California Water News
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
July 14, 2009
2. Supply –
Proposed Conaway Ranch sale tied to conservation strategy
Sacramento Bee
Barstow water rates could increase by 32 percent in 2010
Barstow Desert Dispatch
Council mulls water plan amendments
Sonoma Index-Tribume
Tennant heading toward new water supply
Siskiyou Daily News
Proposed Orland bottling plant to be reviewed
Chico Enterprise-Record
City asks you to water responsibly
Woodland Daily Democrat
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Proposed Conaway Ranch sale tied to conservation strategy
Sacramento Bee-7/14/09
By Matt Weiser
Owners of the vast Conaway Ranch in Yolo County said Monday their hope in offering the property for sale is to push regional leaders to embrace a complete conservation strategy for the ranch.
The 17,300-acre tract of farmland lies on the state capital's doorstep and has enormous strategic importance in both water and development circles. It lies partly within the Yolo flood bypass just north of Interstate 80 and abuts the state-owned Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area.
The partnership that owns the ranch, Conaway Preservation Group, last week sent Yolo County a required 60-day notice of intent to sell the ranch. It also announced its intent to execute the long-term sale of 20,000 acre-feet of water outside the county.
If the ranch is developed, it could alter the nature of Yolo County. And the 50,000 acre-feet of water rights in the Sacramento River attached to the property may represent an even more valuable asset in a water-starved state.
But Tovey Giezentanner, president of Conaway Preservation Group, told The Bee on Monday that the partners hope the letters push Yolo County and other state and regional partners to move quicker on a comprehensive conservation strategy for the property.
Failing that, he said, the most likely outcome is selling the entire ranch to a traditional farming operation that will maximize its rice-growing potential.
"The strategy is to use this process to facilitate a dialogue on the regional vision," Giezentanner said.
He said the partners have no pending agreement with a buyer for either the land or the water.
Conaway's owners in 2006 argued the property was worth $98 million, with the water rights alone worth an additional $75 million.
Yolo County three years ago tried to seize the property by eminent domain, citing its importance to agriculture and water supply. At the time, there was uncertainty about the intentions of the land-owning partners and concern that their ultimate aim was to exploit its water supplies to develop the land.
A 2006 settlement gave the county first right of refusal over both land and water sales on the ranch.
Yolo County Supervisor Mike McGowan said he doubts the county can afford to buy the ranch. But he said it wants to continue protecting its water supplies and other natural resources and hopes an agreement of that kind is still possible.
"They have clearly done what they said they would do as far as their stewardship of the land. So in one sense, yes, I'd hate to lose them as neighbors because they've proven to be good at it," McGowan said.
"The fundamental question remains: What are the county interests that exist upon the ranch, and what's the extent to which we should protect those interests? That's the public responsibility we have."
Conaway Ranch has long been seen as key to a number of water management and environmental problems in the region. Giezentanner said the ranch owners hoped that a plan for addressing those problems would have emerged.
For instance, the cities of Woodland and Davis have water supply and sewage treatment problems that could be solved by the ranch.
Its water supplies – 50,000 acre-feet of water rights in the Sacramento River, plus significant groundwater supplies – could fix poor-quality well water plaguing both cities. They could also use its farmland as a place to turn treated sewage into irrigation water instead of building expensive new treatment plants.
For example, the Conaway partners approached the city of Davis last year, offering to take its treated wastewater in a land-disposal plan.
Davis, which made Conaway its preferred disposal option, has a state permit to investigate the land disposal option through October 2010, said Bob Weir, the city's public works director.
Now the city is left hoping that option is still viable.
"It's a fairly involved, complex subject and it's taken us this long to get close," Weir said. "We would certainly look to see if we could lock down some assurance from the current owners that, if an outright sale happened, that we could lock in that (wastewater reuse) option for the city."
Meanwhile, major water interests are under pressure to pay for conservation projects to improve fish habitat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. These include the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Westlands Water District, a huge farm irrigation agency in the San Joaquin Valley. Both have expressed a desire to undertake restoration projects in the Yolo Bypass.
Bob Schneider, a Davis resident and conservation chairman of the Sierra Club's Motherlode Chapter, said he hopes a public-private partnership is possible.
"There's an opportunity here for everyone to win," he said. "But it's going to take some vision and hard work and a lot of trust that wasn't there four years ago that I think might be there now."#
http://www.sacbee.com/ourregion/story/2023697.html
Barstow water rates could increase by 32 percent in 2010
Barstow Desert Dispatch-7/13/09
By Jessica Cejnar
A potential water rate increase for Barstow residents is currently under review by the California Public Utilities Commission.
Golden State Water Company filed an application with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in July 2008 to increase water rates for Barstow residents by 32 percent in January 2010. Rates will also increase by smaller percentages in 2011 and 2012. The Public Utilities Commission is expected to make a final decision regarding the water rate increases by Dec. 3, 2009.
Andy Kotch, public information officer for the California Public Utilities Commission, said each time the water company wants to increase its rates, it has to submit an application explaining why an increase is justified. Public entities submit testimony about the rate increase and the commission looks at the data submitted by the water company before making a decision.
In the Barstow area, the water rate increases will help offset the cost of pipeline and capital projects, including the installation of new reservoirs, Perry Dahlstrom, the water company's Mountain and Desert District manager, said. The new rates will also help pay for an upgrade to its customer information system.
“There must have been 30 banker boxes full of documents that we filed with the PUC,” Dahlstrom said. “Everything from replacement of vehicles, to pipeline projects, capital projects, reservoirs, wells, you name it.”
Despite the company’s justification, the proposed rate increase has drawn protests from several cities, including Apple Valley. According to a motion to intervene filed jointly by Apple Valley and Placentia in October 2008, Golden State Water Company already charges customers in those areas higher rates than other water companies.
Dahlstrom said because of the economic climate, many are frustrated with the rate increase.
“For the most part, most of the cities don’t want to see rates go up because then they get complaints from customers within their jurisdiction,” he said.
Barstow hasn’t filed a protest with the public utilities commission about the 2010 water rate increase, City Spokesman John Rader wrote in an e-mail Monday. No calls have been reported by city staff about the proposed increase, Rader said.
Public hearings about the rate increase were held in January and February 2009, but Kotch said the commission will take concerns and complaints on the rate increases until its final decision is made.
By the numbers:
• $47.79 per month: The amount an average single-family home that uses 12,716 gallons of water in Barstow paid in July 2008.
• $49.51: Monthly rate paid beginning January 2009.
• $63.37: Projected monthly rate beginning January 2010.
• $64.44: Projected monthly rate for 2011.
• $66.50: Projected monthly rate for 2012.
Source: Golden State Water Company Barstow Customer Service Area General Rate Case Fact Sheet#
http://www.desertdispatch.com/news/barstow-6482-water-increase.html
Council mulls water plan amendments
Sonoma Index-Tribume-7/13/09
By Bill Hoban
The Sonoma City Council could start the amendment process of its Water Shortage and Conservation Plan at Wednesday night's meeting.
The council originally adopted the Water Shortage and Conservation Plan in March. In April, the council declared a Stage 2 water shortage because the Sonoma County Water Agency said it would cut water deliveries by 25 percent.
The amendments to the ordinance would include allowing residential ornamental fountains and commercial re-circulating ornamental fountains; allow the city to decide whether an offense is an infraction or an administrative penalty; and better detailed enforcement procedures in order to ensure consistency.
According to the council agenda, Mayor Ken Brown requested a reconsideration to allow ornamental re-circulating fountains to operate during Stage 2, and staff agrees that the business hardship case, mosquito breeding, algae growth and pump repair-issues warrant the change. Also, during the implementation of Stage 2 requirements, staff found that clarifications and revisions were needed based on questions and comments from the public.
In other action, the council will get a status update on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for city projects. The city has been awarded $554,926 thus far in ARRA grant funding.
The city has used the money for energy efficiency retrofits for Village Green ($36,700); Fifth Street West overlay project ($500,000) and to purchase equipment for local crime prevention ($18,226). The council will look at a number of other grants that are being investigated.
The council will also recognize Tyler Davenport, recognize the Education First Educational Homestay Program and recognize Dave Chavoya who is retiring after 36 years of working for the city.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 15, at the Community Meeting Room, 177 First St. W.#
http://www.sonomanews.com/articles/2009/07/13/news/doc4a5bdf8c4b2d3181696258.txt
Tennant heading toward new water supply
Siskiyou Daily News-7/13/09
By Dale Andreasen
Despite some false starts, misunderstandings and Grand Jury involvement, the members of the tiny community of Tennant may finally be sitting back on their front porches while enjoying a glass of fresh water before long.
The county board of supervisors is serving as the lead agency for the project to drill a new well, install a larger holding tank and get the houses and businesses fitted with meters, hook-ups and whatever else is necessary to provide the town with clean water.
Tennant has been under a “boiler water notice” from the state for a number of years, possibly the only such community doing this in the state of California, according to Paul Reuter, managing engineer for the project. When all is said and done, the project could cost as much as $3 million.
Financing has been looked at from a couple of different sources, but it looks like the best bet now is a 100 percent grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) – the economic stimulus money.
The community of Tennant has been around since 1921. With a population of 800, the town included a business district, post office, school, hotel, a fire station and library. In the 1950s, things started to decline and now there are only 94 residences for a population of approximately 63 persons.
The speed with which these grants had to come together and the constantly changing deadlines have left many townspeople confused and others upset. First there was going to be a vote to change water rates, but the vote was canceled.
Now a vote is set for Aug. 3 at Holm Hall, 13515 Tennant Rd., Macdoel. The vote will be to approve a $4-per-month increase in water rates.
Leanna Dancer, the county’s auditor, controller and recorder, has been involved in this grant process from the beginning. The auditor’s office has traditionally handled the financial end of these grants, but has been struggling with all other aspects of the grant process for a number of years.
What the state wanted, in order to approve the $3 million ARRA grant, was for the project to be “shovel ready.” The state kept moving up the deadline.
Dancer approved some measures that she felt would move the project forward and she contacted Pace Engineering. She explained some of that activity as a no-bid program or as a “sole bid” program.
At the July 7 board of supervisors meeting, it became obvious that Dancer’s definitions of those terms may not have been the same as some supervisors had interpreted them.
Pace Engineering got busy on the job and managed to get everything finished, even digging a test well in time to keep with the ARRA dealines. The well digging was subcontracted out to Enloe Drilling. The test well had to be dug a couple of hundred feet deeper than expected, but good water was reached at 750 feet.
At last Tuesday’s board meeting, the board approved a resolution adopting both the mitigated declaration for the project and a mitigation monitoring and reporting program for the Tennant Water System Improvements.
Everything should be ready and in order, according to Reuter of Pace Engineering, but the state needs to give its final approvals. Reuter said that what he and his crews got done in four weeks should have taken 6-8 months or even longer.
“I’m an optimist,” Reuter said. “I feel the county will be able to satisfy conditions to get this grant.”#
http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/homepage/x1885893139
Proposed Orland bottling plant to be reviewed
Chico Enterprise-Record-7/14/09
By Barbara Arrigoni
Plans for a proposed facility to manufacture sparkling water southeast of Orland will be reviewed Wednesday morning at a meeting of the city's technical advisory committee.
The project could produce approximately 160 acre-feet of water annually from the local aquifer, said Nancy Sailsbery, city planning director. The projection is equal to irrigating a 50-acre orchard, she said.
The 10 a.m. meeting at Carnegie Center on Third Street will be open to the public, but is not a "public hearing," she said.
The scheduled site review follows receipt June 25 of the developer's application to actually begin the planning process. Officials were first approached about the prospect in April 2008, and City Manager Paul Poczobut met with representatives of the company June 18.
The developers, who are out of Mammoth Lakes and Emeryville, plan a bottling facility and a 112,500-square-foot warehouse at the northwest corner of County Roads 200 and N, according to the meeting agenda.
Sailsbery said the committee will review the plans for landscaping, parking and other design review standards to see if the developers' plan meets code requirements.
She said there will be no approvals or denials of the project Wednesday. The committee may seek additional information from the developers. Once all the required information is in, the committee will then hold a second public meeting related to the project and either deny or approve it. Sailsbery said the technical advisory
committee would be the approving body because the project would be an allowed-use in a "heavy-industrial" zoning district, Sailsbery said. The project would only go to the City Council if an appeal is filed within 10 days of the committee's decision, she said.#
http://www.chicoer.com/advertise/ci_12831906?IADID=Search-www.chicoer.com-www.chicoer.com
City asks you to water responsibly
Woodland Daily Democrat-7/14/09
July is Smart Irrigation Month. Most homeowners tend to overwater their lawn or waste water through inefficient practices, according to Joyce Jones, temporary water conservation coordinator.
Adopting water-savvy routines is essential to maintaining and extending our community's water supply, especially during peak use.
The key to efficient outdoor irrigation is applying just enough water and only when necessary. Water-wise habits will conserve water and result in a healthier lawn and landscape. The Irrigation Association named July Smart Irrigation Month to provide tips about smart practices and new technology.
You only need to worry about your irrigation timer four times a year.
• In the spring, turn your timer back on to water no more than 3 days a week when the weather warms up and the soil starts to dry out. These are perfect times to look over your irrigation system and fix broken sprinkler heads or other problems.
• In the summer, once it starts getting really warm outside, you can turn up your watering a bit. Remember to turn off the sprinklers for 15 minutes halfway through your complete watering time to allow the soil to absorb the water and prevent water run-off. Best watering plan for our clay soil: water for ten minutes, wait ten minutes for the water to absorb into the soil, and then water for another ten minutes.
• Early fall, as the weather cools down, you can adjust your timers to water less.
• Late fall, when it starts raining, turn your timer off.
Public Works encourages all community members to help conserve water by participating in Smart Irrigation Month. During the month of July, take time to check your irrigation systems for leaks.
Also be sure your system is set to water in the early morning hours to conserve water (the hours between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. are the best for watering your lawn). For more information on Smart Irrigation Month, visit the website: http://www.smartirrigationmonth.org.
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_12833048
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