PL residents join reclamation district
With the rivers and levees playing such an integral part in the Plumas Lake community it would seem only natural that residents would have some representation on the local reclamation board.
As of this year they do.
Reclamation District 784 (RD 784) recently voted in two Plumas Lake residents to help assure that the needs and opinions of the PL community
are heard.
RD 784 was established in May 1908, and like many reclamation districts began as a way to help farmers as they worked tirelessly to mound soil to protect their farm land from flooding by nearby rivers.
RD 784 has two primary responsibilities: maintenance of the district’s levee system, drainage facilities and pumping stations, and flood fighting and patrols on district levees during times of high water. The primary funding for the district to accomplish its responsibilities comes from an annual assessment on each home within the district.
Jeff Phinney the first of two Plumas Lake board members to be voted in, comes to the board with strong experience in emergency management and was voted to his seat after another member stepped down in March.
“With my background and interest in the levees in our area, I thought this would be a good fit for me,” said Phinney, who moved to Plumas Lake four years ago and quickly began learning all he could about the flood issues in and around the community.
Phinney hopes to help bring the district into a more urban mindset and hopefully educate the community on the important role the district plays.
“My hope is that people become more involved and understand the importance that is placed in the role of the district,” Phinney said.
In the same manner, Gary Bradford, the second Plumas Lake resident sitting on the board, also is concerned about the continued maintenance of the levees and protection of the community.
“The safety and economic prosperity of our community depends on the maintenance of these levees and the associated drainage systems,” Bradford said. “The Three Rivers Levee Improvement Authority has worked tirelessly to upgrade our levees to some of the best in the state. It will be RD784’s responsibility to make sure they stay that way,” Bradford, whose background is in technology and communications, would like to also see the board be more accessible to the public. In addition, he wants to make sure the district is doing all it can to assure flood control.
“I view part of my job is to make sure the district is fulfilling its obligation to maintain the flood control systems in south Yuba County,” Bradford said. “The board must make decisions on how to use our scarce resources (time, staff, and money) to meet our obligations and keep citizens dry.”
Both Phinney and Bradford would like to Plumas Lake residents to sign up as volunteers to understand the role everyone plays during a county emergency; training sessions will be held in the next couple of months. Anyone interested in volunteering to be trained in levee maintenance should contact the board office at (530) 742-0520.
“Serving your fellow citizens by representing them in a local government board is a lot of work,” Bradford said, “but it is also very rewarding. I’m proud that two Plumas Lake residents have stepped up to make sure RD784 is meeting the needs of Plumas Lake residents, but there are still more opportunities out there.”
Bradford urges residents who desire to play a role in the community to seek other opportunities to represent Plumas Lake, including open seats in November’s election for both the Wheatland High School Board and the Olivehurst Public Utility District. Any resident interested in either of these openings should contact the Yuba County Elections office at (530) 749-7855.
