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By Eric Johnson
Published Sep 16, 2024

Loch Lomond, the reservoir that supplies the city of Santa Cruz with a significant portion of its drinking water, is also a beautiful recreational and natural resource. Loch Lomond, the reservoir that supplies the city of Santa Cruz with a significant portion of its drinking water, is also a beautiful recreational and natural resource.

Dams and Reservoirs: Up and Down

Before we get into a story that involves dams, reservoirs, and irony: A reminder that this edition of The Newsletter includes, as always, a carefully curated news digest that makes it easy for you to quickly find the most important stories happening in your community this week. Also: A brief intro to a nonprofit doing good work AND a seasonal recipe. It's an effortless scroll—but first:


California Dams Get Raised and Razed

As a lifelong sworn environmentalist, I have always felt a little bit guilty about the fact that I love reservoirs—and if I'm honest the dams that create them. As a kid growing up in New Jersey just outside Manhattan, the Oradell Reservoir was my refuge, and the place where I discovered nature. When I moved to the Santa Cruz Mountains soon after high school, the Loch Lomond reservoir was walking distance from my home and became another refuge.

I saw my first eagle at the Oradell Reservoir when I was 16, and my first mountain lion at Loch Lomond when I was 19. I mention this not out of pure nostalgia, but to pont out that beyond their intended benefit of storing water for human use, reservoirs can be inherently good, in that they support rich and healthy ecosystems. And yes: Dams throughout California and the West have massively disrupted fisheries and threaten keystone species such as Chinook salmon with extinction.

So this week, a nuanced look at some dams throughout the state that are going up and coming down.


The Ups and Downs of California Dams

Tens of thousands of truck loads of earth will be moved to raise the B.F. Sisk Dam by ten feet.
We check in on efforts to raise some dams in the state to store more water, and to raze some dams to to let water run free.


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Placer County's Homepage

Direct your browser to https://placer.californialocal.com/ to catch up on the latest news in California and Placer County. Bookmark the link and visit often, there's a lot happening in your community!


Recipe of the Week

Our friends at Sacramento Digs Gardening publish a recipe from their gardens every Sunday, which we feature here so you can start your week with some yum.

See more recipes in their Taste Fall! cookbook.


Yes, Asian pears can be baked

Spices give Asian pears a subtle boost in flavor in this summer-into-fall cobbler.
New! A cobbler perfect for a seasonal transition


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Mountaineer Transit Company logo Mountaineer Transit Company

Mountaineer Transit Company provides transit within Transit Company Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows.

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From Our Media Allies

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Sierra Sun logo Community Invited to Participate in Placer Zoning Text Amendment Workshops, Town Hall Meeting

The Placer County Community Development Resource Agency is seeking public input into its proposed 2024 Zoning Text Amendment initiative, with multiple workshops beginning in September and a town hall meeting Oct. 15. 

Sierra Sun logo Placer Supervisors Ask Governor for Insurance State of Emergency

With residents and businesses facing dire insurance affordability challenges, the Placer County Board of Supervisors on September 10 approved a resolution asking California Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency for homeowners and commercial property insurance.

Lincoln News Messenger logo Community Invited to Participate in Zoning Text Amendment Town Hall Meeting

The Placer County Community Development Resource Agency is seeking public input into its proposed 2024 Zoning Text Amendment initiative, with multiple workshops beginning in September and a town hall meeting Oct. 15.

Sierra Sun logo Funding Awarded to Reduce Wildfire Risk and Increase Vegetation Management in North Lake Tahoe

In an effort to reduce wildfire risk in North Lake Tahoe, the Placer County Board of Supervisors on September 10 approved a $145,491 contract award to Bella Wildfire & Forestry Inc. to fund vegetation management and fuel load reduction work …

Sierra Sun logo Supervisors to Hear Gutted Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan

The Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan will be heard by the County Board of Supervisors later this year after the Placer County Planning Commission gave conditional approval to the redevelopment project with modifications to the Mountain Adventure Camp facility.

Loomis News logo Rocklin Assistant City Manager Announces Retirement

Rocklin Assistant City Manager Sherri Conway recently announced her intention to retire in December. Conway was hired as assistant city manager in October 2021 with 30 years of experience serving municipalities in New York state and Placer County.

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Found vulnerable to computer hackers, Loomis Town government is doubling down on cybersecurity.

Lincoln News Messenger logo Hundreds Attend Lincoln Protest of Homeless Medical Respite Center

Hundreds of community members showed up Saturday to protest the proposed homeless medical respite center at 1660 3rd street in Lincoln.

Sierra Sun logo Placer County Ranks Number One in the Nation for Firewise USA Communities

Placer County is now the top-ranked county in the United States and California for the number of communities participating in the Firewise USA program.

Auburn Journal logo Gold Country Fair Junior Livestock Auction Yields 3,500 Pounds of Meat for Feed the Hungry of Auburn

Animals purchased by Feed the Hungry of Auburn during the Junior Livestock Auction at the Gold Country Fair last week and several others donated by the community will yield roughly 3,500 pounds of meat for food shelters and closets.

Auburn Journal logo Placer Parks Administrator Honored for Fostering Community, Connection to Environment

Each year, the community selects nine honorees to highlight for their above-and-beyond service to the city through the Auburn Chamber of Commerce’s Celebrate the Community Awards. Parks Administrator Andy Fisher will be honored next month with the Placer County Award.

Tahoe Guide logo Fall in Tahoe Is Delicious

Culinary delights abound in Tahoe from farm-to-table festivals celebrating the bounties of the harvest, to craft beer and local wine food pairings to a cornucopia of Bavarian-themed Okotberfests. Tahoe's gastronomic events in the fall will delight even the most discriminating …

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Recent Local News

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• Pacer County Moving Forward With Hidden Falls Regional Park Expansion

In their September 10 meeting, the Placer County Board of Supervisors approved the expansion of Hidden Falls Regional Park by 600 acres and the construction of an additional 8 miles of trails.

(09/16/2024) → Roseville Today

• Bidding Farewell: Auburn City Council Honors Police Chief Kinnan Before His Last Day

Kinnan was honored with an official accommodation and a golden desk clock to mark his nearly six years of service to the city. Kinnan recently announced he would be resigning and was hired as the police chief of Woodland.

(09/13/2024) → Gold Country Media

• Auburn Municipal Airport to Mark 90 Years With Community Celebration

The airport has been a cornerstone of Auburn and the surrounding region, evolving from its early days as a mail route stop into a vital hub of aviation and community development. On Oct. 12, the community is invited to come together to celebrate its 90th anniversary.

(09/13/2024) → Gold Country Media

• Placer County Agriculture Report Released

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(09/13/2024) → Roseville Today
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Recent Statewide News

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• Audit of Military Equipment Used By UC Police

In compliance of state law, the University of California Regents will be considering the attached audit of inventory and use of military equipment by UC police and a budget request for additional items.

(09/15/2024) → University of California

• Which Growing California Communities Will Get the Hottest?

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(09/13/2024) → CalMatters

• CA Cities Jump on Homeless Encampment Bans

For five years, California officials responding to the homelessness crisis had to work around one big restriction imposed by the federal courts: Because they didn’t have enough shelter beds, cities generally couldn’t make homeless camps illegal.

(09/13/2024) → CalMatters

• No Sleeping Bags, Keep Moving: California Cities Increase Crackdown on Homeless Encampments

More than two-dozen California cities passed, strengthened or are considering ordinances that penalize people for sleeping outside, after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed cities to crack down.

(09/11/2024) → CalMatters

• California Schools Face Twin Perils: Chronic Absenteeism and Declining Enrollment

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(09/11/2024) → CalMatters

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(09/11/2024) → Los Angeles Times

• CA Homeless Count Is Up 8% From 2022

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(09/10/2024) → CalMatters
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Government Announcements

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Image of State of California seal. State of California   (09/13/2024)

Megan Dahle CA Assembly 01:
Celebrating Healthcare Expansion in Modoc County and More

Greetings This week Team Dahle had the privilege of attending the Topping Out ceremony for the Mountain View Skilled Nursing Facility and hospital addition. The ceremony marked a key milestone in bringing this vital facility to Modoc County and I want to give special kudos to Mountain View Skilled Nursing Facility for their dedication to [...] The post Celebrating Healthcare …
Image of State of California seal. State of California   (09/13/2024)

Joe Patterson CA Assembly 05:
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Image of County of Placer seal. County of Placer   (09/12/2024)

Placer County 2023 crop value increases 1% to $89 million amid continuing weather challenges

Despite continued weather challenges the total gross value of agricultural crops and products increased 1% in Placer County for 2023.
Image of County of Placer seal. County of Placer   (09/12/2024)

Placer County ranks number one in the nation for Firewise USA Communities

Placer County is now the top-ranked county in the United States and California for the number of communities participating in the Firewise USA program.
Image of County of Placer seal. County of Placer   (09/12/2024)

Placer County Supervisors approve Hidden Falls Regional Park Trails Expansion Project Phase 2

The Placer County Board of Supervisors yesterday approved the execution of a contract for the Hidden Falls Regional Park Trails Expansion Project Phase 2.
Image of County of Placer seal. County of Placer   (09/12/2024)

Placer supervisors ask governor for insurance state of emergency

With residents and businesses facing dire insurance affordability challenges, the Placer County Board of Supervisors have approved a resolution asking California's governor to declare a state of emergency for homeowners and commercial property insurance.
Image of County of Placer seal. County of Placer   (09/12/2024)

Placer seeks applicants for Charter Review Committee

Application Deadline Extended: Are you interested in having direct input into the organizational structure, duties and responsibilities of the countys elected and appointed officials? Apply for our Charter Review Committee by Sept. 30.
Image of State of California seal. State of California   (09/12/2024)

Joe Patterson CA Assembly 05:
Assemblyman Joe Patterson Introduces Legislation to Freeze Governor’s Planned $0.47 Gas Price Increase

Image of County of Placer seal. County of Placer   (09/12/2024)

Funding awarded to reduce wildfire risk and increase vegetation management in North Lake Tahoe

In an effort to reduce wildfire risk in North Lake Tahoe, the Placer County Board of Supervisors approved a $145,491 award to Bella Wildfire & Forestry Inc. to fund vegetation management and fuel load reduction work on 18 acres in Tahoe Vista.
Image of Town of Loomis seal. Town of Loomis   (09/12/2024)

Library Community Forum on 9/17/24

The post Library Community Forum on 9/17/24 appeared first on Loomis, CA.