Amador County – Councilwoman Patricia Fordyce gave an update of the latest happenings in Plymouth at the Amador Regional Planning Committee meeting Wednesday in the Sutter Creek Community Building. Mayor Connie Gonsalves of Jackson asked about the funding of the Plymouth Pipeline Project, which is set to be started in the next two months, with ground preparation work. Fordyce said the projected cost is $10.2 million and was fully paid for by a USDA loan and grants. Developer Bob Reeder of Reeder-Sutherland, said the pipeline was funded by a $5 million USDA loan, plus grants, with the city obligated for $2.7 million in loans and the Amador Water Agency in for about $1 million in loan costs, due to improvements its system will garner from the project. Fordyce reported that the city was accepting letters of qualification for the management of the Arroyo Ditch, including physical rehabilitation and also legal delineation of water rights. Sutter Creek Planning Commissioner Frank Cunha asked about the amount of water to which Plymouth has rights through the ditch. Fordyce said “they use miner’s inches” to describe the rights. Reeder said the original diversion rights on the Arroyo Ditch were for 23,000 acre feet, “but the question is adjudicating that. The number might get smaller based on historical use.” Reeder said he has heard form a researcher looking at pre-1914 rights and the researcher thinks the Arroyo Ditch may be pre-1872 water rights. Reeder said “that could mean something a lot more different for Plymouth. It’s definitely worth getting that right established.” The committee discussed having water and wastewater updates from each member entity, with consensus to divide those into separate meetings, starting with wastewater. They also discussed having the AWA give a presentation on its water system. The committee agreed to have a financial status update report from each city and the county at its next meeting, set for Wednesday, March 4th in Sutter Creek. Story by Jim Reece