Amador County – Amador County sent a string of opposition toward the proposed expansion of Pardee Reservoir last week. East Bay Municipal Utility officials reportedly asked the Amador Water Agency to rewrite a letter to the East Bay MUD. “They declined,” Katherine Evatt of the Foothill Conservancy said. “They stuck with their original letter,” opposing Pardee expansion. The Sutter Creek City Council last Monday passed a resolution opposing the expansion, and urging more conservation. East Bay MUD board member Bill Patterson spoke at an informational workshop before Amador Supervisors Friday, saying the utility does not want to “go back to the dark ages” of fighting between agencies. He said East Bay MUD “used less water in 2009 than we used in 1970.” Customers already conserve and asking them to go beyond the 2040 plan’s 10 percent conservation, his customers “can’t make their households run.” Peterson said East Bay MUD must determine needs, examine impacts, and make changed if impacts are too bad, “and we all get to decide that.” Dennis Diemer, General Manager of East Bay, said by California environmental law, the 2040 plan “must identify all worst case scenarios.” Pardee expansion is that scenario. He said a Buckhorn Reservoir in Amador County was removed from the East Bay “portfolio” 15 years ago, and again last spring. Supervisor Ted Novelli asked if East Bay would be willing to help western Amador and Calaveras “as far as water supply.” Diemer said that would mean “either physically storing water in Pardee or giving rights to that water.” Novelli said “if East Bay MUD wants to work with Amador or Calaveras counties,” then maybe they should speak with them, and maybe the “counties might want to help out by putting some new reservoirs in our area.” Amador supervisors on Tuesday will consider a resolution opposing Pardee expansion. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.