Ukiah wants residents to get serious about conservation

Who's this conservation expert?

Where are the beavers? I'm not seeing them. From what I understand there was allot of them in the creeks and rivers of the area. In Idaho beavers were re-introduced by a group called the Beaver Committee
and here is what they have to say...
The Beaver Committee over the last 15 years has reintroduced six or seven beavers annually into parts of Blaine and Camas counties, to restore beaver populations and to restore creek ecosystems that were damaged by improper land-management practices. In the last 15 years, some 200 beavers have been moved and planted in various parts of Blaine County, he said.

“Many creeks in the region have improved because of beaver plantings,” Pence said.“I’m confident that if beaver were removed from those creeks, the areas would dry up and degrade again.”
Skinner agreed. http://www.svguide.com/s03/s03beaver.htm

I think we should seriously consider doing this in our County. Beavers are needed for healthy watersheds. There are allot of examples to support my point and much research has been done showing only positive impacts to streams creeks and watersheds.

What is funny is that the City of Ukiah has a leaking fountain in front of City Hall. You get serious first. Actually it's not funny.

buttered bread wrote:

Where are the beavers? I'm not seeing them. From what I understand there was allot of them in the creeks and rivers of the area. In Idaho beavers were re-introduced by a group called the Beaver Committee
and here is what they have to say...
The Beaver Committee over the last 15 years has reintroduced six or seven beavers annually into parts of Blaine and Camas counties, to restore beaver populations and to restore creek ecosystems that were damaged by improper land-management practices. In the last 15 years, some 200 beavers have been moved and planted in various parts of Blaine County, he said.
“Many creeks in the region have improved because of beaver plantings,” Pence said.“I’m confident that if beaver were removed from those creeks, the areas would dry up and degrade again.”
Skinner agreed. http://www.svguide.com/s03/s03beaver.htm
I think we should seriously consider doing this in our County. Beavers are needed for healthy watersheds. There are allot of examples to support my point and much research has been done showing only positive impacts to streams creeks and watersheds.

Let's do it already! What's the hold up?!

Remember this when the talk of development is back on the table. How soon they forget.

What's the incentive....lower water rates for people who conserve??? Remmember the old "stick and carrot".

I think we all need to read this. This is where OUR water goes.

Saggio Hills discussion moves ahead

Development Agreement next on tap for council

By Kerrie Russell
Healdsburg Tribune Editor

Though the topic of the night was “fiscal analysis� at the Saggio Hills meeting on Monday, discussion centered on water for a substantial period of the three-hour public hearing on the project.

The Saggio Hills project continues to be heard by city council members, as they work their way through nine entitlements, five of which have been approved with non-binding straw votes.

While the fiscal analysis is not one of the nine required entitlements, councilmembers say they are using the studies as a tool to see their way through the large project.

If approved, the Saggio Hills project situated just north of the city limit boundary, would bring a deluxe resort, 70 multi-million dollar homes, 37 acres for a community park, 14 acres for affordable housing and a network of public and private trails.

As part of a staff report about the effect of the development on city utilities, public works director Mike Kirn explained that if Saggio Hills were to be built out as proposed, the resort was at maximum capacity, and the rest of the city was built out according to Growth Management Ordinance guidelines, the city would still have 8 percent more water entitlements than it would be using, even compared to the city’s highest historical yearly demand, which occurred in 2004.

“Those numbers do not take into consideration any additional conservation measures that may be put into place and is planned as though the fields are turf and need to be irrigated, which they may not be,� Kirn said.

Kirn noted that since 2004, when Healdsburg’s demand on water supply reached 2,834 acre feet of water, the city has seen 400 acre feet of savings in the last three years due to water conservation measures, including last year when the city voluntary reduced consumption by 17 percent.

He added that staffing levels and water and sewer operations would not have to be increased to meet the demand of Saggio Hills on the utilities and added revenue to the city from Saggio Hills would total about $413,000 for water and $616,000 in sewer.

But a half dozen residents didn’t agree that just because the city has the rights to the water means it should be increasing demand on the system.

“I feel that an 8 percent factor at buildout is very dangerous. I think there’s always going to be a plus or minus factor,� said Healdsburg resident Jim Winston.

Gary Goss added that if water gets scarce enough, there’s no certainty that water entitlements won’t be taken away.

“If things get bad enough, Santa Rosa might somehow manage to get some of our water,� he said.

But Kirn said that would be highly unlikely.“Water rights,� he said,“are almost like property rights, almost like gold,� he said.

Councilmember Gary Plass said that since nobody had a crystal ball to tell the future,“there comes a time when we have to rely on the experts.�

The three sitting councilmembers, Plass, Mike McGuire and Vice Mayor Jim Wood, agreed to formally accept the fiscal analysis documents and move forward with the remaining project entitlements.

“We’re accepting it as a tool in helping us with our fact finding,� Wood said.

The council then moved on to the beginning discussions of the Development Agreement, a conversation with public comments that was continued to Wednesday evening’s meeting (after press time).

The council will meet again to discuss Saggio Hills on Wednesday, Aug. 6.

Enjoy your chlorine and Fluoride and I'll enjoy my Remco Chemical dump spring water.

At least my source is endless is supply.:)

Hmmmmmmm......you're lawn is pretty green!!

Ukiah Res wrote:

Hmmmmmmm......you're lawn is pretty green!!

You bet it is. It's because my pot growing neighbors from up above's miracle grow is leaking into my spring water.

It taste's great!