Cucharas District gets grant

by Carol Dunn
CUCHARA- At the April 8 meeting of the Cucharas Sanitation and Water District, General Manager Bob Northup reported to the Board of Directors that the District’s Title II RAC Forest Service grant application for the Britton Reservoir project was approved in the amount of $20,000. Northup told the World Journal that the District has until the end of 2012 to use the grant, but he expects the project will be completed this fall. According to the grant application, available online, the project will improve water quality and prevent silt buildup in reservoir #1 by installing a pipe and removing silt. The project, involving the ditches carrying water to the reservoir, will help improve soil productivity, restore and maintain the watershed and restore fish habitat.
The Board discussed increasing the District’s tap fees and decided to raise the fees $500 per year for the next three years. The tap fees will increase to $6,500 on January 1, 2012, $7,000 the following January, and $7,500 the year after that.
Northup said the engineers will be doing the survey work this week for the sewer extension in the Spanish Peaks subdivision. The District will be doing the work with inhouse staff this summer, and the work will take about three months to complete. Part of the pathway for the sewer line will be through solid rock, which will slow the crew’s progress.
The District’s water attorney is working on the pond augmentation plan for the Cucharas Valley and should have something firm to present by the next board meeting, May 13. The plan will be an avenue for owners of illegal ponds to get legal.
Bruce Cantrell reported to the Board that he is waiting for an infusion of money to continue progress on renovation of the ski resort property.