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EDITOR:
In your March 15 paper tucked within an article “Divers find tangled cable” this reader found a larger story. El Dorado Irrigation District’s General Manager Abercrombie supposedly will be announcing a huge water transmission, treatment and distribution project. This project, if built, will bring to fruition the farsighted plans of SMUD and El Dorado County from over 50 years ago by tapping into SMUD’s existing White Rock Penstock diversion feature originally constructed for just this day. Let’s call this “EDM III” following in the tradition of EID’s two other large Bureau of Reclamation mains.
But wait.
In your Nov. 16, 2012 paper at the end of an article, “Interesting Plans, A6” one finds this curious statement, “…and $100 million in fees to the El Dorado Irrigation District, which will take a big chunk out of its debt and slow or halt the rate hikes.” The article was about Bill Parker’s, Tom Howard’s and the Gallo family’s west county development plans.
My seat-of-the-pants conjecture is that the “EDM III” transmission, treatment, distribution and litigation price tag will come in north of $100 million. When the EDM I and EDM II BLM projects were financed, the recipients, the farmers, were required to secure the financing for the bureau projects by encumbering their properties. Will Parker, Howard and Gallo face similar obligations?
My request to the editor is this. Follow this and report on this in depth. Mr. Abercrombie reportedly will be rolling out this mega project at the next EID board meeting on March 25. Be there. This is water for Parker, Howard and Gallo. Let them pay.
PHIL VEERKAMP
Diamond Springs
Just to add a little clarity, Bill Parker of Parker Development would be the developer. Tom Howard would be his Manager and employee, not the developer and Gallo would be one of the old property owners off of Shingle Lime Mine Rd.
LINK – Integrated Water Resources Master Plan – page thumbnail maps 214, 216, 228, 230 . . . Total Capital Cost – $475,000,000 (thumbnail 252)
LINK – AGENDA REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS EL DORADO IRRIGATION DISTRICT District Board Room, 2890 Mosquito Road, Placerville, California March 25, 2013 ~9:00a.m.