Water agencies to rekindle shared planning?

A who’s-who collection of officials from Highway 4 corridor water management agencies and local governments gathered Thursday in an attempt to cut through old animosities and find areas for collaboration.

The meeting was both a nod to growing state and federal pressure for regional water management solutions and the renewing of a collaboration effort halted when California’s budget crisis put a freeze on the grant money funding the work.

The group, seated in intimate proximity around a phalanx of tables in a small conference room at the Utica Power Authority headquarters, included one or two board members, and in some cases staff too, from Calaveras County Water District, Utica Power Authority, Union Public Utility District and Murphys Sanitary District.

There were also two representatives each from the Angels Camp City Council and the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors.
  

A couple of representatives of the county’s agricultural community were also present: Ironstone vineyards owner John Kautz and Prospect 772 Wines vineyard manager Mark Skenfield, who said he came on behalf of the Calaveras County Agricultural Coalition.

But the biggest presence in the small room was the litany of past battles and former grudges between those present, almost all now settled, but contributing tension nonetheless.

Kautz and Murphys Sanitary District had recently concluded a dispute over unpaid sewer bills — CCWD and UPA in November had settled a nearly two-year legal battle over water rights and many of the agencies are tussling with the county over a planned seven-fold increase in the cost for sludge disposal.

Add to that mix the smaller agencies’ traditional suspicion that CCWD’s efforts at collaboration were just veiled takeover attempts, and there was plenty for the attendees to overcome.

Dennis Dooley, the recently seated CCWD director who organized the event, recognized the group’s history in his opening remarks, repeatedly saying he wanted a “round-table”-type discussion and did not see himself as the group’s leader.

“I’m hoping this will be open and friendly,” he said. Some, he said, had recommended bringing in a facilitator.

Ed Pattison, CCWD’s water resource manager, then gave attendees an overview of what had brought them to this point.

In late 2007, CCWD had received a grant of almost $70,000 from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, a state agency created in 2004 to provide strategic planning for the region.

But the state budget crisis put the brakes on a year later, and it wasn’t until last November that the state gave the green light again.

“We did a lot of brainstorming and a lot of good ideas came out of it, and then it just sort of died,” Kautz later commented.

About $28,000 remains from the original grant, Pattison said. “A lot has been spent just figuring out how to move forward.”

But the Conservancy has indicated that perhaps as much as $200,000 more is available, he said.

The agencies could save, in his view, millions of dollars by combining their efforts to increase capacity — building new plants together, for example — but to connect a number of small plants would require an expensive infrastructure.

Pattison was asked a few questions, then attention turned to Supervisor Tom Tryon.

The long-time supervisor, whose district includes Murphys, said he has been pushing for regional solutions for ages, but he understood previous meetings had failed due to Angels Camp authorities’ “intransigence.” He was not optimistic for this new effort.
  

“From this meeting, it sounds like it pretty much is dead,” he said. “Everyone seems to be so territorial as far as providing information.”

That had Angels Camp Mayor Jack Lynch — who many seemed to believe was not supposed to speak at the meeting due to Brown Act requirements — nearly out of his chair.

“Tom, I’m going to take exception to that,” Lynch said. “That’s a bunch of baloney.”

Tryon quickly backed away from the statement. “I was just quoting Ed Rich,” he said, referring to a former CCWD director.

But that didn’t stop a number of repudiations of the sentiment.

“Everybody has new board members and we think differently than we did a few years ago,” said Ray Behrbaum, a board member on both the Union Power Authority and Union Public Utility District.

“We are not going to make any kind of progress in this committee if we have the kind of attitude you just brought forth,” Angels Camp City Councilman Craig Turco told Tryon.

Then Dooley stepped in, as he did off and on all night, as a diplomatic voice, reminding the attendees that the process would be slow.

Marilyn Pyle, wife of UPA general manager Vern Pyle, had a slightly different take.

“Parenting skills would be very useful,” she said.

“Hey, we’re not a bunch of brats!” said Behrbaum, with a laugh.

But then talk turned back to water. And common ground suddenly seemed abundant.

Agricultural land and housing developments require the same amount of water, said Supervisor Russ Thomas, so developing the former allows for flexibility.

“Without developing the ag water, we’re really cutting off what I see as a very significant options tree,” he said.

CCWD Director Don Stump, whose district includes the east end of Highway 4, was of a similar view.

“In Calaveras County, we have two things: agriculture and tourism. That’s what we have to hang our hat on — and we need to support those in any way possible,” he said.

Kautz jumped aboard as well. Using land for agriculture prevents development, preserves open space and generates tax revenue, he argued.

“In my book, it’s a no brainer,” he said.  

Not so fast, said Marilyn Pyle.

“When you talk about agriculture, it seems like this endless horizon,” she said. “You have to go back and see how much water is in your pail.” 

Pattison agreed. While as much as 33,000 acre-feet of water flows into the area during a wet year, usage has to be calculated based on the amount available during the longest droughts.

That is closer to 16,000 acre-feet, he said. Subtract 4,000 — roughly the current usage — and you have 12,000 left to work with. Sort of.

Some of that flows through UPA’s system, which, as a power generator, is subject to stringent regulations from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Another portion of the flow is subject to regulations from the Northern California Power Agency.

Diverting water might require that the proposed alternative be deemed a “beneficial use,” explained Vern Pyle. The trick is finding out what those are, he said.

And siphoning off water before it flows through UPA’s system means less electricity, the sale of which helps pay for the system, added Marilyn Pyle.

But all could agree that some use needs to be found.

CCWD is scheduled to go before the Department of Water Resources in 2014 for a hearing on a portion of its water rights in the region.

Its attitude, according to many at the meeting, is “use it or lose it.”

Attendees got a homework assignment: Write down a list of what you want and what you can bring to the table. Then the meeting adjourned.

“It’s going to be a long and painful road,” concluded Marilyn Pyle.