"Save Serene Lakes" update for June:

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News: (for a complete news timeline see "news timeline")

Mountain Area Preservation Foundation (MAPF) set up a series of "social" dinner meetings between Royal Gorge and various groups including SLPOA, Sierra Watch, Sierra Club and SYRCL. The objective of the meetings, other than helping Royal Gorge claim that they are interacting with the community, is unclear. For a take on the meetings see: FOSTER AND SYME "SOCIALS", HOT WEATHER, AND FLIP-FLOPS
A useful guidebook to California's "show me the water" laws and how they apply to potential developments has been published by the California Water Impact Network. A copy of the guidebook is on the SaveSereneLakes.org Documents page as: Show me the water guidebook. It's useful in understanding the responsibilities of SLCWD in managing our water supply, and planning for the future, given the pressures of drought and proposed development. Another useful document is a publication from the California Department of Water Resources regarding wells in fractured rock aquifers such as those proposed to be used by Royal Gorge. The document (Water Facts) states that fractured rock wells are very unpredictable and their yields can decline drastically during dry years.
At June's waterboard meeting, Mike Livak of Royal Gorge again tried to prove that last December's testing of SLCWD wells was sufficient to establish their use as a water supply. The water board disagreed, saying that longer tests are required.
The Nevada County Grand Jury completed an investigation of the Donner Summit Public Utilities District (DSPUD). A summary of their findings can be found here: THE NEVADA COUNTY GRAND JURY AND DSPUD.
Royal Gorge hosted a morning "ramble." Mike Livak, Royal Gorge's project manager, says the resort plans are being revised to emphasize trails rather than downhill skiing, but will still be 950 units. No date for filing plans with the County was offered.
A water supply meeting was held between SLCWD and Royal Gorge in late May. SLCWD objected to Royal Gorge's claims that the tests they performed on the two SLCWD wells last fall validate their long term supply potential. SLCWD believes longer tests are needed. SLCWD reserves the wells for emergency uses, as the wells are contaminated with Arsenic and Manganese. Yet to be determined is the actual long term production of the wells, the effect of prolonged droughts on their production, their effect on the local water table and lake level and the effect of other wells in the area. SLCWD stated that their water management approach is to generate a water supply assessment (due this fall) and use that to predict availability. Royal Gorge's proposals to expand the supply will be considered at that time.
A lakeside homeowner has filed a questionable complaint with the State Water Rights Control Board claiming that SLCWD has not been properly bypassing water during the summer months as required by their water permit. The complaint alleges that summer inflow to the lakes is retained for aesthetic and boating reasons rather than being immediately released into Serena Creek. Last year the summer's inflow, which was mostly due to the September storms, was released, when the proper amount was calculated, in October. Approximately 2.4 inches of water, hardly enough to effect boating, was released. A copy of the complaint is on the Documents page of www.saveserenelakes.org
DSPUD held a Wastewater Expansion Committee meeting to discuss sewage plant expansion plans. DSPUD's consulting firm, Eco:Logic, reported their progress on permit renewal, wastewater flow and loading characteristics, and the wastewater plant capacity. The biggest issue with the new permit is that the plant's processing will need to be improved in order to meet more stringent discharge purity requirements. Expansion plans are currently aimed at meeting the new requirements, not increasing capacity. A summary of the meeting can be found here: DSPUD-5-20-08.pdf

Upcoming Events:

July 11, 5PM, SLCWD Board meeting at the district offices.

Recent Publications: (for links to these and other publications see "articles")

The following articles were published on the web, in the Sierra Sun, YubaNet or The Union:

Royal Gorge at odds with Grand Jury

(The Union, June 14 2008)

The Summer issue of the Donner Summit Clarion will be available soon.

Current Placer County Status:

Crystal Jacobson of Placer County planning reported that Royal Gorge held a meeting with her and the County Planning Director Michael Johnson in May. She reports that Royal Gorge seems to be on the same 950 unit development path, and that smaller options were not presented or discussed. She has no idea when they will file, and no new meetings are planned. Crystal said RG showed them a residential lot map for the property that would not require any zoning changes. It was for around 1200 units and was in a standard residential style "street and lot" grid similar to Serene Lakes. This must be primarily in Lake Camp, as it has a large area zoned for single family residences (RS zoning). Ski Camp has only a small 40 or 50 acre area with RS zoning. She said they described the map as one that they had shown in an earlier community meeting. She said RG wasn't pushing it as a plan alternative, more like it was a "here's what would fit into existing zoning" map.

Quotes of the month:

"Thanks God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth." -Henry David Thoreau

"I'd rather be a forest than a street. Yes I would, if I could, I surely would." -Simon and Garfunkel

"Of all the wonders of nature, a tree in summer is perhaps the most remarkable; with the possible exception of a moose singing 'Embraceable You' in spats." -Woody Allen

"Man must feel the earth to know himself and recognize his values... God made life simple. It is man who complicates it." -Charles Lindbergh

Web Sites of Interest:

www.SaveOurSummit.org

www.saveserenelakes.org

www.saveVanNordenMeadow.org

www.savethesummit.com

www.savedonnersummit.org

www.saveroyalgorge.org

www.pissdsociety.com

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