The Colusa County Board of Supervisors last week approved $50,000 to authorize county staff to engage a consultant in order for the Colusa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District to consider becoming the managing entity for Sites Reservoir Participating Landowners.
The district was created by legislation in September 1983 and is empowered to act to ensure that sufficient water is available for present or future beneficial use within the District, officials said.
Colusa County Chief Administrative Officer Wendy Tyler said it was suggested that the District become the agency that would be the conduit for funding for the Sites Project from participating landowners who are either in a water district that is participating in Sites or that are not within any water district.
“In addition to setting up the organizational structure to manage this function, the District would need to create a zone for benefit,” Tyler said.
A Zone Council would then be created (as prescribed by the creating legislation) that would manage the zone of benefit. The District would also be responsible for any proceedings needed to secure land-based charges for payment of water and storage rates, as well as operations and management costs.
It would be the intent that no other funds or assets of the District would be able to pay for these costs, and that the district would not be involved in buying or selling water on behalf of the landowners. That activity is a provision of the Sites Project Authority Principles for the Storage, Delivery, and Sale of Sites Reservoir Project Water.
The board approved the employment of a consultant because Tyler said work necessary to prepare the District to assume the role exceeds the capacity of existing county staff, especially given the short time frame in which this work needs to be accomplished.
“Employing a consultant to manage this process will be necessary,” Tyler said. “There will also be various engineering reports that may be required, that again exceed the capacity of county staff.” ■