UPDATEUPDATE PLACER COUNTY WATER AGENCY VOL 30 NO 1 FEBRUARY-MARCH 2015 IN THIS ISSUE: Drought Continues Final Column From Water Supply Update... Retiring GM... Story Below Page 2 Water Supply Update Early Season Storms Help, But Drought is Not Over s a wet December evolved into a dry January - in much the same pattern as a year ago - PCWA AwaterA planners remained hopeful that late winter and spring precipitation will ease local drought conditions. PCWA drought project manager Tony Firenzi said that December's significant storms put a dent in the drought, at least in Placer County, but that it appears likely the region may be headed into a fourth consecutive dry year. The 2014 calendar year brought 60 percent of average precipitation to local mountain watershed but last winter's snowpack was measured at just 10 percent of average. PCWA's allocation of water Pump Station and Restored River Channel from PG&E mountain reservoirs was PCWA’s American River Pump Station includes the pumphouse reduced to 71 percent of average. building, left, diversion channel along the river bank, center, and PCWA water users responded well to adjacent whitewater channel. the dry year challenge, Firenzi said. Treated water users reduced use by 17 per- cent and raw water users cut their use by A New Pump at the American River 33 percent. The reductions allowed more (Please See Drought, P. 3) nstallation of a powerful new pump is under way at the PCWA American River Pump Station near Auburn. The new pump has a capacity of 41 cubic feet of water per second (cfs) and will boost the station's capacity to 189 cfs. Drought Continues It is the sixth pump in the station, which was built with five pumps and By mid-January, Gov. Brown's designed for future expansion. statewide drought declaration and the The installation is budgeted at $3.5 million and is expected to be complete by this drought emergency declared last year summer. by the PCWA Board of Directors IIThe American River Pump Station opened in 2008. It diverts water from the river remained in effect. up the steep canyon wall and into the three-mile-long Auburn Tunnel to Ophir, where it PCWA water users are being can supply wide areas of Placer County. The station has proved to be especially valu- asked to reduce water use by 10 per- able in recent drought years. cent, with a goal of 20 percent, until River Channel Restoration the drought is over. The pump station included a restoration of the river to its natural channel after it For helpful water conservation had been diverted through a tunnel for 30 years (for the unbuilt Auburn Dam). Today's information, please see www.pcwa.net river includes PCWA's modern diversion structure that parallels a recreated whitewater or www.BeWaterSmart.info. channel suitable for rafting. General Manager’s Report Protecting Ralston By David A. Breninger PCWA Geared Up to Capture Storm Debris Last year's massive King Fire charred 97,000 acres of forest lands Retiring Manager Says in Placer and El Dorado counties, including about 40,000 acres of Thank You and Best Regards watershed on PCWA's Middle Fork American River Project. s my retirement date approaches, I've been The intensity of the fire on steep reflecting upon my 23 years of service as terrain along the Rubicon River left your general manager and my 48-year career in service to the pub- scars, barren hillsides and the poten- lic. I can honestly say my tenure here at PCWA has been the high- tial for massive runoff of fire debris light of my professional career. into the river. PCWA officials deter- I have had the privilege to work with 15 different community leaders from mined that action must be taken across Placer County who have served on your Board of Directors. I have been before winter rains moved in. The PCWA Board of Directors Aimpressed with their personal dedication to you and their constituents countywide. A declared an emergency in September I'm proud to be associated with these high performance policy leaders. and contracted with Syblon Reid I have also had the pleasure to work with 19 different department heads, sev- Contractors of Folsom to activate an eral hundred employees and innumerable consultants and contractors. Both indi- emergency management project that vidually and collectively, all of these dedicated men and women have contributed would limit debris and damage at to the success and advancement of the agency. PCWA's Ralston Afterbay Reservoir. Highlights Listed Here are a few highlights of the things we have accomplished over the years: • We built the PCWA Business Center (in Auburn), a Power Division Facilities Center (in Foresthill), and established a Water Division Facilities Center (in Auburn). Each of these assures the agency's ability to centralize services and enhance efficiencies. • We constructed the American River and Ophir Log booms are in place at The PCWA Business Center pump station projects, enabling PCWA to pump our Opened in 1994 area-of-origin water from the river to benefit the land, Ralston Afterbay Reservoir people, and prosperity of western Placer County. Particularly noteworthy is that our American River Pump Station Project included the Log booms and grappling equip- restoration of the North Fork American River to return to flowing in its natural channel ment were placed across the reservoir (after nearly a half-mile of the river had been diverted by federal officials for decades to contain and remove logs that might through a bypass tunnel where they one day envisioned an Auburn Dam). wash down the river. Equipment was • We successfully completed the federal relicensing process of our Middle Fork installed to pass logs over or around American River Hydroelectric Project (which was built under an original 50-year license Ralston Dam without damaging it. issued to the agency in 1963). Soil erosion on the hillsides has • We formed the Middle Fork Project Finance Authority, a joint venture of PCWA caused a continued problem with sed- with our partners at the County of Placer, to manage energy sales of PCWA’s Middle Fork imentation washing down the river American River Project. and entering the reservoir. Plans are • We improved reliability and operational efficiencies of our Power System and Water now being finalized for a sediment System; constructed new water plants, tanks, and pipelines; and conducted extensive removal project later this year. renewal and replacement of aging infrastructure of our canal and treated water systems. The big early December storms, • We supported stewardship of our county's watersheds (and especially in the although powerful, caused erosion but American River watershed severely burned in the recent disastrous King Fire and earlier by no significant tree movement. With the Star Fire). potential for more storms, the emer- • We managed years of drought in partnership with our customers to achieve signifi- gency remediation project is planned cant water use reduction and conservation. to continue through the current rain- • We established an organizational team culture dedicated to effective and efficient fall season. public service. Agency officials said the potential I thank the Board of Directors for allowing me the opportunity to work for them, to for erosion and debris from the heavi- lead our team, and to serve our customers. It has been my pleasure to serve. I extend my ly burned area will continue for sever- best regards to all and for the continued success of the Placer County Water Agency. al years. PAGE 2 • PCWA UPDATE Talking Canals A Hand Up Heads and Tails Linked Electronically PCWA Employees Pitch In for Foster Students Operation of canals has always been a balancing act for oing to college can be tough for young people who PCWA canal operators. Enough water has to flow through canals have grown up as foster children and are now out on to meet the needs of customers at the very ends, while keeping their own, with no families to rely on. unused water to a minimum. GGOver the holidays, PCWA employees Now in a pilot project planned for the Upper Greeley Canal pitched in to make education a little more in Newcastle, electronic communication will let the head of the affordable to young people who are part of canal know how the tail is doing, so that flows can be automati- a Sierra College program that helps former cally adjusted. foster youths. The technology has been used in the water industry, espe- Under the leadership of Diane Ott, a cially in large agricultural areas, but is new to the water agency, customer services representative, employees says PCWA Water Management Specialist Randy Cox. contributed more than $1500, which Ott “We feel it is going and co-worker Carrie Sahol used to pur- to allow us to maintain chase gift cards and computer flash drives Diane Ott good customer service for the students. while reducing unused PCWA employees have supported numerous causes and water at the end of the programs over the years; this their second contribution to the canal,” said Cox, who foster youth program, after raising $1000 a year earlier. added that the technolo- In a thank-you note, Bill Halldin, president of the Sierra gy could be added to College Board of Trustees, wrote, “Because of you and so other PCWA canals in many in our community, Sierra College is well-known among the future. foster youth as a great place to go to college.” PCWA already uses Said Ott, “We have great people here and they really came 13 electronic monitoring through.” stations on ends of canals around the East Loomis Basin.