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173
C ALI FORN IA’S OLDE ST NE W SPAPER
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mtdemocrat.com
FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2024
VOLUME 173 • ISSUE 30 | $1.00
Perimeter informs residents Eric Jaramishian Staff writer
The El Dorado County Sheriff ’s Office has a new emergency evacuation tool in its belt. Residents across the county now have access to an online map that will show if there are evacuation warnings and orders that impact their area, as well as identify evacuation routes during emergency situations, including fires and flooding.
EDSO Lt. Troy Morton introduced the website, perimetermap.com, at the Board of Supervisors meeting March 5, spelling out its functions. “It’s just one simple way to see a countywide picture,” Morton said. “In the past you might hear that certain areas are under evacuation order or warning but you wouldn’t know how far that is from you, but you can pull this up and see countywide who is under evacuation order.”
There are a few dozen designated “evacuation zones” across the county. The website has been active since February and shows a map of the evacuation zones. The website will also show resources available during times of crisis, including sandbag locations, evacuation shelters and other resources such as Food Bank of El Dorado County distribution
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■ See PERIMETER, page A8
Photo courtesy of El Dorado Irrigation District
Jenkinson Lake at Sly Park Recreation Area in Pollock Pines, pictured in February, is 100% full.
Hydrologic report looking good Michael Raffety Democrat correspondent Photo courtesy of Jimi Hicks
A private trip of rafters heads down the South Fork of the American River. The American River provides billions of dollars in goods and services, including countless opportunities for recreation such as whitewater rafting.
Water managers plan ‘investments’ for continued watershed windfalls Odin Rasco Staff writer
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Universally recognized as a natural region worth treasuring, a study into future management of the Upper American River Watershed recently estimated it produces billions of dollars in value annually. In the face of a decade beset by climatecontributed natural disasters, including flooding, the Caldor and Mosquito fires and extreme heat paired with a legacy of forest mismanagement, 17 water agencies from across six counties came together to create a coordinated plan for managing the Upper American River watershed. Spearheaded by the El Dorado Water Agency, the
Upper American River Programmatic Watershed Plan is presented as a roadmap for collaborative efforts for the better management of the region’s natural resources with a long-term mindset focusing on sustainability and community resiliency. A primary takeaway from the plan and extended discussions is the actual financial value generated by the watershed, which EDWA estimates at $14 billion annually in goods and services. “A lot if times, it’s not necessarily valued, when you think about things like pollination and visual aesthetics,” EDWA General Manager Rebecca Guo said. “We need to figure out how to invest and based on the existing evaluations out there, it’s more than ■ See WATERSHED, page A6
Local strikecaller Dan Anzini has been selected to umpire at the Little League World Championships in North Carolina this summer. Anzini is pictured here overseeing plays at the Little League West Region Academy in 2020. Photo courtesy of Dan Anzini
Jenkinson Lake is completely full and still spilling. It is a major water supply for the El Dorado Irrigation District. Jenkinson filled to its capacity of 41,033 acre-feet between January and February. “The district is well positioned to meet 2024 demand,” wrote Jordan Baxter, EID hydrologist. As of March 8, EID’s snow survey measured 104% of normal. Folsom Lake’s level March 11 was 648,549 acre-feet. Normal for this time of year is 532,824. Maximum capacity is 977,000. This will allow EID to pump water out of Folsom Lake to meet the majority of El Dorado Hills customer demand, Baxter wrote. EID supplies water from Reservoir 1 Water Treatment Plant to El Dorado Hills in the winter. Reservoir 1 draws its water from Forebay Reservoir in Pollock Pines. EID’s four alpine lakes — Caples Lake, Silver Lake, Echo Lake and Lake Aloha — are surrounded by snow yet to melt. Caples is 53% full, Silver 9% and Aloha in Desolation Wilderness is 22% full. Those figures were measured Feb. 28. Syblon Reid has replaced the Echo Lake conduit and it is ready to move water. Some details remain such as slope stabilization and rock fall netting.
Local umpire called up to Little Leagues Malachi Parker Staff writer
C
ameron Park resident and volunteer umpire Dan Anzini, after 12 years of umpiring, has been given the opportunity to call balls and strikes in this year’s Little League ■ See ANZINI, page A7
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