.
Last month,
Who knew that the cost of the project did not include delivery of the water to the ultimate users?
County officials certainly knew when they asked for voter authorization that delivery and maintenance costs were not included.
To make matters worse, it is highly doubtful the dam will deliver water to those who have been paying for it and who will be paying dearly for it.
Consider this: Curtis Weeks, at a recent meeting of a water policy group, said the bounty of the rubber dam has already been "allocated," mostly for agricultural purposes.
Where is
And developers who are not even part of the assessment scheme, including those behind projects at
One thing that has not stretched with the rubber dam project is the expected yield.
Indeed, the predicted yield has been substantially cut as a result of environmental constraints: more users and far less water.
Things are getting "curioser and curioser," to borrow a phrase from Lewis Carroll.
Weeks recently announced that his agency intends to apply for a $15 million grant for construction of a pipeline for water delivery to Prunedale. This of course flies in the face of a county consultant's report back in 1999 upon which the rubber dam project was premised. It said the project would not deliver any water to Prunedale.
It is long overdue for our county representatives to get a handle on what went wrong with this project and to set things straight before the voters give them more money. We clearly need to look at new management at the county Water Resources Agency.
The rubber dam is a worthy project, but the public, and in particular those folks who are being asked to pay for it, deserve some straight answers as to what this is going to cost as well as some assurance as to who will benefit. #
OROVILLE -- Recreational users of
In addition to rocks, the water levels have exposed the inevitable debris that comes with lake use, such as fishing lures, boat motors and even abandoned cars.
The lake was at about 698 feet as of Sunday, and there is an increased need for the public to be mindful that any Maidu tribal artifacts exposed on the lake bed are protected.
California Department of Parks and Recreation rangers and volunteer Maidu volunteers have been continuing observation and enforcement of laws that protect sensitive archaeological sites. Severe penalties apply for disrupting such areas.
The Maidu were trained by a State Parks archaeologist in a program to protect the sites of their ancestors and regular patrols are conducted.
State officials have identified dozens of archeological sites along the 163 miles of lake shoreline created when the
Ellen Clark of the
Even areas where Christmas trees have been recycled through the Boy Scouts program for fish habitat are exposed.
The lowest
Launching conditions are subject to change depending on lake levels.
Specific information about the daily launch conditions can be obtained by calling the California Department of Parks and Recreation at 538-2200. #
http://www.chicoer.com//ci_7797764?IADID=Search-www.chicoer.com-www.chicoer.com
RETIREMENT:
Selfless public servant; Just-retired official Richard Webb gave up his own house so levee could be built
Marysville Appeal Democrat – 12/24/07
By Andrea Kloskey, staff writer
For years, Richard Webb wanted to improve levees and flood protection in south
Twelve years and $400 million in levee improvements later, Webb has stepped down down as chair of two prominent boards.
“We are in the final stages of improvements,” Webb said. “If all the work gets done as planned, significant improvement to 784’s levees will have been made. But there’s always work to be done.”
Webb, 77, was president of Reclamation District 784 for the past 12 years as well as chairman of the Three Rivers Levee Improvement Authority for four years.
Webb said his decision to retire from both boards was not easy. But, he said, he wanted to retire at the end of his term with RD 784. Webb’s term ended Dec. 7.
RD 784 maintains the levees that protect Linda, Olivehurst, Arboga and
TRLIA was formed through a joint powers agreement with RD 784 in 2004. The agency is designed to finance and carry out levee improvements that protect development in south
“He will be missed on the board, I will miss him. I enjoyed working with him,” TRLIA Executive Director Paul Brunner said. “I think Richard provided a stabilizing force. He brings a sense of reason and he’s easy to talk with.”
Don Graham, an RD 784 board member, has been appointed to sit in Webb’s place on the TRLIA board.
Webb relocated to
As a member of the boards, Webb and his colleagues made some major decisions on public safety and levee improvements over the past three years. One of the biggest includes the current improvements to all of RD 784s levees.
Within that project, six miles of setback levee are planned along the
“Once the levee is constructed, our house will be in the riverbottoms,” Webb said. “We have to move. But we are willing participants.”
Although Webb recused himself from voting on the project during all meetings, he supported the ideafrom its inception.
“We realize that building the levee will substantially improve flood protection for the residents of RD 784,” he said. “We just happened to be one of those people it affects directly.”
Webb said he and his wife have purchased a house in
Construction of the setback levee is expected to begin in the spring.
Brunner said Webb’s backing of the setback project just shows how dedicated he is to the community.
“It demonstrates he recognizes the need for flood protection,” Brunner said. “Though the setback levee affects him personally, he gave up his home for the sake of a better system. He supported the idea. That speaks volumes to how he operates.”
Webb said, with his retirement, he’ll miss having an inside knowledge of the levee work, but he won’t be walking away from the work completely.
“I’ll miss it,” he said. “A tremendous amount of change occurred during my time on the board. But I’ll still be around. I never thought about leaving.”
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