Am Can, Napa may buy water to make up for shortfall

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Friday, September 07, 2007

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By KERANA TODOROV
Register Staff Writer

Federal efforts to protect a small fish could leave Napa and American Canyon paying for more water.

The two cities may need to buy extra water to make up for possible shortfalls after a federal judge ruled to limit the amount of water pumped from the San Joaquin-Bay Delta to protect the Delta smelt, which only lives in that habitat. Both cities receive delta water via the North Bay Aqueduct.

While the full implications for Napa County of Friday’s ruling are unknown, both Phil Brun, general manager of Napa’s water department, and Robert Weil, American Canyon’s public works director, expect lower allocations of Delta water — the amounts of water the cities are entitled to buy. Allocations for 2008 will not be announced until December, according to the state Department of Water Resources.

American Canyon could be severely affected, Weil told the City Council Tuesday. Unlike Napa and other cities in Napa County, American Canyon does not have water reservoirs. This year has been dry, he also said.

In 2006, the city received 3,000 acre-feet of water from the North Bay Aqueduct, about 500 acre-feet from Napa and an additional 126 acre-feet from Vallejo, according to Weil.

To make up for the expected water supply shortfalls, Napa and American Canyon are considering a program that allows jurisdictions to buy extra water, Brun and Weil said in separate interviews.

Felix Riesenberg, an engineer with the Napa County Flood Control District, said the district would represent Napa and American Canyon before the State Water Contractors, a statewide association of public water agencies. The State Water Contractors would negotiate potential purchases of extra water from farmers, Riesenberg said. No other cities in Napa County have not expressed an interest, he said.

U.S. Federal Judge Oliver Wanger issued his ruling Friday in Fresno.

According to the State Water Contractors, Wanger’s ruling could cut California’s water supplies by a third. The ruling restricts the ability to move water to Southern California, explained Jeanine Jones, interstate resources manager for the state Department of Water Resources.

Two pumps mentioned in the lawsuit are near Tracy and powerful enough to pump enough water in one day to supply Napa County with water for an entire year.

The North Bay Aqueduct receives its water from the Barker Slough Pumping Plant. The plant is part of the state Water Project, a water distribution system managed by the state Department of Water Resources.

The State Water Contractors represents 27 public water agencies statewide.

1 comment(s)

SrPastor wrote on Sep 7, 2007 4:26 AM:

" Has anyone questioned why the once "Water Rich" American Canyon that was the envy of the Water Resource world in our region now states the following quote: "American Canyon could be severely affected, Weil told the City Council Tuesday. Unlike Napa and other cities in Napa County, American Canyon does not have water reservoirs. This year has been dry, he also said." The answer is that American Canyon City Council leadership were not cooperating with the County leadership while at the same time failing to sign important water source documents in at least the last 2 to 3 years. Ed Barwick was smart and forward thinking in making sure that Napa had the resources of water, while American Canyon Leadership played politics and self serving by wall papering the landscape with homes without planning for future water,and traffic needs just to mention a few issues. It is now time for the American canyon residents to become aware of it's next leadership representatives, both local and county. With the serious investments that new residents have made,there can no longer be the mindset to focuses on getting to the toll gates, when the toll of lack of water, mortgage rate concerns,building a high school now has the potential to be too great to bare. Get ready for "Brown grass surrounding your beautifull homes. "

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