[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 172 (Sunday, November 23, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2429]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THE ALDER CREEK DROUGHT PROTECTION PROJECT

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                         HON. JOHN T. DOOLITTLE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 21, 2003

  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce The Alder Creek 
Water Storage and Conservation Project Act. This legislation will 
authorize The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, in cooperation with the El 
Dorado County Irrigation District, to conduct a study to determine the 
feasibility of constructing a water storage project on Alder Creek in 
El Dorado County, California.
  The Alder Creek Water Storage and Conservation Project would include 
the construction of a dam and 31,700 acre foot reservoir that would 
yield approximately 11,500 acre feet of additional water supply per 
year. A major advantage of this location is the ability to deliver this 
water by gravity into El Dorado Irrigation District's existing water 
delivery system and to the American River to increase in-stream flows 
for the propagation of fallrun Chinook salmon and Steelhead trout.
  Like many communities in the arid West, El Dorado County faces water 
supply shortages that threaten people, cities, farms and the 
environment. The El Dorado Irrigation District, which serves over 
100,000 of my constituents, is charged with the difficult task of 
providing a safe and reliable water supply throughout the region for 
all of these competing interests. Severe drought periods, like we are 
experiencing now, and explosive growth rates that are occurring in 
portions of El Dorado County, have made this task even more arduous. 
EID deserves great credit for developing alternative sources of water, 
such as recycled water, to ease the burden of inadequate supplies. In 
fact, all new developments within The El Dorado Irrigation District's 
service area are hooked up to recycled water lines that run in the 
front and back of the properties which conserves precious drinking 
water. However, if current trends continue, which all indications say 
they will, other alternative sources of water will be required in order 
to keep up with demand. To avoid a crisis, the District is in the 
process of developing a comprehensive plan to protect against multiple-
year drought events. The Alder project would be a key component in the 
Districts overall drought protection strategy that would also include 
water banking and intergovernmental agreements.
  Mr. Speaker, I would ask that this legislation be given prompt 
consideration so that the benefits of this important project can be 
realized in a timely manner.

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