VALORACIÓN DE LOS ALUMNOS Encuestas elaboradas por el ICE

Three special topics where identified by the participating water utilities for investigation and summary. Provided below are discussions on Upper Watershed Management Programs, the Regional Board’s Drinking Water Policy, and Climate Change.

Upper Watershed Management Programs

The upper watershed management programs offer an opportunity to address water quality concerns through source water protection strategies. There are numerous programs in the upper watershed, by county and river reach. These programs have historically focused on fuels management and soil erosion protection, which indirectly address source water quality, and are more recently beginning to directly incorporate drinking water concerns.

All watershed management programs are designed as long-term, stakeholder-based programs. Some of the programs have completed planning and are moving into studies and implementation. Provided below is a general description of the programs and how they are related to each other.

Cosumnes, American, Bear and Yuba Integrated Regional Water Master Plan

The Integrated Regional Water Master Plan (IRWMP) was adopted in December 2006 and is a planning document that identifies a vision, guiding principles, broadly-supported goals, objectives, strategies, actions and projects for the purposes of enhancing the beneficial uses of water for the Cosumnes, American, Bear and Yuba (CABY) rivers region. This effort was initiated in 2005 by water suppliers (including PCWA and EID), power utilities, and watershed conservation groups and includes:

x Provision of long-term water supplies,

x Protection and improvement of water quality, and

x Enhancement of environmental and habitat resources.

The IRWMP provides an integrated approach to water management across the region’s four watersheds. The CABY planning horizon is approximately twenty years into the future -- in the range of 2027 – 2030. Given the growing population trends and associated residential and urban development in the region, it is critical that an efficient and sustainable plan be in place to manage water resources that meets both human and environmental needs now and into the future. The IRWMP presents information on current water resource issues in the region, provides solutions to address those issues, and prioritizes projects across the four watersheds. It is a coordinated effort among water agencies, federal, state, and county agencies, citizens groups, power utilities, and other stakeholders.

The goals and objectives presented in the Plan were developed by the CABY work groups (water supply, water quality, environment and habitat, land use, and recreation

water resource management areas), and also derived from the existing or mandatory plans that have statutory authority in the watersheds. Implementation of the goals and objectives is the core of the Plan and is achieved through a series of specific actions or projects. The goals are as follows:

x Goal 1: Achieve sustainable surface and groundwater supply.

x Goal 2: Provide multiple benefits from management of water resources, diversions and infrastructure.

x Goal 3: Reduce impacts from catastrophic fire.

x Goal 4: Protect infrastructure, equipment, and property from flooding.

x Goal 5: Protect and improve watershed resources through land use practices.

x Goal 6: Manage sediment for water resources, infrastructure and habitat value.

x Goal 7: Reduce mercury contamination in waterways.

x Goal 8: Reduce contamination of surface and groundwater resources.

x Goal 9: Protect and improve fisheries and aquatic biota through water resources management.

The Plan also identifies objectives, which describe how goals are to be attained. The Plan identifies 26 objectives, of which there are ten that are highlighted here as significant to drinking water quality in the American River watershed. These include:

x Objective 2: Implement measures to manage and reduce erosion and sedimentation.

x Objective 3: Meet and/or attain Regional Board standards.

x Objective 4: Work collaboratively to restore state designated impaired water bodies (303(d)).

x Objective 7: Manage recreation to minimize impacts to watershed resources.

x Objective 9: Implement measures to manage and reduce contamination of waterways.

x Objective 12: Investigate effects of drought and climate change and need for water management strategies.

x Objective 16: Maintain and promote recreational and environmental values associated with water infrastructure.

x Objective 17: Evaluate and modify water infrastructure to improve efficiency.

x Objective 18: Minimize impervious surface cover and improve infiltration.

x Objective 19: Promote community and regional storm water management plans.

Twenty-three projects have been identified and prioritized which will enable the Plan to meet its goals and objectives. Four of these have been selected to highlight as significant to drinking water quality in the American River watershed. These include:

x 1. The Heat is On: Climate Change, Water Supply, and Aquatic Habitat in the CABY Region

x 5. Addressing Sediment Issues in the CABY Region

x 10. Regional Water System Reliability and Conservation Project

x 12. Riparian Conservation Area Evaluation and Dump Cleanup

Proposition 50 and 84 funds will be sought for some projects described in the IRWMP, but the Plan is predicated on the assumption that other funding sources will be available on an on-going basis to underwrite projects over time. To date, no funding has been received for the projects of interest for the American River watershed listed above.

As a related program, EID has obtained funding for a Watershed Coordinator position for the South Fork American River. The EID program has received funding from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy entitled “South Fork American River Water Quality &

Recreation Study”. This is a two year study that will sample 13 sites before and after the key summer holiday weekends (Memorial Day/4^th July/Labor Day) and first flush storm events. The study was started in 2008 and will sample for general constituents, including turbidity and fecal coliform. The sites were selected to look at various recreational use along the South Fork American River, including OHV, equestrian, and recreational residences.

El Dorado and Georgetown Divide Resource Conservation District

This Resource Conservation District (RCD) spearheaded the South Fork American River Watershed Stewardship Strategy, which was finalized in May 2004. This effort was funded by CALFED and focused on reducing fuel loading and improving water quality. As an outcome of this effort the RCD has worked to develop community fire risk assessments and wildfire protection plans.

In addition, the RCD has obtained funding from the Department of Conservation for a Watershed Coordinator position for three years. This position will be used to move the strategy into a formalized watershed plan and coordinate with other watershed programs, including the Cosumnes, American, Bear and Yuba Integrated Regional Water Master Plan described above. The South Fork American River Watershed Management Plan will be a stakeholder-based process to develop a plan. A draft is expected in November 2008 and a final in December 2008. This plan is intended to provide a framework for protecting water quality and target specific areas to establish goals and objectives for. It is hoped that it will increase collaboration between agencies, including community education and attracting funding.

The RCD was integral in creating and supporting the Watershed Education Summit in 1998. This program brings staff from Eldorado National Forest and local high schools together annually, in September, to conduct field assessment and monitoring programs in El Dorado County.

Placer County Resource Conservation District

This RCD spearheaded the American River (North and Middle Forks) Integrated Watershed Plan and Stewardship Strategy, which was finalized in 2002 and discussed in the 2003 Update. This effort was funded by CALFED and focused on reducing fuel

loading and improving water quality. As an outcome of this effort the RCD has worked to develop community fire risk assessments and wildfire protection plans.

The RCD received funding from CALFED for a Watershed Coordinator position from 2005 to 2007, but lost its funding in 2007. This position was shared with the American River Watershed Group (ARWG) and together the agencies worked on implementation of the Stewardship Strategy and those efforts.

The RCD has developed public education information materials that are focused on land management. Also, the RCD expanded the Watershed Education Summit to Placer County in 2007. It is uncertain if the program will continue in 2008 without the Watershed Coordinator position.

American River Watershed Group

The ARWG was founded in 1996 to collaborate resource management issues in the North and Middle Forks American River. ARWG interests are centered around five themes:

1) Safety of life, property and resources, 2) Healthy forests,

3) Abundant and high quality water, 4) Sustainable economics, and 5) Education.

ARWG operates under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that signatories voluntarily participate using a process of consensus around member issues.

Signatories include PCWA and EID. Committees are formed to shepherd work from the initial concept phase through implementation. Signatories organize themselves in pursuit of grants and other opportunities to advance ARWG interests. Placer County RCD has taken the lead on the Watershed Stewardship Strategy effort. This effort has been minimized due to signatories participating in other programs, such as CABY IRWMP and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing parallel efforts.

One study that was completed during the study period was the Sediment Dynamics Study. This was grant funded by the California Department of Water Resources. The objective of this study was to better understand the erosion and sedimentation processes and determine any potential or actual effects upon key watershed resources.

Seven GIS-based submodels were developed to address different potential watershed susceptibilities. These were integrated into one overall model that assesses the relative risk for erosion and sedimentation. The recommendations were designed to identify watershed enhancement opportunities and management practices that could contribute towards maintaining watershed functions and minimizing the accelerated delivery of sediment to key resources.

American River Conservancy

The American River Conservancy is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to

“protecting and enhancing natural habitats where wildlife can flourish”. The main efforts of the ARC are education and recreation to promote an ethic of stewardship now and for future generations. The organization runs the American River Nature Center along the South Fork American River in Coloma and conducts environmental education programs for local schools.

One of the key programs they implement is the purchasing and acceptance of land for preservation. Since 1989 they have acquired 10,000 acres, over 60 projects, primarily on the South Fork American River between Placerville and El Dorado Hills. Some key acquisitions include:

x South Fork American River - 1,414 acre Cronan Ranch. On May 17, 2005, it was turned over to the United States Bureau of Land Management and officially became the Cronan Ranch Regional Trails and Park.

x South Fork American River - Pine Hills Reserve, near Salmon Falls and Cameron Park.

x Weber Creek (tributary to the South Fork of the American River) – Conservation easements from private land owners to protect sensitive riverfront lands.

x North Fork American River – Giant Gap project. Work with Placer Land Trust to secure 400 acres for protection.

Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) declared bankruptcy in 2004 and as part of that settlement they were required to create the Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council (Stewardship Council). This new company is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Land Conservation Commitment, wherein PG&E will either donate or create conservation easements to preserve and enhance over 140,000 acres of PG&E's watershed lands throughout California, including the American River watershed.

One of the primary goals is to ensure that over 140,000 acres of watershed lands throughout California are conserved for a broad range of beneficial public values.

These values include:

x Outdoor recreation

x Sustainable forestry

x Agriculture

x Habitat protection

x Open space preservation

x Protection of historic values

The Stewardship Council began work in 2004 by gathering information about each planning area. They have met with interested parties to research the existing conditions of the lands. Using this information, a range of conservation alternatives was developed. Between 2006 and 2007, these alternatives were refined through further research and input from communities and stakeholder groups. The Land Conservation Plan was adopted in 2007. There are numerous Planning Units, two of which are located in the American River watershed. Provided below is a summary of the key potential activities within each Planning Unit.

x North Fork American River - Lake Spaulding Planning Unit (including Lake Valley Reservoir):

o Develop timber evaluation.

o Develop forest, fuels, and recreation management plans.

o Consider redevelopment of Eagle Mountain Lodge near Lake Valley Reservoir.

x South Fork American River – Chili Bar Planning Unit:

o Develop forest and fuel management plans.

Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Drinking Water Policy

The Regional Board has created a Workgroup to develop and implement a work plan to provide technical information for staff to allow for the development of a comprehensive Drinking Water Policy (DWP) related to surface waters. The purpose of the DWP is to assist the Regional Board in maintaining water quality for drinking water beneficial use.

The policy will provide clear guidance to help ensure consistent source water protection.

The ultimate goal of the DWP is to allow the Regional Board to determine if water quality objectives (either narrative or numerical) for drinking water constituents of concern, that are not currently addressed in the Basin Plan, should be incorporated into regulatory requirements.

The Workgroup finalized its constituent prioritization in March 2005 with three tiers of constituents. Tier 1 included constituents that would occur at drinking water intakes at levels of concern for public health or aesthetics. Tier 2 included constituents for which temporal or spatial data was available from the Tier 1 list. Tier 3 included constituents for which there was no Basin Plan objective from the Tier 2 list.

The Workgroup has finalized conceptual models for the Tier 3 groups of constituents (including organic carbon, nutrients, pathogens, and salt). The models assessed the behavior, fate, transport, and effect of the constituents. These models are now being used to identify data gaps and select analytical modeling tools. A one-year monitoring program will be implemented to supplement data gaps. The modeling tools will then use the supplemental data to refine the pollutant load evaluations.

The Workgroup also reviewed and evaluated a range of source water quality goals set for these constituents by other agencies and organizations. In addition, the Workgroup is conducting a drinking water treatment effectiveness study for the priority constituents.

This information will be used to support the development of new water quality objectives for priority constituents, to provide background and justification for the basin planning process, and to evaluate effective control strategies to improve water quality.

Staff published a Public Scoping Meeting Staff Report in July 2008 for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance which presents the problem statement, describes the project area, lays out the requirements for amending the Basin Plan, summarizes the relevant State and Federal laws, and discusses the initial project alternatives. The alternatives are discussed below and shown in Table 4-24.

Table 4-24

Summary of Initial Project Alternatives for the Regional Board DWP

The Regional Board plans to have a draft Policy recommendation in 2009, with an

“Initial Policy” ready by 2009 to be included in the Basin Plan amendment process. The framework of the DWP will allow for evaluation of emerging water quality concerns as well. Provided below is a summary of the four alternatives.

Alternative 1a: No Action

Under this alternative, the Basin Plan would not be amended to include additional requirements for protecting MUN designated water bodies. The Regional Board would regulate the constituents of concern by applying the narrative objectives. As the Central Valley’s population continues to increase, there is the potential for water quality degradation and increased risk to public health. Drinking water suppliers may need to

provide additional treatment or otherwise incur increased costs to meet current and potential future drinking water regulations.

Alternative 1b: Source Monitoring

Under this alternative, dischargers would be required to monitor for drinking water constituents of concern, if they are not already doing so. This alternative would not modify water quality objectives and, therefore, would not require additional limits in permits or waste discharge requirements. Source water quality monitoring may be required through monitoring and reporting requirements or a phased approach in the Basin Plan Implementation chapter. Similar to alternative 1a, as the development in the Central Valley increases, the lack of increased control of sources of drinking water constituents of concern in alternative 1b may result in water quality degradation and increased risk to public health. Drinking water suppliers may need to provide additional treatment or otherwise incur increased costs to meet current and potential future regulations.