Water Rights

Project Description

PID gets most of its water from Little Butte Creek; much of this water is stored in Paradise Lake and Magalia Reservoir. The district holds water rights permits to store about 18,300 acre-feet from Little Butte Creek administered by the State Water Resource Control Board (SWRCB). Permits from SWRCB tell water rights holders when they can divert water and how much they can divert. PID holds two permits from SWRCB that authorize diversion to storage in the district’s two reservoirs at various times of the year. PID also holds a pre-1914 adjudicated right for a year-round direct diversion from Little Butte Creek.

Simply having the water rights permits does not guarantee them, however. The district must demonstrate the need for the amount of water in order to “perfect” the rights. Part of that process involves showing SWRCB that the district has or will have the facilities needed to store the full amount of water granted in the water rights permits, and that the district has made beneficial use of the water in the past.

This project includes an extensive investigation of the environmental impacts of constructing additional storage and of diverting water from Little Butte Creek to storage.  It also involves the analysis of past diversions of water to identify the amount of water perfected under the permit.  District staff and its water rights and environmental consultants are working, in consultation with water board staff, to secure the rights to a water supply that is reliable and adequate to meet the needs of the community.

Spending Plan

Project Details

• Funding Source: Operating Fund
• Project Status: Design

Anticipated Project Timeline

1. Concept Approval: Jan. 2010
2. Planning: Jan 2010 - Current
3. Design: Ongoing
4. Construction: To Be Determined
5. Completion: To Be Determined

Benefits to PID & Its Customers

• Reliable water supply will help the district provide water to our community for many decades into the future