The first countywide plan addressing water supply and infrastructure issues was adopted by the Imperial County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
The Imperial Integrated Regional Water Management Plan, which outlines capital projects, addresses flood control issues and ground water management — to name a few — also ranks projects based on funding eligibility and regional value.
The county, the Imperial Irrigation District, the city of Imperial and various stakeholders developed the plan through some 100 meetings, said Andy Horne, deputy county executive officer, during his report to the board.
“The plan is now completed, we have established a cooperative framework for future regional planning (and) we developed a list of projects,” Horne said and noted one of these projects is tying El Centro and Imperial’s water systems together for emergencies.
Tina Shields, IID assistant water department manager, said to the board that another benefit of this plan was having stakeholders explaining their perspectives and their concerns that in the future can be addressed as a group.
“Obviously I don’t think we are there quite yet,” she said, but as new projects are developed and proposed, the goal would be to engage in larger projects that create economies of scale and that tie in together.
Shields also noted that after three agencies approve the plan, Imperial Valley will be eligible for some $5.5 million in Proposition 84 funding.
Following the presentation, Supervisor Gary Wyatt commented on the role of ground water as a resource worthy to develop in the Valley.
Wyatt also called for a groundwater study to be developed “sooner rater than later.”
He then asked how an expected shortage in the Colorado River could affect the plan.
Shields responded that the first shortages, up to 1 million acre-feet, don’t affect California or the Valley “physically.” But they do have a political effect, she said, because the IID has 77 percent of Colorado water rights and may become a target of other states.
And yet, although Colorado River shortages are showing up for the first time in five-year projections, said Shields, “I don’t think we have immediate concerns.”
Meeting Glance
Here are four things that happened at Tuesday’s meeting
1 — The 2012-13 Mental Health Services Work Plan update was approved by the board.
2 — A memorandum of understanding between the county Rite Track Youth Services and the Imperial Valley Regional Occupation Program for Project Padres was approved by the board. Some $277,000 of grant money will fund these two agencies for two years.
3 — The county will be included in the expansion application of the Recycling Market Development Zones in San Diego. RMDZs promote the development of businesses engaged in recycling activities though low interest business loans and technical assistance.
4 The county library received a donation of $1,000 from the Fulmer family and another $2,500 donation from the California Emerging Technology Fund.
Staff Writer Alejandro Davila can be reached at 760-337-3445 or adavila@ivpressonline.com
The Imperial Integrated Regional Water Management Plan, which outlines capital projects, addresses flood control issues and ground water management — to name a few — also ranks projects based on funding eligibility and regional value.
The county, the Imperial Irrigation District, the city of Imperial and various stakeholders developed the plan through some 100 meetings, said Andy Horne, deputy county executive officer, during his report to the board.
“The plan is now completed, we have established a cooperative framework for future regional planning (and) we developed a list of projects,” Horne said and noted one of these projects is tying El Centro and Imperial’s water systems together for emergencies.
Tina Shields, IID assistant water department manager, said to the board that another benefit of this plan was having stakeholders explaining their perspectives and their concerns that in the future can be addressed as a group.
“Obviously I don’t think we are there quite yet,” she said, but as new projects are developed and proposed, the goal would be to engage in larger projects that create economies of scale and that tie in together.
Shields also noted that after three agencies approve the plan, Imperial Valley will be eligible for some $5.5 million in Proposition 84 funding.
Following the presentation, Supervisor Gary Wyatt commented on the role of ground water as a resource worthy to develop in the Valley.
Wyatt also called for a groundwater study to be developed “sooner rater than later.”
He then asked how an expected shortage in the Colorado River could affect the plan.
Shields responded that the first shortages, up to 1 million acre-feet, don’t affect California or the Valley “physically.” But they do have a political effect, she said, because the IID has 77 percent of Colorado water rights and may become a target of other states.
And yet, although Colorado River shortages are showing up for the first time in five-year projections, said Shields, “I don’t think we have immediate concerns.”
Meeting Glance
Here are four things that happened at Tuesday’s meeting
1 — The 2012-13 Mental Health Services Work Plan update was approved by the board.
2 — A memorandum of understanding between the county Rite Track Youth Services and the Imperial Valley Regional Occupation Program for Project Padres was approved by the board. Some $277,000 of grant money will fund these two agencies for two years.
3 — The county will be included in the expansion application of the Recycling Market Development Zones in San Diego. RMDZs promote the development of businesses engaged in recycling activities though low interest business loans and technical assistance.
4 The county library received a donation of $1,000 from the Fulmer family and another $2,500 donation from the California Emerging Technology Fund.
Staff Writer Alejandro Davila can be reached at 760-337-3445 or adavila@ivpressonline.com
