(Sutter Creek) The Amador Water Agency is moving quickly to construct a major water conservation project – a raw water pipeline – paid for by the California Dept. of Water Resources to the tune of $5,126,560.00.

The Small Diameter Raw Water Pipeline Project will replace 18 miles of the open, unlined Amador Canal from New York Ranch Reservoir to Lake Tabeaud with a 6- to l2-inch diameter pipeline, reducing water loss, improving water supply reliability, and protecting water quality for raw water users. The Water Agency has less than two years to meet the state’s deadline for construction.

Piping the water in the open canal will save about 1,800 acre-feet of water every year. (A single acre-foot of water equals 326,700 gallons of water.) Hundreds of millions of gallons of water are now lost from the canal through leaks and evaporation. 

“This is a huge cost savings for all water customers in Amador County,” said Gene Mancebo, AWA general manager. “With California’s current and future water shortage, piping the open canal is inevitable because of the water losses involved. The state grant of over $5 million will cover the cost of construction and will not have to be paid back by Amador County water customers.”

The pipeline is the second of two phases of the Amador Transmission Project, the first phase completed in 2007, which replaced a portion of the open canal from Lake Tabeaud to Tanner Reservoir at Agency headquarters on Ridge Road. 

The remaining section of the canal now serves about 100 property owners along the canal. Completing the piping of the canal has been on hold while the Water Agency looked for a way to pay for the significant cost of construction without affecting AWA customers’ water rates. 

Most property owners along the Amador Canal use the untreated water for agricultural or landscape purposes only, but a few homes in the area have no other source of water and are required to purchase bottled water for drinking and cooking. The Water Agency is also working on a separate project to provide treated drinking water to these customers.

The pipeline will be laid in or along the existing canal. When complete, water flow in the canal will cease. Individual property owners will be consulted on whether to fill in with soil and revegetate or leave the empty ditch as-is on their property.

To replace the water source for wildlife in the area, the Agency will be identifying locations for wildlife watering stations. Water will be metered to avoid waste or misuse, but the Agency will pay for the water used for wildlife.

“State funding for drought relief is a significant windfall for all of Amador County. Water conserved through this project could mean the difference between meeting drinking water demands for the majority of AWA customers in the future, or not.” Mancebo said. 

Mancebo said the Water Agency will hold informational meetings on the project, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 6 pm at the Amador Water Agency Board room. For more information, contact AWA Customer Service at 209-223-1830, or visit the office at 12800 Ridge Road, Sutter Creek.  

Friends of the River and Foothill Conservancy today announced their opposition to Assembly Bill 142 (Bigelow, R-O’Neals), which calls for yet another taxpayer-funded study before the Mokelumne River could be protected with state Wild and Scenic River designation. AB 142 would thwart state protection of the river if wild and scenic designation might possibly result in any negative impact on undefined future local water supply or complications due to climate change.

“The Mokelumne has been the subject of two federal Wild and Scenic River studies, a watershed assessment, and most recently, an interregional water planning process that has cost nearly $900,000 -- all paid for by the taxpayers,” said Steve Evans, Wild Rivers Consultant for statewide conservation organization Friends of the River. “We already know that the river is eligible for Wild and Scenic designation and how the state processes new water rights applications after designation. It’s time to stop the endless study of this important river and protect its eligible sections for generations to come.”

The Mokelumne’s North Fork and Main Stem are eligible for inclusion in the state’s protected rivers system because of their extraordinary scenic beauty, water quality, cultural and historical resources, and recreational values. About 37 miles of the river, from Salt Springs Dam to Pardee Reservoir, were proposed for protection last year in Senate Bill 1199 (Hancock, D-Oakland), which passed the state Senate but did not reach the Assembly floor for a final vote.

“This is a beautiful river our families use as a public park,” said Cecily Smith, Foothill Conservancy Executive Director. “It’s important to local communities and our economy. Local residents need the certainty Wild and Scenic protection will bring rather than having to fight off destructive, costly dams every few years.”  

While state Wild and Scenic protection would prohibit new dams and diversions on the designated river reaches, it would not prohibit development of water supply projects on tributary streams or sections of the river upstream, provided those projects don’t harm the river.

“Rather than dreaming of expensive, pie-in-the-sky projects they cannot afford, it’s time for local water agencies to embrace achievable, affordable, environmentally sound options for future water supply,” said Pete Bell, Foothill Conservancy Vice-President. “It concerns us that they seem unwilling to accept a ‘do no harm’ principle for future water projects on this valuable state resource or the well-established ‘user pays’ principle for water supply and water studies. In addition, Amador County can more than double the number of existing users of its water system, and Calaveras County has so much water available from its three rivers that a local water agency is considering selling some of it outside the county.”

Last year, local water agencies and Assemblymember Bigelow successfully stalled SB 1199. As Vice-Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Bigelow was able to block an up-or-down vote on the bill, which had previously passed the Assembly Natural Resources Committee after approval by the state Senate. The bill’s suspension in the Appropriations Committee was due to allegations that it would cost the state money. However, state costs have never been ascribed to any previous Wild and Scenic river designation bill approved by the Legislature.

AB 142 directs the California Natural Resources Secretary to study the suitability of the Mokelumne as a potential Wild & Scenic River and to “consider the potential effects of the proposed designation on future water requirements…and the effects of climate change.” Opponents question the real intent of the bill “… given that so much of the river’s water is already used by communities and farms, and the water agencies supporting AB 142 and its author, Assemblymember Frank Bigelow, made outrageous and untrue claims about designation when they opposed SB 1199 last year,” said Evans. He added that, “It’s odd that Mr. Bigelow is now concerned with climate change since he claimed it was a fraud while running for office in 2012.”

For more information, contact Steve Evans, Friends of the River Wild Rivers Consultant, 916-708-3155, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; or Cecily Smith, Foothill Conservancy, 209-223-3508, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Minutes from Meeting – January 12, 2015

Our meeting was called to order by Chair Sherry Curtis at 6:03 p.m. Chair Curtis talked about some important issues with deadlines for public comment. Amador County is finalizing their EIR (Environmental Impact Report) for the draft General Plan update,which is currently in draft form, and public comments must be received by the end of January.

Chair Curtis asked all attendees to introduce themselves with name and where they live. We had 20 attendees this evening.

The meeting minutes for the previous month were discussed, one minor correction was made, and the minutes were approved.

Chair Curtis introduced our new representative for the Amador County Board of Supervisors, former Upcountry Community Council chair, Lynn Morgan.

Lynn Morgan

Supervisor Morgan spoke about how busy her world has become since being elected to the BOS of Amador County. Supervisor Morgan sincerely wants to remain accessible to the public which she serves and she can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Supervisor Morgan spoke about the jail situation here in Amador County. There was a huge grant offered in 2011, $23 Million. However we would need matching funds, and the jail would cost significantly more than the monies offered and matched, so the monies were denied and sent back.

Supervisor Morgan talked about the agenda for the BOS meeting in the morning. She then told us what committees she will be serving on: Community Development, Mental Health Board, Tribal Relations, Amador County Recreation, Council on Aging, plus more that the Recording Secretary was unable to catch. ((It sounds like Supervisor Morgan is going to be very, very busy.)) Supervisor Morgan has appointed Caryl Callsen to be our representative to the Amador County Planning Commission.

Supervisor Morgan talked about Kirkwood and some of the issues taking place currently. Some of the problems involve the Mokelumne River Watershed, and assessing water management. Some top projects are being evaluated and Proposition 1 monies have been ‘earmarked’ for water projects.

The Amador County EIR is over 2,000 pages and is available on line and in the local libraries. On Wednesday, January 21 at 65:30 p.m., Tom Imfusino will be available to answer questions on land use.

Supervisor Morgan talked about the possible reopening of the Upcountry Clinic in Pine Grove. It is scheduled to open on January 19th.

Supervisor Morgan is also available to ask questions and/or share what’s is going on upcountry at LynnMorgan.org and she will be happy to see anyone who cares to attend tomorrow morning at the BOS meeting.

Richard Farrington

Richard Farrington gave us a report from the Amador Water Agency. He talked about the differences between lower Amador County and upcountry.

The GSL is 95% completed, only held up by occasional weather issues. There are currently eleven projects going on, nine with grants.The Water Agency will replace the three inch lines on Buckhorn Road, however the project can’t start until the state gives approval.

The EPA and the State Health Department set the amount of contaminants allowed. AWA is doing some temporary treatments now, and there was a long discussion regarding what is being done.

Regarding the drought, the snow pack is dismally below average, however our reservoirs have a scant amount more water than last year at this time because of the December rains. Amador County will soon move up to Conservation Level 4. There was a discussion about water usage.

The Amador Canal from Lake Tabeau is leaking, and the Agency is seeking grants to $5.6 million as they are losing approximately half a Billion gallons a year.

Mr. Farrington held a long Q&A session regarding the working of AWA. Thank you to Mr. Farrington for all of the information he imparts to our Upcountry citizens.

Speaker Nina Machado

Our Guest Speaker this evening was Nina Machado, who is the Director for First 5.

This group was called Voices for Families when it was first started in 2006. There was a lot of information that was needed for grant writing and strategic planning, and any otganization that needed information had to do their own assessment. There was a bit of chaos, and they found that if the information was available community-wide, it would be so much more efficient. The county would better know where to spend their money and the best investments to make like Mental Health, Child services, domestic violence, senior citizens, senior center, etc.

Ms. Machado was appointed the leader of the group that was formed and other agencies helped to get information available from one source. There were many partners and the information will be revisited on an annual basis. The website is 1st5Amador.com

Some information involves statistics – for instance 42% of Amador County kids are proficient or higher with reading skills.

One priority for Amador County is getting prescription drugs off of the streets. Drug store take backs have been discontinued, so they are looking into pharmaceuticals taking back unused drugs.

There is quite a lot of information regarding the Inter Faith Food Bank, for instance 51,502 people in Amador County are served by this agency. Our current population is 36,204, including 2,870 incarcerated inmates. This makes the food bank statistic frightening.

Chair Curtis explained that co-chair Gary Anderson was absent this evening due to a back injury, so no report on the by laws was available.

Gary Reinoehl – Transportation

Mr. Reinoehl talked about the Highway 16 situation and how it was going to impact Amador County residents. They are planning on adding NINE additional traffic signals from Grant Line Road to Watt Avenue. Amador County was missing from the table when the planning was taking place, so input is needed now.

The Regional Transportation Plan as accepted some projects. The Pine Grove project will be moving forward with ‘around’ $20 million. The grant was originally for $40 million, but it will be reviewed every year. There are issues with sharing the road with cyclists, shoulder widening, and other important issues. There will be a meeting of the Transportation Board next Thursday morning involving an update to the EIR.

The Pine Grove/Hwy. 88 project from Climax Road to Ridge road was dropped, although Mt. Zion Road to Ridge Road will go forward. Other projects involve curbing and sidewalks, controlling left hand turns, and a parking lot at Highway 88 and Irishtown Road. Some proposed traffic lights are at Tabeau Road, Volcano Road and Irishtown Roads.

State Route 104 has been reviewed, and the concept report is available on the website. The Amador County Transit Commission will be hiring an intern, as the current director will be retiring.

Transit – Mark Bennett

Mr. Bennett spoke about Amador Rides. Volunteer drivers are needed, as they currently have 11, however three are on vacation, and some of the drivers will only drive within Amador County. A lot of need is for drivers available to drive to Sacramento. Mr. Bennett would like to have others consider joining the program because it’s the first step to solving some of the transportation problems upcountry.

The current school bus situation isn’t working well. When a child takes a bus home, he cannot join any after school programs, which is a problem.

Fire – Paul Keeton

Mr. Keeton gave a report regarding the current situation upcountry. There was a recent fire and a woman was airlifted to U.C. Davis with severe burns. Her house was totally engulfed, so they are looking for long-term solutions for this resident.

Next month the Red Cross will be having a “Hands Only CPR” class for our guest speaker portion of the program. Valentine’s Day is less than a week after our meeting, and February is Heart Month, so the presentation is perfect. Our meeting will be on February 9th and this is a very important skill to acquire, so we are hoping that as many people can attend to be included in this schooling.

Chair Curtis held a discussion regarding some of our upcountry road issues and the fact that there were no local property taxes available to pay for the repairs. The State of California wants us to raise our own property taxes to pay for repairs.

Chair Curtis intends to ask Mark Bonini back as a guest speaker. Attendees approved. Our meeting was adjourned at 7:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Emma Darknell, Recording Secretary Upcountry Community Council

ACART is Amador County’s Animal Response Team

During the Sand Fire, ACART established and operated a shelter for evacuated animals. It was there we realized there is not always someone to help if a human injury occurs.

ACART would like to thank Coyote Creek Training for conducting classes, testing and getting the ACART team certified for CPR, AED, First Aid, and Blood Borne Pathogens.

A Thank You also goes out to the American Legion Ambulance Service for use of their facilities.

If you would like to become a member of this highly trained and professional volunteer team, please contact us through our Web or Facebook pages or attend one of our meetings held the 2^nd Wednesday of every month in the training room at the American Legion Ambulance building.

JACKSON, CA – Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort’s slots and table games paid out nearly $3 million to guests during the month of January. 

“January was a great start the new year,” said Rich Hoffman, CEO of Jackson Rancheria. “The month of February is sure to be just as rewarding with all of the exciting concerts, events and promotions that we have planned for our loyal patrons.”

Party Gras Swipe & Win

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in February from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Dreamcatcher’s Club® members will receive a swipe for every 750 points earned

Swipe and win up to $1,000 cash!

February 3x Point Multiplier

Every Friday in February from 6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Dreamatcher’s Club® members can swipe their club card to activate their 3X Point Multiplier

Black Jack, Red Jack - Car Giveaway

Win up to $5,000 cash or a 2015 Ford Fusion!

Cash Drawings will take place February 13 and February 27 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Car Giveaways will take place March 13 and March 27 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Year of the Goat – Chinese New Year Celebration

Win up to $88 Free Slot Play or $8,888 Cash on Thursday, February 19 from noon to 8 p.m.

Dreamcatcher’s Club® members who earn 888 points between Noon and 7:45 p.m. will receive a lucky red envelope with a surprise prize inside and one lucky guest will win $8,888 Cash!

Founder’s Day Spin & Win

Win Hats, T-Shirts, Travel Mugs, or up to $25 Free Slot Play!

Every Sunday and Thursday beginning February 8 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Dreamcatcher’s Club® members will receive a spin on the Founder’s Day Spin and Win wheel for every 500 points they earn

Margaret’s 75^th Birthday Celebration

Win Dining Credits, Free Slot Play, or $7,500 Cash on Monday, February 9 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Dreamcatcher’s Club® members will receive a swipe for every 750 points earned

Complimentary cupcakes and cider will also be offered at Margaret’s Café & Bakery

Concerts

Blues Traveler – Friday, February 6 at 7 p.m.

The Chi-Lites featuring Marshall Thompson – Thursday, February 19 at 7 p.m.

Edgar Winter and Rick Derringer – Thursday, March 5 at 7 p.m.

Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo – Friday, April 10 at 8 p.m.

Aaron Lewis - Thursday, May 14 at 7 p.m.

Salt-N-Pepa - Saturday, June 20 at 7 p.m.

Tickets are available at JacksonCasino.com or the Casino Cashier’s Cage.

Located in the Sierra foothills town of Jackson, CA, Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort is owned by the Jackson Rancheria Band of Miwuk Indians, a federally recognized Indian tribe. A sovereign government, the Rancheria is dedicated to developing projects that not only enhance the tribe’s ability to remain self-reliant, but also reflect a commitment to be a good neighbor.

LOL! with Ed Tracey and Cohost Anne Platt, CEO of Sutter Amador Hospital.

Jon Hanning and Jackson Isreal from Sina's Back Roads Coffee House speak with Monique Graziadei about their breakfast options as well as their slow cooked pulled pork.

Jon Hanning and Jackson Isreal from Sina's Back Roads Coffee House speak with Monique Graziadei about their breakfast options as well as their slow cooked pulled pork.

Musician Grover Anderson performs on TSPN's Laugh Out Loud.