Comprehensive list of interactions between the Yuba Water Agency and the North Yuba Water District.
See: list of items posted on north yuba water district public record documents
Interactions between the Yuba Water Agency and the North Yuba Water District since 2017 arranged chronologically.
In September of 2017, the water district secured a $500K planning grant from the State to engineer the drawings for piping the Forbestown Ditch. Under water permits 11516 and 11518, the North Yuba Water District has 23,700 acre feet from the South Fork Feather River, Lost Creek, and Feather River See: Kennedy Jenks Report
At this point, a decision was made, how much water would the pipe be designed to carry? It would be designed to carry 3,700 acre feet for the customers of the North Yuba Water District. As it turns out, this is the amount of "free" water available to the NYWD under the 2005 water sharing agreement with South Feather Water and Power Authority. See: 2005 Agreement with South Feather Water and Power Authority
In October of 2017, NYWD President Forguson sent a letter to the Yuba Water Agency's Planning and Development Committee asking the Agency to help the NYWD build the Forbestown Ditch. On the POD Committee at this time were Brent Hastey, Randy Fletcher, and Doug Lofton. This letter was never brought before the NYWD Board in a public meeting. See: Donnie Forguson's letter to the Yuba Water Agency on Octber 23, 2017
On October 31, 2017, the Yuba Water Agency POD Committee meets regarding discussing support for the North Yuba Water District's Forbestown Ditch Piping Project. In attendance were Randy Fletcher, Brent Hastey, and Doug Lofton. See: POD Committee Discussion
On April 11, 2019, NYWD President Eric Hansard sent his letter to the Yuba Water Agency POD Committee asking for a 50/50 YWA grant and loan so construction on the Forbestown Ditch piping project can begin. Similar to Forguson's letter, this correspondence was never before of the NYWD Board in a public meeting. See: Eric Hansard's Letter
Ohn June 6, 2019, YWA Assistant General Manger Willie Whittlesey sent a notice to NYWD General Manager Jeff Maupin regarding the DRAFT SCOPE OF WORK for the Forbestown Ditch to Pipeline Replacement Project. In this letter, it is noted that the design criteria for the flow capacity of the pipe is 24 cfs. See:
On July 11, 2019, a meeting was held at the Yuba Water Agency F Street offices in Marysville hosted by Assistant General Manager Willie Whittlesey. The subject was about designating the US Department of Agriculture Rural Development the Lead Agency for the Forbestown Ditch piping project. As the Lead Agency, the USDA would declare the project Categorial Exclusion under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and, it would follow, also exempted under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). A Categorial Exclusion means no environmental documentation would be required and costly mitigations that might make the project financially infeasible. See: F Street Meeting
On September 16, 2019, NYWD General Manager Maupin sent a letter to the Yuba Water Agency requesting $225,775 to complete the engineering specifications for the Forbestown Ditch piping project. See: See: http://yubafoothillswater.net/pdf/ywa225K_9-16-19.pdf On Friday, August 2, 2019, YWA published the agenda for their next POD meeting that listed an agenda item to grant NYWD $225,725. The intention was to approve the request at the next YWA meeting scheduled Tuesday, August 6. Apparently, this agenda item raised some concerns within the Yuba Water Agency and, by Friday evening, the agenda item had been removed.
On October 15, 2019, the grant funding request for $225,725 went before the Yuba Water Agency Board for consideration. The grant funding request passed, Directors Leahy, Hastey, Lofton, Vasquez, and Fletcher for, Director Mathews against. (Director Bradford was not in attendance).
In June of 2020, the NYWD made a presentation before the Yuba Water Agency Planning and Development Committee. At this meeting were Director Randy Fletcher (Chair), and Directors Doug Lofton, and Brent Hastey. During this meeting Yuba Water indicated it would be willing to grant the NYWD 60% of the cost for piping the Forbestown Ditch. With an estimated cost of $12 million, this would amount to $7 million from Yuba Water Agency. See: YWA POD Committee Meeting
In June 2020, the NYWD filed a Mitigated Negative Declaration with ceqa.net. In August, the water district's legal council withdrew the Mitigated Negative Declaration. No further action with this project has occurred since. However, there is a pending lawsuit against the NYWD regarding this piping project. See: CEQA Withdrawal Letter
As of December 2020, water is now being listed on the Nasdaq water index market under the ticker NQH2O. As of December 30, 2020, water is trading for $492.56 per acre foot. The 20,000 acre feet that cannot fit down the pipe is worth $9.85 million. Where is this water going? To this day, the North Yuba Water District will not say. See: NQH2O Index