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Volume 170 • Issue 51 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Friday, April 30, 2021
City Council affirms Old Hangtown as historical name Andrew Vonderschmitt Staff writer Old Hangtown isn’t Placerville’s nickname, it’s one of the town’s historical names, according to a City Council resolution passed this week. Brought forth at the behest of Placerville Mayor Dennis Thomas and City Council member Michael Saragosa, City Manager Cleve Morris introduced a resolution that the town’s historical monikers — Old Dry Diggins and Old Hangtown — would be affirmed based on historical significance recognized by California Historical Landmark Placard No. 475. Thomas clarified that he and Saragosa requested the resolution be agendized for Tuesday’s City Council meeting since
keeping or removing the city’s nickname had been left out of the discussion and City Council vote April 13 to remove the noose from city logos. “A lot of information was passed around after that meeting suggesting that it’s the beginning of a slippery slope and part of a whole grand scheme to take down everything historical in the city of Placerville,” said Thomas, adding that he wanted to “put it to bed.” “There was some, I thought, some confusion out there,” said Saragosa alluding to social media posts claiming Old Hangtown would be the next to go. He said he thought the name was different from the logo and the presence of the
Mountain Democrat photo by Krysten Kellum
See Old Hangtown, page A2
A mural on Center Street in downtown Placerville features one of Placerville’s original names, Hangtown.
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Photo by Cecilia Clark
Folsom Lake, which supplies water to EID customers in El Dorado Hills, had 360,000 acre-feet of water as of April 19 out of a maximum storage of 975,000 acre-feet.
EID storage OK despite a low water year Michael Raffety Mountain Democrat correspondent Snow surveys by the El Dorado Irrigation District taken April 1 show the Caples snow course at 72% of normal, Upper Carson at 68% and Lower Carson at 68%. Actual storage in EID’s high mountain reservoirs as of April 19 showed Caples Lake in Alpine County at 13,000 acre-feet, with a maximum storage of 22,340, a level to which that reservoir does not typically fill. Silver Lake in Amador County is at 2,900 acre-feet on that same date and typically fills to the maximum of 8,649 acre-feet. EID Operations Manager Dan Corcoran said there is an inch of snow left at lake level, but there is a tall mountain that has yet to deliver all its snow to Silver Lake. Echo Lake has 610 acre-feet available for diversion, with a maximum of 1,943, which it is expected to reach this year. Lake Aloha in Desolation Wilderness has 720 acre-feet as of April 19 and is expected to reach its maximum storage of 5,003 acrefeet. Water released from the four alpine lakes is captured at a diversion dam near Kyburz and sent into the El Dorado Canal. Jenkinson Lake in Pollock Pines is at 30,700 acre-feet and is expected to reach about 32,000 acre-feet out of its 41,033 maximum. Jenkinson Lake receives water via Camp Creek but has achieved its current level by diverting El Dorado Canal water into it via the Hazel Creek Tunnel. A twoyear supply of water in Jenkinson Lake is 25,000 acre-feet. Folsom Lake, from which El Dorado Hills is supplied water in the summer, had 360,000 acre-feet of water as of April 19 out of a maximum storage of 975,000 acre-feet. It will not reach that storage level. Weber Reservoir in Placerville, which is used to provide water rights for El Dorado
Mountain Democrat photos by Thomas Frey
Heavy equipment operated by the J&R Logging crew removes fire fuels as part of the Sly Park Vegetation Management Project.
Sly Park gets fire-adapted Thomas Frey Staff writer
forest that have been marked by local forester Jim he Sly Park Davies, who has been Vegetation working in the forest Management industry for more Project is creating than four decades. fire resilient Davies said his goal forest ecosystems is to keep strong, and fire-adapted towering trees that communities one are spaced out and to square foot at a clear brush from the time. ground below. J&R Logging has By removing trees been contracted growing too close to thin trees and clear out brush to together or others reduce fire fuels on dead or dying due to 118.5 acres of the El pests and diseases the Dorado Irrigation Trees that have been cut down by J&R Logging wait to be delivered to watershed, the forest District-owned Sly and community stand Sierra Pacific Industries. Park Recreation to benefit. The project Area, which butts is also creating fire up to the ElDorado National Forest in Pollock Pines. fuel breaks that will protect neighborhoods and give The project is part of a larger, multi-agency effort, firefighting crews anchor points to work from. Fire Adapted 50, which aims to protect the lands and “I mark the trees to a certain density and (J&R natural resources throughout the American River’s Logging) cuts them down. Then the loader comes and south fork watershed. puts them on trucks and the trucks take them to the “I want to see where we do our work to stay in a mill,” Davies said. state of health,” said J&R Logging President Robert Taking the trees to the lumber to the mill — in D’Agostini. “There’s another generation coming in and this case Sierra Pacific Industries — cuts out the we want the woods to keep producing for everybody.” D’Agostini’s crews go to specific locations in the n See SLY PARK, page A3
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