The following is a monthly letter written by Mendocino County’s 3rd District Supervisor John Haschak to constituents:
June is time to celebrate those graduating and their families. Best wishes in this next adventure in life. June is also budget month for the County. The Board approved a balanced budget on June 3. We heard presentations from 11 different departments and offices.
The cuts haven’t been easy and department heads and elected officials will be making their cases about what they can and can’t do without. We will use six million dollars of one time only money to pay one time expenses which will prevent more drastic cuts.
The Inland Water & Power Commission had an all boards meeting on May 29. Since the IWPC is composed of different boards, this was an opportunity for all the boards to hear the same update.
My takeaways are: PG&E is going to take down the dams. A coalition has formed to build a New Eel Russian Facility (NERF) that will divert water during high water times from the Eel River to the Russian River. The current projection is that the NERF will cost $40 million to build and $10 million annually to operate. The process will take years and people/groups in both basins have agreed to this plan. Storage of water on the Russian River side is critical to making it all work and a feasibility study by USACE (United States Army Corps of Engineers) is beginning to study the raising of Coyote Dam and that will be a very expensive and long process. There has been a lot of work done by very dedicated people, coalitions have been formed from entities from both basins, and continuing to work through the issues is the only realistic path forward to keep water flowing in both directions.
I have a couple of new committee assignments that are making the Talk with the Supervisor dates bounce around. This month, it will be on Monday, June 9 at 11:00 at the Brickhouse. As always, you can email haschakj@mendocinocounty.gov or call 707-972-4214.
This is why Ukiah is annexing a “portal of sorts” to the dam. The plan is to big up the lake, and bring jn the tourists. The post pandemic building boom is upon us.
Maybe Ukiah would do a better developing and managing the Ukiah Valley?
The county is BROKE and they want to get involved in another situation of messy politics, more lawsuits and a decaying beast with massive issues. That’s some smart thinking there!
BOS and CEO cry Mendocino County is BROKE, BROKE, BROKE. How on earth is taking a crumbling problem that will cost 10 million or more to run a year. The power has been off for years, the overflow “needle” valve sediment filled due to fail. Water customers below the dam have know for decades this was pending, many did nothing to adjust their water needs. The 10 Million base to maintain the PV Project should be directed towards sustainability, eco based knowledge to navigate less water use. To keep thinking a 100+ year old mindset when vast research and better practices are known, we know better NOW. To hold on to the nostalgia and ignore knowledge is ridiculous.