State Water Board amends curtailment orders to expedite water deliveries
To expedite the delivery of much-needed drinking water to coastal Mendocino County residents whose wells have gone dry, the California State Water Resources Control Board has amended its previous curtailment orders to allow the city of Ukiah to draw water from the Russian River for emergency supplies.
“The State Water Board has pre-approved a health and human safety exemption allowing the city of Ukiah to provide emergency supplies to (coastal Mendocino County communities),” said Erik Ekdahl, deputy director of the Division of Water Rights, explaining Wednesday that the board did not want “bureaucracy to get in the way of providing emergency drinking water to people who really need it.”
Ekdahl said representatives of the board and the city of Ukiah have been discussing for months how water could be provided to the coast, and that the city could have applied for the exemption itself, but “it has some philosophical differences” regarding the board’s ability to curtail certain water rights, specifically its pre1914 right.
Ekdahl said amending the curtailment order allows water to be delivered to the coast without the city having to concede its position on whether the state has the authority to curtail its pre-1914 water right.
When previously discussing the city’s intention to violate the state’s curtailment order by drawing from the Russian River and face fines, Sean White, the city’s director of water and sewer resources, admitted that the State
Water Board would have allowed the city to draw needed water without incurring fines, “but it would have been under a difficult premise” that the city was unwilling to accept.
White said that the premise proposed by the State Water Board would have required the city to impose conservation measures on its own residents that would limit water usage to 55 gallons per resident per day, measures that White described as “draconian,” which is defined as “excessively harsh and severe.”
Ekdahl said Wednesday that the amended curtailment orders allowing the city to draw water from the river do not impose a conservation mandate of 55 gallons of water per person per day on the city of Ukiah residents, only to the recipients of the water on the Mendocino Coast. Previously, Ekdahl had said that such a conservation mandate would not have applied to city of Ukiah residents from the beginning.
In terms of how much water total is expected to be provided by the city to the coast, Ekdahl said his understanding was it would not be more than “50 acre-feet over the next three months,” which he described as a relatively small amount. (One acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons of water.)
Ekdahl said the curtailment order exemption was “pre-approved based on information provided by the city” regarding how much water it intends to draw from the Russian River. White described that as “a very small amount” of water that is within the 1.4 cubic feet per second that the city describes as being allowed under its “water right that dates back to 1874.”
The city of Ukiah would not be delivering water, but would be providing access for approved water haulers to fill up their trucks — a typical water truck carries 3,500 gallons — then drive the water to Fort Bragg. From there the water would be treated and distributed to those needing water.
The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors last month approved allowing qualified haulers to drive water from Ukiah to the city of Fort Bragg, and just this week the deliveries began. On Wednesday, 5th District Supervisor Ted Williams confirmed that the first deliveries from Ukiah had arrived, enough to fill three water trucks.
Williams described the water as being needed by “kids who don’t have enough water to brush their teeth,” but when asked if there was a way to ensure that residents could access the extra water, rather than allowing businesses such as restaurants and lodging establishments to purchase it all, Williams said he was not aware of any such prioritization being employed by the city of Fort Bragg.
However, he did explain that the county will be subsidizing the cost of driving the water from Ukiah to Fort Bragg for residents, but not for businesses. He said that the county had applied for a $3.8 million grant from the state in order to cover the costs of “the long haul” from Ukiah and expected to be reimbursed, “but we couldn’t wait for the funds to arrive.”
White said the city would likely be charging three cents a gallon for what he estimated would be about 65,000 to 75,000 gallons a day, or about $2,000 worth of water.
When asked if the city could provide water to the coast without drawing from the river, White said no, that “we’re maxed out in our capacity right now. We’re meeting needs (for potable water) through our wells, but just barely. And it’s not a supply issue, it’s a pumping capacity issue.”
Last week, White told the Ukiah City Council that his staff will be using its existing equipment to pull water from the river “16 hours a day, one day a week, then putting that water into storage and drawing off of that for seven days.”
White could not be reached for comment Wednesday. However, City Manager Sage Sangiacomo said the city did begin providing water Wednesday, allowing access to 10,000 gallons of what he described as groundwater only, though that previously was described as not being an option.
of Fort Bragg passed away on August 28, 2021. She was 95 years old.
Helen was born to Ida and Dante DelFiorentino on April 18, 1926 in Fort Bragg. In 1942 she married her true love Leon Reynolds. Together they started a family, built a house, and had numerous business ventures including Fort Bragg’s Shell Station, Reynolds Men’s Wear, and the development of Wildwood Campground.
Helen enjoyed gardening, cooking, good coffee, and pie, but most of all having her family gathered around her kitchen table, talking, laughing and enjoying her cooking. Her love for family will never be forgotten.
Helen is preceded in death by her husband Leon Reynolds, son James Reynolds, brother George DelFiorentino and sister-in-law Bea.
She is survived by her sons Dean (Angela) Reynolds, Mark (Lorie) Reynolds, daughter-in-law Ilah Reynolds, as well as ten grandchildren, 14 greatgrandchildren, and nieces and nephews.
Henry Charles Dahl, Jr. passed away at Adventist Health Mendocino Coast Hospital on August 30, 2021. He was 93 years old.Hank grew up in Caspar, attending grammar school there and then graduating from Mendocino High in 1945. He enlisted in the Navy after graduation, and was discharged at the end of WWII. Hank came home and married his high school sweetheart, Florence Fraga, and started working at Caspar Lumber Company. He was then drafted into the Army in 1951, stationed in Okinawa. Upon completing his Army service Hank returned to Mendocino and drove log trucks for 20+ years. Then after teaching his son Wayne how to drive trucks, he changed careers and went to work for the Mendocino School District as Transportation Supervisor and bus driver until his retirement at age 70. He also served as a Mendocino Volunteer Fireman for over 50 years and owned and operated Coastal Fire Extinguisher.Hank was an avid 49er and Giants fan. He was often seen sporting his 49er jacket and Giants hat.He was very patriotic. He loved his country and always had an American flag flying at his home.Hank will be greatly missed by his family and friends who meant the world to him.Hank was predeceased by his wife of 73 years, Florence, in January of this year. He is survived by his son and daughter in-law, Wayne and Diane Dahl of Fort Bragg, his three grandsons and their wives; Anthony and Cara Dahl of Stockton, Kevin and Amber Dahl of Grass Valley and Scott and Katie Dahl of Roseville. He is also survived by three great-grandchildren; Ryan, Kylie and Nathan Dahl.Graveside services were at Hillcrest Cemetery in Mendocino.
Long-time Westport resident
died Aug. 4th at Memorial Hospital. He was 67. His life achievements knew no boundaries. His smile, humor and limitless knowledge will be missed by all. He was smart, complex, tormented and funny; a man of action. He fixed things and made them better. Affectionally known as "the spin doctor". He never shied away from a conspiracy theory, preferring to make up his own.
He was a millwright and worked for Harwood’s in Branscomb until it shut down. An irreplaceable help to his family and community. He would show up at a moments notice if needed.
He kept the lawns mowed, bushes trimmed, weeds cut, electrical, plumbing and carpentry issues repaired. He was also an excellent satirical cartoonist.
He leave behind wife Judi, sons James, Jeremy, Christopher and daughter Stevie, 7 grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews and 6 siblings: Steve, Pompeii, Queenie, Toad, Eggs and Ching. His brother Weasel preceded him in death.
We carry you in our hearts friend and brother.