HAS ROYAL GORGE LLC COME TO THEIR SENSES?

At the July 10th planning commission hearing on Rainbow Holding Company/Royal Gorge LLC's Conditional Use Permit for trucking water off from a spring which is a tributary to the South Yuba River, County planner Nick Trifirio categorically stated that Rainbow Springs water will not be used for Royal Gorge's specific plan, and as a result no cumulative impacts on the South Yuba River need be considered.

Royal Gorge LLC's attorney, Randall Faccinto, expounded that this (piping water up to the Summit) was totally unrelated, scrapped, gone, and won't happen. Sound pretty definitive? Well, when lawyers are talking, you have to watch the bouncing ball. He also said, "there's no proposal to do that now."

So here's the question. Has Royal Gorge LLC really come to their senses, and realized that a 10 mile pipeline pumping water up 1000 feet in elevation, with all the pumps and ripping up of roads that would entail, would produce the priciest water in the state?  Have they realized that no sane water district would take on the maintenance of such a system, as those fees would be borne by the entire district?

Or will they say anything to get their CUP to sell bulk water (including drinkable water used to dampen the freeway when DSPUD sells recycled) okayed, which the planning commission did?

Here's the really interesting part. The county planner thought riparian water rights were involved, which was incorrect. Mr. Faccinto, however,  in correcting him, expanded on Royal Gorge LLC's current water scheme. He claimed Royal Gorge is the overlying landowner, and "we can do anything we want." He claims, "It's our water to deal with as we wish." 

This is curious, as Royal Gorge in fact uses that spring water under state water rights permits.  Maybe they feel if they assert it's ground water, which doesn't require permits, often enough,  they will no longer need those state water rights permits? If they pretend the source isn't actually a spring that is tributary to the South Yuba River, and which certainly doesn't flow now, as they've captured it all in pipes and tanks, leaving the river dry and lifeless, will it magically transform into ground water?

Anyways, you heard it first here. Royal Gorge LLC's representative says they're not going to use that water up at the Summit.  Whether you should believe it is another story. And here's the next question.

Where are they going to get the water for their huge proposed development, if that water from Rainbow won't be used? Those of us up at Serene Lakes should be very, very afraid.......