Lakeview Farms - Idea Might Hold Water

Placer County may convert Lincoln area rice field into a retention basin.

By Art Campos -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, May 12, 2005

Placer County flood-control officials are listening to a proposal by owners of a hunting club northwest of Lincoln that would result in the conversion of a 320-acre rice field into a regional water retention facility. The site within the 920-acre Lakeview Farms near the Placer-Sutter county line would be capable of holding 4,000 acre-feet of water during heavy flooding along Coon Creek. An acre-foot, approximately 326,000 gallons, is the amount of water needed to supply one or two households for a year.

Such storage potential would appear to be a solution to long-standing complaints by Sutter County that development in Lincoln is a major contributor to downstream flooding in its communities, because there is less ground to absorb water.

In addition, Sundance Property of Rocklin, the landowners, are willing to give away the 4 million cubic yards of dirt needed to dig the retention basin, so the fill could be used in the planned Highway 65 bypass project. A price tag has yet to be placed on the proposed basin project.

Tom Plummer, a consultant who is trying to make the retention facility a reality for Placer's flood-control district, called the possible basin "a good opportunity for everybody. I haven't heard anyone say anything negative about it.".

Also excited were Lincoln City Councilman Primo Santini, who chairs the Placer County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, and Placer County Supervisor Robert Weygandt, who represents Lincoln and its surrounding area.

"This is a huge benefit for Lincoln and the region," Santini said, noting that Sutter County filed a lawsuit against Lincoln in the mid-1990s because of flooding caused by new development. Santini further states, "The two counties reached a settlement that said developers in Lincoln could not make flooding downstream worse. This proposed facility would be able to fulfill the terms and obligations of that settlement."

Weygandt said the retention basin also would fit in with Placer Legacy, the county program that tries to preserve open space, wildlife habitat, recreational areas and agricultural lands. "It gets most of these needs met," he said.

Ron Smith, principal owner of Sundance Property, said his company saw an opportunity to solve what has been a major headache. "We've been aware of the flooding problems. We thought we might be able to help."

Plummer said the retention basin would not be needed if there were no development occurring in Lincoln. "It's purely a response to a potential in the impacts of our current and planned extensive development," he said.

Rick McGrath, the company's project manager, said he is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the California Department of Fish and Game to ensure all regulations are met. In addition, developers looking to mitigate the impacts of their projects could buy mitigation credits from Sundance Property to satisfy building and environmental requirements, McGrath said.

While Sundance would give away the dirt needed as fill for the Highway 65 bypass, the beneficiaries would need to pay their own excavation and hauling costs, he said.

There is no timetable for the proposed basin, which is officially called the Lakeview Farms Volumetric Mitigation Facility. It would be built in three phases on the parcel bounded by Wise, Dowd and Waltz roads and the Sutter-Placer county border.

The first phase would call for a 160-acre site capable of holding 850 acre-feet of water from Coon Creek. The site would return to agricultural use following excavation. A pump station would be installed to vacate the im-pounded water after a flood event.

The second phase would develop the full 320-acre parcel. Levees and further pump-station improvements would be completed, along with a channel connection to the creek.

The third phase would include development of a wetland mitigation bank within the facility.

Related Links:

• Lakeview Farms

• Sundance Property