February Board Meeting

The board meeting for February will be on February 8th at 10 a.m.  It is open to the public and everyone is welcome to attend.  We hope to see  you there.

New Totals!

Wow, we hit 14,000 blog hits on Wednesday, January18th.  This is great.  It is our hope here at the water district that we can provide our customers with lots of information and keep them updated on what is happening at the water district and a little bit of what is going on in Pine Cove in general, especially if it is something like a fire that could impact all of us.

We have lots of links to to sites you might find useful.  Just scroll down the left side of the blog and you will see them.  If you know of a site that you think might be useful to the residents of Pine Cove and it isn't listed on the blog, feel free to drop me a note and I will check it out.  If it is something that could be useful, then I will add it to my list.

One person suggested we post a little more about the weather conditions and snow accumulation for those who are off the hill and are contemplating coming up to their mountain home.  I have been trying to do that.  Obviously, if I am not saying anything about the weather, there is nothing much going on.  While we aren't a weather reporting agency, we can at least let people know if the roads have been plowed or how much snow we have received.

What we cannot do is tell you how big the snow berm is in front of your house or if your driveway needs plowed.  But we will pass along as much info as possible during and shortly after a storm so you can make an informed decision about when to drive up here.  Remember, if the weather is bad, think twice about driving up the mountain.  There is no sense driving  in a winter storm unless you absolutely have to.   People don't always realize just how bad the roads can be and with each storm, comes a rash of accidents.   In my book, it is better to be safe than sorry. 

And as always, if you have any suggestions for improving the blog, just let us know and we will take your ideas into consideration.  We hope the blog has been a useful and informative tool for everyone here in Pine Cove.

Meter Reading

It's that time again.  The boys, Jerry & Jeremy, will be out and about next Monday and Tuesday reading meters for the first billing cycle of 2012.  When your bill arrives, please be sure to read the enclosed information letter about our pipeline replacement program.  As always, your payment will be due on February 25th.  If you have difficulties meeting that due date, please call Becky at 951-659-2675 and discuss it with her.

Board Meeting

February's board meeting will be held on February 8th at 10 a.m. in the board room here at the water district office.  We are located at 24917 Marion Ridge Road, right next to the fire station. We hope to see you there!

Winter is Back

For a couple of days anyway.  It is hard to believe that it is the last full week of January and there is no snow or snow pack.  I do remember other winters where we had almost no moisture and then around February, we would get hit hard.  Will this year repeat that pattern?  Who knows.  But it would be nice to see some snow up in the high country.  Perhaps Old Man Winter is just a little slow in getting started this year.  Time will tell. In the meantime, enjoy this cold, wet weather because the forecast says it will start warming up again by Wednesday.  One good thing about the rain is that you do not have to shovel it!

Holiday Hours

The water district will be closed on Monday, January 16, 2012  due to Martin Luther King Day.  We will resume normal hours on Tuesday, January 17th, which are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Remember that we are now open during lunch most days.

Board Meeting

Tomorrow, January 11, is the first board meeting of 2012!  It starts at 10 a.m. sharp in the board room here at the water district office. Hope you can make it.

Lawler Fire is Well in Hand

Thankfully it looks like the worst is over as far as the Lawler Fire is concerned.  According to an article on the Town Crier website, Kate Kramer, Forest Service Public Information Officer said that the fire was at 95% containment as of Monday evening.  Full containment is estimated to be 6 p.m., Friday, Jan 13.
On Tuesday, Jan. 10, traffic will no longer require pilot car escorts. Cal-Trans and CHP have lifted all emergency restrictions on State Highway 243.

As of Monday evening about 75 personnel are still assigned to the fire. At its high point, more than 200 people were battling the Lawler Fire. One helicopter is still assigned to the incident. The incident commander is Forest Service Battalion Chief Fred Espinoza.

For more on the fire, you can go to www.idyllwildtowncrier.com and look under the heading, "Latest News".
We are very grateful that this was such a small fire and didn't get out of control.  Kudos to everyone who had a hand it getting it knocked down so quickly!

Lawler Fire Update

Here are the latest fire details as of January 9, 2012 @ 11 a.m. per the US Forest Service. You can call 909-379-9339 for more information.

Lawler Fire: location 4 miles N/NW of Idyllwild California. 
Acres Burned: 14
Containment: 70%
Fire Started: January 8, 2012 at approximately 3 a.m
Cause: Under investigation
Structures Threatened: 7
Structures Destroyed: 0
Injuries: 2
Total personnel assigned to the fire: 170

Summary: The Lawler Fire started early Sunday morning, January 8, at approximately 3 a.m. on the San Jacinto Ranger District of the the San Bernardino National Forest, approximately 4 miles north/northwest of Idyllwild.  It is burning in the Dark Canyon drainage.

Update:  The fire continues to burn at a slow rate within the perimeter with isolated torching of snags.  Good progress is expected today due to calmer winds.  Full containment is expected by 1800 hrs (6 p.m.) this evening.    Crews are constructing fire lines, have contained multiple spot fires and have contained 70% of the fire.  One helicopter is assigned to the fire to assist with water-drops, if needed.

Driving: Cal Trans is managing traffic with pilot car escorts and is also doing minor roadwork in this area.  motorists are advised to drive slowly, obey all posted speed limits and choose safe turnouts for stopping.

Cooperating Agencies:  CAL FIRE, Riverside Co. Fire Department, Idyllwild Fire Protection District, Riverside County Office of Emergency Services, CA Highway Patrol, Cal Trans and the Forest Service including the San Bernardino, Cleveland and Angeles National Forests.

Board Meeting

Just a reminder that our first board meeting of 2012 is going to be held on Wednesday morning, January 11, at 10 a.m., here at the district office.  We are located at 24917 Marion Ridge Road, right next to the fire station.  The public is welcome to attend.  Hope to see you there.  If you can't make the meetings, you can read the minutes and agendas on our website at http://www.pcwd.org/.

Lawler Fire

You probably heard by now that there was a fire that broke out on Highway 243 just north of Black Mountain Road at 2:53 a.m. Sunday morning, according the California Highway Patrol's website.  It appears that it is well in hand and poses no threat or danger to Pine Cove.  For more information you can go to the Idyllwild Town Crier for the latest information.  Here is a link.

http://idyllwildtowncrier.com/2012/01/08/lawler-fire-pictures/

Hold on to Your Hats!

It looks like this nice spell of unusually warm winter weather is going to continue for another week!  However, the winds are going to be back this weekend.  While I am not fond of the wind as I consider it very scary and dangerous, think tree branches falling onto house roofs and fires, I guess it is easier than shoveling out after a big snow storm. 

If you are planning to come up the hill this weekend, there should be no problems other than the possibility of the high winds.  The days have been warm and sunny and perfect really.  The nights are cool, crisp and clear.  The full moon has been just beautiful against the pristine, star studded sky.  So come on up while the weather is good and enjoy these unusually warm January temperatures.  Hopefully we will return to winter soon complete with lots of moisture.   

New Year's Resolution

Are you turning your water off at your customer valve when you leave your mountain home?

I hope so.  If you are not, you should be.  Why, you might ask.  The weather is nice, no snow, no freezing temps, why bother.  Why indeed!  Because leaks can happen at any time, day or night, winter or summer.  While it is true that pipes don't freeze in the summer, you can still develop a leak and if your water isn't off, this can turn into something quite unpleasant. 

So please, make it your New Year Resolution to turn your water off at your customer valve any time you leave your mountain home.  If you do not know where your customer valve is or how to turn it on and off, please call us at 951-659-2675 during normal business hours, which are 9 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday, and we will send someone out to show you where it is and how to turn it off.  As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Weather Update

Can you believe this weather?  We are lucking out for another week with above normal temps and no storm systems.  I don't know how long this will last.  If you have any yard work or abatement that needs done, now is a great time to get to it.  The winds that we had in December made quite a mess, so at least Mother Nature is being kind enough to give us the chance to clean up the mess she made!  What more could we ask for?

January Board Meeting

The first board meeting of 2012 is just around the corner.  Next Wednesday, January 11th at 10 a.m. to be exact.  As always, the public is welcome to attend.  If you would like to read about what happened at past meetings, go to our website at http://www.pcwd.org/ and look under meetings.  There are approved minutes posted, as well as past agendas.  We also post the agenda for the upcoming meeting on Friday in the box next to the front door here at the district office. 

Our office is located at 24917 Marion Ridge Road, right next to the fire station.  We are the second building on the left.  Parking is available here at the office parking lot or across the street in the empty lot.  There is a sidewalk that runs down the left side of the office building that leads to the board room door.  Just walk right in and grab yourself a seat.  We hope to see you there!

Happy 2012

Here we are in the new year!  Can't help but wonder what the year has in store for us all here in Pine Cove this year.  Many good things I hope.

Speaking of good things, the weather is currently one of them.  It has been fabulous for this time of year.  I am feeling like I don't want winter to return.  The living is too easy when the weather is this good in late December and January.  No shoveling, no freezing temps, low heat bills and cool evenings for perfect sleeping. 

However, on the water side of things, this isn't the best scenario, so hopefully there are lots of winter storms to come so we get that snow pack that helps keep the water table up.  It is so easy to get complacent about our water supply when there is a lot of it.  While we are not in a conservation stage currently, it is very helpful if everyone continues their conservation efforts as if we were in one, because you just never know.

Drought is always looming on the horizon and we are never out of the woods, water wise.  Simply put, the less we use the more we leave in the ground for future use.  As we begin the new year, one of my goals here at the water district is to do more research and post more information about rain water harvesting.

While this sometimes seems like a daunting task and granted, it is difficult for some people to put a large water tank in their yard, saving rain water is a great way to acquire water for outdoor irrigation and certain indoor uses, such as washing cloths or flushing toilets.  We won't delve into systems that provide potable water at this time.  For now, I will focus on some basics and explore other things we can do in our yards to keep the moisture that does come, in our yards and not running down the street.

Rain water harvesting isn't only about sticking a barrel under your rain spouting.  There are other things you can do in your garden and yard to help water stick around.  By making the most of what we do get, we can decrease our need for irrigation and so we will be exploring those options as well.