Emergency Drought Regulations Rescission Request

Auburn, Calif. – In a letter addressed to the Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) requested that emergency drought regulations, which have been in effect since last May, be rescinded. The content and purpose of the letter were discussed at PCWA’s Board of Directors meeting on March 17.

“At the last State Water Board meeting regarding emergency drought regulations, the Board directed staff to continually monitor data and determine if conditions warranted a rescission or adjustment of the regulation,” said General Manager Einar Maisch. “This letter provides Water Board staff with recent and relevant hydrological conditions, and demonstrates that drought conditions no longer exist in the watersheds that service the region.”

PCWA’s primary sources of surface water originate from the South Yuba River, through a contract with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), and from the North Fork American River through PCWA’s Middle Fork American River Project water rights. Real time snow sensors in the South Yuba River watershed measure snowpack at 120 percent of average, and PG&E reservoirs at 240 percent of average for this time of year. In the Middle Fork American River watershed, real time snow sensors indicate a snowpack at 110 percent of average, with PCWA reservoirs at 110 percent of average capacity for mid-March.

The news is also encouraging for water agencies in the region, which rely on Folsom Reservoir. Storage at the reservoir stands at 685,000 acre-feet, a total that does not include more than 390,000 acre-feet released earlier this year for flood control. It is estimated that in the watersheds above Folsom Reservoir, there is nearly 2 million acre-feet of combined reservoir and snow storage.

The letter concludes by stating that PCWA’s water supply is robust enough to meet demand for all its existing water customers in 2016, and that hydrologic conditions support rescinding the emergency drought regulations for local water purveyors who rely on the regional watersheds. The letter can be read in its entirety at www.pcwa.net.

In other news, PCWA Directors

Approved a Memorandum of Agreement for the planning phase of the RiverArc project with project partners. PCWA agreed to be the administrative lead for the project, which includes preliminary environmental planning and project design.

PCWA board meetings are open to the public.

For information on PCWA board meetings, please contact the Clerk to the Board at (530) 823-4850 or (800) 464-0030.*PCWA