Folsom finds some from the Sacramento River.
Water deal for Folsom OK'd
By Dorothy Korber - dkorber@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PST Saturday, December 15, 2007
Sacramento River water will be diverted to the city of Folsom under a deal approved Friday by shareholders in the Natomas Central Mutual Water Company.
The Natomas company will sell up to 10,000 acre-feet a year of available water to serve a planned 3,600-acre expansion of Folsom south of Highway 50. An acre-foot of water equals 326,000 gallons – enough to serve two typical households for a year.
The water sale was approved by more than 60 percent of the 275 shareholders, who mailed in ballots over a 45-day period. Among the shareholders are farmers, developers, Sacramento County and the Natomas Basin Conservancy.
The agreement calls for the city of Folsom to pay roughly $4,000 an acre-foot for the water, with costs to be reimbursed by landowners seeking to develop the property.
The president of the Natomas water company, Sutter County farmer Dan Spangler, said the sale will not affect water flow to its shareholders.
"It will provide the funding we need to help finance water supply maintenance and improvements," Spangler said in a written statement, "and it will allow us to keep our commitment to reduce costs to our shareholders."
Measure W, passed by Folsom citizens in 2004, requires the city to find a new water source for development south of Highway 50. Folsom City Manager Kerry Miller said Friday that the Natomas agreement conforms with the ballot measure.
