Photo credit: Yung-Hsin Sun, Sunzi Consulting 

A Word from Our General Manager, Rebecca Guo

Over the past few months we had the opportunity to advocate for state and federal support for water and headwater resources in the county. In May, Directors Parlin and Turnboo, and I traveled to Washington DC for the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Cap-to-Cap program. As part of the water resources and wildfire teams, we had engaging conversations on the Hill about the need for critical water infrastructure investments, forest land management for wildfire resilience, and other water resources planning efforts. Collectively, our teams had over a dozen meetings with our U.S. Senators, Congressional Representatives, and federal agencies.

Back in Sacramento, Director Parlin and I participated in the Mountain Counties Water Resources Legislative Advocacy Day where we spoke with state policymakers about how investing in and protecting our watershed is essential not only for our mountain counties, but for water supply statewide. We discussed the need for investments in wildfire resilience and water infrastructure projects in High Fire Severity Zones as well as cost-effective, multi-benefit nature-based solutions such as forest and meadow restoration.

We are also excited to share another advocacy effort we participated in - ACWA’s development of a suite of videos to inform the public and lawmakers about the critical need to protect California’s headwaters and take steps to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. As part of ACWA’s Headwaters Workgroup, we were fortunate to help develop these videos which are a valuable resource to advocate on the need for a California F.I.R.E. Fix. You can check out the videos here. 

Strategic Plan Update

Photo credit: Yung-Hsin Sun, Sunzi Consulting 

We have made significant progress since 2018, but we have more to do, and our work is more important than ever because our communities are facing challenges from climate extremes, evolving regulations, shifting economies, and growing public expectations.

To enrich the SP30+ development, we held 20 interviews with our Board members and close partners such as the County, water purveyors, and resource conservation districts for their feedback on the mission and work of the Water Agency and associated values for El Dorado County. Based on the interview findings and two working sessions, our Board reviewed the accomplishments in the past five years and led the effort to streamline and clarify the goals and prioritized objectives of the Water Agency.

Throughout the SP30+, our Board emphasized that proactiveness and collaboration are the essence of our actions and the key to future success. Our actions need to consider the future needs of our own communities while also recognizing our important role as one of the stewards of the headwaters which contribute to the statewide water supply and general well-being of all.

Grant Funding Awardees Announced

Photo credit: Yung-Hsin Sun, Sunzi Consulting 

We're thrilled to announce that the American River Conservancy, South Tahoe Public Utility District, and Tahoe City Public Utility District were selected as the recipients of our Fiscal Year 25/26 Grant Program. The Agency created this Grant Program to incentivize entities within El Dorado County to implement actions that contribute to our mission and advance the resource management strategies identified in our Water Resources Development and Management Plan. This year, our theme revolved around supporting projects that reduce the vulnerability of water infrastructure to wildfires. These organizations demonstrated that their projects will proactively address our changing climate and the regulatory environment and increase water system resilience. Below is more information on each of the grant recipients’ projects:

American River Conservancy: Provide long-term fire fuels reduction by using cattle grazing to manage fuel loads to protect the adjacent community and the Georgetown Divide Public Utilities District water infrastructure located on that property.

South Tahoe Public Utility District: Update the District’s Hazard Mitigation Plan and  develop a plan to harden STPUD’s water infrastructure facilities against fire. These efforts will position STPUD for future grant funding for improvements identified in these plans. 

Tahoe City Public Utility District: Provide reliable backup power for the recently acquired Glenridge Water System to enable continuous power to ensure reliable water delivery for drinking, sanitation, and fire suppression.

Farm Day was a Success!