[pct-l] Echo Lake Chalet announcement

[Tortoise]

from the Echo Chalet homepage. (Echo Lake (US50 summit) which the PCTA 
goes by:

JULY 24TH 2009 UPDATE

The water situation at the Chalet has become critical, and we are in the 
process of canceling existing reservations for our house-keeping cabins 
("Chaletlee's"). Our springs (horizontal wells) have been producing 
between 25 and 50% of normal since we opened, and we have just 
experienced a marked reduction in storage and inflow.

We are hopeful that the water supply will continue to allow us to 
operate the Store and Deli-fountain. The marina operation is not 
affected by our spring-water supply.

Please read below for the chronology of our (and California's) water 
woes..............

DROUGHT NEWS: as of April 30th 2009 (from the Mountain Democrat)

The Sierra Nevada snowpack is at two-thirds of normal for this time of 
year, raising concerns about summer water deliveries to cities and 
farms. The third straight winter of below-normal precipitation has 
prompted drought warnings in California. The state depends on its 
snowpack for much of its summer water supply.  This winter's fifth and 
final snow survey near South Lake Tahoe on April 30th found the snowpack 
at 66 percent of a typical year across the 400-mile-long mountain range.

The Chalet must have hot and cold, pressurized, water to operate the 
store and Chaletlees (Eldorado County Health Department regulations) and 
we have asked the Forest Service for permission to install an additional 
water storage tank that could be top-filled (if necessary)  by a 
commercial water purveyor.  In the meantime, given the drought 
situation, we will continue with our ongoing water conservation programs 
and limit our late-season reservations.




-- 


Tortoise

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