The draft Village at Squaw Valley Specific Plan Water Supply Assessment was presented to the Squaw Valley Public Service District (SVPSD) Board of Directors on Tuesday, June 24, 2014. The conclusion of that report is that the aquifers in Olympic Valley can supply the water needs of both the expected increase use of water by the proposed Village at Squaw Valley Expansion project and other future demands for water in the valley. The study analyzed water demand and supply during past dry periods (individual years and multiple years) and weighed that against projected increases in demand for the next 25 years. The current water usage averages 843 acre-feet per year, the Water Supply Assessment estimates that at build out in 2040 the water usage will be approximately 1205 acre-feet per year.
This is obviously good news for Squaw Valley Ski Holdings (SVSH) the developer of the proposed Village Expansion. For years there have been many statements in the press and general comments by locals that Squaw Valley does not have a sufficient water supply or that the valley is running out of water. Now we have the results of a very in-depth study that claims that is not the case.
Not everyone is in agreement with the conclusions of this Water Supply Assessment, most notably field director for Sierra Watch, Peter Van Zant. Tully & Young, a Sacramento-based a water planning firm, has bee hired by Sierra Watch to study the Water Supply Assessment. This is because they believe that the current study contradicts existing official studies and research that have concluded there is not enough supply of water. They cite the SVPSD’s search for “Redundant Water Supply,” a secondary source in times when the aquifer runs low or is compromised.
This Water Supply Assessment will be given to the county and become a part of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) which is expected to be released in the late fall of 2014.
For more information;
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Click here to read Sierra Sun article: Report: Olympic Valley has enough water for Squaw expansion
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Click here to download the draft Village at Squaw Valley Specific Plan Water Supply Assessment
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