MINUTES
OF THE SPECIAL WORKSHOP MEETING
OF
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE
IRONHOUSE
SANITARY DISTRICT
AND
TRUSTEES OF RECLAMATION DISTRICT 830
March
19, 2014
The
Ironhouse Sanitary District (ISD) Board of Directors and the Trustees of RD 830
met in special session on Wednesday, March 19, 2014.
The
place of meeting was the Ironhouse Sanitary District Office at 450 Walnut
Meadows Drive, Oakley, California. The
meeting was called to order by RD 830 President Tom Williams at 3:05 p.m.
1. Call to Order
Roll
Call was taken:
ISD Members
present: David Contreras, David
Huerta, Chris Lauritzen, Michael Painter and Doug Scheer
RD 830
Members present: Tom Williams, Mark
Haefke, and Jenny Skrel
Members
absent: None
Staff/Consultants
present: Susan Walde, District
Secretary
Fred
Etzel, District Council
Dave Dal
Porto, Ranch and Levee Superintendent
Joe
Mueller, Environmental/Process Compliance Manager
Nate
Hersey, MBK Engineers
Kevin
Tillis, Hultgren Tillis
Interested
Parties: Lauren Bisnett,
DWR
Francis
Chang, Sacramento, CA
Jacoblen
Quirk, DWR
Geoff
Shimley, DWR
Preston
Good, DWR
Linus
Paulus, DWR
Julie
Mitchell, Oakley, CA
Wally
Young, Antioch, CA Bradford Island, CA
Karen
Cunningham, Bradford Island, CA
John
and Alice Evans, Oakley, CA
Dawn
& Chris Gulick, Sherman Island, CA
Kay
Dower, Antioch, CA
Ed
Hultgren, Concord, Ca
Miki
Tsubota
Bob
Amerine, B.I.M.I.D.
Ron
Bernal, City of Antioch
Karyn
Cornell, Brentwood. CA
Jennifer
Quallick, Brentwood, CA
Amy Dawson, Antioch, CA
Jim
Dawson, Oakley, CA
Paul
Beard, Oakley, CA
Pledge of Allegiance – was led by Director
Lauritzen
2. Approval of Agenda – M/S J. Skrel, M. Haefke and the Board of RD 830 voted to
approve the agenda.
3. Public
Comment: Communications from the public on
subjects not on the agenda. There were
no comments from the public.
4. Receive Information from the Department of Water Resources
Staff Regarding the Need for a Rock Barrier at False River between Jersey and
Bradford Island. (Discussion and direction to ISD staff.)
Mr.
Williams stated the purpose of this meeting is for the Department of Water
Resources to review the project and is asking for the two Districts to consider
signing the proposed lease Agreement between DWR and ISD and RD 830 relating to
installation of “leaking” (low permeability) rock barriers in False River
between Jersey Island and Bradford Island. The Board was informed by DWR on the
critical nature of the on-going drought in California, of the Governor’s
Emergency Drought Proclamation, and the immediate need to install Emergency
Drought Salinity Barriers (EDSB) in three locations, including West False
River, to limit salinity intrusion in the western and southern Delta to
preserve drinking water supplies for agencies such as Contra Costa Water
District and others.
The
following items were distributed and made available for anyone interested.
-2014 Drought Emergency Temporary
Rock Barriers Draft Document
-2014 Operations and Monitoring Plan
for the Temporary Barrier at the Head of Old River
-Protecting Water Supplies and Delta
Water Quality with Emergency Drought Barriers
-Draft Terms of Proposed Lease
Agreement between DWR and ISD and RD 830 relating to installation of rock
barriers in False River.
Deputy
Director Paul Helliker of the Delta and Statewide Water Management California
Department of Water Resources gave a power point presentation on the current
reservoir conditions model results for the Temporary Barriers in the
Delta. Staff of DWR gave great detail of
the condition and purpose of the barriers.
Director
Lauritzen asked about the removal of the barriers and was told they will be
removed by November of 2014.
Mr.
Williams asked about the consideration of Dutch Slough and it was determined
that False River was the best location.
Director
Painter asked if this barrier would be considered to stay or is it only a
temporary levee. It also is his
understanding that the sheet piles will be a permanent structure.
Director
Contreras asked why the sheet piles are left in place. Is it believed it is
safer for the levee to be left in place?
They are planning to fill any voids with rock and leave the sheet piles.
Kevin
Tillis stated the District needs to buttress the levee first and near the
vertical slop put in a large toe berm.
Mr.
David Mraz of DWR stated that Jersey Island is one of the critical eight
western islands. DWR has put an
agreement into place to ballast berms in place.
He stated there is opportunity to extend the agreement to build the
levees.
Mr.
Williams addressed the fact that on an ongoing basis if the drought continues,
where the rock will be stored in the interim.
Discussion
was held on the water quality at Jersey Island and the modeling DWR has created
of the salt intrusion. Historic
saltwater intrusion data was shown as a comparison from 19777-78 Emergency
barriers and the drought barriers of 2009.
Leah
Orloff of Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) gave a presentation on the water
quality at the City of Antioch. Their prospective
is the barriers are very necessary for customers to get quality drinking
water. CCWD have four intakes inside the
delta and stated the water quality of the water is variable for water use. She showed her concern of the water modeling
by DWR that effect CCWD’s intakes. She
feels DWR modeling is under estimated of what actually may be. We are in a dire situation this year and need
the barriers for water quality. She
hopes to help DWR to address local concerns.
Ron
Burnell of the City of Antioch stated that the City has water quality
concerns. They have been pumping and
blending with water from CCWD.
Comments
from the Public –
Kay
Dower of Antioch, voiced her concerns to DWR regarding why they don’t shut off
the pumps to the south pumping water out and help stop the infusion of salt
water.
Karen
Cunningham, a ranch and land owner voiced her concern as the same as Kay
Dower. She also stated that she attended
the meeting of RD 2059 regarding Bradford Island.
Amy
Dawson of Antioch proposed reviewing proposing the barriers vs shutting down
the pumps.
Linus
Paulus of DWR stated to the Board and the public in attendance that DWR is here
to address the Board on land barriers, and they saw the need for more
information. So, they came more prepared
and will have information in the future at a planned open meeting of the
public.
DWR
addressed the concerns of staff and the consultants regarding data on the flows
and will work on having more information available and will have this
information posted online.
Roger
Bacon of Bradford Island addressed his concerns of the flows at Fisherman’s Cut
and stated they will increase five times.
He stated they will be putting a ramp at Steamboat and would they
consider having ramp access for Bradford and feels this would be beneficial for
people in Oakley as well.
Mr.
Paulus stated that they will look into the velocity and will look into a boat
ramp at False River as well.
Chris
Lauritzen as a Marina owner asked how the barriers are going to effect the
water Hiaasen upstream of the barriers
The
Division of water ways is addressing the water Hiaasen issue and DWR will look
at this issue as well.
Dave
Dal Porto asked about the EC levels in the graph? Mr. Paulus stated that water withdrawals
effect the EC levels and they change from summer to fall.
Darlene
from Sportsman Yacht Club asked what farmers were to benefit in the Delta.
Chris
from Sherman Island voiced concerns about the fish passage and asked about a Frank’s
tract dam at three mile slough vs water quality improvement project.
DWR
stated that this is a complete different project and this project to protect
our water quality.
Director
Lauritzen stated that he doesn’t believe this project is temporary. If this goes well, he feels we will be
considering a levee with a permanent gate.
Paul
Helliker of DWR responded that this is not part of the plant and that this is a
temporary project.
After
addressing the concerns of the Board of ISD, the Board of RD 830, staff,
consultant and the public in attendance, DWR thanked everyone for attending
today’s workshop and hopes to have more information available soon.
5. Adjournment
President
Huerta adjourned the special meeting of the Board at 5:10 p.m. to the Regular
Meeting on Tuesday, April 1, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. for Regular Session in the
Ironhouse Sanitary District offices at 450 Walnut Meadows Drive, Oakley,
California.
