Water sufficient for homes, study says

If the longstanding Spring Valley project is ever completely built, the Browns Valley Irrigation District will have enough water to supply it.

That's the conclusion of a draft study of the district's water supply completed more than a year after the study began.

The Spring Valley project was approved by county voters 10 years ago for up to 3,500 homes on 2,400 acres along Spring Valley Road north of Highway 20 and west of Browns Valley in Yuba County.

Walter Cotter, the district's general manager, said the water assessment study was required to determine whether the district has enough water for the project. Directors in March 2006 awarded a contract to MBK Engineers to complete the $45,000 study.

"At this point in time, although the assessment is still in draft form, it looks as if we will have enough water at full buildout," Cotter said.

Cotter said the district has two possible water sources for the project - the Yuba River and Collins Lake. Board members past and present have consistently expressed opposition to using Collins Lake as a water supply. Cotter said the assessment study agrees.

Ron Erny, spokesman for the project, said developers will discuss the project and begin the planning and entitlement process later this year.

"The project development agreement does allow for us to build up to 3,500 homes," Erny said. "We need to determine where we are."

Erny said it is too early to provide a timeline for the project and the number of homes to be built.

Cotter said the draft water supply assessment was presented to a district committee Jan. 15, and that the committee asked for the report to include the possibility of future crop patterns.

A memo responding to the questions is expected in February.

The irrigation district board also will discuss the project Wednesday to determine if it is capable of taking over domestic water services for the project.

"The irrigation district has been an agricultural district for 120 years; domestic water supply is new to us," Cotter said. "We want to get as much information as possible to give an educated answer."

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Andrea Koskey at 749-4709 or akoskey@appealdemocrat.com