Amador County – The Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed and subsequently drafted a letter in opposition to EBMUD’s proposed Pardee Reservoir expansion on the ground that there has been insufficient time for public review. Within a day of submitting that letter, East Bay Municipal Utility District General Manager Dennis Diemer announced they will be extending the comment period another month beyond its original expiration date on April 6. “We have rights too, and they need to let us give our speal and see what happens,” said Board Chairman Ted Novelli. The letter was addressed to Thomas B. Francis of the Water Supply Improvements Division. The letter states that “due to time constraints and insufficient opportunities,” the public in Amador and Calaveras Counties have not been able to review the hefty 1,500 page Environmental Impact Report. EBMUD supplied only two copies of the 3-inch thick document for public viewing within the two counties, and these only became available on March 28. “In order for our comments to be meaningful, it is important for us to consider each of the elements,” states the letter. Novelli said he is also working to involve Alpine County in the process. The proposed Pardee Reservoir expansion included in EBMUD’s 2040 Water Plan would raise the dam by at least 33 feet and flood miles of the Mokelumne River. The comment period is now extended to May 6. No announcements have yet been made about future public meetings in our area with EBMUD officials. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.