Chester Public Utility District (CPUD) is an independent special district: a local public agency governed by a Board of Directors elected by the voters who live in the District. This page explains the state law the District operates under and how the District came to be what it is today.

Enabling act

The District is organized and operates under the Public Utility District Act, California Public Utilities Code section 15501 and following. This is the District’s “principal act,” the state law that sets out what a public utility district is, how it is governed, and what services it may provide.

• Services: the Act allows public utility districts to provide services such as water, sewer, fire protection, street lighting, parks and recreation, and drainage.
• New services: a district may begin providing a service it was not providing on December 31, 2000 only with the approval of the Plumas Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo).
• Boundaries: changes to the District’s boundaries, such as annexations, are approved by Plumas LAFCo.
• Governance: CPUD is governed by a five-member Board of Directors, elected at large to staggered four-year terms.

Our history

• 1941: The Chester Fire Protection District is formed. It later becomes part of CPUD.
• July 7, 1947: According to Plumas LAFCo records, Chester Public Utility District is formed under the Public Utility District Act.
• 1967–1969: The District builds the community’s public water system, including water mains and the first District water wells, completed in 1969.
• 1981: The District takes over the water distribution system serving the Lake Almanor Forest Estates subdivision. The Chester Airport, school district property, and Martin Ranch are annexed into the District.
• September 14, 1984: The Chester Sanitary District is dissolved and its territory becomes part of CPUD (LAFCo File 1-DRA-83). Sewer service, garbage disposal service, domestic water, and street lighting are brought together under one district: CPUD.
• 1981–2017: The District’s boundary grows through 17 annexations approved by Plumas LAFCo, including the Higgins areas, Collins Pine Company land, U.S. Forest Service and Caltrans sites, and the Wildwood Senior Center. The most recent was recorded October 16, 2017 (LAFCo File 2016-0001).
• November 10, 2009: CPUD and the Chester Fire Protection District consolidate (LAFCo File 2008-CSOL-001), with the support of both boards. CPUD takes on fire protection and ambulance service, and the fire station at 251 Chester Airport Road becomes the District’s headquarters.
• December 2024: Plumas LAFCo approves the transfer of fire service in the Chester area to the Peninsula Fire Protection District, which now provides fire protection in Chester.

The District today

CPUD provides water and wastewater (sewer) service to about 2,100 residents in an area of about 1.75 square miles in and around Chester, at the north end of Lake Almanor in Plumas County. The District also oversees street lighting and the garbage collection franchise for the area. See the Service Area Map for the District boundary.

Formation and boundary records

These are copies of official records filed with the Plumas County Recorder. They are scanned from paper originals, so some pages may be hard to read. Each file is a PDF.

How the District took its current form

• Reorganization of the Chester Sanitary District and Chester Public Utility District (LAFCo File 1-DRA-83), recorded September 14, 1984
• Consolidation of Chester Public Utility District and Chester Fire Protection District (LAFCo File 2008-CSOL-001), recorded November 10, 2009
• Plumas LAFCo Resolution 2010-0007, correcting consolidation Resolution 2009-02 (both included)

Boundary changes (LAFCo certificates of completion for annexations to the District)

• Martin Ranch Annexation, recorded February 10, 1981
• Martin Ranch Annexation – amended certificate, recorded March 12, 1981
• Chester Airport Annexation, recorded October 21, 1981
• Plumas Unified School District Annexation, recorded October 21, 1981
• Caulk Annexation, recorded March 5, 1984
• Higgins Territory Annexation, recorded September 23, 1988
• Almanor Senior Residential Facility Annexation, recorded March 1, 1989
• Higgins Territory Annexation, recorded March 1, 1989
• Higgins-Lazzarini Territory Annexation, recorded February 16, 1990
• Collins Pine Company Territory Annexation, recorded March 12, 1990
• U.S. Forest Service (Almanor Ranger Station) Annexation, recorded December 15, 1999
• Rouland Parcel Annexation, recorded July 22, 2003
• Caltrans Maintenance Facility Annexation, recorded October 27, 2003
• Forest Service Parcels Annexation, recorded October 27, 2003
• Wildwood Senior Center Annexation, recorded June 13, 2005
• St Clair Property Annexation, recorded June 19, 2006
• Feather River Properties Annexation, recorded November 7, 2006
• Brussard Annexation, recorded October 16, 2017

Other documents recorded by or for the District, such as deeds and easements, are available on request. Call the District office at (530) 258-2171, or see Public Records Requests.

Sources

This history is based on documents recorded with the Plumas County Recorder and on Plumas LAFCo reports, including the 2013 Lake Almanor Area Sphere of Influence report and the 2024 Municipal Service Review. If you have historical documents or photos of the District, we would love to hear from you. Call the District office at (530) 258-2171.