(Pronounced Tuh-HAY-muh)
Tehama was founded by Robert Hasty Thomes, who arrived in the area after being given a land grant from the government of Mexico from San Francisco in 1844. There are 432 people, 179 households, and 124 families residing in the city.
Carolyn Steffan, born in Tehama has been City Clerk for the past 41 years. In this role she performs many significant and important tasks for the city not the least is Water Manager. Carolyn is certified by the State of California as a Distribution Operator, Class 2 and a Treatment Operator, Class 1.
Tehama, on the western bank of the Sacramento River has a municipal water system formed in 1915. Originally having only a single well, the town has made several significant improvements and now has two deep wells, a “looped” distribution system and just about 200 connections.
Tehama, one of the earliest California settlements north of Sacramento, initially thrived on the riverboat traffic. Tehama's population peaked in the 1890s, at about 2000 residents, including a sizeable Chinese quarter. The city was incorporated in 1906 when plans were being made for an electric railway through the Sacramento Valley; the railway was never built, but Tehama remains as the smallest incorporated city in California. A disastrous fire in 1908 combined with the decline of the riverboat traffic, caused the city to gradually lose prominence and population. The last businesses, a mini-mart and a bar, closed in the 1990s, and the buildings stand unopened, leaving Tehama as almost entirely a residential neighborhood.
Tehama is generally the first area in the county to flood during the rainy season, although flooding is now controlled by releases from Shasta Dam. This gives Tehama a distinctive appearance, since by city ordinance, houses must be raised above flood level. The city also has a program to assist homeowners who would like to elevate their existing homes, and so most homes have high foundations and tall stairways to the front door.
Carolyn operates the water system with the help of her brother. When Carolyn became City Clerk, her father was responsible for the city water system maintenance. She does all of the financial record keeping and billing. Carolyn has been innovative in funding the improvements for the Tehama Water system using grants and loans from the Rural Utilities Service the Department of Health Services the Community Development Block Grand Program and the Department of Water Resources. Her brother serves as “maintenance crew” averaging about 30 hours per month.
Carolyn appreciates the opportunity that a Watchman System can provide as the “eyes” that are constantly watching her water system, providing her with feed back about how the system is operating and giving her remote control over critical system performance. Even more significantly, the Watchman System will allow someone else to “know” the water system that she has been so close to over the past 41 years. It offers the City the opportunity to shift the burden of managing the water system to Durham Pump, their pump dealer.
The Tehama Water System provides water to their users for about $23 per month per average lot. Billing about 60 days in advance, the district has always relied on the grants and loans it received to make the required system improvements.
As Tehama looks forward to life beyond Carolyn’s contribution, the city is seriously considering the Watchman System with the constant support of Iris Connection and their local pump dealer ensures the residents of Tehama a continuous, uninterrupted flow of water. The Watchman System guarantees manageability and remote control. Along with their pump dealers Iris monitors each system remotely over the Internet. This provides complete reassurance and maximizes the safety, efficiency and quality of every Watchman system.