NEVADA COUNTY, Calif. — Californians are used to cutting back on water usage, but for some residents in Nevada and Placer counties, they're having to cut back for very different reasons — an infrastructure problem.
Officials with the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) say Rollins Lake provides water for consumption and agriculture use. For the next few months, however, the water at Rollins Lake will need to be conserved.
"At the bottom of Lake Spaulding is a power plant that is owned and operated by PG&E. They had an emergency infrastructure break," said Greg Jones with the NID.
Jones says the break at Lake Spaulding prevents water flow to Rollins Lake, supplying their customers. NID asked its consumers to cut back Wednesday.
"We're asking for a voluntary conservation of about 20%," said Jones.
Joe Fischer is the ranch manager at Bruin Ranch and one of NID's customers. He says the problem will severely impact his business.
"It was like a kick in the stomach. We're on the heels of a decade long, or longer, drought period of inconsistent water supply which creates angst for budgeting and production," said Fischer.
Fischer says he relies on raw water daily from Rollins Lake between the months of April and October. While current weather conditions are bringing in more rain, he says the longer this infrastructure problem persists, the harder it is for him to stay hopeful.
"We're going to be tightened, in terms of supply, back to drought scenarios," Fischer said.
As the warmer months approach, NID officials say the infrastructure problems could impact recreational use.
"It will impact some of the boating docks and some of the launch facilities that are a little higher in elevation," said Jones.
PG&E is expected to fix the problem by June 8. If PG&E isn't able to fix it by that deadline, the NID says it might have to implement mandatory cut backs of water usage.
