[Water_news] 3. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: WATERSHEDS - 5/01/09

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment

 

May 1, 2009

 

3. Watersheds –

 

Water utility company offers environmental project grants

The San Jose Mercury News

 

Amador County joins Pardee Reservoir expansion opponents
YubaNet.com

 

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Water utility company offers environmental project grants

The San Jose Mercury News – 4/30/09

By Chris Vongsarath

 

A water utility company is offering grants to organizations willing to create and implement community-based environmental projects that improve water resources.

 

California American Water is accepting applications for its 2009 Environmental Grant Program, which awards several grants of up to $10,000. According to news release, the company is looking for a wide variety of conservation projects that will improve, restore or protect watersheds and drinking water supplies within the state.

 

These projects may include watershed cleanups, reforestation efforts, biodiversity projects and hazardous waste collection efforts. Any member of the community may lead the project, from individuals to municipalities.

 

"Every individual and community has the ability to positively impact our water resources," said Kent Turner, president of California American Water. "We encourage municipalities, schools, environmental organizations and civic groups to apply for a grant to support projects that will benefit their watersheds." To qualify for the program, proposed projects must be completed between June 1 and Dec. 1 of this year and must be a new or innovative community initiative, or serve as a significant expansion of an existing program. The deadline to apply is May 18.

 

Last year the program supported the Sacramento River Watershed Program and the Community Clean Water Institute with grants of $5,000 each. The Sacramento project was used to underwrite two workshops focused on water quality issues and the development of a sustainable regional water-quality monitoring program. The Community Clean Water Institute used the funds to perform quality and in-stream flow monitoring at five locations in Sonoma County.

 

California American Water provides water and wastewater services to more than 600,000 people in the state. It is part of American Water, which provides services in 32 states and Ontario, Canada.#

 

http://www.mercurynews.com/valley/ci_12265444?nclick_check=1

 

Amador County joins Pardee Reservoir expansion opponents
YubaNet.com – 4/3/09

By the Foothill Conservancy

 

April 30, 2009 - In a unanimous vote Tuesday, April 28, the Amador County Board of Supervisors joined other government agencies, organizations and individuals in opposing the proposed expansion of Pardee Reservoir on the Mokelumne River. The East Bay Municipal Utilities District has included the Pardee expansion project as part of the "preferred portfolio" in its Water Supply Management Plan 2040. EBMUD gets 90 percent of its water supply from the Mokelumne.

"We're proud of our supervisors for standing with local people and for the Mokelumne River," said Foothill Conservancy Executive Director Chris Wright. "They obviously recognize the importance of the river to local residents, visitors and our economy."

As described in the related draft programmatic environmental impact report, the Pardee expansion would raise the existing level of the reservoir by 33 feet and its flood storage level by 46 feet. The project would require construction of a dam at least 400-feet high, downstream of the existing Pardee Dam.

The new dam would flood miles of the Mokelumne River, including areas popular for river recreation. It would also destroy important cultural and historical resources, including the 1912 Middle Bar Bridge, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Removing the bridge would create deadly dead-end roads and cut off a critical wildfire evacuation route for local residents. The reservoir expansion would destroy important fish and wildlife habitat upstream and reduce fresh-water inflow to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

In the draft letter approved Tuesday morning, the Board of Supervisors said, "Based on EBMUD estimates in the PEIR, we believe construction of additional reservoir storage capacity in Pardee Reservoir is unnecessary. We oppose enlargement of Pardee Reservoir as proposed in the 2040 Water Supply Management Plan or construction of a similar reservoir with similar impacts."

At the same time, the supervisors reaffirmed their interest in working with EBMUD on regional water supply and "a partnership for watershed health."

Other foothill opponents to the proposed reservoir expansion include the cities of Jackson, Ione, Plymouth and Sutter Creek; Amador Water Agency; Amador County Recreation Agency; Amador County Historical Society; Foothill Conservancy; and many individuals. More than 350 people attended public hearings held in Sutter Creek and San Andreas in March. Only one person, an irrigation district director, spoke in favor of the expansion.

Other opponents to the proposed expansion include the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, CalTrout, Friends of the River, Sierra Club Bay Chapter, Sierra Club Mother Lode Chapter, Sierra Nevada Alliance, American Whitewater, Loma Prieta Paddlers, and members of American Indian tribes.

The public comment period for the draft PEIR closes on Monday. May 4.#

 

http://yubanet.com/regional/Amador-County-joins-Pardee-Reservoir-expansion-opponents.php

 

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