Wanderer Road, Western Court, Magnolia Road: service line repair

Penny Court: service line replacement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Emergency Repairs Begin at Bowman Tunnel Outlet

GRASS VALLEY – Repairs to a large 90-year-old pipeline at the outlet at Bowman Reservoir are expected to begin within days, under emergency actions taken Wednesday (May 15) by the Nevada Irrigation District Board of Directors.

A crack in the 48-inch diameter pipeline was detected earlier this year and NID has since opened a temporary bypass until the repair work can be completed. Repairs are expected to be complete by midsummer.

Meeting in special session Wednesday, NID directors:

• approved environmental studies and the repair project plan.

• awarded a $567,000 repair contract to Syblon Reid General Engineering Contractors of Folsom.

• awarded an $87,000 contract to Holdrege & Kull Consulting Engineers and Geologists of Nevada City for project inspection services.

• authorized management to approve additional contracts of up to $250,000 as may be needed to expedite the work.

District officials are placing high priority on the repairs because the outlet pipe is a key link in the NID water distribution system that carries water from mountain reservoirs to NID customers in Nevada and Placer counties.

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 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Nevada City Firm Wins Contract for NID Lincoln Studies

GRASS VALLEY  -   The Nevada City office of Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. will conduct environmental studies for the long-term regional water supply project being planned by the Nevada Irrigation District and City of Lincoln.

The NID Board of Directors on Wednesday (Apr. 24) awarded the $482,429 consulting services contract to Stantec.   The firm submitted one of five proposals considered by a joint City-District committee.

“There was a strong consensus for Stantec,” said NID Division V Director Nick Wilcox, a member of selection committee.

The collaborative water project has been in planning for several years.  It is designed to supply water to lands in and around the city that are within NID’s District boundaries.  NID Engineering Manager Gary King said there are presently 3500 lots within the NID service area.

Founded in Nevada County in 1921, NID has served the Lincoln area since 1926 when Placer County landowners petitioned to be included.  The District has supplied irrigation water but not treated drinking water to the Lincoln area.

Development of Lincoln in recent decades has increased the need for treated drinking water supplies.   The city and NID are studying the addition of new raw water delivery facilities, a new water treatment plant and new pipelines.  Plans call for NID to produce the treated water and transfer it to the city for distribution through the municipal pipeline system.

The Stantec Nevada City team, with assistance from the firm’s Rocklin office, will perform the fieldwork, studies, coordination and public outreach needed to ensure the project’s compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  The work is expected to take 18 months.

In other business, directors:

•  welcomed Zachi Anderson of the Forest Trails Alliance who provided an update on the group’s collaborative Scotts Flat Trail project with NID the U.S. Forest Service. Anderson said the alliance is nearing completion of the five-mile-long biking and hiking trail from near Highway 20 and the Five Mile House to Scotts Flat Reservoir.  He said the effort has included 2800 volunteer hours and will result in a $100,000 trail for a cost to date of about $8000.  An opening ceremony is planned this summer.

•  heard an update from General Manager Rem Scherzinger on the District’s repair effort of a cracked pipeline at the dam at Bowman Reservoir.  A temporary bypass is in place and supplying water while design work on a permanent repair is being completed.  Scherzinger said the District is placing top priority on winning rapid approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) so that normal water flows can be resumed by July.

The Board canceled its regularly scheduled board meeting of May 8 and will next meet in regular session at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 22, at the NID Business Center in Grass Valley.  NID Board meetings are open to the public.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NID employees Chad Garvey, left, and Andrew Browning prepare to install a new water meter along Rattlesnake Road near Grass Valley

(with photo, caption attached)

NID Water Lines Extended to Rattlesnake Road

GRASS VALLEY  -  Treated water is now available in the Rattlesnake Road-Wheeler Cross Road area near Grass Valley, following a water line extension project completed this month by the Nevada Irrigation District.

NID and area property owners shared costs in extending a 16-inch main line from Dog Bar Road, across Wheeler Cross Road to the Rattlesnake Road intersection and 1000 feet north on Rattlesnake Road.

The job, with about 3000 feet of new pipe and three new fire hydrants, was completed for NID by C&D Contractors, Inc. of Nevada City.   New pavement overlay has been added throughout the project area.

Chip Close, NID’s interim water operations manager, said the project progressed rapidly through planning, design and construction after contracts were signed with participating property owners.  ”Our new customers were receiving water within nine months,” he said.  ”Our contractor was able to take advantage of the dry weather and good working conditions this winter.”

Officials said the new pipeline is part of the district’s master plan and can eventually be extended across Rattlesnake Road to existing pipelines near Highway 174, depending on public demand.

District maintenance crews are now installing new water meters at the 13 parcels that participated in the water line extension project.

Area residents with questions about NID water public water supplies may contact NID Business Coordinator Shannon Matteoni at (530) 273-6185.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NID Hosts ‘No Motor Day’

Apr. 28 at Scotts Flat Lake

GRASS VALLEY – The quiet, natural beauty of Scotts Flat Reservoir will be showcased on Sunday, Apr. 28, as the Nevada Irrigation District hosts its 6th Annual “No Motor Day.”

NID Recreation Manager Peggy Davidson said the district has organized the event in response to community requests and as part of an overall effort to operate in a green, environmentally friendly manner.

Non-motorized watercraft, including sailboats, canoes and kayaks, will be allowed entry to the Scotts Flat Recreation Area without charge for the day. Use of motorized boats will be suspended for the entire day.

Regular admission rates of $6.50 per vehicle (with up to four persons) will remain in effect.

A number of special activities will be offered without charge. Free kayak and paddleboard demos will be offered from 10-4 by Mountain Recreation of Grass Valley. The Gold Country Yacht Club will host an open house and offer free sailboat rides, also from 10-4.

Hungry recreationists may purchase a fundraising barbecue lunch prepared by local Boy Scout Troop No. 4 as a fundraiser. The luncheon is planned from 11:30 a.m to 4 p.m. in the marina area.

Scotts Flat is one of 10 reservoirs owned and operated by NID. The District offers wide-ranging public recreational opportunities at both Scotts Flat and Rollins reservoirs in the Sierra foothills. Camping and backcountry recreational opportunities are also available at some of the District’s mountain reservoirs.

More information is available at www.nidwater.com.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NID Moves Forward With Mercury Remediation Project

GRASS VALLEY – Directors of the Nevada Irrigation District on Wednesday (Apr. 10) voted to acquire specialized dredging equipment that will be used to remove sediment and Gold Rush-era mercury from the Bear River watershed.

The equipment will be acquired on a lease-to-own basis from the Pegasus Earth Sensing Corp. of Alberta, Canada at a monthly cost of $12,650 or a total purchase price of $595,000. Pegasus will provide setup and startup services, staff training and technical support.

“This project is the first of its kind in our region,” said NID Division II Director John Drew. “We should all be proud that NID has taken the lead on a project like this.”

NID Asst. General Manager Tim Crough said NID needs to remove sediment that is washing down the Bear River and taking up valuable water storage space in Rollins and Combie reservoirs.

Traditional dredging, however, stirs up methyl mercury buried in the river bottoms, which, if disturbed, can be absorbed into the food chain. Methyl mercury is an unfortunate legacy of the Gold Rush when miners used mercury to separate gold from other materials.

NID has considered and planned the environmental restoration project since 2007. The district aims to include the remediation effort as part of ongoing reservoir maintenance programs.

Benefits of the project include mercury removal, restoration of water storage capacity, improved recreational opportunities, beneficial use of district resources and good watershed stewardship. Crough said he anticipates grant funding to help finance the cleanup effort.

The equipment will be similar to equipment used in a 2009 demonstration project at Combie Reservoir. The district can terminate the lease, without cause, after the first or second year of operation.

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