This is the second of a three-part series recognizing the golden anniversary of the Placer County Water Agency.
The Placer County Water Agency has introduced a new logo as part of the 50th anniversary commemoration. Featuring a blue and green water droplet linked by a bolt of energy, the logo tells the story of PCWA at a glance, suggesting words such as water, energy and stewardship, according to General Manager David A. Breninger.
Today, PCWA obtains raw water from two primary sources - Lake Spaulding Drum Canal and the Middle Fork American River Project. The source of all the fresh water is the snow pack runoff in the Sierra.
With 342,000 acre-feet of water stored in reservoirs, the lackluster snow pack of last winter shouldn't impact availability of water for PCWA customers next year, officials say.
One-acre foot equals enough water to cover one acre of land, one foot deep -- about what a household of four would consume in a year.
It is important to note that in 1962, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation granted the PCWA 120,000 acre feet annually of water rights from the middle and north forks of the American River.
The agency delivers treated water, used for drinking, and raw water, used for agriculture and other purposes, to more than 35,000 water accounts.
The water furnished to treated water customers is processed at eight water-treatment plants and carefully monitored by a team of licensed professional water treatment operators.
PCWA's treated water meets or exceeds all federal and state public health and quality standards, officials said.
The PCWA's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report ending December 2006 - a comparison of water use over the last 10-year period - reflects the influence of residential growth and the decline of agricultural land use in Placer County.
In 1997, the breakdown was 19.2 percent treated water and 80.8 percent raw water. In 2006, treated water had risen to 28.7 percent as raw water decreased to 73.3 percent - almost a 10 percent increase in the use of treated water in 10 years.
The report states the county's rapid growth is expected to continue into the next decade. The population is expected to reach almost 350,000 by 2010 and 456,000 by 2020, an increase of 42 percent over the current population.
PCWA is in the midst of a process to relicense the Middle Fork American River Hydroelectric Project, which operates under a 50-year license granted in 1963 by the federal government. Completed in 1967, the Middle Fork American River Project includes two major storage reservoirs - French Meadows and Hell Hole - seven dams, five hydroelectric power plants and 24 miles of tunnel.
PCWA has a power generation capacity of 244 megawatts and in the average year produces enough clean, hydroelectric energy to power more than 100,000 homes. Its power output is sold to Pacific Gas & Electric Company.
Today, PCWA's top priority is the completion of the American River pump station in Auburn,
This will allow the agency access to water from the American River lost when an earlier pump station was removed 30 years ago to make way for the Auburn Dam that was never built.
Up to 35,000 acre-feet of water will be available annually through the new pumps, which will provide raw water through a three-mile tunnel for western Placer County with the water emptying into the Auburn Ravine and flowing into ditches for irrigation. In addition, water will be pumped out of the tunnel through vertical shafts and sent to water treatment plants.
The PCWA board of directors will host a 50th anniversary commemorative program and open house at a special meeting planned for Thursday, Sept. 13. The public is invited.
Next week, a look at the PCWA and the future.
Saul Wiseman can be reached at swiseman368@sbcglobal.net.