A Small Water District Deals With a Major Wildland Fire Emergency by Georgetown Divide Public Utility District Oct 3, 2022 Member Submitted News The Board of Directors of the Georgetown Divide Public Utility District convened a special meeting on September 6 to discuss the need to maintain irrigation services for fire mitigation due to the unprecedented extreme temperatures. President Michael Saunders stated, “We had no idea that within hours of adjourning, the Mosquito fire would start in Placer County and quickly expand into El Dorado County. In fact, I could see the smoke during my drive home from the meeting. The timing of the fire shows the relevance for not only our district but the Region’s focus on critical water infrastructure for fire mitigation and fire suppression. These policies and infrastructure are not just about water delivery, it is about protecting our communities.” President Saunders is also a member of the Region 3 Board for ACWA. During the deliberation, the Board recounted the recent devastating wildfires in the area, including the Caldor Fire that seriously impacted the neighboring districts of El Dorado Irrigation District and Grizzly Flats Community Services District. They discussed the importance of keeping ponds filled for firefighting and maintaining green irrigated landscaping during the fire-prone time of the year. The district has limited firefighting capacity through treated water sources and storage tanks, requiring a combination of treated and raw water to effectively fight fires. Having communicated with the State Water Resources Control Board and receiving advice from Legal Counsel, the Board modified the district’s Level 2 Water Shortage Contingency Plan to allow irrigation service to continue to the original end date of September 30. By the morning of September 9, Georgetown was on evacuation order and the GDPUD office closed. In coordination with the CalFire Command Center and the U.S. Forest Service, district crews were being escorted through checkpoints to access distribution infrastructure that required work to restore water flow. The Board held an emergency meeting on September 13, to receive an update on the impact of the Mosquito Fire and consider emergency response action. A State of Emergency Order was proclaimed by the Governor allowing the district to access FEMA funding. Operations Manager Adam Brown reported to the Board that “the fire had impacted the tunnel area almost up to our diversion, but a full assessment had yet to be done at that point.” Brown added, “the emergency for the district will continue during the aftermath dealing with erosion, landslides, blocked ditches, clearing debris, and making repairs to the system.” GDPUD’s distribution crew jumped into action, and despite having to evacuate their own families, they knew the importance of their work to keep the water flowing. District water is being used to fight the fire through hydrants and from the district’s water supply ditches at 100 gallons per minute. Brown also stated, “it has been beneficial for the district to be able to work with the Cal-Fire Incident Command, U.S. Forest Service, Sierra Pacific, the El Dorado Irrigation District, and state water agencies in scoping out the next steps to deal with this emergency.” Efforts are already underway to access funding through FEMA and CalOES to help ensure the district’s infrastructure and water supply won’t be interrupted. Director Gerry Stewart stated that he has received several calls from customers grateful for the hard work the district was able to provide to keep the water flowing and for keeping them informed through the WaterSmart notification system. He commended Brown and the crew for their excellent work and dedication. NEW GENERAL MANAGER, NICHOLAS SCHNEIDER, LEADS THE DISTRICT THROUGH DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, POST-FIRE RECOVERY AND RESTORATION, AND THE DISASTER ASSISTANCE FUNDING PROCESS. During the regular meeting of September 13, the Board of Directors affirmed an employment agreement with Nicholas Schneider to serve as General Manager. The evacuation order for Georgetown was lifted just in time to allow Schneider to step into the GDPUD office as General Manager on September 19. Recruiter Heather Renschler of Ralph Anderson and Associates stated it was fortuitous that Schneider with his experience and education could be reinterviewed, and an agreement reached to fill the position so quickly. Schneider comes to the district from the Mojave Water Agency where he ran the Legislation and Regulatory department for the state water contractor. There he managed all grant applications and had previously been awarded over $15 million in the past five years. He has also established working relationships with elected officials, State and Federal regulators, and managed a variety of projects including Urban Water Management Plans and Integrated Regional Water Management Plans. Schneider holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Turfgrass Science, and a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Engineering. Schneider has been an integral part of ACWA serving on the State Legislation Committee for the past four years, the Water Use Efficiency Work Group, and has been a member of the Agriculture Committee since its inception. By September 28, the Mosquito fire was 85% contained and evacuation orders had been lifted in both El Dorado and Placer counties. The district continues to assess the damage to its infrastructure and has begun post-fire recovery. The Operations Manager indicated there are approximately 3.5 miles of district ditches located within the high severity burn area. The district continues to coordinate with the CalFire Command Center, the U.S. Forest Service, major landowners like Sierra Pacific, and private property owners to continue to assess the damage and take immediate action to stabilize the water delivery system. Brown stated roadways are being stabilized along with repairs to drainage points. Ditches are being cleared out and fallen trees removed. Based on the initial assessment by the district’s contract engineers, Bennett Engineering, the crews have been coordinating with property owners to remove fallen trees on slopes for landslide prevention and erosion control. During the irrigation off-season, crews will continue to address needed tree removal and repairs. The U.S. Forest Service has deployed a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team to address emergency stabilization issues and assess threats to life, property, and cultural and natural resources on federal land. In addition, CalFire and the California Geological Survey initiated a Mosquito Watershed Emergency Response Team (WERT) to assess potential impacts from flooding, debris flows and rockfall hazards. The team’s information developed through the BAER and WERT processes will be shared with federal, state and local agencies. The BAER and WERT reports will be a valuable resource in the district’s post-fire recovery and restoration efforts, as well as the disaster funding assistance application process. The district submitted a Request for Public Assistance to FEMA before the deadline of October 7, 2022. The Board is expected to declare that a local emergency exists in the district at its regular meeting of October 11, 2022, a requirement for disaster funding eligibility. The final application documents are due 60 days after the declaration of local emergency. The district is working with Bennett Engineering on this process to ensure all issues that could arise is assessed. Also, the district will work with the El Dorado Water Agency for help with the funding process. “I am very excited to start this new chapter in my career, and ensuring that the Georgetown Divide Public Utility District can maintain the excellent water service they already provide will be my goal moving forward through this process,” said Schneider. -30- For questions and additional information, contact Gloria Omania at gomania@gd-pud.org.
