Zone 7 Director to Serve Third Term as Chair of Los Vaqueros Reservoir JPA by Zone 7 Water Agency Jan 12, 2024 Member Submitted News CONCORD – Angela Ramirez Holmes of the Zone 7 Board of Directors will serve a third term as Chair of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Joint Powers Authority (JPA). The JPA Board voted unanimously to retain the current leadership for the ensuing one-year term at their January 11, 2024, board meeting. “I am pleased to continue to serve as the Chair of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir JPA. This important regional partnership continues to make progress on bringing a reliable water supply and public benefits to Bay Area and Central Valley water users and wildlife refuges. We look forward to continuing our efforts in 2024,” said Board Chair Angela Ramirez Holmes. The Los Vaqueros Reservoir JPA leadership includes: Chair Angela Ramirez Holmes, representing Zone 7 Water Agency Vice Chair Anthea G. Hansen, representing San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority Secretary Ellen Wehr, representing Grassland Water District Treasurer Paul Sethy, representing Alameda County Water District Election of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir JPA officers occurs every January at the regularly scheduled Board meeting. Officers serve a one-year term. Zone 7 worked collaboratively as one of eight regional water agencies to form the JPA in October 2021 to govern the Project. The Project will increase Bay Area and Central Valley water supply reliability, develop water supplies for wildlife refuges, and improve water quality while protecting Delta fisheries and providing additional Delta ecosystem benefits. When completed, it will increase the Los Vaqueros Reservoir capacity from 160,000 acre-feet to 275,000 acre-feet and add new and modified conveyance facilities to provide environmental, water supply reliability, operational flexibility, water quality, and recreational benefits. The Project has been approved for $477 million from California Proposition 1 funds and $174 million for construction from federal appropriations to date. The remainder of project costs will be covered by additional federal funding and JPA Member contributions. While the project could potentially provide new supplies from the Delta, Zone 7 is primarily looking at the Project as additional local storage upstream of Zone 7’s system, making it more accessible. Zone 7 could store excess supplies in Los Vaqueros Reservoir for later use during droughts or emergencies when supplemental supplies are needed. With a new connection to the SBA, the Project also provides the benefit of emergency conveyance, a crucial element for when there are pumping restrictions in the Delta, thus adding much needed operational flexibility, particularly in times of drought. The project would improve water supply reliability by increasing accessible local storage and providing alternative/emergency conveyance when Delta pumping is restricted. To learn more about the Project, and the suite of possible solutions that Zone 7 is evaluating to ensure continued water resiliency and supply reliability for the Tri-Valley visit https://trivalleywater.org/los-vaqueros-reservoir-expansion/. To learn more about the Los Vaqueros JPA, visit https://losvaquerosjpa.com/ ### About Zone 7 Water Zone 7 Water Agency is one of the 10 active zones of the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District. The District was established by the State Legislature in October 1949 to solve problems of flooding, drainage, channel erosion and water supply and conservation in Alameda County. In 1957, by popular vote, Zone 7 became a special district governed by a seven-member board of directors. Along with flood protection, Zone 7 supplies water to all of eastern Alameda County and a population of over a quarter million residents. Treated water is sold wholesale to local retailers, including the cities of Livermore and Pleasanton, the Dublin San Ramon Services District, and the California Water Service Company. Zone 7 also distributes untreated water to local agriculture operations and golf courses.
