Lake's supply a backup for Solano

Lake's supply a backup for Solano
By Mellssa Murphy - The Reporter
June 21, 2009

It's officially summer, but preparations for the hot, dry season began long before today's "first day of summer" calendar entry.

As California endures its third year of drought, agencies statewide are bucking up on conservation measures to make sure the natural resource lasts.

"Conservation is for our long-term benefit," said David Mansfield, general manager of the Solano Irrigation District. "We're all affected by drier weather, but we're doing what we can to save the finite amount of fresh water we have." Mansfield added that, fortunately, for Solano County residents, there is a backup -- Lake Berryessa, which is operated by SID.

"A decrease in water supply is not that severe in Solano County," he said. "But having that water doesn't deter from our conservation message and it's great to have."

Most of the state's water deliverers rely on snow runoff from the mountains, while Lake Berryessa's water is collected when it rains.

Supervising Engineer Thomas Pate, with the Solano Water Agency, explained that Lake Berryessa saw a drop in water supply this year but almost made up for it during unexpected rains.

"We use the water down throughout the year and hope to gain as much during the rainy months," he said. "We didn't quite gain as much as we used, but we've been able to stay steady. Hopefully we'll be able to keep it up." Right now at the lake, the "glory hole" sits well above the water level. Pate said the lake is at 73 percent capacity, which means the water is 23 feet below the spill elevation.

On its Web site, www.scwa2.com, the county water agency shows that Thursday afternoon the water level was at 416 feet, while the lake water spills at just above 439 feet.

Meanwhile in order to spur residents to consider water conservation, the water agency is offering rebates. For instance, until Dec. 31 -- or until funds are depleted -- consumers can receive up to a $125 rebate if a new high-efficiency clothes washer is purchased and installed. The new washers use only 13 to 18 gallons per load on average, compared to 37 gallons for standard washers.

SID is also ramping up conservation efforts and working with the state's Save Our Water campaign.

Myriad tools are available online at www.saveourh2o.org. Some suggestions are as simple as turning off the faucet when brushing teeth or only running the clothes washer and dishwasher only with full loads.