By: Truckee Donner Public Utility District (TDPUD), Northstar Community Services District (NSCSD) and Placer County Water Agency (PCWA)
TRUCKEE, Calif. (February 3, 2012) – The Truckee Donner Public Utility District (TDPUD), Northstar Community Services District (NSCSD) and Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) continue its partnership in developing a groundwater management plan and groundwater model for the Martis Valley basin. This effort recently gained further technical resources with the addition of a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) study of climate change impacts to recharge and groundwater quality in the Martis Valley.
Previous studies have indicated that some water in the Martis Valley groundwater basin may be in excess of 1,000 years old. And in the case of groundwater, older seems better as the age of water indicates how fast it is moving, how it is being replenished in the basin, and the outlook for long-term sustainable supplies. The LLNL water aging study will help further the ongoing efforts to determine how the aquifer functions.
The LLNL study is being funded by the State of California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring & Assessment Special Studies Program. The results of the study will supplement and validate the Martis Valley groundwater model being prepared under a separate grant to the Desert Research Institute (DRI) by the Bureau of Reclamation.
The local water agencies set out with a goal of developing a groundwater model and plan to ensure the long-term supply of water for their customers. The partner agencies contributed $250,000 to the initial costs, based on their number of connections. This collaborative effort had previously leveraged an additional $500,000 in federal funding from the Bureau of Reclamation and the LLNL study now brings the total project funding to over $1,000,000.
The Martis Valley aquifer includes a 35,000-acre area in both Placer and Nevada counties. It is the main water supply for numerous public and private entities. This area has seen significant growth in the last two decades with more planned for the future. Maintaining an adequate water supply and protecting water quality are critical for the region's future.
For additional information, contact: Project Manager Tony Firenzi at the PCWA, (530) 823-4886; Steven Poncelet at the Truckee Donner PUD, (530) 582-3951; and Mike Staudenmayer at the Northstar CSD, (530) 562-0747. Project information may also be found at www.martisvalleygmp.org.
About PCWA:
The Placer County Water Agency was created on September 11, 1957 by a special act of the State Legislature. The Agency's mandate is to develop and protect the water resources within the County, for the people of Placer County. The Agency provides raw water for irrigation customers, retails and wholesales treated water for residential, commercial and industrial purposes and owns and operates a power system on the Middle Fork of the American River which generates 1.03 billion kilowatt hours annually.
About Truckee Donner PUD: The TDPUD is a non-profit, publicly owned utility agency created in 1927 and overseen by a locally elected board of directors. TDPUD provides the greater Truckee area with reliable and high quality water and power services while guiding the community to conserve resources. For more information about the TDPUD, call 530-587-3896 or visit www.TDPUD.org.
About Northstar CSD:
The NCSD was founded in 1990 under Government Code 61600 as a local government entity to serve the Northstar Community with governmental services. The District currently provides fire protection, fuels management, water, sewer collection, snow removal, road surface maintenance, recycling services, solid waste management and trail construction and maintenance.
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