Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
March 3, 2008
5. Agencies, Programs, People
STATEN ISLAND
Call to investigate Delta land deal; State spending on Staten Island is questioned - Stockton Record
Board weighs how to pay for setback levee; About $30 million to come from developer fees, but sizable gap remains - Marysville Appeal Democrat
IMPERIAL IRRIGATION BOARD ISSUES:
Garcia bills would add Coachella members to IID board - Imperial Valley Press
Editorial: Garcia plan would hurt Valley -
FLOOD INSURANCE:
Expensive insurance needless?; Lodi, San Joaquin County hope to remove area from FEMA's flood insurance mandate - Lodi News Sentinel
Flood maps may mandate insurance; FEMA illustrations detailing flood-prone areas to be released later this month -
FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS:
Editorial: County must put flood fee money to work – soon - Marin Independent Journal
Editorial: City takes another step in flood control -
UPGRADE:
Potentially costly water improvements pending; Creek gets face-lift ahead of library groundbreaking - Inside Bay Area
LOCAL UTILITIES ISSUES:
It's official: Water deal is history -
RATE HIKES:
NID board raises water rates - Auburn Journal
STATEN ISLAND
Call to investigate Delta land deal; State spending on
By Hank Shaw, Capitol Bureau Chief
Assemblymen Bill Maze, R-Visalia, and Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, want U.S. Attorney MacGregor Scott to look into what they say are shady dealings between the state and The Nature Conservancy. Taxpayers have spent $35 million for an easement, levee repairs and operation costs on
"I began looking into the
Maze said he was spurred into action by the results of an audit he commissioned last fall that found serious problems with the deal.
"We think there is sufficient merit to this to proceed," Maze said in an interview.
Maze said he sent over a cache of documents supporting his case to Scott earlier this week. The
State Resources Agency spokesman Sandy Cooney acknowledged the administration agreed with much of the auditor's findings, but added that "with respect to the appraisal of the property, what we paid for it is within the limitations of that program."
Cooney also noted that Maze's allegations involve actions that occurred during the previous administration.
Maze says internal documents show that state Department of Water Resources staff was aware that the appraisal of the island, which is still a working farm receiving federal corn subsidies, was inflated by as much as $10 million. The Nature Conservancy and the administration dispute this.
"It is unclear to me why The Nature Conservancy, which has over $4 billion in assets and made over $1 billion in revenue last year worldwide, needed grants by the taxpayers of
According to documents surrounding the case, as well as interviews with Nature Conservancy officials last year, the conservancy wanted the island because the previous farmer had been a pioneer in wildlife-friendly agriculture, and because Staten Island is a wintering ground for sandhill cranes, which are numerous enough to be hunted in many other parts of the country but are still threatened in California.
A Nature Conservancy spokeswoman said the public can visit the island to watch the cranes in winter, the farm contributes to the local economy, and the island could provide flood-control benefits to the Delta.
That assertion is in dispute. The state auditor found that the conservation easement DWR obtained for
Maze said he thinks there could be criminal conduct by the state and The Nature Conservancy. "There could be a number of prongs here," he said. #
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080301/A_NEWS/803010324/-1/A_NEWS03
Board weighs how to pay for setback levee; About $30 million to come from developer fees, but sizable gap remains
Marysville Appeal Democrat – 3/3/08
By Andrea Koskey, staff writer
The Yuba County Board of Supervisors will have some big decisions to make Tuesday when it is presented with options to pay for the
In October, the state announced
County officials anticipate $30 million to come from developer impact fees in the south county; the remaining $23 million will be borrowed by the county.
"Ultimately, the county is responsible for this money," County Administrator Robert Bendorf said. "We want to eliminate the possibility of using funds from the general fund."
Construction of the levee is expected to begin later this month. The levee will be in the
The choice before the supervisors is to determine how much to borrow, based on the uncertainty of the housing market.
Originally, staff presented a repayment plan that would require the county to borrow $31 million, including three years of interest. With this plan, the county would repay the loan at $2.1 million each year for the next 40 years.
The second option would give the county more time to build up impact fees by borrowing $33 million, including six years of interest. Repayment for this plan would not begin until 2014 at $1.3 million each year and growing to $5.3 million for the next 40 years.
Randy Margo, assistant county administrator, said the second scenario is intended to limit or completely eliminate the county's out-of-pocket expenses by deferring payment for an additional three years.
"We are taking into consideration the current housing slump," he said. "With more time, we hope we are able to collect more impact fees."
Bendorf said with the extra time, fees collected from the developers will also grow if the housing market turns around and more homes are built in the county.
He said staff realizes the importance of the six miles of setback levee along the Feather.
Regardless of the choice, the general fund is always at risk, the administrators said.
"We're viewing this as investment in public safety," Margo said.
Supervisor Mary Jane Griego said this project needs to continue because the risk of flooding far outweighs the price of the project.
"After the '86 flood, businesses left," she said. "For 20 years, the south county has been severely impacted."
Griego also said that when the Federal Emergency Management Agency issues new flood maps for the area,
This project, Griego said, "isn't for the faint of heart or weak-kneed politicians."
Griego's constituents are largely affected by this setback levee.
Supervisor Hal Stocker said public safety is a priority the board should remember.
"We owe it to these people," Stocker said about residents subject to the 1986 and 1997 floods. "They deserve anything we can do as a county to protect them." #
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/county_61032___article.html/million_levee.html
IMPERIAL IRRIGATION BOARD ISSUES:
Garcia bills would add Coachella members to IID board
By Brianna Lusk, staff writer
The Imperial Irrigation District board could see two new members seated from
Recent legislation proposed by Garcia,
The legislation calls for changing the California Water Code, particularly the section that deals with irrigation districts.
IID officials said in a meeting with Garcia last month she said the bills proposed in the Assembly, which have not been finalized, would give Coachella better representation on energy issues.
The two new seats would only vote on energy issues.
“This legislation is a dangerous thing for the IID,” spokesman Kevin Kelley said. “This destructive proposal can only harm our ratepayers.”
Garcia did not return messages left on her cell phone Friday and her chief of staff, Dillon Gibbons, said Garcia was feeling ill and would try to call back regarding the issue.
Members of the IID board called the move a “resource grab” at the district’s energy interests in
“The power assets up there are worth a fortune,” IID board President John
POWERING THE DESERT
Although the IID is an irrigation district, an agreement with the Coachella Valley Water District during the Great Depression opened the door for providing power in the desert region to the north.
The 100-year agreement is set to expire in 2033, when IID officials said they will continue to power the
CVWD General Manager Steve Robbins said that’s still up for debate.
“After the 25 years it’s not quite clear as to what happens,” Robbins said, adding CVWD was neutral on who provides power to the area in the future.
IID legal counsel Jeff Garber said the California Water Code allows an irrigation district like IID to provide energy outside its territory. A change in the code could affect not only IID ratepayers, but other similar irrigation districts in the state, he said.
Robbins said he was briefed by Garcia on her proposal and that it is not an issue on which CVWD will choose sides.
“We’re not in the power business. We’re not looking to be in the power business. It’s not a CVWD issue,” Robbins said.
“The position I got from my board (of directors) was to stand back and stay out of that one.”
THE EFFECT
But the idea that the change on the IID board wouldn’t affect water issues along with energy issues doesn’t add up, IID Director James Hanks said.
Hanks said CVWD’s conclusion is flawed.
“That contract ties back to the water. They definitely have a dog in the fight because our contract is with them,” Hanks said.
The viability of the district, officials said, could be at stake.
The board votes on water and energy issues that often cross over, Kelley said.
“You can’t distinguish the two without undermining them. You cannot separate water and power,” Kelley said.
Hanks said the district stands to lose everything if the energy department were sold or compromised by being separated from the water department.
Power bills can sometimes double just by crossing the street that separates the IID service area from Southern California Edison, an investor-owned utility, Kelley said.
“Where she’s headed could impact Coachella energy rates. When all is said and done, she’s looking at reorganization,” Hanks said.
DOES COACHELLA HAVE A VOICE?
The idea of having
As a member of the Energy Consumers’ Advisory Committee, the
“I’ve been pushing for an open forum on this,” Hazan said. “It seemed to me the board was ducking a responsibility.”
The advisory committee is a 20-member organization under the IID umbrella that includes residents from the Coachella and Imperial valleys.
There are two vacancies from the
The committee meets monthly to discuss energy issues and often makes a recommendation to the board.
Hazan said he has not talked to Garcia about his views and was pleased to hear about her plans.
“At least it’s a step in the right direction, but it doesn’t go far enough,” Hazan said.
He said he would be in favor of creating an entirely different water board voted on by the two valleys without restrictions on residency. All members could end up being Coachella residents, he said.
“I felt the people are not represented. So far the ECAC has been a publicity group. We have not been very good at advising the board,” Hazan said.
Gil Perez, chairman of the committee and an
“We review policies as well as budgetary items and give our opinion. Personally I think the way it’s working is going well,” Perez said.
CONTROL AT RISK
IID has grappled with transmission issues and the possibility of being bypassed by privately owned energy companies like San Diego Gas & Electric in a race to link to renewable energy.
Garcia’s timing, Kelley said, is questionable.
Menvielle said there are some in the
That vulnerability could leave private utilities chomping at the bit to come into IID territory.
“I think that would be a disaster. Even with the missteps that have been taken on the issues of natural gas, we still have among the lowest rates in
“If the board decided to sell the power system, we would be faced with a private company coming in and they would inevitably jack the rates out of sight.” #
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2008/03/01/local_news/news03.txt
Editorial: Garcia plan would hurt Valley
We’re not sure what Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia is thinking, but she certainly doesn’t have the best interests of the
Garcia is apparently unhappy with the Imperial Irrigation District and wants to do something about it. She has introduced bills that, when amended, would call for adding voting members to the IID Board of Directors from the
We find it not only curious, but also dangerous that Garcia — who will be termed out of office this year — feels the need to take this parting shot.
It is true the IID provides power for some parts of the
The IID, as we all know and Garcia may have forgotten, is an irrigation district. As such, it is permitted by the water code to provide energy outside of its territory. And under current law, people in the
The question is why? Well, it is certainly not because citizens in the areas of the
We are confused that a legislator who has focused on broad issues such as identity theft and trans fats would appear ready to toss us under the bus as she prepares to leave office.
The power brokers are obviously not in the Imperial Valley, but the
But Garcia should know that while our influence may be small, we are not stupid. And this most recent attempt to grab the resources of our Valley has done something we weren’t sure was possible: it has united the IID board.
We join the board in its opposition to Garcia’s plan. This is not simply aimed at fixing a partnership that isn’t broken in the first place; it’s aimed at re-writing the rules in favor of our larger neighbor.
Ultimately, it is about control. Garcia obviously doesn’t care about local control, because her plan could eventually take the power — literally — out of
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2008/03/02/our_opinion/ed02_03-02-08.txt
FLOOD INSURANCE:
Expensive insurance needless?;
By Ross Farrow, staff writer
Property owners in northwest
Lodi and San Joaquin County officials are working together to make minor repairs to berms and levees that they hope will convince the Federal Emergency Management Authority to remove the neighborhoods from high-risk status.
As soon as the rain-saturated ground dries out, the city of
Residents in Park West and
Meanwhile, in
Prima said he thinks that the area of the
In its preliminary map, FEMA designated all of
In
"We're in the process of studying if indeed the levees are necessary," Winkler said.
If so, the county will shore them up and make its best case to FEMA, he added.
Winkler said he hopes to submit some data to FEMA within the next two weeks.
What will help
The levee work may not remove all of
Meanwhile, the city of Stockton faces considerable expense because of what FEMA considers to be flood danger along the Calaveras and San Joaquin rivers in the west side of the city.
While neighborhoods surrounding the potentially high-risk flood area won't be required to buy flood insurance, Jana Critchfield, a FEMA insurance specialist, strongly urged property owners to buy insurance.
"Six inches of water will float a car," Critchfield said. "Just 2 inches of water will cause major damage."
The press briefing in
Once the county and city of
Senate Bill 5, authored by State Sen. Mike Machado, D-Linden, requires 200-year urban flood protection on new development. Cities and counties must submit a plan to the state by 2012 and put it into effect by 2025, Winkler said.
SB 5, signed last year, establishes flood protection requirements for local land-use decisions consistent with the Central Valley Protection Plan, according to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Web site. #
http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2008/02/29/news/1_fema_080229.txt
Flood maps may mandate insurance; FEMA illustrations detailing flood-prone areas to be released later this month
Inside Bay Area – 3/1/08
By Karen Holzmeister, staff writer
Don't have spending plans yet for the federal tax rebate due later this year?
Good.
Property owners in communities surrounding the San Lorenzo Creek Watershed may need that extra cash.
Flood insurance, plus tax money for flood control projects, isn't cheap.
Castro Valley, Cherryland, north
Meetings will be held in April in Castro Valley,
Representatives of
"Don't underestimate Mother Nature," Daniel Woldesenbet, the county's public works director, told 40 people Wednesday at a
Sixty years of rainfall data, collected at area U.S. Geological Survey gauges, show that watershed flooding could be worse in the future, Woldesenbet and other county administrators said.
Flooding occurs, in part, due to creek runoff. Development and paving in San Lorenzo Creek's upper area also have reduced the ground area available to absorb water, causing flooding downstream.
The 40-square-mile San Lorenzo Creek Watershed is the land area through which water flows en route to a body of water — San Francisco Bay, in this case.
Eight major creeks drain into San Lorenzo Creek.
Projects that could reduce flooding include improvements at Cull Canyon Reservoir in Castro Valley and Don Castro Reservoir in
Voters in various zones of the county's flood control district would have to approve assessments for the improvements.
Lenders also require flood insurance for homes in special flood hazard zones, and insurance will be discussed at the upcoming community meetings.
Flood insurance can be purchased at less-expensive rates before FEMA adopts the final flood plain maps, county administrators said. Those lesser amounts can be grandfathered in for future buyers of the same property. #
http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_8418596
FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS:
Editorial: County must put flood fee money to work – soon
Marin Independent Journal – 3/2/08
YEARS COULD pass before lawsuits challenging the
While we believe the two lawsuits should be dropped, we also believe that local officials need to keep doing what is needed to reduce the risk of flooding in the
The flood fee already has generated more than $1.2 million, but the county has said it can't release the money because of the legal challenges. Supervisor Hal Brown, whose district includes the
There is some risk in that strategy, but we believe the need to address flooding problems in the
Towns and citizen groups in the
The work needs to be done, which means the money will need to be spent - regardless of where it comes from.
BROWN SAYS those three flooding warnings make it clear that local government has an obligation to do something.
This is also about momentum. The
Last year's flood fee measure, which was narrowly approved by voters and costs an average of $125 per parcel annually, was a huge step forward. This is the first real opportunity to address flooding in the
Much needs to be done, and some residents remain skeptical about what can be achieved, but we simply cannot afford to sit on our hands and wait for the courts to deal with these two lawsuits.
THIS SPIRIT of collaboration must be nurtured and encouraged.
We urge Hal Brown to quickly figure out a prudent way to free up the money generated by the flood fee.
We also urge Ford Greene and the Marin United Taxpayers Association to drop their lawsuits over the legality of the flood fee vote. The two suits could take years to resolve.
MUTA's lawsuit, which argues the fee should be struck down because couples who owned property were not allowed to vote individually, has yet to be heard in Marin Superior Court.
Greene, who was elected to the San Anselmo Town Council in November, lost his first round in Marin Superior Court and is appealing. He contends the election was illegal because voters had to sign their ballots, giving up their right to privacy. He says he is not opposed to flood-control efforts and has no problem with the county advancing the money to the local flood district.
That's very magnanimous of him. What would be even more impressive would be for him to admit defeat and remove another obstacle to flood-control efforts. #
http://www.marinij.com/opinion/ci_8425536
Editorial: City takes another step in flood control
When it comes to protecting
At the time, the city was already working to establish a number of retention basins, as recommended by a previous study. It was important, yes, but it wasn't until lives were forever changed that it became clear just how important.
So the good news to celebrate at this juncture is that the city has now approved the design concept and environmental assessment for the Encinosa Detention Basins project.
Two basins, which will be built on 60 acres to the northeast, near
On the north end, the larger of the two basins will provide storage capacity of 107 acre feet.
The southern basin will provide another 33-acre feet of storage capacity.
Encinosa Creek drains into Alamo Creek, which has been known to rise and flood during heavy rains. The Ulatis Drainage System Study, which was released in the fall of 2007, recommended that
Other basins will take somewhat longer to complete. The estimated construction date for the planned
In addition to City Council, several agencies, including the California Department of Fish and Game, the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, must also sign off on the project.
The Department of Water Resources, Division of Safety of Dams, will have oversight of the design and construction of the Encinosa north basin because of its size.
The city hopes to obtain all permits by May and award the project in June. Construction could begin as early as July and be completed this fall, just in time for another rainy season.
That is good news indeed. #
http://www.thereporter.com//ci_8436223?IADID=Search-www.thereporter.com-www.thereporter.com
UPGRADE:
Potentially costly water improvements pending; Creek gets face-lift ahead of library groundbreaking
Inside Bay Area – 3/3/08
By Karen Holzmeister, staff writer
CASTRO VALLEY — The future Castro Valley Library site is looking pretty sharp, even if a groundbreaking ceremony for the new community building is months away.
The Castro Valley Creek at
In the future, a walkway will span the stream and link the library with a playground to be built on the west side of the creek.
For now, a 300-foot section of concrete culvert has been removed, and the creek restored to a natural state last seen a half-century ago.
The Alameda County Public Works Agency installed in-stream rocks, contoured slopes and native plants to control erosion and offer local wildlife a resting place.
A small amphitheater, next to the stream, will be used for outdoor classes.
"This project highlights the possibilities for restoring streams in urban areas," explained Paul Modrell, a county environmental compliance specialist.
Just as this project demonstrates, making the greater
The county and hired consultants now are preparing waterway upgrades for review and eventual voter approval in the next couple of years.
Waterways in the San Lorenzo Creek watershed, which flow from the
So are the
The county, however, is dealing with more immediate issues.
A two-year ban, limiting construction near waterways in unincorporated county areas such as
County supervisors must revisit the issue of building near urban streams because the building embargo can't be extended.
Environmentalists have protested an increase in infill housing near urban creeks, as a result of ridge and canyon development restrictions imposed by Measure D in 2000.
However, the county still hasn't completed a comprehensive plan for development that could have an impact on creeks.
A Hayward-area citizens' task force, which has studied watercourse protections since last June, suggests interim changes in the county's review and permit process to better protect creeks.
County supervisors Alice Lai-Bitker and Nate Miley will schedule a special meeting in April to discuss the recommendations with task force members. #
LOCAL UTILITIES ISSUES:
It's official: Water deal is history
By David Siders, staff writer
So ended the largest water contract of its kind west of the
"Nothing," said Municipal Utilities Director Mark Madison, who was in the control room for the occasion. "Business as usual."
On their way from the control room to the front of the plant, Madison and Councilman Clem Lee passed the offices of water giant OMI-Thames Water, which operated the plant since 2003. The management, for the most part, had moved out. The rank and file stayed on, returned to the payroll of the city, for whom most had worked before.
The turnover was forced by a San Joaquin County Superior Court judge, who ruled in 2006 that the contract was illegal. The city failed in its approval of the deal to conduct an adequate environmental review, the court ruled. The council last year abandoned its appeal of the ruling.
The Saturday turnover, the coalition's Sylvia Kothe said that afternoon, was "a long time coming."
In his bathroom across town from the sewer plant, Mayor Ed Chavez commemorated the event.
At 12:02 a.m., he said, "We are at home, and we are testing to make sure the transition took place."
His toilet flushed.
"And it seems like all systems are go," he said. #
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080302/A_NEWS/803020318/-1/A_NEWS
RATE HIKES:
NID board raises water rates
Auburn Journal – 3/1/08
By Gloria Young, staff writer
The Nevada Irrigation District voted to raise water rates Wednesday, but the cost impact will depend on usage.
For the majority of residential users, the bills will go up $1.47 a month. But many agricultural raw-water users will see much higher hikes.
For example, the cost for 20 miner’s inches rises 14.5 percent — from $3,131.71 to $3,586.60, according to Marie Owens, NID finance manager.
Rates won’t change for raw-water customers who take 1.5 to 12 miner’s inches. But those who use less than 1.5 and more than 12 miner’s inches can expect to pay more.
Each miner’s inch is the amount of water flow through a one-inch aperture or about 11.25 gallons per minute in
“As a result of the overhaul of the rate structure, smaller and larger customers will see larger increases to make up for those already paying their disproportionate share,” Owens said. “It became evident that certain classes of customers within a rate category — raw or treated — were subsidizing other customers. What we are trying to accomplish is fairness and equity across the board to all rate payers.”
A public hearing on the rate hike, which goes into effect March 1, attracted approximately 15 customers who spoke out against the increase. After hearing the comments, the board, which had considered approving yearly hikes through 2012, decided to stick to a one-year increase, with new notices going out in the fall for next year, Owens said.
Jack Allen, a cattle rancher in
Allen, who uses 50 miner’s inches of water a year, will see his bill go up nearly $1,200. That includes a $296.80 newly imposed surcharge for 2008, he said.
“The biggest impact is another rise in the cost of doing business in
The surcharge ups his increase to 15.5 percent and is something that wasn’t adequately explained, he said.
“They couldn’t come up with anything outside of the cost of living,” he said. ‘There’s really no reason for it. It’s just another fee and there’s nothing we can do about it. If they stick with this schedule, by 2012 we won’t be able to buy water.”
The rate hike was configured based on a study by financial consultant Alex Handlers with Bartle Wells Associates in Berkeley, who advised that even with the rate increase, NID water rates would remain among the lowest in the region and well below the statewide average, according to a NID press release.
As part of the new rate structure, NID is implementing a fixed monthly minimum water use charge based on meter size ratio and will begin to phase out a 25 percent surcharge to commercial customers. The district also implemented a residential lifeline water use rate for the first 5 HCF (hundred cubic feet) consumed monthly. The current cost is $1.214 per HCF. The first five will drop to $1.08 per HCF according to Owens.
The water district serves 18,500 treated water customers and 5,800 raw water customers in
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