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Project Spotlight
KLOG Dedication Ceremony
Reclamation District No. 108 is proud to present the dedication of the Knights Landing Outfall Gates Fish Barrier. The Ceremony will be held on October 22, 2015 @ 10:00 am in Knights Landing near the Knights Landing Outfall gates.
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Groundbreaking Ceremony
Knights Landing Ridge Drainage District Levee Repair Groundbreaking Ceremony
Please join the Knights Landing Ridge Drainage District to celebrate construction of the long-awaited Knights Landing Levee Repair Project, an $7.5 million effort to repair 3.4 miles of levee on the east bank of the Knights Landing Ridge Cut.
Knights Landing Outfall Gates (KLOG)
Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Knights Landing Outfall Gates Project
Reclamation District (RD 108), acting as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) lead agency, has made available for public review and comment an Initial Study and proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Knights Landing Outfall Gates (KLOG) Project.
The proposed project consists of constructing a positive fish barrier on the downstream side of the existing KLOG structure to prevent adult salmon entry into the Colusa Basin Drain (CBD), as well as repairing an erosion site on the right bank of the CBD on the downstream side of the KLOG structure. The KLOG structure is located on the CBD, approximately one-quarter mile from its confluence with the Sacramento River near the community of Knights Landing, just below River Mile 90, in Yolo County. The KLOG structure is a gated concrete buttress that spans the CBD and protects the lower Colusa Basin from backwater flooding from the Sacramento River and controls water levels in the CBD for irrigation and drainage purposes. Flows coming through the KLOG gates may have the potential to attract salmon when water level differentials between the upstream and downstream sides of the gates are such that downstream flows are attractive to migrating salmonids but not at a velocity that is too great for their passage. While the extent of upstream fish passage at the KLOG has not been fully evaluated, RD 108 has decided to construct the barrier as a more immediate and cost-effective option for aiding anadromous fish populations. The barrier would consist of new concrete wingwalls and picket weirs that would be constructed on an existing concrete apron. The picket weirs would be raised and lowered remotely to prevent adult salmonids from passing through the KLOG.
The erosion site repair would address erosion occurring at the base of the right bank of the CBD, which is a Sacramento River Flood Control Project levee. The erosion site is near the base of the bank, which is bare soil with some scattered fallen trees, and the erosion was caused by a hydraulic eddy effect created by certain flow conditions. The repair would consist of placing riprap along 100 linear feet of the bank and restoring the levee design conditions with a slope between 2.5:1 and 3:1. Rock placement would extend approximately 30 feet up the bank.
Construction of the proposed project would occur over 6 weeks in the late summer/early fall of 2015. No known hazardous waste sites exist in the project area.
The Knights Landing Outfall Gates Project Initial Study and proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) is available for review from June 2, 2015, to July 2, 2015, and may be viewed at the following locations:
- RD 108: 975 Wilson Bend Road, Grimes, CA 95950
- online at rd108.affaridev.com/klog.
Lead Agency Contact: Questions, comments, or requests for digital or physical copies may be directed to Mr. Gregg Ellis by email at Gregg.Ellis@icfi.com, at ICF International, 630 K Street, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814, or at (916) 737-3000.
Below is a link to the CEQA Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration Declaration and Initial Study and for the KLOG Project.
Cecil Lake Levee Maintenance
The Sacramento River West Side Levee District has completed the levee widening of 500 feet of the Sacramento River West Side Levee near Cecil Lake. The work was completed to combat seepage during flood events. The budget for the project is approximately $200,000. The project included constructing ramps up and down the levee, a water side levee toe road and widening the levee by approximately 8 feet. After the construction was completed, the levee top road was re-graveled. The Reclamation District No. 108 crew completed the maintenance on time and within budget. The photographs below show the site before the project and through construction.
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| Before Construction | Loading Trucks |
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| Building Ramps | Levee Toe Road |
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| Widening the Levee | Widening the Levee Continued |
Introduction to Volumetric Pricing at RD 108
At RD 108’s regular August 2014 meeting, Davids Engineering gave a presentation (RD108_2014_Measurement_Program_Board_Update_140820) on the District’s measurement program, which:
- Reviewed the SBx7-7 regulations,
- Summarized the results of the 2012 pilot testing,
- Updated the Board on implementation,
- Examined potential volumetric rate structures, and
- Provided next steps for implementation of the SBX7-7 program.
The Board looks forward to having landowner and water user workshops to solicit ideas for developing the volumetric rate structure for RD 108. The workshops dates and times have not been set; however, they are expected to begin this fall after harvest.
Shorebird Program
Reclamation 
District No. 108 has teamed up with The Nature Conservancy to provide habitat for shorebirds. The shorebird program paid rice farmers in the district to flood fields in the early spring of 2014. The flooding lasted from 12 to 30 days and provides critical habitat for shorebirds in the spring before flooding of rice. Because the program pays for only several weeks of water instead of buying the habitat, the costs are modest.
Eventually, using this and other approaches, the Nature Conservancy hopes to increase the number of shorebirds that stop in the Sacramento Valley. The program is an example of the growing movement called reconciliation ecology, in which ecosystems dominated by humans are managed to increase biodiversity. Due to the success of the program in the spring, RD 108 and TNC are working with District landowners to try to continue and expand the program to include both spring and fall shorebird habitat.
El Dorado Bend Pumping Plant
RD 108 has finished completely refurbishing the El Dorado Bend Pumping Plant. The pumping plant was originally constructed in 1921 to provide both drainage and irrigation service. Many of the pumping plant’s major components are original parts and include two 600 HP pumps and two 400 HP pump. Part of the maintenance improvements included repairing the original 54-inch diameter 3/8-inch thick pipes through the levee, which corroded over the last 90 years to a thickness of only 1/8-inch. The repair process included sleeving the three 54-inch pipes with a new 48-inch diameter 1/2-inch thick pipe and filling the gaps with grout. The District has replaced two of the pump impellers (shown below) used to divert irrigation water as the original impellers deteriorated over the 90 years of service. The new impellers will increase the reliability and efficiency of the pumping plant. The total project cost is approximately $2 million.
Recycling
Reclamation District No. 108 has invested heavily into recycling infrastructure over the years. The unique topographic features of the district, mainly being completely surrounded by flood protection levee’s, allows all the irrigation drain water to be captured and can be either pumped back into the river or recycled within the district. The disadvantage of recycling is the accumulation of salts, which is why in normal years much of the water is pumped back into the river. However, in dry years recycling water is a priority and allows the district to fully farm with just a 75% supply. It is estimated that the district can recycle well over 50,000 AF of water in a normal year. In a drought year such as 2014, the amount of recycling can be significantly increased by reducing the water quality standards within the district.
The recycling facilities in RD 108 include:
Riggs Ranch Pumping Plant
Lateral 8 Check Pumping Plant
Lateral 8 Pumping Plant
Sycamore Slough Pumping Plant
Sycamore Slough Solar Project
In 2009 Reclamation District No. 108 completed construction of a 386KW DC solar generation facility that produces enough energy to power 110 California homes.
Energy is a significant operating expense for RD 108. Water and recycled water enters and leaves the District through the pumping facilities along the Sacramento River. The District is very efficient in its water use and operates an extensive water recycling system that encompasses four pumping plants that recycle approximately 50,000 acre-feet annually with Sycamore Slough being the largest. Water draining from the fields is captured in the system and reapplied to the fields for irrigation.
The solar generation facility sits on seven acres adjacent to the Sycamore Slough Pump Station. The panels operate on a dual axis tracking system to follow the sun as it moves throughout the day to optimize energy production. The tracking system is also designed to meet minimum flood requirements by raising the solar panels 15 feet in the event of a flood.
Energy Savings
The potential for cost savings first attracted the District to the solar project. As energy prices continue to rise, the solar facility provides affordable renewable energy for today and years to come. The money savings are passed along to the farmers in the District.
The project is part of a net energy metering program that allows the District to balance energy production and usage on an annual basis. PG&E calculates the amount of energy the District consumed and credits the District with the total amount of energy produced at the solar facility. At the end of the year, the District will only pay the difference from the amount of energy used and amount of energy produced.
The total project cost was $3.4 million, not including a $1.5 million rebate the District received for PG&E. The exact cost savings from the project will fluctuate with PG&E’s changing rates, but the District calculated that when the PG&E rates increase by 2.5 percent annually, the project will result in a 10 percent savings.
Clean Energy
The solar generation facility produces clean renewable energy that reduces impacts to the environment. The solar facility continues the Reclamation District No. 108 commitment to serve its water users in a reliable, economic and environmentally sound manner.