October 2009 - South Tahoe Public Utility District

1.1.2 1967 Agreement – Alpine County and the District
On April 3, 1967 the District entered into an agreement with Alpine County and the Alpine
County Water Agency to import tertiary-treated recycled water into Alpine County. The County
and Agency stipulated provisions designed to secure a “place at the recycled water table” for
themselves and protect the interests of the residents of the County. This agreement was
subsequently amended to reflect operational changes and to address the use of new facilities
constructed by the District. The first amendment, signed on August 21, 1972, provided for the
use of the Indian Creek Reservoir facilities and restricted the volume of storage available for
Agency and County use as well as the use of the Diamond Ditch infrastructure. The second
modification to the agreement was entered on June 8, 1983, and the third amendment of March
15, 1984 set the criteria for use of Harvey Place Reservoir and reflected the termination of
recycled water application along Indian Creek as directed by the Lahontan Regional Water
Quality Control Board. The fifth modification to the agreement occurred on July 16, 1991 and
since that time the District, County, and Agency have operated under this modified agreement.
In 2002 the District, County and Agency compiled all of the pertinent and applicable provisions
of the original 1967 agreement and the subsequent amendments into a single agreement titled
Agreement Between South Tahoe Public Utility District And The County Of Alpine And The
Alpine County Water Agency (contract nos.: WA2002-01/CC2002-69), entered on November 5,
2002. This new agreement reflects all of the provisions mutually agreeable from earlier
agreements and modifications. This agreement is the current operating guideline used in Alpine
County. This agreement is provided in Appendix N.
1.1.3 Indian Creek Reservoir Construction and Modification
Indian Creek Reservoir construction commenced in 1967 and the reservoir started storing
recycled water on April 1, 1968. This reservoir was intentionally sited in a watershed with very
little natural surface water. The purpose of Indian Creek Reservoir was to store recycled water
for spring and summer irrigation; therefore, additional water from precipitation and runoff was
not desired. Indian Creek Reservoir was designed to hold the seasonal production of recycled
water from South Lake Tahoe and can contain a maximum storage volume of 2,800 acre-feet.
The C-Line Export pipeline was completed to the reservoir, conveying the annual storage
volume at a maximum storage pool elevation of 5,600 feet.
Upon completion of construction, the District applied for Davis-Grunsky Act funding of the
project. This project qualified and received funding in large part because of the related stream
flow enhancements, fishery and wildlife, and recreation benefits. In 1972 the District and
California Department of Fish and Game started a fish stocking program. The District supplied
the financial resources to plant 15,000 pounds of catchable size trout. At this same time, Bureau
of Land Management campgrounds were constructed, and have since been maintained under
agreement with the Bureau of Land Management, County and District. The Davis-Grunsky
funding source tied the District operation of Indian Creek Reservoir to the continued support of
the Indian Creek Reservoir fishery and recreation facilities until the contract term expiration in
2022.
Currently the District is party to an agreement with the Bureau of Land Management for the
continued operation of the recreational facilities located at Indian Creek Reservoir. This
agreement is in effect until November 11, 2024; at such time the assignments of that contract
can be accepted by Alpine County. A copy of the District- Bureau of Land Management contract
is in Appendix M, and references to this agreement are also contained in Section 10 of the
South Tahoe Public Utility District
Recycled Water Facilities Master Plan - October 2009 Page 1-2