SLVWD Board Meeting Summary
October 29, 2020
Mark Dolson
This was a special meeting primarily intended to update the Board and the public on ongoing preparations for the approaching winter rains.
New Business
Community Power Resiliency Allocation to Special Districts Program
Environmental Planner Carly Blanchard explained that the District is currently submitting an application to the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) “Community Power Resiliency Allocation to Special Districts Program.” This program provides funds to special districts to help them better cope with PG&E planned power outages. The District is seeking $300,000 to cover costs associated with Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) from 7/1/20 to 10/1/21. This will pay for two large generators (already purchased) and a smaller generator (to be purchased). A formal District representative needs to be assigned by the Board to be the signatory and point of contact.
President Swan moved that District Manager Rick Rogers be appointed as point of contact with CalOES for purposes of this program. The motion passed 5-0.
Landslide and Debris Flow Hazard Conditions
Rick Rogers read a three-page memo updating the status of debris-flow-mitigation discussions. The upshot was that Supervisor Bruce McPherson hosted a meeting on 10/28 to address recommendations in the 10/1 WERT report. This meeting attracted 19 participants, including the authors of the WERT Report, several members from CalOES, Department of Conservation, CalFire, County Flood Control, County Public Works Director, and representatives of the District.
There was consensus among meeting attendees that there was one significant action that the District could undertake to appreciably reduce the potential for a small or medium debris flow to jump the banks of Harmon Creek and negatively impact the cemetery and Boulder Creek Elementary. Specifically, the District could clean out the choke point on District lands where the creek emerges onto the alluvial fan, as identified in the WERT report.
There was further consensus that these mitigation measures may not protect property and life/safety in the event of a major debris flow, so educating the community to evacuate when notified would continue to be very important.
Rick reported that the District is working to obtain emergency permits to clean the choke point above the cemetery in Harmon Creek by removing downed trees and other debris. The permit process is essentially a notice to agencies that the District is moving forward with the project as an emergency response. As soon as permits are obtained, contract labor will be used to clean the channel at the choke point. This is estimated to be a 3-day project which will be performed at prevailing wage. An excavator on the embankment will be used to clear the creek’s channel, removing materials that have accumulated over the past 20 years.
Additionally, the District will continue communicating with the public about the hazards associated with possible landslides and debris flows, and will update its internal response plans for the protection of public water facilities in the event of an emergency. The work in Harmon Creek will not alleviate the need to evacuate as directed by the County, and residents must be informed and prepared for winter rains.
Director Farris asked whether the District had removed choke points in the past, and Rick Rogers said it had. Director Farris asked if other creeks are in need of similar attention, and Rick said there are no other issues that he is aware of but that K-rails are being used to protect the Lyon treatment plant from debris coming down the slopes above the tanks and facility. (K-rails are recommended for use in diverting small amounts of debris washed down slopes above properties, but they are not recommended as a way to divert debris flows coming down creeks, because debris flows are capable of transporting boulders as large as a car, and, thus, could pick up K-rails, turning them into battering rams.)
Director Henry asked why the planned remediation was limited to Harmon Creek, and she asked specifically about Clear Creek above Brookdale. Rick Rogers explained that Harmon Creek is on District property. There are no choke points on Clear Creek on District property. The County and the State are gearing up to handle Clear Creek and Highway 9 respectively.
This same line of questioning extended into public comment. Beth Thomas asked if the WERT report recommended any other mitigations aside from Harmon Creek. Rick Rogers said the WERT report identified other areas that should be looked at, but none of these involved the District. Gail Mahood said it's important to remember that the WERT report was done very quickly, so the deflection barrier idea was not carefully vetted. The Harmon Creek basin is very tiny compared to Foreman Creek, Peavine Creek, and Clear Creek, and the size of debris flow predicted by the USGS model is much smaller (100 times smaller), so there is actually some hope that the choke-point removal can bring a real benefit. Also, interventions on these other creeks would not be on District land because the choke points are well downstream of District lands.
Director Fultz expressed disappointment that the County is not pursuing more-ambitious mitigation strategies to potentially better protect private property from debris flows that may originate on District property. However, he did not identify any specific interventions with prospects for delivering a net benefit that he thought the County and/or District should pursue. Rick Rogers said that Supervisor McPherson is planning to hold a Town Hall soon at Highlands Park at which the County response can be further discussed.
There was no significant further discussion. Rick Rogers reiterated that this meeting (which lasted only 50 minutes) was purely informational, that the greatest threat will come with the first rains (possibly fairly soon), and that it’s important for people to follow the County’s directives because the County is on top of this, and people need to heed their evacuation alerts.