How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
Faced with potentially insufficient water supplies to repel salinity in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), in consultation with federal and state water and wildlife agencies, is moving to install an emergency, temporary rock barrier across a Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta channel.
DWR seeks to install a single emergency salinity barrier across West False River in May, to be removed six months later in November. State and federal water and wildlife officials, working as a Real-Time Drought Operations Management Team, have determined that the barrier would help deter the tidal push of saltwater from San Francisco Bay into the central Delta.
The barrier would be essentially a pile of basketball-size rocks across the 750-foot-wide channel that still allows limited water flow upstream and downstream, depending upon tides.
DWR, operator of the State Water Project, is seeking multiple permits from various agencies to accelerate installation.
Keeping saltwater from the central Delta is a priority, as a large portion of the state’s freshwater supplies travel through this part of the Delta.
The barrier would help prevent saltwater contamination of water supplies used by people who live in the Delta; Contra Costa, Alameda and Santa Clara counties; and the 25 million people who rely on the Delta-based federal and state water projects for at least some of their supplies.
Typically when saltwater threatens to encroach deeper into the Delta, water project operators try to repel it either by slowing the pumping of water from the Delta or increasing the amount of water flowing into the Delta from upstream reservoirs.
In this fourth year of drought, Delta pumping by the state and federal water projects is already negligible. It takes three to five days for fresh water released from Lake Oroville or Shasta Lake to reach the Delta. An emergency barrier would provide an additional tool to help limit salinity intrusion prior to arrival of fresh water from upstream reservoirs.
“We had hoped not to have to install any temporary emergency barriers in the Delta this year,” said California Department of Water Resources Director Mark Cowin. “But conditions stayed dry through March and April. The West False River emergency barrier would provide a buffer that otherwise would have come from reduced Delta pumping. This summer, there is no Delta pumping to reduce. The barrier would help afford us time to move water from Oroville and Shasta should we need to push back saltwater intruding into the Delta.”
The emergency barrier also would help mitigate a worst-case circumstance this summer in which upstream reservoirs lack sufficient water to meet the minimum outflow requirements to limit Delta salinity intrusion.
Emergency barrier removal would finish no later than November 1 to avoid flood season and potential harm to migratory fish. Removal is expected to take 45 days to 60 days.
Multiple permits needed
For the past year, DWR has worked closely on the issue of emergency salinity barriers with multiple agencies, including the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, operator of the Central Valley Project. DWR must obtain permits and a Temporary Urgency Change Permit renewal from the State Water Resources Control Board, a permit for levee modification from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and a California Endangered Species Act permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
In addition, DWR must consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service on protections for Delta smelt, Chinook salmon and other listed species. All of these agencies have worked cooperatively on the Real-Time Drought Operations Management Team for the past year.
The permit application process is underway, and DWR hopes to begin installation of the emergency barrier on May 8.
It would be erected across West False River about 0.4 miles east of its confluence with the San Joaquin River, between Jersey and Bradford Islands in Contra Costa County. The location is about 4.8 miles northeast of Oakley.
Construction, monitoring, mitigation and removal are estimated to cost roughly $28 million, to be paid for with a mix of funding from Proposition 50, a $3.4 billion water bond approved by voters in November 2002, and general fund dollars.
The trapezoid-shaped barrier, about 12 feet wide at the top, will temporarily block boat passage on West False River and be marked by warning signs, lights, and buoys. Alternative routes between the San Joaquin River and interior Delta, including Bethel Island marinas, are available (see attached map). The West False River site raises fewer concerns for threatened and endangered fish than other potential barrier sites considered by DWR.
Earlier consideration of emergency barriers
Last year DWR studied the potential impacts of potential temporary barriers at three locations: Steamboat Slough, Sutter Slough, and West False River.
The analysis found anticipated impacts could be mitigated to a less-than-significant level. DWR received and reviewed considerable public comments on the Initial Study and Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration, available at http://www.water.ca.gov/waterconditions/docs/Emergency_Drought_Barriers_Initial_Study_and_Proposed_Mitigated_Negative_Declaration.pdf .
At this time, DWR is not pursuing installation of temporary emergency barriers at Sutter Slough or Steamboat Slough.
Although DWR is seeking permits from various agencies, the April 1 Executive Order by Governor Brown helps expedite installation of the West False River barrier in time to address emergency drought conditions.
The governor’s executive order declared existence of conditions of extreme peril to public safety and directed DWR to implement emergency drought barriers if necessary.
The executive order suspends some California Environmental Quality Act requirements for certain drought relief actions, including installation of emergency drought barriers.
DWR last used emergency drought barriers to reduce salinity intrusion in 1976-77. DWR considered the installation of emergency drought barriers in 2014 but determined in late May of last year that they would not be needed, in part because February and March storms improved water supply conditions. Planning for future emergency drought barriers continued after last year’s decision, with a focus on West False River, Steamboat Slough, and Sutter Slough.
Earlier this year, based on the input of Delta residents, the Department also considered the feasibility and effectiveness of barriers on Miner Slough in the western Delta and on Steamboat Slough downstream of its confluence with Sutter Slough.
Emergency drought barriers on Miner Slough and Steamboat Sloughs were eliminated from consideration because of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concerns about potential effects on threatened Delta smelt.
Current drought emergency
The three-year period from 2012 through 2014 was the driest three-year period on record in California, and 2015 opened with the driest January in the state’s weather record history.
The Sierra Nevada snowpack typically peaks by April 1; this year, the snowpack was measured at five percent of historic average, the lowest measurement in recorded history.
Gov. Brown declared a drought State of Emergency on Jan. 17, 2014, and directed state officials to take all necessary actions to prepare for water shortages.
The State Water Resources Control Board on March 17, 2015, announced new restrictions on water use, including limiting outdoor watering to two days per week and prohibiting lawn watering during rainfall and during the next two days.
Earlier this month, the governor directed the State Water Resources Control Board to implement mandatory water reductions in cities and towns across California to reduce water usage by 25 percent.
Conservation – the wise, sparing use of water – remains California’s most reliable drought management tool. Each individual act of conservation – such as letting the lawn go brown or replacing a washer in a faucet to stop a leak – makes a difference over time.
Visit www.SaveOurWater.com to find out how everyone can do their part, and visit www.drought.ca.gov to learn more about how California is dealing with the effects of the drought.
More drought information is available at DWR’s Drought Web site, http://water.water.ca.gov/waterconditions/waterconditions.cfm .
Information about emergency drought barriers is available at http://www.water.ca.gov/waterconditions/emergencybarriers.cfm .
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – State officials said Wednesday that they have finalized an agreement with Westamerica Bank to postpone the bank's proposed closure of its Upper Lake branch.
The California Department of Business Oversight, which oversees state-chartered banks, announced the agreement with Westamerica Bank that will keep its Upper Lake branch – located at 9470 Main St. – open for up to six additional months.
During that additional six-month “breathing space,” the Department of Business Oversight said it will work with local elected officials, banks and credit unions to bring another financial institution to the town to replace Westamerica.
“At least we have six months” to see if anything else can be done, said Upper Lake businesswoman Debbie Hablutzel, who also serves as president of the Upper Lake Community Council, which has rallied grassroots support for the bank.
Department of Business Oversight Commissioner Jan Lynn Owen and Westamerica Chief Executive Officer David Payne signed the agreement on Wednesday.
Under the terms of the agreement, Westamerica’s Upper Lake branch will remain open through Oct. 15 at the latest.
If another financial institution decides to open in Upper Lake, Westamerica's branch could close earlier than Oct. 15, according to the agreement.
However, regardless of whether or not a replacement financial institution comes to Upper Lake, the agreement allows the branch to close in October.
“This agreement properly balances the bank’s interests with the community’s interests,” said Owen. “Local residents and business owners expressed legitimate, serious concerns about the harm a closure would inflict on Upper Lake and nearby towns. Now, we have a real opportunity to find another financial institution to step in and ensure the community doesn’t lose the banking services it needs for its families and businesses.”
State Financial Code Section 1078 requires banks to notify the Department of Business Oversight commissioner when they want to close a branch, and bars them from implementing a closure if the commissioner objects.
Westamerica first notified the Department of Business Oversight on Dec. 31 that it intended to close the branch.
In a letter to Westamerica on Feb. 13, Owen initially indicated to the bank that she did not object to the closure.
However, she subsequently became aware of substantial opposition to the closure among local residents, business owners and elected officials.
Community members and leaders have argued that the closure would seriously harm not just Upper Lake but neighboring communities as well, as the Westamerica branch is the only bank on the entire Northshore, and the only bank on the 85-mile stretch of Highway 20 between Williams and Ukiah.
Lake County officials– including County Administrative Officer Matt Perry and Supervisor Jim Steele – said the closure would undermine the area’s economic recovery and development.
As a result of that opposition and the potential harm to the community, Owen on March 6 withdrew her nonobjection and placed the matter under further review.
Assemblyman Bill Dodd and state Sen. Mike McGuire also added their voices to the issue, writing to Owen after she reopened the review to urge her to consider the wide-ranging ramifications of the bank closure to the community.
On March 12, Westamerica granted Owen’s request for 30 additional days to consider the closure. That 30-day period expired on Wednesday.
As a result of the agreement, Owen will issue a nonobjection letter to the bank that becomes effective on the date another financial institution establishes services in Upper Lake but no later than Oct. 15.
Hablutzel said community members are looking for ways to keep a bank in town.
“We've been romancing Mendo Lake Credit Union a little bit,” she said.
Mendo Lake Credit Union representatives, including Richard Cooper – the credit union's president and chief executive officer – were at a March 4 Upper Lake town hall, where the bank closure was a main topic of discussion.
At that point, Cooper indicated that the credit union – which has branches in Clearlake and Lakeport – was interested in offering services to the community, but cautioned that such decisions ultimately are up to his board of directors.
“MLCU is interested in providing the highest level of service we can to our members in Lake County,” Cooper told Lake County News on Wednesday. “We are investigating options and looking for feedback from members and potential members from the community on this subject. We continue to monitor the situation with interest.”
Meanwhile, there came word that Westamerica has offered to donate its Upper Lake building to Hospice Services of Lake County.
Hospice Services Executive Director Corrigan Gommenginger confirmed to Lake County News that the local bank managers approached his organization about donating the property.
“Hospice Services of Lake County has a long and terrific relationship with Westamerica Bank, they are tremendous supporters, and we have been fortunate to take care of some of their loved ones, which we are truly honored to do,” Gommenginger said.
“There are a lot of steps, on both sides that need to take place before a large contribution like this can take place, and we are in the process of completing those steps. In order to make an informed decision, Hospice staff is working with the bank’s staff to gather all pertinent information necessary,” he continued.
Gommenginger added, “Hospice realizes the occupants of the building have always been a positive and integral part of community events and if Hospice is successful in accepting the donated building, it will continue in the tradition to support the community. Between now and October, Hospice will be exploring the best usage of the building to support its mission and its programs and serve the local community.”
Also between now and the fall closure, Dodd and McGuire said they plan to hold a community meeting in Upper Lake to receive input from residents and businesses about the closure. That meeting is scheduled for the summer.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
041515 Westamerica Bank and Department of Business Oversight agreement
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The owner of a Lakeport automotive repair shop and one of his employees have been charged with several felony counts of grand theft and insurance fraud after a state investigation found that they had billed for repairs they hadn't made and overcharged for replacement parts.
Jeff James Havrilla, 63, and Scott Allen DeWeese, 49, both of Lakeport, were arraigned on Friday in Lake County Superior Court before being booked into the Lake County Jail and released.
Deputy District Attorney Rachel Abelson said a visiting judge heard the case, as all local judges have disqualified themselves.
Both Havrilla and DeWeese are set to return to court on April 24 for further arraignment, which Abelson said will give them the chance to hire attorneys.
Havrilla is owner of Coach Craft Auto Body Repair and Towing Inc., located at 440 N. Main St. DeWeese works as an auto body technician at the shop.
Havrilla and DeWeese each have been charged with five counts of felony grand theft and three counts of felony insurance fraud, according to court records.
Lake County News reached out to Havrilla at Coach Craft on Wednesday to offer him the chance to comment on the case. He did not respond to the request.
Online Bureau of Automotive Repairs records show no disciplinary actions against Coach Craft, which has a valid automobile repair dealer license with the agency through Aug. 31.
Abelson said the case began when Farmers Insurance launched an investigation into allegations that Coach Craft had billed for work it didn't do.
That investigation eventually was submitted to both the Lake County District Attorney's Office and the California Department of Insurance, Abelson said.
California Department of Insurance spokeswoman Madison Voss confirmed to Lake County News that the case initially was brought to them by an insurer.
While Daniel Breitbach of the Bureau of Automotive Repair acknowledged that the agency forwarded a case to the District Attorney's Office, he declined to offer specifics because the case hasn’t been adjudicated.
“The Bureau of Automotive Repair regulates automotive repair and investigates consumer complaints,” said Breitbach. “We enforce the Automotive Repair Act.”
Representatives from both the California Department of Insurance and the Bureau of Automotive Repairs sat down with Abelson at the onset to discuss the case, even before the investigation had been put together. As such, “This was a very unusual case for me,” she said.
Between March 2011 and July 2013, it's alleged that Havrilla and DeWeese billed for work they didn't do and charged for specific auto parts but instead would use cheaper, inferior aftermarket parts, Abelson said.
In one case, the shop was to have replaced a metal bar needed as a safety feature in a vehicle's bumper. When investigators checked the vehicle, the metal bar hadn't been replaced, according to Abelson.
The five felony grand theft charges for each man are based on instances where the alleged theft totaled more than $950, Abelson said.
Abelson said that $950 amount – or above – for a felony is a result of last November's passage of Proposition 47, which reduced some crimes from felonies to misdemeanors if they fell below that monetary threshold.
Overall, the thefts totaled just over $7,500, Abelson said.
The victims in the case are listed as Farmers Insurance, for false billings submitted between March 2011 and July 2013; Larry Fredricksen, August 2012; Vivian George, June 2012; Juan and Priscilla Ballentene, October 2012; and Diana Mongi, October 2012.
Voss explained that one of the main ways the California Department of Insurance finds out about fraud is the way it happened in this case – from an insurer.
Reports from consumers also are key, Voss said.
“We do receive a lot of referrals from insurers and consumers letting us know they suspect that some fraud is going on,” Voss said. “At that point we will open an investigation.”
Abelson said that, if convicted, Havrilla and DeWeese could face a maximum of five years in local jail, along with fines and probation.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Legislation that would bring money to Lake County for the purpose of restoring Clear Lake has passed a committee in the state Assembly.
On Tuesday morning, the California State Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife heard testimony regarding AB 367.
Freshman Assemblyman Bill Dodd (D-Napa), whose six-county Fourth District includes Lake, introduced the bill in February.
AB 367 would allocate $2.4 million for the purposes of restoring Clear Lake’s wetlands, maintaining its water quality and preserving its ecosystem.
At the Middletown Area Town Hall meeting on Friday, Dodd said he arrived at the $2.4 million figure based on the annual amount that three consecutive failed county sales tax measures would have raised for lake restoration projects.
He said he didn't believe that Lake County's residents could be expected to take on Clear Lake's restoration all on their own.
“What I'm really trying to build is a sense of responsibility for this lake,” he said.
On Tuesday, District 3 Supervisor Jim Steele and Lake County Director of Public Works Scott De Leon were both on hand in Sacramento at Dodd's invitation to provide expert testimony to the committee.
De Leon and Steele addressed two main areas – the concerns regarding Clear Lake and why the state of California should help the county with those concerns.
“Clear Lake is the heartbeat of Lake County, and it is time for the state to step up its investment in protecting this incredible environmental and economic resource,” said Dodd.
AB 367 passed through the committee with only two dissenting votes.
There were a handful of audience members who voiced their support of the bill including Lake County residents, the Sierra Club and California Water Service Co. No opposition was voiced regarding the bill.
De Leon said he was pleased to participate in the committee hearing. “This is an unprecedented opportunity for Lake County. The community should be very thankful that Assemblymember Dodd has taken the time to introduce this legislation.”
The bill’s principal co-author is District 2 Sen. Mike McGuire, who represents Lake County in the California Senate.
“A healthy lake means a healthy economy in Lake County,” said McGuire. “I’m grateful for Assemblymember Dodd’s hard work on this important legislation, and look forward to getting this bill passed in the Senate.”
The bill will now be heard in the California State Assembly Committee on Appropriations.
A date for that hearing has not yet been set.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office has identified all three of the men who died while diving for abalone near Caspar on Sunday.
The victims are Tae Won Oh, 49, of Dublin; Hyun Kook Shin, 49, of Suwanee, Ga.; and Aaron Kim, 53, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, according to Capt. Greg Van Patten of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
The men were in a group of five abalone divers in the southern portion of Caspar Anchorage Bay on Sunday afternoon when they became trapped in the surf of a narrow channel between two rock outcroppings where they had entered the ocean, Van Patten said.
Van Patten said witnesses described the surf as being rough and dangerous for diving conditions with swells as high as 7 and 8 feet. Seeing the men in distress, a nearby fisherman called 911.
Just after 3 p.m. Sunday, Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to assist California State Parks Rangers in Caspar on the report of multiple drowning victims, Van Patten said.
Personnel from the Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department, California State Parks, United States Coast Guard and Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office took part in a joint rescue operation, according to Van Patten.
Van Patten said two of the men were recovered from the water by boat and helicopter and brought to shore at Caspar Beach. First responders attempted to resuscitate them but were unsuccessful, and both were pronounced dead at the scene.
The third diver initially could not be located and a search continued throughout the day. Van Patten said the man's body was found at about 7 p.m. that day in a small cove in the same general area. Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department launched a technical rope rescue and recovered the deceased man.
The two surviving divers in the group were uninjured and treated and released at the scene, Van Patten said.
Van Patten said a coroner’s investigation into the three deaths is ongoing. Autopsies were conducted on Tuesday, with the official results pending blood alcohol and toxicology analysis.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This week the Lake County Board of Education will discuss a proposal to help fill the gap in career and technical education funding over the next three years while the new state funding formula to districts catches up.
The county board will meet beginning at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, at the Lake County Office of Education administrative office, 1152 S. Main St. in Lakeport.
The discussion, which does not include board action, is untimed during the meeting.
Career technical education includes training in skills needed in the trades – welding, automotive, agriculture and even health care.
Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg said teacher Dan Renninger of Middletown Unified will give the board a report highlighting the various career technical education programs still operating throughout the county to show what the funding will mean to local programs before the board discussion on the funding proposal.
Funding for career technical education – formerly known as Regional Occupational Programs, or ROP – was eliminated by the state more than two years ago, Falkenberg explained.
“The county office has continued to support career technical education out of our general fund,” he said.
This week's agenda item – which is a prelude to budgeting discussions later this spring – is a discussion about how the Lake County Office of Education can continue to support career technical education in the future, according to Falkenberg.
The county office's budget projections haven't included continued funding for career technical education past this fiscal year. However, Falkenberg – who took office last fall after the current budget had been accepted – wants to change that.
“What I'm trying to do at this point in time is assure that there is a transitionary plan for career technical education funding into the future,” he said.
The proposal, said Falkenberg, is that over the coming three fiscal years, the Lake County Office of Education would fund the difference between what the state is funding districts through the new local control funding formula – which he said isn't yet fully funded – and the amount the districts received historically under the ROP program.
“Our goal is to fill that gap,” he said.
Formerly, the $400 million statewide for ROP programs went to agencies like the Lake County Office of Education for distribution. Now, the local control funding formula sends the money directly to the districts, which Falkenberg said aren't required to use it for career technical education – as offices of education were.
Falkenberg said that the former ROP funding was never enough money to support all of the career technical functions in education, with districts always providing a level of support. ROP, he explained, sought to fund the “capstone” – or more advanced – courses.
In order to cover the existing funding gap, “Our plan is that it would be a one-time deficit spending model so we could get through this transition period,” Falkenberg said.
“The dilemma for us,” Falkenberg continued, “is that this will lead the county office into deficit spending. We can’t sustain ourselves in a deficit spending model.”
However, Falkenberg said planned deficit spending on a temporary basis – in this case, for a one-time expense – is an acceptable budget practice.
According to the proposal, approximately $837,430 would be allocated for the three-year period. Of that, 45 percent – or $376,844 – would be spent in the first year; 33 percent, or $276,352 in the second year; and 22 percent, or $184,234, in the third year.
Decisions on that funding proposal aren't expected to take place until June, when the Lake County Board of Education meets to finalize its 2015-16 budget, Falkenberg said.
The board budget workshop is tentatively scheduled for June 17, he said.
He said the county office is trying to be transparent and pull this particular item out of the larger budget document in order to have a detailed discussion about the agency continuing to be a leader in this educational area.
At the state level, there could be help on the way in the form of much-needed funding.
In January, state Sen. Mike McGuire – who represents Lake County in the State Senate – introduced SB 148, the Career and Job Skills Education Act.
Lake County's State Assembly member, Bill Dodd, is among the bill's co-authors.
Dodd, who visited the Middletown Area Town Hall meeting on Friday, explained, “Not everybody's going to go to college.”
He said the investment in career technical education is important. With high schools getting away from that type of training, “We're starting to see that when these kids get out of high school, they don't have the basics and training.”
The bill would appropriate $600 million of Proposition 98 funds and create a career technical incentive grant for local educational agencies, joint power authorities, and regional occupational centers and programs.
McGuire's office said the bill closely mirrors the $250 million career technical education incentive matching grant program that Gov. Jerry Brown outlined in his 2015-16 budget proposal and expands on it, while preserving the local control funding formula.
The legislation also establishes performance standards and accountability measures based on student outcomes, according to McGuire's office, which also reported that career technical education has been shown to decrease dropout rates.
In a statement on the bill, McGuire said the bipartisan legislation would ensure that the 70 percent of California's students who will not go on to obtain a four-year university degree will have a greater opportunity to receive career and job skills training.
On March 25, SB 148 unanimously passed the Senate Education Committee with a 7-0 vote. It's now with the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Falkenberg said he's spoken with McGuire about SB 148. “Certainly, I think it is a positive indicator of what could be ahead in terms of career technical education funding,” he said.
“SB 148 would be more aligned to the concept of local control,” said Falkenberg, with districts needing to produce matching funds, meaning the total value to career technical education programs statewide would be twice the proposed $600 million, or $1.2 billion.
In the case that SB 148 passes, Falkenberg said the Lake County Office of Education's contribution to cover the gap in the coming three years could serve as that necessary local match.
For community members who want to get involved in the discussion, Falkenberg invited them to attend the Lake County Board of Education meetings and send letters to the Legislature supporting SB 148 .
“There does need to be some sort of focused categorical support for career technical education throughout California going forward,” Falkenberg said.
He added, “Certainly, I think we're going to move ahead in a very positive direction here.”
Email Elizabeth Larson at