LAKE COUNTY — Officials in Lake and Yolo counties have not set a date to continue negotiations over water rights to Clear Lake. After the Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors OK”d two items to propose to Yolo in May 2007, no one is talking.
The Yolo district has the right to use about 314,000 acre feet of Clear Lake”s water per year. A contract between the Lake and Yolo districts allows Lake County to use 7,950 acre feet of Clear Lake”s water to fill a pipeline that carries treated wastewater to the Geysers to be injected into steam fields. The Lake district approved in concept an amendment to the contract that would allow Lake County to use the lake water for other purposes ? including drinking ? for the first time.
“As more people hook up to the system, we”re only using 4,000 or 5,000 acre feet of the surface water. The proposal would allow us to use the freed-up water for drinking supplies, agricultural uses, etc. I think what surprised Yolo is that we took it to the board for consideration before we forwarded the document to Yolo,” Lake County Sanitation District Board Member Anthony Farrington said.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU), approved in concept at the same time, included a list of water management and invasive species projects needing to be done in Lake County. Farrington said the next step was to add Yolo County projects to the MOU. Tim O”Halloran, general manager for the Yolo district, and David Scheuring, a member of the board of directors, said they were not aware of an MOU. Calls to attorneys representing both districts were not returned.
“We made a number of attempts last summer going into fall without any response. We had no problems till the [Lake County] board approved the MOU (memorandum of understanding) and proposed amendment to discuss in the two-by-two meetings. We had no problem before setting up any meetings,” Farrington said.
Scheuring said he wasn”t aware of an obstacle to communication between the two entities as a result of the two items being approved.
“Obviously we”re overdue for a meeting with Lake County. Neither one was developed in conjunction with the [Yolo] district, and it”s important to collaborate with the water issue. I think both agencies have had a lot on their plates. I”m disappointed that any action was taken without consultation. It”s time to have another meeting,” Scheuring said.
O”Halloran said in a recent interview that the district”s board of directors will decide when the next meeting will be.
Scheuring said staff usually sets up the meetings “at least a couple times a year,” meaning O”Halloran on the Yolo side. On the Lake side, Farrington said Lake County Water Resources Director Bob Lossius could verify the county”s efforts to set up a meeting over the past year.
Lossius said Lake water district board member Ed Robey was the best person to answer questions about when the next meeting will happen. Robey and Farrington represent the Lake County Sanitation District in informal meetings with two Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District board members. Robey said in a previous interview that he expected a meeting in the spring, but that he did not know when.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
