Department of Water Resources
California Water News
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
July 15, 2009
5. Agencies, Programs, People –
American Canyon gets a water tank at recession prices
Napa Valley Register
Farmington, New Mexico, using stimulus money for water pipes
Tri Valley Herald
Cedar Glen election authorized by board-7/15/09
Riverside Press-Enterprise
Weather doesn’t stop raft racers
Crescent City Triplicate
Supervisor Mark Stone successfully crosses English Channel
Santa Cruz Sentinel
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American Canyon gets a water tank at recession prices
Napa Valley Register-7/15/09
By Kerana Todorov
One of American Canyon’s major construction projects — a 1 million gallon tank to store recycled water — could be built more cheaply than anticipated.
The lowest bid from Mountain Cascade Inc. was for about $2.2 million — or roughly $2 million less than what the city had estimated, according to bids unsealed Thursday at City Hall.
The project includes building the storage tank — grading the site for a 2.5 million gallon tank to store potable water and installing three underground pipes near the future American Canyon High School currently under construction at the corner of American Canyon Road and Newell Drive.
Mountain Cascade Inc. of Livermore was one of 16 bidders for the project, an unusually high number, city engineers said. Bids ranged from $2.2 million to $3.5 million. A total of 54 firms, including subcontractors, paid $90 each for a set of plans, according to the public works department.
“Sixteen bidders is great,” said Charlie Beck, American Canyon’s interim public works director.
Cheryl Braulik, a senior civil engineer for the city in charge of capital projects, attended the opening of the bids at the City Council chambers, where contractors or their representatives wrote down the bids as they were announced.
“We’re very happy with that. But I think we were a little surprised,” Braulik said afterwards.
City staff is reviewing the Mountain Cascade bid, which could come before the American Canyon City Council for final approval on July 21. Construction could start in August and be completed by March 2010.
“We’re just very happy with the bids that came in,” she said.
Rocky Vogler, a city consultant with Winzler and Kelly, also said these times are very good for getting low bids.
“I think these guys are pretty hungry,” Vogler said.
Their profit margins may be slim, he said. “They just want to do it just to keep the work coming in through the door,” he said.
About 75 percent of the cost of constructing the recycled tank will be paid with city funds and the rest, with state money through Proposition 50, a water use efficiency grant program.
Beck, who is ending his tenure with the city this month, said the city could spend the money not used in the next phase of the project, a 2.5-million gallon tank, to store potable water.
The storage tank is part of the city’s recycled water for irrigation, all in an effort to save the city’s potable water supply. Unlike other cities in the Napa Valley, American Canyon’s main supply of water is imported from the Sacramento Delta through the North Bay Aqueduct.
City residents and businesses were asked to conserve 10 percent of their water use this summer after the city rescinded an earlier decision to order water customers to cut back their water consumption by 20 percent.
American Canyon’s recycled water system was first planned in 1978, long before the city’s 1992 incorporation. So far, about 5 miles of recycled water pipes have been installed in the city, which wants to use the reclaimed water to irrigate parks, medians and landscaped areas.#
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2009/07/15/news/local/doc4a5d694dbf0a3777623314.txt
Farmington using stimulus money for water pipes
Tri Valley Herald-7/15/09
Farmington (New Mexico) plans to replace nearly 14,000 feet of aging water lines that are too small.
City officials say the project will improve water pressure for residents and for fire protection and should encourage new construction in the area by easing fire code restrictions.
The $2.1 million project is being done through federal stimulus money and a state low-interest loan program. Farmington city councilors approved the funding Tuesday.
City Manager Rob Mayes says the city will seek bids for the project soon.#
Cedar Glen election authorized by board-7/15/09
Riverside Press-Enterprise-7/14/09
The supervisors on Tuesday authorized a mail ballot election for Cedar Glen property owners to determine whether they will support an $84 annual parcel tax to help pay back the county's purchase of the Arrowhead Manor Water Company.
Last month, the county approved a bimonthly charge of $114.34 for water customers to pay back a loan owed to the state by the company.
The parcel tax was proposed as an alternative that would lower the charge by spreading the cost over more people.
If two-thirds of property owners support the tax, the charge for water customers would be repealed.
The water company was acquired by the county so that it could make improvements that would allow residents to rebuild after the 2003 Old Fire.#
http://www.pe.com/localnews/fontana/stories/PE_News_Local_N_nsupes15.48bbdae.html
Weather doesn’t stop raft racers
Gasquet tradition celebrates 40th year
Crescent City Triplicate-7/14/09
By Adam Madison
Cloudy skies in Gasquet didn’t stop more than 50 people from rafting down the Smith River during the 40th Annual Gasquet Raft Races on Saturday.
More than a hundred showed up for the deep-pit barbecue and the after-race activities, according to event organizers.
“It’s kind of weird. It’s not really a race — people just kind of float down the river,” said Debbie Mortensen of Crescent City, who was the first to sign up for the event with her partner, Jolena Smith of Brookings.
“She asked me to do something on a Saturday, instead of just sitting around,” said Smith, dragging a raft out of the back of a truck Saturday morning.
Mortensen said she had bad luck last year, but wanted to come back with a vengeance this year.
“Last year my raft went down,” she said.
Mortensen and Smith fared better this year; however, they came in second in their division.
Sausha Rowe of Gasquet, holding a megaphone at the edge of the forks while giving rafters the go-ahead, said she was the event’s long-time announcer.
When Rowe was asked what her title was in the races, she heartily laughed, put down the megaphone for a brief moment, pointed to the yellow rope in the river and said “I don’t know. Loudmouth? The announcer? The one who tells them to ‘get behind my line?’”
Rowe said the dark skies were to blame for a lull in this year’s attendance. Last year there were more riders and many more people showed up to watch, attend the barbecue and vendor fair, she said.
“Last year we had it a week late because of the fires,” said Rowe.
Asked if there were as many rafters and floaters as last year’s event, she said no.
“It’s cold today,” she said, hugging herself.
Despite the weather the races did bring in people from relatively far away.
Max Keyes and his wife, Lainey McDonald, and their 5-year-old son Harrison McDonald, of Arcata, came to the event for the first time in years.
“We haven’t participated in 20 years,” said Keyes, as he plopped down in his rubber inner-tube.
“We drove all night to get here,” said Lainey McDonald, grinning in sunglasses while holding her son, also in shades, in a comically cramped rubber raft.
“We got in at 1:30 a.m.,” she said as she pushed off the rocks towards the yellow starting rope, with her husband attached to a blue tow-strap.
Scott Bowman of Gasquet, who rafted the event for the third time, and Ieda Parkinson of McKinleyville, who entered for the second time, experienced some confusion about whether the race ended at Shady Bend or at the Mary Adams Bridge.
“We won last year, but more people are headed up the river,” said Parkinson, pointing to some rafts floating down the waterway.
“Our cars are parked here, so we’re pulling out anyways,” said Bowman, laughing.
Stacy Brundin and Kelly Wilson of Crescent City showed their spirit for the races by dressing up as pirates armed with a squirt gun.
They were also the only ones in costume, according to event organizers.
“Last year we were fairies, but we got tired of all the pixie dust, so we thought pirates would be better,” said Brundin, giving a boisterous “arrrrgghh.”
“Last year it took us three hours,” said Wilson. The pair came in second in their division.
Brundin said she had the most fun passing up the youngsters.
“We ran over a couple of teenagers out there,” she said laughing.#
http://www.triplicate.com/20090714106457/News/Local-News/Weather-doesnt-stop-raft-racers
Supervisor Mark Stone successfully crosses English Channel
Santa Cruz Sentinel-7/15/09
By Julie Jag
There's just one tangible prize for swimmers who cross the English Channel. Upon their return, they get to go to the local pub in Dover, England, and add their name to wall scrawled with the signatures of their similarly successful brethren.
On Tuesday, Santa Cruz County Supervisor Mark Stone picked up his pen.
At 4:04 a.m., after 13 hours and 7 minutes of swimming through the channel's cold, jelly fish-filled waters, Stone completed his journey from Dover to the rocky French shore.
"He's feeling tired, but very pleased," Stone's coach, Joel Wilson of Santa Cruz, wrote in an e-mail. "He and his crew will be celebrating at the local Boar's Head pub, where he will follow the tradition and write his name and time on the walls of the pub, adding it to the others who have completed an English Channel swim."
Stone left Abbot's Beach in Dover at about 3 p.m. Monday [7 a.m. PDT]. Because of tides, Stone had to swim nearly 30 miles, in a "2" pattern, to bridge the 21-mile channel. Because of a strong north tide, he was forced him to go ashore about a mile north of his destination of Cape Gris Nez, France.
Stone began training for the swim two and a half years ago after Wilson suggested he attempt it. He swam about 20,000-30,000 yards [roughly 11½ to 17 miles] a week, even while running for re-election in 2005.
He spent a week in Dover preparing for the swim. Because he registered early, he had the first pick of times and conditions during his Monday-July 20 window. In a Facebook entry late Sunday, Stone said he was concerned about stormy weather. By Monday afternoon, the storm had cleared and Stone decided it was time to begin his odyssey.
The swim went relatively well for the first nine hours. Then, around midnight, the tide literally changed for Stone. The waters began turned choppy and the wind picked up.
"This was quite a difficult time in the swim because of the violent water and the fact that he was swimming in the dark of very early morning, the only reference point available to him being the escort boat," Wilson wrote.
But Stone encouraged by the crew of his wife, Kathy, longtime friend Rich Larson and Wilson, kept swimming. An hour later, the waters flattened and the moon emerged.
In his e-mail, Wilson credited Stone's determination for his success:
"He never wavered while taking on arguably the most difficult long-distance open water swim in the world."#
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