Nevada Irrigation District Mercury Remediation Project Makes Feinstein’s Appropriations List

By: Susan Snider, YubaNet

GRASS VALLEY, Calif. May 31, 2010 – On May 13 Senator Diane Feinstein announced her Appropriations requests for FY 2011 — a list of 23 projects throughout California which includes everything from repairs to the historic penitentiary on Alcatraz Island to grant funding for local Fire Safe Councils.

After months of waiting, Nevada Irrigation Assistant Manager Tim Crough was pleased to see that the district’s mercury removal project at Combie Reservoir made the list as well. If Feinstein’s requests are approved by Congress — and NID’s project remains on the list — the district will receive enough funding to begin the project under the Environmental Protection Agency.

NID is seeking $3,000,000 under the Appropriations Request, an amount which will allow the district to dredge sediments for the first year of the 3-5 year project.

Read more…

Director questions transparency, accountability, Best Management Practices on Nevada Irrigation District Projects

By: Susan Snider, YubaNet

GRASS VALLEY, May 31, 2010 – Citing violations from the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, Nevada Irrigation District Division I Director Nancy Weber at the May 26 board meeting demanded some answers. “I have a problem and I need some board help,” Weber said to her fellow board members. She held up copies of a recent (Apr. 22) Notice of Violation (NOV) charging that NID failed to provide proper erosion and sediment controls and Best Management Practices (BMPs) on its DS Canal Flume 13 replacement project. Weber then cited a 10/25/07 board meeting where NID’s Chief Engineer, Gary King, reported that Flume 13 was already failing. She asked why the replacement wasn’t done this fall after the irrigation season and before the rains typically begin.

Read more…