2013 Aj Fire & Water

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Supplement to Gold Country Media publications

Published in partnership with Placer County Water Agency

50 years of local water and power . . . . . . . Pg 2 Canal safety and efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg 4 Seven steps to being water wise . . . . . . . . . . Pg 6 Where does your water come from? . . . . . Pg 8 How reliable is your water system? . . Pg 10

June 16, 2013

FIRE & WATER

Supplement to Gold Country Media

his year, the Placer County Water Agency is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Middle Fork American River Hydroelectric Project, which was built in 196367. It was the first project of its kind to be developed by and for the people of a California county. The water agency Board of Directors on May 2 hosted a ceremony to commemorate the anniversary and to recognize the previous generations of Placer County residents who made it all possible. More than 100 people attended the ceremony. The Middle Fork Project includes two major reservoirs French Meadows and Hell Hole seven dams, five hydroelectric power plants and 21 miles of tunnels. It stores 340,000 acre-feet of water and produces an average 1 billion kilowatt-hours of clean renewable energy per year. Original financing of the project was made possible by Placer County voters, who in 1961 passed a $140 million bond issue. Residents were concerned that without action, Placer Countys area of origin

PCWA Middle Fork Project: 50 Years of Local Water and Power T


The foresight and actions taken by water agency leaders 50 years ago, who made these rights possible, will forever be protected by the agency.

PCWA General Manager David Breninger

COURTESY

Signing of original Middle Fork contracts in 1963 at the Placer County Courthouse.
water rights could be lost to downstream interests. With plans and financial resources in place, PCWA in 1963 contracted to sell the Middle Fork Projects hydroelectric output to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, issued revenue bonds to finance the project, and signed a construction contract with American River Constructors, Inc. to build the project. In return for the energy output, PG&E would repay the construction bonds and pay for project operation and maintenance over the 50-year life of the contract. Beginning this year, PCWA is moving forward under new contracts and terms. The agency is finalizing details of a new federal power license, gearing up for more independent operation of its power system, and has a new power sale agree-

ment with PG&E. PCWA General Manager David Breninger emphasized the significance of the Middle Fork Project as Placer County and California have grown and changed. With increased demand for water in downstream areas, particularly by those exporting water from the Delta, PCWA must remain ever vigilant in preserving our countys area of origin water rights, he said. The foresight and actions taken by water agency leaders 50 years ago, who made these rights possible, will forever be protected by the agency.

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Supplement to Gold Country Media

FIRE & WATER

June 16, 2013

Canals may look cool and inviting but they can be deadly.
They are designed to move large amounts of water quickly and are not intended for swimming or other water recreation. Hidden dangers include: If you fall into a canal:

Slippery, steep sides Icy cold water

Call for help Stay calm; try to float Get to the side

Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Play it safe by staying away from canals. If you drop something in the canal, leave it.

June 16, 2013

FIRE & WATER

Supplement to Gold Country Media

Canal access and safety P


roperty owners along the PCWA canal system are reminded that canal access must be available for PCWA operations and maintenance work. Anyone planning to build or install road crossings, garages, outbuildings, fences or any other appurtenances that might encroach upon the canal system is asked to contact the water agency early in the planning process. With water flowing, sometimes rapidly, PCWA canals can be a safety hazard, especially for children and those who dont swim. People are reminded that canals are for water delivery, not recreation. Parents are asked to keep their children safely away from PCWA and PG&E canals that run through many foothills communities.

Improving canal efficiency

To increase the efficiency of the water delivery system, PCWA has an active program that adds concrete lining, called gunite, to canal walls and bottoms. Gunite is a mortar that is applied through a hose in a high velocity spray. It is sprayed and compacted at one time, forming a dense, waterproof seal. PCWA canal operations specialists have found that gunite reduces seepage and leakage and prevents water damage to adjacent properties. In recent years, PCWA has budgeted an average $1.5 million annually for canal gunite improvements. The agency averages about four miles of gunite lining per year.

COURTESY

The PCWA canal system supplies local agriculture, preserves green space and helps reduce fire danger. The Boardman Canal is a main source of PCWA water.

Supplement to Gold Country Media

FIRE & WATER

June 16, 2013

Healthy ponds are great for fishing, musing - even irrigation!


Ponds have been part of Auburn resident Dana Andrews life for decades. For many years we lived on a big property 300 acres in Placer County, We had ponds and always had drag lines coming out. I ended up buying equipment to clean our ponds. Then someone saw me doing that and asked if Id clean theirs . It soon developed into a business, now called DLD Service. We basically do anything that has to do with ponds, creeks and waterways, Andrews said. We build ponds. We clean ponds. We clear creeks. We install irrigation systems (connected to) ponds. His focus is earthen ponds at least 30 feet by 80 feet in diameter that usually have some features a pump or dock or they are used for fish. Many of our customers have ponds so they can fish Dana Andrews and enjoy the environment around it, he said. When planning a new pond, he goes to the site to see where it will be installed, then produces a custom drawing (or several) of designs that fit the space. I have to know what the customer wants and then will (plan) something the ground and land will allow, he said. We dont usually do square, rectangular or round ponds. We use an undulating look to give shapes that look unique. That unique look also extends to the levees. We give them almost a golf course look, he said. They looked tucked in and have very gradual shorelines usually a slight mounding to give them a natural look. Cost to install a pond ranges from $8,500 for the most basic to several hundred thousand, he said. Extras like a dock, bridge or water feature add to the cost. He estimates he has installed or worked on about 500 ponds many of them repairs and cleanups. Take care of your pond and it will reward you as a beautiful addition to the landscape. But neglect it, and you will quickly have problems. Overgrowth is the most common complaint. What Andrews sees most frequently are cattails, Eurasian water milfoil and mesquite fern (also known as azolla). Eurasian milfoil can grow at incredible depths, he said. When infestation takes over, it looks like evergreens in your pond. An infestation of azolla turns the pond red. It will grow right across the top and completely close off the surface, he said. It is a fern that multiplies very quickly and within a few days. In a week the pond can be completely covered. Often the invasion come from downstream or is carried by waterfowl. It gets stuck to them and as they go from one water source to another, it spreads, he said. There are two ways to treat severe infestation mechanical and chemical. As everyone is supposed to in California, we basically try to use as little as we can in chemicals,?he said. If there is another way to treat the problem, we do that. Our last line of defense is chemicals. Aeration and keeping the water moving are very important to a ponds health. Many are not connected to a creek, so they have irrigation water, Andrews said. We bring it from (ditchwater) or a pipe source. In some cases ponds do not have any incoming or outgoing (water source). Evaporation is substantial. Even a small pond loses thousands of gallons of water a day to evaporation. So you have to have a way to replenish it.

For pond clearing, Andrews brings out the drag line to scrape the sediment, and says he doesnt know of anyone else in Placer County that still uses that method. It is kind of old school, but has a distinct advantage, he said. To be able to remove the sediment and work underwater without hydraulics, thats key because todays modern equipment is all hydraulics. If you have a hose fail (with hydraulics), you have turned it into an environmental disaster because youve just dumped gallons of oil into the water source. With (our drag line), that risk does not exist. One of his recent projects was restoring a two-acre pond for Loomis resident Doug English. It was fully infested with milfoil and cattails and the water was stagnant, Andrews said. The aquatics eco-system had fallen off. ... It was so green. If you didnt look close, you wouldnt have known it was a pond. Andrews crew dredged it, treated it and added an aeration system. English describes Andrews as pretty much a genius. It isnt just ponds he knows. Hes also a specialist at everything outdoors irrigation, landscaping, wildlife, English said. We had a beaver issue on our pond and he told us how to take care of that. He built bridges and understands aerators (which draw in and recirculate the water). Its good for the fish and for the health of the pond. You dont raise fish; you raise the water in the pond. And he understands that. Englishs now pristine pond is stocked with bass, blue gill and catfish. But it was an eyesore when he first saw it. Doug English The pond was terrible and most buyers would walk away after seeing it, he said. I didnt really know what I was getting into, but I knew it could be cleaned. After research, I knew (Andrews) was the person to do it the right way. Theres a step-by-step process to make sure the pond stays healthy and you dont kill the fish. My wife probably had other ideas, but the most important thing to me was the pond. Everything else was second. That was the first thing we worked on and everything else was second. Since then, weve put in an acre of zinfandel grapes. He helped us on that as well. Hes a genius with anything outdoors. Hes been right about everything he told me would happen. Everything Ive run past him hes always been correct on.

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June 16, 2013

FIRE & WATER

Supplement to Gold Country Media

Supplement to Gold Country Media

FIRE & WATER

June 16, 2013

Good water flows from clean, healthy watershed


T
he Placer County Water Agency works in collaboration with other organizations to promote healthy forests on the lands that provide our water supplies. As stewards of Placer Countys water resources, we are most aware that a highquality water supply depends upon a high quality watershed. Water to PCWA customers flows from the Yuba-Bear river watershed and from the American River watershed. Yuba-Bear water is delivered to the agency under contract with the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. PCWA holds extensive water rights on the Middle Fork of the American River. Fire can be a major threat to our watersheds and the quality of our public water supplies. Fire often leads to soil disruption, erosion and siltation that can cloud clear mountain water. ecological damage to the watershed. As air tankers and helicopters dropped fire By David A. Breninger retardant, General Manager Forest Service Placer County specialists on Water Agency the ground were already fanning out into the woods, inspecting burned areas and making stream restoration plans. Following the fire, damages from fire suppression activities were repaired, areas around creeks and streams were contoured and mulched and in some cases planted with native vegetation. Many burned and dead trees were removed. Owners of burned private property in the area, working under Cal-Fire guidelines, also moved forward to restore watershed health. The Star Fire came at a time when many of us in the water industry were beginning to take a more active interest in the quality of our watershed lands. At PCWA, we learned important lessons about good watershed management. Foothill water systems As many homes in the Placer County foothills are vulnerable to wildfire, so is the PCWA water supply system. Many of the canals that carry water from the mountains originated in the Gold Rush era and some flumes are still built and supported with wood. Some canals are located in remote, heavily-wooded and overgrown canyons. In cooperation with rural landowners, our field crews seek to preserve access for maintenance and to limit fire danger around these important canal systems. Healthy waters and more Clean, productive watersheds will promote higher quality water supplies for the citizens of Placer County. They will also benefit sustainable forestry, agriculture, habitat protection, cultural and historic resource protection, open space preservation and outdoor recreation. Good watershed management is a key part of providing a healthy, sustainable water supply that can be put to reasonable and beneficial uses by the people of Placer County. This is a legacy for us to pass on to future generations.

Steps to being water wiser


Be aware of the water all around us
From the creeks and ravines to the raging waters of the American River, water weaves itself throughout the Sierra foothills. Each source must be treated with care and respect for both quality and quantity. The canals that wind through commercial areas and close to residential neighborhoods carry essential supplies of water throughout the region. During winter and spring, rainstorms can rise into swift-moving streams. Water levels of the forks of the American River can change throughout the day, depending on the release of water upstream. Use caution around water. Dont take any water level, swimming hole or current for granted. Respect the water around us, and it will return the favor.
Audra of the PCWA Water Efficiency staff adjusts an irrigation controller during a Water Wise house call.

Water efficiency: PCWA has answers


PCWA offers a range of customer services and helpful literature as part of its Water Efficiency Program. Services range from customer rebates for installation of efficient fixtures and appliances to Water Wise house calls. Many helpful tips for saving water around the house and yard are offered. For helpful information, see www.pcwa.net. Go to the Water Efficiency section located on the center of our home page at www.pcwa.net.

Map courtesy of Sierra Nevada Alliance

Understand landscaping, water and fire


With proper research and planning you can create a firesafe landscape without using excessive amounts of water. Water efficiency and fire safety can go hand in hand. The Sierra Nevada Alliance has assembled detailed information on how homeowners can enjoy beautiful, fire-safe landscapes. Observe the flammable materials on your property and consider needs for defensible space around your home that would interrupt a fires path, protect buildings and allow firefighter access. Consider vegetation modifications to take advantage of low growing, fire resistant plants with high moisture content but low in oil content. Avoid plants that tend to accumulate excessive dead wood. The alliance recommends the use of a zoned approach for fire safety around your home. The zoned approach for our foothill area includes a Lean and Green Zone of up to 30 feet immediately surrounding the home, a My Sierra Zone that extends another 30 feet to 100 feet to a transition zone of 100 feet and beyond.

10 ways to cut fire risk


The Sierra Nevada Alliance recommends these fire risk reduction measures by removing: Dry or dead vegetation Dead branches of trees Tree branches (alive or dead) within six feet of roof Tree branches within 15 feet of a chimney or stovepipe Vegetation in proximity to power lines Woodpiles to within a minimum of 30 feet of structures during fire season Woodpiles that could roll downhill toward structures Flammable decoration, outdoor furniture or hardware - to a minimum of 30 feet of structures from June through midSeptember Flammable materials from beneath deck or porch structures Flammable shrubs such as juniper, arbor vitae and mugo pine

Lessons of the Star Fire The impacts of devastating fire were brought home in August and September of 2001 when the Star Fire charred more than 16,000 acres around PCWA Middle Fork Project lands in the Tahoe and Eldorado national forests. It was an eerie scene on that early September Saturday when members of the PCWA board and staff drove through the smoke-filled forest to the Star Fire command post at French Meadows Reservoir. There we were briefed by U.S. Forest Service firefighters. Our Forest Service colleagues explained not only their tactics for controlling the fire but also their plans to limit long-term

Plant right trees, shrubs


Here is a sampling of vegetation you may wish to consider for your Sierra Foothills landscape. Trees Crape Myrtle Trident Maple Crabapple Various Oak Various Pine Shrubs Bush Anemone Western Redbud Sage species Shrubby Cinquefoil Toyon Groundcovers Bearberry Creeping Mahonia Evergreen Current Rockrose Rosemary

The American River, above, and regional canals move water efficiently throughout the region.

Landscape the Sierra Way


The Sierra Nevada Alliance has published an illustrated 160-page book titled Sierra Nevada Yard & Garden: A Homeowners Guide to Landscaping in the Sierra Nevada. The guide places emphasis on water efficiency and fire safety as it offers information on climate, soils, plants, yard and garden design, irrigation and much more for Sierra communities. It should be on every gardeners bookshelf. For a copy, contact: Sierra Nevada Alliance P.O. Box 7989 South Lake Tahoe, CA 96158 530.542.4546 www.sierranevadaalliance.org

Stay in touch
P.O. Box 6570, 144 Ferguson Road Auburn, CA 95604/530.823.4850
PCWA Update is the bimonthly newsletter produced by the Placer County Water Agency to keep customers and interested citizens up-to-date on the agencys programs and activities. The newsletter is distributed with water bills and is also posted on the PCWA website at www.pcwa.net.

The high intensity of the Star Fire in 2001 injured the Middle Fork watershed.

www.pcwa.net

June 16, 2013

FIRE & WATER

Supplement to Gold Country Media

SERVICE ZONES
PCWA canals transport raw water to customers along the Interstate 80 corridor, from Alta, through Auburn and Rocklin to agricultural lands west of Lincoln. Zone 1. Auburn to Newcastle, Lincoln, Loomis, Rocklin and Roseville, plus wide unincorporated areas - treated water and untreated water Zone 2. A small residential area of 37 customers (Bianchi Estates), southwest of Roseville, served with treated water via Zone 1 and the City of COURTESY Roseville. Much of the water supplied by Zone 3. Alta to Meadow PCWA flows through PG&Es Vista, including Colfax Spaulding Reservoir. treated and untreated water Zone 4. Groundwater from three wells is used to serve the Lahontan, Timilick, Martis Camp and Schaffers Mill communities in the Martis Valley. Zone 5. Irrigation water for commercial agriculture in far western Placer County.

COURTESY PHOTOS

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hrough the years, water to most PCWA customers has flowed from the snowpack and reservoirs of the Yuba and Bear River watersheds. It is transported through canals, pipelines and tunnels to Lake Spaulding and through the PG&E Drum Hydroelectric Project along the Nevada-Placer county line. This water supply is purchased from PG&E by PCWA to serve portions of the agencys western water service area. In addition, PCWA uses groundwater to supply areas in eastern Placer Countys Martis Valley near Truckee. PCWA also holds area of origin rights to water from the American River. The agency operates a pump

Where does your water come from?

COURTESY

The Auburn Water Treatment Plant is one of seven PCWA water treatment plants.
station on the American River near Auburn so that this water supply may be used to supplement PCWAs supply from the Yuba and Bear rivers. In addition, PCWA American River water flows to Folsom Reservoir and is sold there to San Juan Water District and the City of Roseville to supply their customers. Within PCWA, about 35 percent of customer water use is treated drinking water; about 65 percent is for irrigation use.

Supplement to Gold Country Media

FIRE & WATER

June 16, 2013

10

June 16, 2013

FIRE & WATER

Supplement to Gold Country Media

Is your property fire-safe?


Mechanical Tree and Brush Clearing

Fire protection is a benefit of a good public water supply

Water system reliability


Water Agency, which supplies cities and communities in Placer County, operates a treated water distribution system that currently contains more than 5000 fire hydrants. PCWA pipeline systems are designed and sized to accommodate fire flows and numbers of fire hydrants in accordance with PCWA standards and state fire flow requirements. When new residential and commercial areas are developed, PCWA will accept new facilities into the public water system only after they have been approved by local planners and fire officials. Maintaining fire hydrants is a cooperative effort, says PCWA Director of Field Services Mike Nichol. If there is major maintenance needed, the fire districts will call us. They are responsible for testing and routine maintenance, including marking and painting.

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For most of us, a public water system brings thoughts of safe, healthy drinking water for homes, schools and businesses. Another significant but often overlooked benefit of the public water system is its value when it comes to fire protection. The Placer County

PCWA goes to the movies


For local residents who would like to learn more about their community water supplies, PCWA has a pair of recommendations. We All Live in a Watershed is a 30minute Placer Countyfilmed segment in the Californias Water series produced by the late public television host Huell Howser. More recently, PCWA this year recorded PCWA Middle Fork American River Project Fulfills 50 Years of Dreams, a 14-minute video narrated by Einar Maisch, PCWAs director of strategic affairs, that recounts the history and development of the Middle Fork Project. The videos are posted on YouTube and are easily found through links on PCWAs home page at www.pcwa.net.

Encouraging efficient water use


PCWA always encourages customers to eliminate water waste and put water to beneficial use in a wise and efficient manner. While the past rainfall season began with significant precipitation in November and December, the remainder of the year produced nearrecord dry conditions. By May 1, the nearby mountain snowpack held just 14 percent of average water content and peak runoff was several weeks earlier than normal. Water storage from early in the season has allowed PCWA to plan normal water deliveries through 2013 but the agency remains concerned about carryover storage for 2014.

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Supplement to Gold Country Media

FIRE & WATER

June 16, 2013

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