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Magalia residents urge Butte County to use Camp Fire settlement funds to widen road tied to Magalia Dam retrofit
Summary
Residents of Magalia and the Upper Ridge urged the board to authorize immediate county participation in road widening and bridge design associated with a Paradise Irrigation District retrofit of Magalia Dam, saying a $307,000 design match now would be cheaper than delaying and risking higher costs or less cooperation from the district.
Several residents of Magalia told the Butte County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 26 that the county should act now to design and fund widening of the county road that crosses the planned new spillway tied to a Paradise Irrigation District retrofit of Magalia Dam.
John Stonebraker, a resident and speaker to the board, said the dam — constructed more than 100 years ago with uncompacted mud fill — must be retrofitted to meet the Division of Safety of Dams’ seismic requirements. The irrigation district has grant funding to design a retrofit but the county road will need a new bridge and widened approaches if the spillway is relocated. Stonebraker said the county’s delayed engagement could increase future costs and disrupt coordination with the irrigation district.
He urged the board to agendize authorization to withdraw up to $307,000 from the Camp Fire settlement fund so engineers can design the necessary road and bridge work now while the irrigation district’s 60% design is being reviewed. “If we don't do this now, it's going to be much more expensive later,” Stonebraker said.
Chris Rowan, who described himself as an Upper Ridge resident, said the current configuration leaves essentially one constrained route in and out of some ridge neighborhoods and that that road is not suitable for large evacuations in emergencies. He and others urged immediate county participation in design so the irrigation district can coordinate construction with road widening when the dam retrofit goes to construction.
Why it matters: Speakers framed the request as both a safety and efficiency issue: designing the road and bridge now could limit future construction disruption and reduce the county’s share of costs if work is paired with the irrigation district’s dam retrofit. The Division of Safety of Dams regulates reservoir levels, and the irrigation district has limited time while state reviewers consider the 60% design.
Action requested and board response: Speakers asked the board to agendize a withdrawal from the Camp Fire settlement or other available matching funds at the board’s next meeting. No formal board action was taken on Aug. 26. Stonebraker and Rowan said the irrigation district had given the county a brief window to participate and that the board’s timely decision was needed to keep options open.
Ending: County staff were not given directions at the meeting to act immediately; Stonebraker asked the board to place the item on a future agenda so the county could authorize design-level funding and coordinate bridge and road approaches with the irrigation district’s dam retrofit plans.
