Meetings set to describe proposed new watermaster district

» January 2, 2008 «

A cost-effective, local alternative for protecting and enforcing water rights in two Siskiyou County watersheds will be described at a pair of meetings scheduled this month.

The meetings, both scheduled for Jan. 11, are sponsored by the Siskiyou County Farm Bureau and the Save Our Shasta and Scott Valleys Coalition. At the meetings, water rights holders in Scott Valley and Shasta Valley can learn about plans to begin a local watermaster district. If local water rights holders and local courts approve the concept, the district would monitor water rights and resolve disputes, taking over services that have previously been provided by the California Department of Water Resources.

The DWR has greatly increased the costs it charges to water rights holders for watermaster services, through assessments on county property tax bills. Recent legislation allows a more cost-effective local entity to take over the watermaster duties.

"We've learned that a local district can supply the same services more cost-effectively, and we worked with state Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa to create the new watermaster district," Siskiyou County Farm Bureau President Mike Luiz said. "We hope folks will come to the meetings to learn how this local service will help them."

Two meetings have been scheduled for Friday, Jan. 11:

• 10 a.m. at the Yreka Theatre, 812 N. Oregon St., Yreka, for water rights holders in Shasta Valley;
• 3 p.m. at the Fort Jones Community Center, 11960 East St., Fort Jones, for water rights holders in Scott Valley.

At the meetings, the services of the proposed watermaster district and the mechanics of its establishment will be explained by members of a local steering committee of water rights holders and by representatives of the Siskiyou County Farm Bureau, California Farm Bureau Federation and SOSS.

The California Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization, works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of 91,000 members statewide.

Contact: Dave Kranz
Phone: 916/561-5550
news@cfbf.com

Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item.