MCWRA would like to welcome and congratulation Steve Palmer as the new general manager for Georgetown Divide Public Utility District.  Steve is a licensed civil engineer with 22 years of engineering experience.  Over the last 14 years Steve has worked for several California cities managing infrastructure improvement projects, reviewing residential subdivision projects, and managing public works maintenance activities.

Steve most recently served as Public Works Director and City Engineer for the City of St Helena. At the City of St Helena, his most significant challenges were updating water and wastewater rates to address deferred maintenance and new regulations, addressing many years of deferred maintenance of city facilities and infrastructure, complying with new water conservation regulations, and upgrading an aging wastewater treatment plant.

Prior to working at the City of St Helena, Steve served as City Engineer for the Cities of Wildomar and Lincoln, and as a Capital Project Manager for the City of Elk Grove.

Steven grew up in Orange County, California and graduated from University of California, Riverside in 1994 with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering.  He was in the first graduating class of environmental engineers.  While at UCR he participated in the University Honors Program, and played goaltender for the NCAA Water Polo Team.

On June 6, 2017, the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors sent a letter to the United States Environmental Protection Agency regarding Waters of the United States Rulemaking.

Click link for letter:  05-16-2016 letter to USEPA

Provided by Elissa Brown, Fund Development Coordinator

(559) 877-2432

Elissa.Brown@sierranevada.ca.gov>
The State Responsibility Area Fire Prevention Fund (SRAFPF) and Tree Mortality (TM) Grant Program has $15.75 million available for projects that focus on supporting local efforts to remove dead and dying trees that pose a threat to public health and safety and for projects that reduce the wildfire threat to habitable structures within State Responsibility Areas (SRA). CAL FIRE will be hosting 11 State Responsibility Area Fire Prevention Fee Grant Workshops statewide. All workshops are free of charge. The purpose of the workshops is to provide information about the grant process, invoicing, CEQA and other aspects of the SRA Fire prevention fee grants. All current recipients of the SRA Fire Prevention Fee grants, organizations who have applied in the past, and organizations looking to apply in the future are welcome to attend.

By: Greg Hawkins is Parks and Recreation Manager for the El Dorado Irrigation District as published in the Mountain Democrat

As a result of California’s historic multi-year drought, EID has been managing an unprecedented tree die off due to bark beetle infestation. The trees’ natural defense mechanism is to repel the invader by pushing them out with pitch or sap. During a drought the tree cannot produce enough pitch and the beetle is able to lay their eggs in the tree. When the larva hatches, they eat away the living tissue of the tree, just below the bark, killing the tree. Upon maturation, the beetles move on to the next tree and continue the cycle.

Contact: Jesse Saich, (530) 642-4127, jsaich@eid.org 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Placerville, Calif. — On May 30, crews began watering up the District’s high country canal and flume system. The system had been offline since damage from January and February storms breached sections ofcanal and flume.

“This is an extraordinary achievement,” said EID General Manager Jim Abercrombie. “EID’s engineering and operations staff have done the improbable and met an enormously steep deadline to get our system back up and running. And these are not temporary fixes; the superb engineering and construction work carried out on these projects have resulted in permanent fixes that will make our hydroelectric system even stronger.”

From January 6 through February 11 of this year a number of soil collapses, failures, and slides impacted the District’s hydroelectric and water transmission systems.

One collapse near EID’s Flume 10, a 60-foot section of canal located 26 miles east of Placerville was breached and approximately 160 feet of canal bench collapsed. Another collapse affected Flume 5 where approximately 1,500 cubic yards of saturated soil was threatening the flume section.

EID’s engineering and construction staff worked collaboratively with GHD Inc., Syblon Reid General Engineering, and Doug Veerkamp General Engineering to get the system restored. Crews from Syblon Reid worked twenty-four hours a day, 7-days a week for several weeks to make the repairs safely and effectively to meet the aggressive water-up schedule.

With summer temperatures on the rise meeting the water up deadline of June 1 became even more important. The Project 184 canal and flume system supplies one-third of the District’s consumptive water supply.

“Everybody who touched these projects—from those in the field to the many who supported other vital logistical and financial aspects—should be immensely proud,” said Abercrombie.

###

EID is a public agency dedicated to providing high quality water, wastewater treatment, recycled water, hydropower, and recreation services in an environmentally and fiscally responsible manner.

Contact:     Gene Mancebo, General Manager, Amador Water Agency, 209-223-3018

(Sutter Creek)  A long-term plan to provide more reliable, high quality drinking water to homes in Lake Camanche Village moved forward when AWA Directors adopted environmental documents for the Camanche Area Regional Water Supply Project (Phase II). Lake Camanche Village currently relies on a troubled well system for drinking water to over 700 customers.

AWA partnered with East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) and Calaveras County Water District (CCWD) in a joint study (completed in 2013) to bring treated Mokelumne River water from a new EBMUD Camanche South Shore Water Treatment Plant to homes in the Camanche area. The first phase of the project resulting from the study primarily affects EBMUD customers and is currently under construction.

Expanding the project to serve Lake Camanche Village customers is the second phase of the project, and serving CCWD customers would be the third phase.

In Phase II, Pardee Reservoir water would be piped from EBMUD’s water treatment plant and blended with AWA’s Camanche system well water, improving the area’s water quality and supply reliability, and reducing the Water Agency’s reliance on the local groundwater supply.

AWA Directors adopted a Mitigated Negative Declaration following a study of potential environmental impacts of construction of Phase II. Agency staff is currently investigating funding options for construction of the project through California Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, with a focus on grant funds that would not have to be paid back.

Also at last week’s AWA Board meeting, AWA Directors reviewed a Draft Environmental Impact Report needed to complete the Water Agency’s application with the state to increase the water right permit for the Upcountry CAWP water system.

The application asks to transfer 1050 acre-feet of Mokelumne River water per year, currently allocated to Jackson Valley Irrigation District, to the Amador Water Agency. The transfer will occur gradually as it is needed for Upcountry users.

If approved by the state, the transfer will double the amount of water that can be stored for the Upcountry system from one year to the next and help Amador County prepare for future droughts and climate change.

The Draft EIR was produced by RMC Water & Environment and is available for review at the AWA office and at www.amadorwater.org. Comments are due by 5:00 pm on June 16, 2017, to the Amador Water Agency, 12800 Ridge Road, Sutter Creek, CA 95685 or to gmancebo@amadorwater.org.

And finally, AWA Directors moved to implement an inflationary adjustment to water rates — an increase of about 75 cents per month for a typical residential customer — effective with July 1, 2017, water usage. The option to increase rates if necessary due to inflation was adopted by the Board on July 21, 2015, and is based on changes in the Consumer Price Index.

According to law, water rates cannot exceed the cost of providing water service, and the rate change does not affect debt service charges paid by various water systems within AWA. Customers will receive a notice of the upcoming adjustment in their June and July water bills.

On May 25,2017 the Delta Stewardship Council held a hearing to consider amendments on conveyance and storage.  The hearing lasted about 6 hours.  The informational only hearing included a staff report, two panels, and public comment to weigh in on the draft amendment.

The Council is proposing to amend the Delta Plan to promote options for water conveyance, storage systems, and the operation of both as required by Water Code Section 85304. The draft Delta Plan CSO amendment includes recommendations for Delta water management system operations and supporting infrastructure improvements that, together and in combination with existing Delta Plan policies and recommendations, will further the coequal goals. The draft Delta Plan CSO amendment promotes options for, and characteristics of, conveyance, storage, and operations that contribute to a coordinated system with improved flexibility to meet the coequal goals.

MCWRA hand carried letter to the hearing:  Randy Firoini May 2017

Executive Director John Kingsbury – Public Comments: Comments for May 25 hearing

The Delta Stewardship Council was created in legislation to achieve the state mandated coequal goals for the Delta. “‘Coequal goals’ means the two goals of providing a more reliable water supply for California and protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Delta ecosystem. The coequal goals shall be achieved in a manner that protects and enhances the unique cultural, recreational, natural resource, and agricultural values of the Delta as an evolving place.” (CA Water Code §85054)

Brown, Elissa,  Funding Development Coordinator

Elissa.Brown@sierranevada.ca.gov

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES NEWSLETTER

June – July 2017

Upcoming Grants that Might be of Interest:

• The California Conservation Innovation Grant program (due June 7) provides funds to demonstrate innovative conservation approaches and technologies on private agricultural lands.
• Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Grants (due June 21) fund the acquisition or enhancement of resource lands to mitigate the loss or detriment to resource lands associated with transportation improvements.
• The National Forest Foundation Matching Awards Program (due June 26) provides funds for direct on-the-ground projects benefiting America’s National Forests and Grasslands.
• The National Park Service Rivers and Trails Conservation Grant (due June 30) provides facilitation and planning assistance for parks, trails, and outdoor recreation projects.
• The Museum Assessment Program (due July 1) provides technical assistance to small and mid-size museums, including historical sites, to assess their strengths and weaknesses and to prepare for the future.
• North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA): U.S. Standard Grants (due July 14) fund projects which increase bird populations and wetland habitat while supporting local economies and American traditions, such as hunting, fishing, birdwatching, family farming, and cattle ranching.
• US FWS Recovery Implementation Grants (due July 31) support conservation projects that will help prevent extinction, improve the recovery status, or lead to the delisting of a species.
• The Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment: Northern California Environmental Grassroots Fund (due August 1) provides modest general support grants to small grassroots organizations that address tough environmental problems such as toxic pollution, sustainable agriculture, climate change, environmental degradation of rivers and wild places, and the environmental health of communities.
• The Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (due August 1) seeks to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by making strategic investments that will protect agricultural lands from conversion to urban or rural residential development.
• Cabela’s Outdoor Fund (due August 2) supports efforts that focus on the recruitment, retention, and reactivation of hunters, anglers, campers, and recreational shooters.
• The Outdoor Environmental Education Facilities Grant Program (due September 1) supports the development of outdoor environmental education facilities, such as public outdoor structures and exhibits.
• The California Wildlife Board’s Rangeland, Grazing Land, and Grasslands Protection Program (rolling) protects California’s rangeland, grazing land, and grassland through the use of conservation easements.
• The California Wildlife Board’s Forest Conservation Program (rolling) supports the conservation, preservation, and restoration of productive managed forest lands and forest reserve areas, including the conservation of water resources and natural habitat for native fish, wildlife, and plants found on these lands.

Your SNC Area Representative can help you set up an individual consultation with the SNC Funding Team to get advice about specific funding opportunities or general fund development strategies. To take advantage of this resource, contact your Area Representative.

Grant Writing Workshops are available to help build the capacity of organizations that serve the Sierra Nevada Region. If you are interested in organizing or attending a workshop, contact your Area Representative.

If you need assistance with an upcoming project or program, please consider MCWRA Associate Members in your search.

MCWRA Associate Members have underwritten our symposiums, events, tours, and briefings.  Since 2011, MCWRA has received 56 sponsorships for over $56,400.00.  This funding has enabled the Association to provide quality educations programs for the mountain counties region.

ATTENDANCE 

12 TOURS: 266 top decisions makers

13 WORKSHOPS/EXECUTIVE BRIEFINGS: 325 from the Executive Membership

17 SYMPOSIUMS/EVENTS: 1692 members and guests

TOP PROGRAM AND EVENT SPONSORS

1. PARJANA
2. SAGE
3. SIERRA NEVADA CONSERVANCY
4. TULLY & YOUNG
5. HDR ENGINEERING
6. ATKINS
7. BROWN AND CALDWELL
8. WEST YOST ASSOCIATES
9. THE FOREST FOUNDATION
10. CALIFORNIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION
11. ECORP CONSULTING
12. MEAD & HUNT
13. SIERRA WEST CONSULTANTS
14. BLACK & VEACH
15. DOMENICHELLI AND ASSOCIATES
16. DUDEK
17. ENERCON
18. HELIX ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING
19. PROVOST & PRITCHARD CONSULTING GROUP

For more information and contacts, click the links below.

Link:  Members Helping Members

Link:  Members Page

By Jim Abercrombie, El Dorado Irrigation District General Manager

As I write this column, EID workers are in the thick of widespread emergency repairs. The emergency repairs, resulting from damages caused during the storms of January/February, are some of the most significant we’ve experienced in recent memory. Some of those repairs are to canal and flume sections perched high on hard-to-access mountain sides.

EID maintains 22 miles of canals, flumes, and tunnels in its federally licensed hydroelectric system. This system also transports a significant amount of our customers’ drinking water supply from high Sierra sources.  And that’s only one link in the chain of interconnected infrastructure and facilities that make possible the services we provide to our customers 24 hours a day.

EID’s complex system requires continuous maintenance and scheduled reconstruction. That’s why we plan our capital improvements carefully, issuing bonds to finance long-lived infrastructure that will benefit generations of customers.

In order to make the repairs necessary to maintain our complex system of infrastructure, you must have a rock solid financial plan in place.  EID finances are stronger today than ever before. It has taken time to get to this point, but the careful planning and tough decisions made by EID staff and the EID board of Directors have created an agency able to deal with the many challenges it faces now and into the future.

EID’s diverse system consists of nearly a billion dollars’ worth of vital infrastructure across its five business lines—water, wastewater, recycled water, hydroelectric generation, and recreation services. To sustainably maintain such a diverse infrastructure spread out over 220 square miles of service area requires long-range, conservative financial planning and debt management.  It also takes a fair amount of money for those often large projects, especially the capital improvement projects that will last for many years and benefit generations of EID ratepayers.

Before 2010, water rates had risen six times in 22 years. And during this time, many important and necessary projects were deferred. For much of that time, the district overly relied on new connection fees that were so abundant before the 2008/2009 financial crash. Coming out of that period, EID has become more conservative, more sustainable, and has developed financial plans that feature modest, regular rate increases instead of the periodic “rate shock” corrections of the past that upset many customers. This continued investment in our community infrastructure is important for the district as we face the challenges ahead of us. With a sustainably managed capital improvement plan, we’ll be prepared to continue providing the dependable service that our customers rely on every day.

EID has come a long way in recent years to introduce resiliency not only in our water supplies, but also in our finances—and we are committed to keep to this conservative path going forward. And by implementing low, single-digit rate adjustments, EID is able to direct resources to replace aging infrastructure that has served us ably for so long, and will continue to serve our community for decades to come.  Fiscal responsibility and good management are the bedrock of EID’s culture and this is born out in verifiable numbers and facts. El Dorado Irrigation District—and the men and women working to ensure our complex systems run safely and reliably every single day, during normal operations and in emergencies like we’re experiencing now—stands by that.