NID Revises Outlook on Seasonal Reservoir Capacity
No EIR planned for mercury-laden sediment removal from Combie Reservoir
Published on May 20, 2008 - 11:49:08 AM

By: Susan Snider, YubaNet

GRASS VALLEY, Calif. May 20, 2008 - Following two of the driest spring months on record, a May 1 snow survey indicates that Nevada Irrigation District's upper division reservoirs will not fill to capacity from natural runoff.

According to NID Water Operations Manager Don Wight, Bowman and Jackson reservoirs will likely run 10,000 to 12,000 acre feet short as the district faces its dry, summer season.

Wight also warned NID directors at a recent board meeting that recreation will suffer in the district's lower reservoir system, noting that some boat ramps at Rollins Lake would likely be dry by Labor Day.

In the case of Scotts Flat Reservoir, Wight indicated that the district hopes to keep boat ramps wet through the holiday weekend.

While hydroelectric production could be impacted, Wight assured the board that NID would make full deliveries within the district.

"We will run a tight water delivery system, keeping an eye on every stream and canal to make sure we are allocating water conservatively," Wight added.

Carryover supplies -- water remaining in NID's upper division storage system at the end of the district's regular irrigation season -- will also suffer as a result of reduced runoff.

According to Wight, NID could possibly exercise options with PG&E to purchase additional water to maintain storage in the district's upper division.

Green Light for E-George Expansion Project

In the absence of any public comment and following contentious discussion among board members about landscaping and noise levels, NID directors last week unanimously approved plans to expand the district's Elizabeth George Water treatment plant.

A mitigated negative declaration along with a mitigation monitoring and reporting program (MMRP) for the project were also approved.

Initial contact by NID staff and consultants with neighbors adjacent to the project revealed two primary concerns: noise and visual impacts.

Of the two, residents expressed greater concern over increased visibility of the plant's infrastructure.

NID staff advised board members that drought-resistant and native species would be planted throughout the expanded project area for purposes of screening and camouflaging.

In response to Director Scott Miller's comments that NID should practice more stringent water conservation through Xeriscape planting, Water Operations Manager Wight told the board that the landscape plan was very water efficient.

"The plants must be watered while small but when established they might not need water," Wight observed.

Director Nancy Weber noted that two Master Gardeners were consulted who recommended native plants that are not only good for screening but are also drought tolerant.

"These plants are not Xeriscape, but basically the other plants suggested wouldn't survive," Weber told the board.

NID staff also assured board members that noise baffles would be placed on equipment and any complaints regarding noise beyond stated mitigation measures would be addressed.

The goal of the project is to increase capacity required to address future demand.

Sierra Nevada Conservancy Awards NID Grant Funds

NID plans to use a $100,000 Proposition 84 grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) for completion of CEQA documentation and acquiring permits on the district's proposed mercury remediation project at Combie Reservoir.

Formed with provisions to provide financial assistance to Sierra Nevada businesses and public agencies like Nevada Irrigation District, SNC will not have an active role in the project.

According to Assistant Manager Tim Crough, the $100K grant should fund the project's initial phase which will assess the impacts of removing mercury-laden sediment from Combie Reservoir.

The water district also plans to seek more money from SNC for future phases.

Phase 2 -- implementation of the mercury removal project -- is anticipated to cost approximately $2 million.

Under SNC's grant agreement, the project scope calls for NID to "conduct an environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act to remove mercury-laden sediment from Combie Reservoir by use of innovative technology and to restore riparian habitat in the upper Bear River watershed."

The agreement further states that, "The environmental analysis is a critical step in determining the feasibility of removing large quantities of sediment with mercury from a reservoir such as Combie."

However, according to Crough, NID does not plan to produce an environmental impact report on the project.

"We are not going for an EIR, it doesn't appear we will need to at this time," Crough informed the board.

"We are well on our way to preparing a negative declaration on the project but there are still some fisheries studies to conduct."

The upper stretches of Bear River are cited on the 2002 Clean Water Act list of polluted watersheds because of mercury contamination. Natural as well as human driven factors including mining and upstream dredging have contributed to a buildup of mercury-laden sediments in NID's Combie Reservoir.

NID Braces for Possible Mussel Invasion

Fearing the arrival of invasive quagga and zebra mussels, NID Board President George Leipzig recommended to staff and district directors that NID close its upper division reservoirs for a year.

"With our system of water distribution we are a big target," Leipzig warned. "We can't put men up there and police it."

Leipzig was referring to the process of inspecting boats and trailers. Some California government agencies like the Lake County Board of Supervisors are requiring that boats be inspected before entering recreational reservoirs.

Inspections are time consuming and costly. In counties such as Santa Clara where the county handles the recreational aspect of reservoirs while Santa Clara Water Agency controls water distribution, debate surrounds who should bear the financial burden of these inspections.

But NID controls both recreation use and water distribution at its reservoirs. So who would incur the cost of possible inspections?

As a cost of doing business, ratepayers come to mind.

In areas where quagga and zebra mussels become epidemic, treatment to remove the nasty bivalves has lead to increased utility bills.

Additionally, this is an important question because of new legislation pending in the state assembly that would allow the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to quarantine and close state lakes and reservoirs.

NID opposes AB 2065 not only because of the financial implications -- there is fear that the cost of DFG inspections would be passed on to water agencies -- but also because closing some of NID's upper division reservoirs might impact their current FERC relicensing process.

NID legal counsel Jeff Meith reminded Leipzig and other board members that the district should contact FERC prior to closing any of these reservoirs.

In spite of the risk of mussel invasion from the south to NID's lower division reservoirs, Leipzig did not advocate closure of Scotts Flat or Rollins.

Invading local waters, quagga and zebra mussels clog power plant and public water intakes and pipes. They coat piers and ruin boat motors.

Sharp-edged, quaggas and zebra mussels slice through fish navigating narrow ladders alongside dams. They have also disrupted the traditional aquatic food chains of many inland lakes by depleting food sources for other endemic species, especially fish.

Wreaking havoc in the Great Lakes since the 1980s, these invasive and destructive bivalves have reached California. They have been found in over 17 bodies of water in the state, mainly throughout Southern California.

NID board meetings are scheduled at 9 a.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month. The public is encouraged to attend.

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