Amador County – About 30 people spoke Wednesday in Jackson Civic Center at the East Bay Municipal Utility District public scoping for its 2040 Water Supply Management Program, specifically to address potential impacts of building a bigger dam at Pardee Reservoir.
Vice Mayor Keith Sweet, speaking for Jackson City Council, said they once again passed a resolution opposing the Plan to enlarge Pardee, saying they did not want to lose the Moke River access, which the council voted to support, when East Bay built an access area in the Middle Bar Reach.
Amador County Recreation Agency Executive Director Tracey Towner-Yep opposed the plan for impacts on “recreation values,” saying “we have very few public access trails,” and flooding the south side of the river would put part of the “Coast to Crest Trail under water.” She said the kayak take-out area that would be lost cost $1 million to build, and removing the Middle Bar Bridge would remove the “most peaceful place to fish.”
Foothill Conservancy’s Katherine Evatt said her organization would submit “an in-depth analysis” later, but noted that “there is not one drop of water in this for Amador or Calaveras counties.” She urged the Utility to drop the plan now, because “it is nearly universally unpopular in Amador and Calaveras.” She urged them to make more consideration of trying to partner on a Los Vaqueros Reservoir project, as directed by an April ruling.
Evatt said there has been substantial public and private investment to make the Mokelumne River more accessible,” and a 1997 study found that improving whitewater rafting there could lead to an influx of $2 million into the local economy.
Supervisors, including Chairman John Plasse, Ted Novelli and Brian Oneto attended. Only Oneto spoke, saying global warming is cited bringing future drought, but “the same people say: Don’t build a dam to catch the water.”
Oneto did not want to comment too specifically “because it may come before me,” but he said the important question is: “What are the benefits to Amador County and even to Calaveras County? We know all about the benefits to you, but what about the benefits to us?”
East Bay MUD Director of Water & Natural Resources Richard Sykes told TSPN Thursday that his District’s Board of Directors said in approving the 2040 Program that they would not want to proceed with the Pardee project without local partnerships in place. He said that meant that they would and should speak with County Boards of Supervisors in Amador and Calaveras, to determine those benefits and partnerships.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
