2009 Water & Natural Resources Tour Bay-Delta Region of Northern California Sunday, June 14 Sponsoring Organizations Central Nebraska Public Power & Irrigation District The Flatwater Group, Inc. Gateway Farm Expo Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce Nebraska Public Power District Nebraska Water Conference Council University of Nebraska School of Natural Resources - Conservation & Survey Division - Water Center Planning & Coordination Committee Jeff Buettner, Central Nebraska Public Power & Irrigation District Michael Jess, UNL Water Center and Conservation & Survey Division David Kracman, The Flatwater Group, Inc. Lydia Loewenstein, Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce Steve Ress, UNL Water Center Assistance in California provided by Michael Miller, California Department of Water Resources, Sacramento Rita Schmidt-Sudman, Water Education Foundation, Sacramento Margie Wheeler, Metropolitan Water District, Los Angles 6:30 PM Tour participants gather for initial orientation Embassy Suites Hotel (100 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA) Monday, June 15 Dinner on your own in nearby Old Sacramento 8:00 AM Depart Embassy Suites Hotel - - - seven block walk to conference room near offices of California Natural Resources Agency
8:30 Orientation/background briefing Bonderson Building (901 P. Street) Michael Miller, Office of Water Education, Dept. of Water Res. Host & Panel Organizer Jim Kassel, Assistant Deputy Director, Water Resources Control Board California Water Rights Jerry Johns, Deputy Director, Dept. of Water Res. Bay-Delta Conservation Plan, Environmental Water Account Ralph Torres, Dept. of Water Res. California State Water Project Paul Fujitani, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Federal Central Valley Project Kamyar Guivetchi, Man. of Planning & Local Assistance, Dept. of Water Res. Bulletin 160 water resources planning activities 12:30 Depart Natural Resources Building - - - seven block walk to Embassy Suites Hotel Catered lunch at Embassy Suites Hotel 1:45 Depart Embassy Suites for Kirchhoff ranch, near Courtland 2:30 Arrive at Craig & Nancy Kirchhoff ranch former south-central Nebraska grain farmers now specialize in producing chardonnay grapes for Sutter Home & other vintners 5:00 Return to Embassy Suites Hotel 7:00 Depart Embassy Suites Hotel for dinner at Joe s Crab Shack, Old Sacramento Tuesday, June 16 Rita Schmidt-Sudman, Water Education Foundation - - - remarks/commentary [Background note: Schmidt-Sudman descends from Nebraska farmers whose North Platte River irrigation rights are served by the Lisco Canal.] 7:30 AM Water Planning & Water Transfer briefing - - - Embassy Suites Hotel meeting room (TBA) 2
Greg Young, P.E., Principal, Tully & Young, Sacramento Ken Kirby, P.E., Principal, Kirby Consulting Group, Inc., Davis 8:30 Depart Embassy Suites Hotel; travel to Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District river head gate near Hamilton City Richard Howitt, Economist at University of California-Davis, and Michael Miller, Dept. of Water Res., will accompany tour participants and be available to discuss water transfers & marketing all day. [Background note: Howitt was retained by the State of Nebraska to appear as an Expert Witness in Neb v Wyo (settled 2001)]. 10:30 Arrive at river head gate for Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District Thad Bettner, General Manager Cynthia F. Davis, Director of Communications & Public Relations 11:30 Depart Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District; travel to Oroville 12:15 PM Lunch at Visitor s Center, Oroville Dam Lunch catered by Wagon Wheel Market & Deli, Oroville John Ford, Dept. of Water Res., Oroville 1:30 Depart Visitors Center; travel to Oroville-Thermalito Complex where participants will inspect Oroville Dam, Thermalito Diversion Dam and Feather River Fish Hatchery 4:00 Depart Oroville; travel to Tony s Fruit Stand near Marysville 4:30 Arrive at Tony s Fruit Stand Jerralee Barry, Farm Manager Three generation family farm specializes in production of peaches, plums, nectarines and much more. 5:15 Depart Tony s Fruit Stand; travel to Sacramento 6:15 Arrive at Embassy Suites Hotel 7:00 Dinner at Embassy Suites Hotel Wednesday, June 17 8:00 AM Depart Embassy Suites Hotel; travel to Delta region 3
Curt Schmutte, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and Michael Miller, Dept. of Water Res., will accompany tour participants and be available to discuss water and related environmental issues all day. [Background note: Schmutte was born in Sidney, NE and has family relatives in Shickley and Lincoln.] 8:45 Arrive at Hood to view monitoring station and diversion site for proposed Peripheral Canal 10:45 Arrive at Walnut Grove, view Delta Cross Channel ( poor man s Peripheral Canal ) 11:15 Arrive at below sea-level subsidence site and proceed to level repair site, Twitchell Island 12:30 PM Lunch at Black Bear Dinner, Oakley 2:00 Arrive at Clifton Court Complex State Water Project facilities: Intake Structure, Skinner Fish Screens and Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant 3:30 Drive past Tracy Pumping Plant - component of (federal) Central Valley Project 5:00 Arrive at Discover Lodi Wine & Visitor Center Michael C. Perry, Manager 7:00 Proceed from Discovery Lodi Wine & Visitor Center to nearby banquet facility 8:45 Depart Lodi; travel to Sacramento 10:00 Return to Embassy Suites Hotel Thursday, June 18 7:30 AM Depart Embassy Suites Hotel; travel to Sausalito 9:30 Arrive at (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) Bay Model Visitor s Center Christina (Tina) Swanson, Exec. Dir., The Bay Institute Gary Bobker, Program Dir., The Bay Institute Leo Winternitz, The Nature Conservancy Campbell Ingram, The Nature Conservancy 4
Keley Stock, Corps of Engineers Bay Model staff member Bill Cope, Corps of Engineers Bay Model staff member To view model, tour participants divided in two groups 11:45 Depart Bay Model Visitor s Center; proceed to Sausalito ferry terminal 12:15 Ferry leaves Sausalito for 40-minute passage to San Francisco Pier 41 12:55 Arrive at San Francisco Pier 41; proceed to lunch at Pompei s Grotto Afternoon/early evening... Discover Bay-Area attractions; dinner on your own 8:00 Bus pick-up & departure to Sacramento San Francisco Pier 41 located in the Fisherman s Warf area, near intersection of The Embarcadero & Powell Street 10:00 Arrive at Embassy Suites Hotel End of Tour 5