County may run lake recreation in future

Glenn County is being asked to get into the recreation business.

But boaters and fishermen should not get too excited just yet: it may be a few years before anything is finalized out at Stony Creek Gorge.

The Orland Unit Water Users' Association wants the county to run recreation programs there, if and when it takes title of the facility now owned by the federal government.

County supervisors heard the proposal Tuesday and seemed receptive to the idea put forth by the association's general manager, Rick Massa, and consultant Frank Dimick.

Massa said the Bureau of Reclamation suggests the association assume ownership of the project in an effort to eliminate restrictive federal regulations and policies.

However, Orland Unit Water Users' Association already is physically and financially managing the project that consists of two major dams and storage reservoirs, two diversion dams and about 150 miles of canals and laterals, officials said.

But the association does not run or manage the recreation facilities at the East Park or Stony Gorge reservoirs since they are currently handled by the Bureau of Reclamation.

Should the association take ownership of these facilities, It needs an entity with expertise to operate recreational properties, the pair said.

Dimick said the federal government created transfer regulations for such dams in 1996, but it will still take quite a few years to complete a transfer because it requires an act of Congress to approve it.

"The recreation aspects are very important," he said. "That's why we are coming to the county because we don't know how to operate recreation facilities and are asking the county to participate."

Dimick said the first step is for Glenn County to support the transfer to the Orland Unit Water Users' Association, then get someone from the board of supervisors to work with the association on the issue.

An agreement needs to be worked out prior to the transfer of ownership, he said, where the county would run the recreation programs.

Present recreation facilities at Stony Gorge and East Park are rudimentary, Dimick said, since the feds just have enough for health and safety needs.

The Bureau of Reclamation cannot do extensive recreation work because it is a water project, he said.

Supervisor Tracey Quarne of Orland said he has first-hand experience dealing with federal officials.

When he sat on the Orland City Council, Quarne said the city annexed a number of properties that had laterals needing to be covered. It was a long process for the city and took an Act of Congress to get it done.

"It would be a relief to work with somebody next door," Quarne said of the water association. "With the feds, you don't work with them, you work for them."

Quarne volunteered to be a board liaison on the project and proposed putting a summer camp for youth at Stony Gorge if the deal goes through as anticipated down the road.

Supervisors John Viegas and Leigh McDaniel also said they and their constituents favor local control, and board xhairman Steve Soeth said Stony Gorge is in his district, so he has an interest in it.

McDaniel said the feds "may scare up some grant money for recreation" by the time the county became prepared for it.

Contact Rick Longley at 934-6800 or rlongley@tcnpress.com