At a Glance

  • The Jackson Creek Watershed encompasses 60 sq. miles in Amador County and the Sutter Creek Watershed nearly 69 sq. miles
  • The Amador Canal is located in both the Jackson Creek and Sutter Creek watersheds
  • Summer levels in Jackson Creek have dropped dramatically since AWA has reduced flows in the Amador Canal
  • AWA has approved a study on the effects & feasibility of decommissioning the canal
Thumbnail of Watershed Map

The Connection Between the Pipeline & Growth

The Amador Water Agency has stated that once the pipeline was built there would be enough water for Amador County until after 2050. However, once developers saw that the pipeline was going to happen, they began to propose huge developments that could be served by the increase in water delivery. In California, development cannot happen unless a long-term water supply is available for the project. Water is scarce all over the state, so when Amador suddenly got 60% more water from the pipeline project, developers came running.

Already, estimates for AWA's ability to supply water for development are down to the year 2030. Because development follows water in California, as long as Amador has water, Amador will have growth. The more water, the more growth that will follow.

The worst part of all this is that current water customers, through rate increases, are paying for much of the $20,000,000 pipeline and other infrastructure size-ups that are needed to supply future customers.