Amador County – An overflowing crowd attended the only Amador County workshop scheduled for the East Bay Municipal Utilities District’s Water Supply Management Plan 2040 meeting Monday in Sutter Creek. Following a 15-minute presentation by East Bay MUD, dozens spoke of saving the Mokelumne River, which the plan proposes to harness by building a bigger dam and expanding Pardee Reservoir. Councilman Keith Sweet led public comment by reading a Jackson City Council resolution passed unanimously last week in opposition to Pardee’s expansion. Amador County Board of Supervisors Ted Novelli, Brian Oneto and John Plasse all attended. Chairman Novelli called the meeting a joke, as the crowd easily filled the conference room of the Amador Water Agency office on Ridge Road, and people stood three abreast in the aisle and atrium and another 25 people stood around the windows on the sidewalk outside the building, craning to hear the public comment. Novelli said this was the only Amador meeting scheduled and he called for more meetings in Amador. He also noted that the Mokelumne River originates in 3 counties, Amador, Alpine and Calaveras, and all 3 deserve public meetings. Oneto, while listening through the window, said: “It’s going to be a war.” Calaveras County Supervisor Steve Wilensky said he would “like to know how a community committee was put together without a single person from Amador or Calaveras counties?” He said 2 percent of the people in California live Upcountry, in the Sierra Foothills, while “65 percent of the resources” are located there. Wilensky said “You need us to look out for your water supply.” Novelli said he could not understand why a public meeting was held in Oakland, or in Stockton, which drew 5 people. The founder of Outdoor River Adventure Specialists, an international river rafting company, attended and spoke out against the expansion of Pardee or Bear River Reservoir and potential affects on the Mokelumne River. A contingent came in a truckload from Alpine County to speak against the plan, after reading about the meeting in the Friday edition of the Calaveras Enterprise. Pete Bell of the Foothill Conservancy also spoke against the plan, along with dozens of others from all three counties and elsewhere. The comment period for the East Bay MUD 2040 plan ends April 8th. To comment, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Wednesday, 18 March 2009 00:34
Amador Water Agency
Amador County – An overflowing crowd attended the only Amador County workshop scheduled for the East Bay Municipal Utilities District’s Water Supply Management Plan 2040 meeting Monday in Sutter Creek. Following a 15-minute presentation by East Bay MUD, dozens spoke of saving the Mokelumne River, which the plan proposes to harness by building a bigger dam and expanding Pardee Reservoir. Councilman Keith Sweet led public comment by reading a Jackson City Council resolution passed unanimously last week in opposition to Pardee’s expansion. Amador County Board of Supervisors Ted Novelli, Brian Oneto and John Plasse all attended. Chairman Novelli called the meeting a joke, as the crowd easily filled the conference room of the Amador Water Agency office on Ridge Road, and people stood three abreast in the aisle and atrium and another 25 people stood around the windows on the sidewalk outside the building, craning to hear the public comment. Novelli said this was the only Amador meeting scheduled and he called for more meetings in Amador. He also noted that the Mokelumne River originates in 3 counties, Amador, Alpine and Calaveras, and all 3 deserve public meetings. Oneto, while listening through the window, said: “It’s going to be a war.” Calaveras County Supervisor Steve Wilensky said he would “like to know how a community committee was put together without a single person from Amador or Calaveras counties?” He said 2 percent of the people in California live Upcountry, in the Sierra Foothills, while “65 percent of the resources” are located there. Wilensky said “You need us to look out for your water supply.” Novelli said he could not understand why a public meeting was held in Oakland, or in Stockton, which drew 5 people. The founder of Outdoor River Adventure Specialists, an international river rafting company, attended and spoke out against the expansion of Pardee or Bear River Reservoir and potential affects on the Mokelumne River. A contingent came in a truckload from Alpine County to speak against the plan, after reading about the meeting in the Friday edition of the Calaveras Enterprise. Pete Bell of the Foothill Conservancy also spoke against the plan, along with dozens of others from all three counties and elsewhere. The comment period for the East Bay MUD 2040 plan ends April 8th. To comment, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
