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RED ALERT: Sierra Snow Water Levels 76% Norm: MANY California Cities Already Seeking Water (NapaValleyRegister)

Jan.22, 2009 in Public Works, Water Crisis, Water Industry, Water Management, Water Rates

(Jan. 22, 2009, Napa Valley Register)

American Canyon may spend up to $400,000 to buy extra water to meet its needs, the city council decided Tuesday.

In addition to buying 1,300 acre-feet of State Water Project supplies, AmCan officials will soon initiate stepped-up conservation measures to reduce current water use by 20 percent.
American Canyon needs to be ready to buy water through the state’s dry-year program when the water becomes available, City Manager Rich Ramirez told the council before the 4-0 vote. Vice Mayor Cindy Coffey was absent.

“There are many hands out there seeking that water,” he said, referring to the thirst of California’s cities and counties.
Buying 1,300 acre-feet of water under the state Department of Water Resources’ dry-year water program would be cheaper than purchasing treated water from the city of Vallejo, according to officials. Ramirez estimated the city would spend $2 million to buy 1,300 acre-feet of treated water from Vallejo.

The city could also buy another 900 acre-feet of water from other sources this year according to city officials.
The city will need about 4,000 acre-feet of water per year, according to its estimates.

American Canyon may receive only 15 percent of its water allocation this year, according to the state Department of Water Resources. That estimate is expected to change over the coming months.

Under that scenario, the city would receive only 735 acre-feet of water.

Ramirez also announced that the city’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Water Resources will meet Jan. 27 to discuss water conservation measures. The city’s current water conservation ordinance is antiquated, he said. The committee was formed in 2007 in part to review the city’s water fees.

State officials said that the Sierra Nevada’s snow water content is 76 percent of normal.

Snow water levels are used to estimate the coming year’s water supply. In addition to dry conditions, state officials took into account a series of court orders that restrict the ability to export water transported through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

(Original Article Here)