Additional fees hammering
agriculture in the Scott and Shasta Valleys
by Marcia Armstrong, Siskiyou County Supervisor,
Pioneer Press 6/10/05
In another blow to local agriculture, Dwight
Russell, Chief of the Northern District of the
Department of Water Resources (DWR,) recently sent
out a notice of a proposed increase in fees for the
next tax year to water rights holders served by the
State Watermaster. The mainstem
Scott
River is
not currently served by a watermaster. However,
tributaries such as French Creek, Wildcat Creek,
Shackleford and Mill Creek are. (The entire
Shasta
River
system has the service.) Also, both the Shasta and
Scott Coho Recovery Plan and the proposed incidental
take permit for coho require that the fidelity of
water diversions to the adjudications be verified in
some way, such as through a watermaster.
A watermaster determines the total amount of
water available, the appropriate amount of water to
be diverted at each diversion according to the water
adjudication decree and then sets each diversion
through devices such as a headgate. He/she is an
agent of Superior Court. The Superior Court can
order watermaster service or 15% or greater of the
water use right holders on a river may request the
service. Watermaster service is meant to reduce
conflicts between water right holders by ensuring
the water adjudication decree is followed. Fees for
the service are collected for the state through the
property tax bill.
Prior to 2004, State watermaster service was
funded half through fees from water diverters and
half by the state’s General Fund. In 2004, Senate
1107 and the Budget Act eliminated the state’s
contribution. In addition, the DWR determined that
true costs of the program had not been recovered for
more than a decade. As a result, last year, DWR
announced an astronomical rate increase. This was
subsequently rolled back and a Klamath Bureau of
Reclamation grant took care of the lost state match
under normal fees. Locally, this meant that last
year there was no increase felt in the diverter’s
share of watermaster fees.
Russell warns diverters that fees for the
forthcoming tax year of 2005-06 will “reflect an
appropriately funded Program,” and that diverters
can “expect an increase in your watermaster service
bill that reflects the full cost of the program.”
Preliminary indications are that the fee will
increase several fold. Russell warns that water
right holders need to transition to their own
private fee-based service or be prepared to pay the
higher fees established for State Waternaster
Service.
In addition, the Water Code states that the
watermaster may require a diverter to build a
headgate or other diversion structure.
Responsibility for costs are the diverter’s. If the
structure is not built within 30 days, the
watermaster may shut off the diversion. The diverter
is also responsible for maintaining the structure.
At this time, Farm Bureau has taken the lead
on finding some regional solutions. They are also
looking at the type of mechanisms that must be in
place for an alternative private watermaster service
to function and meet requirements at a reasonable
cost.
Dates to remember:
Wednesday,
June 15, 2005, from
9:00 am to
5:00 pm
and
Thursday
June 16, 2005, from
8:00 am to
1:30 pm,
the federal Klamath River Basin Fisheries Task Force
will hold its quarterly meeting. at the Miner’s
Inn
Convention Center
in Yreka.
Saturday, June 18 from
9 a.m. to
5 p.m. at
the Greenview Grange, the Scott River Watershed
Council will be holding a forum on tribal trust
responsibilities. For more information call
(530)468-2487.
Legislation to watch: California Senator
Barbara Boxer is proposing a bill called the
National Oceans Protection Act of 2005. It will
reform management of the ocean, coastal areas and
fisheries. The bill will also promote
ecosystem-based management principals and cover
pollution and fish habitat protection. http://www.ems.org/nws/2005/06/09/fish_conservatio
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