YOU CAN'T DRINK PAPER WATER

Royal Gorge LLC, in their never ending quest to find water up at Donner Summit,  is leaving a 3 page flier "Water Issues Concerning Serene Lakes and Royal Gorge" around markets, puddles, and, no doubt, park drinking fountains.

Royal Gorge LLC sinks to new depths with their latest splash into the public relations pond. They ask us all to go off the high dive with them into a very shallow pool,  and accept their contentions that dredging is GOOD for lakes,  and raising the dam at Van Norden Meadow won't hurt the South Yuba River one droplet.

To support their dredging claims, Royal Gorge LLC, well, dredges up old history.  SLCWD dredged in 1969, and in 1980.  That 1980 dredging would require a raft of EIR's if done today, because they actually drained and bulldozed the lake.  Oldtimers remember that in 1980 there were only 200 cabins, and they had an unpleasant long summer eking by on stored well water while the lake was dry,  something not possible with over 800 cabins today.  The current water board,  now aware of the environmental damage consequent to dredging natural lakes, has only considered minimal dredging  aimed at removing surface vegetation, not the monumental dredging operation Royal Gorge LLC seeks.

Royal Gorge LLC also asks us to jump off the bridge with them into a very dry South Yuba  River- in their "Water Issues" they casually slip in the fact they'd like to raise the dam on Van Norden Meadow.  Those of you who believed their protestations just 3 months ago that they'd protect the meadow must feel a little disenchanted perhaps?  As Van Norden Meadow is vital to the headwaters of the South Yuba River, Royal Gorge LLC's proposal presages an environmental disaster, as the water taken by Royal Gorge LLC will not be flowing down the South Yuba River.

And that  paper water? Royal Gorge LLC continues to assert that they will only need 235 acre feet per year (AFY), based on a 46% occupancy rating.  They're really floundering in the deep end here. Just this past February, the California Supreme Court rejected an EIR that didn't consider 100% build out, analogous to 100% occupancy.  Water Boards are now being required to assess customer needs on figures reflecting this decision.  The State of California has realized that real people drink real water, not paper water.

So multiply Royal Gorge LLC's figure by 2,  and you get 470 AFY. Add the 120 AFY currently used, and you get 590 AFY.  Serene Lakes contain somewhere between 600 and 800 acre-feet of water, according to the most recent studies.

If Royal Gorge LLC gets its way, we really will all be drinking, boating, and swimming in paper water.