Almost 50 residents
expressed their concerns about water resources and listened to experts at myvalleypsrings.com's third special town meeting Wednesday
night at
The event, sponsored by advocacy group myvalleysprings.com and the Foothill
Conservancy, was the third meeting in a series, which has covered issues such
as land use, community planning, smart growth, and transportation planning.
Wednesday's meeting featured Clark Anderson, water and land use planning
specialist with the Local Government Commission, a Sacramento-based nonprofit,
and Timothy J. Lawrence, an analyst with the UC Davis Extension's Center for
Water and Land Use.
"We need to be more efficient and plan for the future," one resident
said.
According to the Local
Government Commission, a watershed is "the land that drains into a single
water body such as a river, stream, lake, or estuary, or flows into a
groundwater basin."
"We build streets, roads," and other impervious surfaces,
"We kind of mess these things up."
Protect the watersheds, he said, and put policies in place that safeguard those
areas.
"Design parks and recreation areas to hold excess runoff (water),"
and use water wisely, he said, referring to landscaping. Plant and protect trees and stretch water
supplies, he added.
He commended Calaveras residents for their policy planning thus far in the
general plan update process and said the next level is an ordinance, then
department review.
Lawrence, who spoke next, outlined the importance of low-impact development.
By 2025,
He also encouraged looking at site design, such as asphalt where vehicles can't
park (and adding vegetation in those areas), which can help infiltration and
also create aesthetically pleasing sites.
He also advocated creating
stormwater planters, areas that capture rain runoff from buildings, and rain
gardens.
"I have a strong passion that we can do it,"
After the meeting, Marilyn Rolland, a Valley Springs resident, said that
"everyone needs to get on board" regarding county water issues.
"Water is vital to this
community," she said, adding that "we need to clean up (the sewer
problem) in a friendly way, "or we'll be wallowing in the stench."
Joyce Techel, the advocacy group's president, took it
a step further by urging those present to attend the county's next general plan
meeting, tentatively scheduled for June 21 in the
"You need to come," Techel said to the
group, mentioning that the county wants to "gather baseline information
that comes from you."
The next general plan
meeting, according to Techel, will ask residents to
discuss the positive aspects of Valley Springs and Calaveras, as well as the
problems the town and county face.
"We are the ones who know this."
The first myvalleysprings.com event, in March, drew about 200 people. The
second meeting, which took place last month, drew about 60 people, according to
Mark Jones, an advocacy group member who joined the group to get involved in
helping the community.
Wednesday's meeting,
"Water and Land Use Planning Making the Connection," drew fewer residents
than the first two events, but those present actively participated and shared
their ideas.
"The message was fantastic," said Carol Barzee,
an advocacy group member. These meetings are "trying to educate the public
about the general plan ... so they can be a part of it."
"Water is essential," said Chris Wright, Foothill Conservancy
executive director, during the opening remarks.
It's imperative, he added,
"That we plan further than 20 years."
"Without water we have no civilization," he said.
For more information on the next general plan meeting, visit co.calaveras.ca.us.
Contact Bethany Monk at bmonk@calaverasenterprise.com