County Tries to Get Grip on its Water Before Someone Else Does
Chico Enterprise Record - 4/17/03
By Heather Hacking, staff writer

Butte County is water-rich compared to the rest of the state and county leaders are trying to better understand and manage the resource.

As the state overall continues to grow, more populated areas will be eyeing Northern California's water. The work done in the county now may guide how the county fares as the state population continues to grow at a steady pace.

Ed Craddock, director of water and resource conservation for the county, said there are a lot of issues to look at. Water quality problems such as nitrates due to septic tanks plague some areas.

Paradise still has water supply issues as well. On a dry year like 1977, there would be water rationing on the ridge, Craddock said during a public meeting to discuss the county's water plans.

The past three years have been dryer than average and the Durham/Dayton area is experiencing well levels comparable to those in 1994, which triggered concern about groundwater, Craddock said.

He said the county currently isn't sure why wells levels have dropped.

With the help of the Department of Water Resources, Butte County has been working to understand how the groundwater aquifers work. Toccoy Dudley, of DWR, has identified some areas that might be key groundwater recharge areas. As development occurs, the county will want to plan so that new construction does not pollute or diminish groundwater supply, Craddock said.

Butte County is one of the state's many water contractors and has a right to 27,500 acre-feet of water in Lake Oroville. However, currently very little of that water is used. With federal relicensing proceedings for Lake Oroville currently under way, the county is trying to come up with a way to use that water entitlement so there is not a risk of it being lost.

One option being explored is to use the water from Lake Oroville for groundwater recharge.

The state is also increasingly focusing on habitat issues, which also require water supply and quality. Craddock said the county needs to set up a system for estimating what environmental water demands will be in the future.

For all these reasons, the county is trying to get a better handle on water issues, he explained. To be an equal partner with the state on water issues in the future, it's important that Butte County has the same type of knowledge base as large metropolitan areas. Craddock said many local agencies could work together to bolster clout and show strength when dealing with urban areas that need water,

An integrated watershed and resource conservation plan is being developed and will include educating the public, forecasting urban and agricultural water demands, coming up with a drought management plan, environmental monitoring plan, watershed modeling and updating the conservation element of the general plan.

The county is also in the process of coming up with a groundwater monitoring program to ensure that when groundwater is pumped from one area in an aquifer, other wells in the area are not affected.

Growth is a huge looming issue. Butte County's population is expected to increase by 50 percent by 2020. With current water supplies the county could handle the growth, Craddock said.

Yet, Southern California will grow an estimated 33 percent, adding 20 million people, all of who need water.

"That's a lot of water," Craddock said.

Butte County would have enough water "if the rest of the state would leave us alone," Craddock said. "I don't think they will leave us alone."

While there is a lot of work to be done, there has been progress already. Craddock noted the formation of the Butte Basin Water Users Association, a new water commission and the formation of the county Department of Water Resource Conservation.

The county also recently added a Resource Conservation District which will assist landowners in getting funding to conservation projects.

The county has also been successful in getting grant money to study water issues.

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