On May 27, 2009, EID’s board of directors ended the Stage 1 drought declaration that was in effect for the district’s entire service area beginning March 23, 2009
While the drought declaration was in place, EID customers reduced their demand by nearly 26 percent from the average April 1 to May 15 level of the past three years! During their May 27, 2009 special meeting to lift the drought declaration, board members commended customers for their efforts.
Ending the drought declaration returned the district to Stage 0—or normal—conditions and lifted the drought rate and surcharge that went into effect at the time drought was declared. Upcoming customer bills will be prorated to reflect the lifting of the drought rate.
When declaring the Stage 1 drought in late March, the board cited the third consecutive dry year in California, Governor Schwarzenegger’s proclamation of a statewide drought emergency in late February, and uncertainties about dry-year water deliveries from Folsom Lake to the district as the reasons for the declaration.
On May 22, the Bureau of Reclamation, which operates Folsom Lake as part of the Central Valley Project,
announced that EID and other agencies that contract with the Bureau to draw water from the lake for municipal purposes would receive 100 percent of their allocations for 2009.
Earlier—when the EID board made its decision to declare drought—the Bureau indicated that it would reduce allocations by 50 percent. A wetter-than-anticipated late winter and spring significantly changed the conditions at Folsom Lake, allowing the Bureau to allocate the full contract amounts. Conditions elsewhere in northern California also improved somewhat, although water storage at large reservoirs such as Shasta and Trinity remain below historical average levels.
Even though conditions in the EID service area are now considered normal, the district is asking customers to continue to use water wisely. To see the specific steps we are asking customers to take, please click on Customer Actions during Drought in the drop-down menu above and then on “Stage 0.”
NOTE: The district’s water waste regulation is in effect all year under all conditions, including Stage 0. The regulation gives the district the ability to enforce prohibitions against water waste. Click here to read the regulation and find out what you can do if you spot wasteful practices.
Please contact us with questions or concerns. Call 530-622-4513 or 916-965-0930; leave a message at website@eid.org, or write to us: ATTN: Office of Water Efficiency, El Dorado Irrigation District, 2890 Mosquito Road, Placerville, CA 95667.