Amador County – The Plymouth City Council voted 4-1 Thursday to join Sutter Creek, Jackson and Ione city councils in opposing East Bay Municipal Utility District’s plan to expand Pardee Reservoir. Plymouth Councilman Mike O’Meara voted against the resolution, saying he thought it was “a little early to be doing something like this.” Katherine Evatt of Foothill Conservancy and Jackson City Councilman Keith Sweet urged opposition to the 2040 Water Supply Management Program. Evatt said the Pardee expansion plan was too detailed to simply be a part of a general water document. She noted that it was a “preferred project” for East Bay. Tom Francis, author of East Bay MUD’s plan, said: “It is a preferred portfolio, not a preferred project.” He said once East Bay settles on a project, it would then be required to do environmental studies. Francis said “we are doing the EIR based on how the conceptual ideas might work.” He used a 1988 study that looked at raising the dam at Pardee by 33 feet. Sweet pointed out a map from East Bay MUD that showed the flooding that would occur on the Mokelumne River if the dam were built up at Pardee. Evatt said there was “no certainty” to build all of the projects in the 2040 Plan. Using other dam-building data, she estimated that creating a 165,000 acre-foot expansion at Pardee would cost more than a billion dollars. Francis said East Bay MUD has “rights to the dammed water, just as much as you have rights to river water.” He said “I think over time, you will see more access to our properties” for recreation. Councilwoman Pat Fordyce criticized East Bay’s meeting at the AWA office in Sutter Creek, where “some people had to watch through the windows.” Those included Supervisors John Plasse and Brian Oneto and Chairman Ted Novelli. Francis said he scheduled the meeting and acknowledged error, saying: “I think we did a bad job getting out talking to people.” O’Meara said “East Bay MUD treated us pretty crappy, pardon my French,” but he said “I don’t feel comfortable taking something off the plate.” Councilwoman Pat Shackleton said they had sent enough water to the East Bay and she would support the resolution, but might support something later. She wanted to send a clear message. Mayor Jon Colburn was “not happy with the presentation” and said East Bay acts “with no regard to impacts” on Amador’s economy. Greg Baldwin motioned to add to the resolution that the council’s objection to the Pardee expansion included the “flooding of historic mine shafts, resulting in possible contamination by hazardous waste materials from mining operations.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County – The Plymouth City Council voted 4-1 Thursday to join Sutter Creek, Jackson and Ione city councils in opposing East Bay Municipal Utility District’s plan to expand Pardee Reservoir. Plymouth Councilman Mike O’Meara voted against the resolution, saying he thought it was “a little early to be doing something like this.” Katherine Evatt of Foothill Conservancy and Jackson City Councilman Keith Sweet urged opposition to the 2040 Water Supply Management Program. Evatt said the Pardee expansion plan was too detailed to simply be a part of a general water document. She noted that it was a “preferred project” for East Bay. Tom Francis, author of East Bay MUD’s plan, said: “It is a preferred portfolio, not a preferred project.” He said once East Bay settles on a project, it would then be required to do environmental studies. Francis said “we are doing the EIR based on how the conceptual ideas might work.” He used a 1988 study that looked at raising the dam at Pardee by 33 feet. Sweet pointed out a map from East Bay MUD that showed the flooding that would occur on the Mokelumne River if the dam were built up at Pardee. Evatt said there was “no certainty” to build all of the projects in the 2040 Plan. Using other dam-building data, she estimated that creating a 165,000 acre-foot expansion at Pardee would cost more than a billion dollars. Francis said East Bay MUD has “rights to the dammed water, just as much as you have rights to river water.” He said “I think over time, you will see more access to our properties” for recreation. Councilwoman Pat Fordyce criticized East Bay’s meeting at the AWA office in Sutter Creek, where “some people had to watch through the windows.” Those included Supervisors John Plasse and Brian Oneto and Chairman Ted Novelli. Francis said he scheduled the meeting and acknowledged error, saying: “I think we did a bad job getting out talking to people.” O’Meara said “East Bay MUD treated us pretty crappy, pardon my French,” but he said “I don’t feel comfortable taking something off the plate.” Councilwoman Pat Shackleton said they had sent enough water to the East Bay and she would support the resolution, but might support something later. She wanted to send a clear message. Mayor Jon Colburn was “not happy with the presentation” and said East Bay acts “with no regard to impacts” on Amador’s economy. Greg Baldwin motioned to add to the resolution that the council’s objection to the Pardee expansion included the “flooding of historic mine shafts, resulting in possible contamination by hazardous waste materials from mining operations.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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