July 23, 2012 - SARSAS General Meeting Update

Featured Speaker Brad Arnold, General Manager of South Sutter Water District, told the assemblage that the target date for completion of the fish screen over the Pleasant Grove Canal downstream from Lincoln is October 2013. The main issue is connecting the fish screen with a power source to provide a cleaning mechanism on the fish screen. ISI, Inc. is the company hired to build and install the fish screen. Because the Wildlands, Inc., property where the power connector is located is surrounded by vernal pools, the process is a delicate one.

Ashley Indieri, Director of the Family Water Alliance, said that the vernal pools and raptor nesting in the area have to be mitigated for power to be brought to the fish screen.

DFG George Edwards attended with two assistants and asked if Mike Healey was attending this meeting because he is the DFG point man on this fish screen installation. We will contact Mike for more details and invite him to the next meeting.

SARSAS Member Ray Binner, retired water official from Roseville, asked many questions on working in a vernal pool area, and the group explored many options for getting power to the fish screen such as running power lines down the existing road or sinking a cable into the Auburn Ravine.  SARSAS Member Steve Hubbard added details.

Jack Sanchez offered that his experience as a Teachers' Union Negotiator told him that oftentimes an issue that may have been discussed earlier and discarded may end of being the solution so rule out nothing.

PCWA's Marie Davis offered many issues to consider in the process of securing power.

Brad Arnold indicated that Grant Kageta of PGE is a principal in the process.

The discussion was intensive and extensive. SARSAS thanks Brad Arnold for his dynamic presentation and to Marie, Ashley and George with their staffs for attending and all others taking part in the meeting.