Friday’s top of the scroll: State budget crisis scuttles Delta levee hazard detection, repairs

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 7:50 am

From the Sacramento Bee:

Politicians across the state are demanding major water projects in the Delta, but basic repairs on its vast network of levees have come to a standstill.

State reimbursement for levee projects completed as far back as 2007 has been stalled by the budget crisis. This means flood-control districts in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta have not been able to pay back loans they took out for those projects or to finance new projects.

As a result, almost no levee repairs are getting done in the Delta this year. One levee engineer told The Bee as much as 15 miles of levee repairs have been stalled. Any of these levee segments could become the next failure that plunges the state into an even more desperate water crisis.

“As we look to the long-term future of the California Delta, we can’t overlook necessary fixes that need to be done right now,” said Jonas Minton, a senior project manager at the Planning and Conservation League and former deputy director of flood management at the state Department of Water Resources.

Read more from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under Levees

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Delta advocates plan Capitol rally; Peripheral canal looms large in estuary debate

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 7:43 am

From Stockton’s Record:

Hundreds of Delta advocates plan to rally next week at the state Capitol, fearing that behind-the-scenes negotiations by legislators over the future of the estuary will shut them out of the debate until it is too late.

Earlier this week, it appeared a key committee hearing would take place next week, on Tuesday or Thursday. Grass-roots group Restore the Delta sent an alert to its members, warning that the proposed legislation - perhaps a combination of existing bills - could include authorization of a peripheral canal. That hearing is now in question as legislators grapple with the state budget. Some advocates are concerned there could be no hearing at all.

“One public hearing for a set of water policies that has far-reaching and expensive implications for the entire state is a mockery of the democratic process,” Restore the Delta director Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla said in her message to members. “We are tired of the decisions being made without our consent and involvement,” she wrote.

Read more from the Record by clicking here.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under Other Delta Issues, Peripheral Canal

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Gov. Schwarzenegger announces water release to Central Valley farms

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 7:38 am

From the Office of the Governor:

Today the Department of Water Resources (DWR) will release up to 100,000 acre-feet of water to aid Central Valley farms. Today’s action comes after the Governor visited the farming community of Mendota June 19 where he met with local elected officials to discuss the three-year drought and its effects throughout the region.

“Nothing is more important to Central Valley farmers than ensuring there is water to fuel jobs and feed families, and with today’s announcement, we are taking quick action to deliver water to those who need it most,” said Gov. Schwarzenegger. “This situation further highlights the seriousness of our state’s water crisis and the critical need to upgrade California’s water infrastructure for our jobs and our families.”

The release represents a “water loan” from State Water Project (SWP) supplies to the federal Central Valley Project (CVP) conditioned on “repayment” of the water after this summer’s irrigation season. The emergency action will allow Central Valley farmers to continue receiving water supplies promised by the federal CVP. It will not result in a net reduction of supply for users of SWP water, which will be repaid no later than November 30, 2009.

DWR will continue to work with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on possible additional support subject to “repayment” by the CVP. With California in its third year of drought, compounded by federal restrictions on Delta pumping, the CVP has less water than expected to deliver to Central Valley farms.

To help those impacted by the drought, the Governor last month requested a federal disaster declaration from President Obama for Fresno County and issued Executive Order S-11-09, activating the California Disaster Assistance Act. And in February, the Governor declared a state of emergency due to water supply shortages and associated drought impacts. The Governor has called for a comprehensive habitat and species conservation plan to better protect all Delta species while ensuring more reliable water supplies for farms, homes, industry and wildlife.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under Agriculture, Drought, Weather & Snowpack

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Governor directs more aid to state’s water-short areas

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 7:37 am

From the California Farm Bureau Federation:

After meeting with farmers and elected officials from the western San Joaquin Valley, Gov. Schwarzenegger took action to bring additional relief to the parched region.

The governor asked President Obama to issue a federal disaster declaration for Fresno County and signed an executive order that he said would result in the distribution of $3 million to $4 million a month in emergency food and unemployment assistance for areas wracked by water shortages.

Speaking at a news conference in Mendota last week, Schwarzenegger also expressed support for a proposed, temporary project that could increase the reliability of water exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and he reiterated his commitment to securing a comprehensive water plan for California.

“I will fight, fight, fight and do everything I can to create the immediate water that is needed,” Schwarzenegger said, “and also the infrastructure for water.”

Read more from the California Farm Bureau Federation by clicking here.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under Drought, Weather & Snowpack

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Secretary Salazar announces Recovery Act award for Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific Region in California

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 7:35 am

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Bureau of Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific Region has issued a cooperative agreement award under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The $5.25 million award is for the Red Bluff Fish Passage Improvement Project on the Sacramento River in northern California.

The Red Bluff Diversion Dam’s gates are lowered to form Lake Red Bluff, which enables the gravity diversion of water from the Sacramento River into the Tehama-Colusa and Corning Canals to irrigate 150,000 acres of high-value cropland. However, when lowered to provide irrigation water, the gates block threatened and endangered salmon, steelhead and green sturgeon, as well as other fish species, from reaching their spawning grounds.

Reclamation’s managing partner, the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority (TCCA), will receive $5.25 million in ARRA funds toward construction of an interim pumping plant to deliver irrigation water while the gates are raised, thus providing unimpeded fish passage. An additional $104.6 million in ARRA funds will be provided later for construction of a permanent pumping plant.

“Through the use of economic stimulus funds, we are protecting the region’s farming economy and jobs while helping to provide safe passage for fish,” said Secretary Salazar. “This is a win-win project for both people and the environment and represents a vital component of the Obama Administration’s effort to help the people of the Central Valley and other areas in California.”

1. On June 28, Secretary Salazar appointed Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes to bring all of the key federal agencies to the table to coordinate the myriad of water issues facing this state. Deputy Secretary Hayes explained the importance of today’s announcement, “The Red Bluff Fish Passage Improvement Project will be completed in multi-phases and will be conducted by Reclamation, TCCA and the State of California. The total cost of this project, which will help meet the needs of all California water users, is estimated at $215 million and is being partially paid for by ARRA money.”
2. The ARRA funds are part of a stimulus package that is an important component of the President’s plan to jumpstart the economy, create or save jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so the Country can thrive in the 21st century. In development of the stimulus package, priority was given to funding relatively large projects which would create lasting value for the public. Funds from ARRA will allow Reclamation to make a significant contribution to the recovery and stabilization of the economy of the United States in a short time.

Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Department of the Interior’s economic recovery projects. The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on www.recovery.gov and on www.interior.gov/recovery. Secretary Salazar has appointed a Senior Advisor for Economic Recovery, Chris Henderson, and an Interior Economic Recovery Task Force. Henderson and the Task Force will work closely with the Department of the Interior’s Inspector General to ensure that the recovery program is meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility and transparency that President Obama has set.

Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit Reclamation’s website at www.usbr.gov.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under Uncategorized

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Another way to get more water for Las Vegas?

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 7:32 am

Interesting brief article in the Reno Gazette-Journal puts up an idea for acquiring more water for Las Vegas - one that I hadn’t heard before:

An act of Congress would be needed to direct Walker River water to Los Angeles for a trade for better Colorado River water rights for Las Vegas, “but such an act led to the present University of Nevada water acquisition program to begin with”.
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So states the final Environmental Impact Statement Socio-Economic Evaluation report from the Nevada Department of Agriculture completed by Director Anthony L. Lesperance, Ph.D.

In fact, in the final of three recent reports, Dr. Lesperance draws the same conclusions as in his previous draft reports, but adds: “It would be a relatively simple matter to direct Walker River water to the existing aqueduct system serving the greater Los Angeles area, which could be traded for better right on the Colorado River for Las Vegas.”

Of course, one significant hitch here is that there is a big fight going on to save Walker Lake, a terminal lake in central Nevada, which is suffering because of upstream diversions for irrigation in the Mason & Smith valleys. In a related story, Director Lesperance warns, however, that removing water from the Walker River basin would be a bad idea:

No matter what any UNR/DRI research project criticisms of his report may state, Dr. Tony Lesperance, Director of the Nevada Department of Agriculture, Tuesday refused to back down, adding, “To remove Walker River water from its present agriculture use in Smith and Mason Valleys will have irreversible consequences of great significance to the area, the region and the State of Nevada.”.

Read more from the Reno Gazette Journal here and here.

Picture credit: Aerial shot of Walker Lake by flickr photographer BitHead.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under Las Vegas

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Seeking Alpha/Resolution’s Instablog: Invest in water and invest wisely

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 7:17 am

From Seeking Alpha’s Resolution’s Instablog:

Everybody knows that water will be next oil and has long term value. However, how to invest wisely? This post tries to identify a few subsectors for those who are interested in investing in water.

Water: A Defensive growth sector

The global water sector, which is estimated to be a $425 billion market, remains at the forefront of industrial, geopolitical, and social agendas because of worsening supply/demand imbalances at regional and national levels and the heightened megatrend catalysts of water scarcity, quality, and safety issues. We are bullish on the global water sector’s defensive long term growth potential.

The Next Oil

The demand for water – the life-sustaining natural resource that has no substitute – continues to escalate at an unsustainable rate, fueled by population growth and industrial expansion. The world’s fresh water supply is also shrinking due to pollution, draining of underground aquifers, and climate change. As a result, we expect to see a sustained focus and investment in the global water sector for years to come.

Read more from Resolution’s Instablog by clicking here.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under Water & Investing

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Peter Gleick: Wake up - Here is what a real water crisis looks like

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 6:52 am

From Peter Gleick at his City Brights blog:

California is in the midst of an ugly debate about water–uglier than normal–because of a confluence of events, including a “hydrologic” drought caused by nature, a longer-term trend to restore some water back to failing ecosystems, and the gross mismanagement of the state’s water, which has been going on for a century, but is affecting us now more than ever.

But despite all of the rhetoric, news stories, name-calling, yelling, and screaming, Californians have very little clue about what a real water crisis looks like. It looks like what’s happening in Australia. Today’s Water Number:

Water Number: 18,000 tons of rice. That is the total rice production from all of Australia last year, compared to the long-term average from 1970 of over 720,000 tons, and the high (in 2000) of over 1.6 million tons. Effectively, Australian rice production has dropped to zero because there is not enough water. And that is only one measure of the severity of their water crisis.

Read more from the City Brights blog by clicking here.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under Drought, Weather & Snowpack, International Water Issues

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Joint hearing on several pending Delta & water bills to be held tentatively on Tuesday, July 7

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 6:42 am

From the Delta E-News:

The Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee and the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee are currently scheduled to hold a joint hearing next Tuesday, July 7, on five Senate bills and one Assembly bill. Because of the ongoing budget crisis the hearing may be cancelled. If you plan to attend, please call the Senate committee office at (916) 651-4116 or one of the legislators noted below to make sure the joint hearing is still on.

The hearing is set to begin at 9 a.m. in Room 4202 of the Capitol. Bills slated to be heard are: Senate Bills 12 (Simitian: Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, Clean Drinking Water, Water Supply Security, and Environmental Improvement Act of 2009); 229 (Pavley: California Water Commission: Bay-Delta); 261 (Dutton: Water use); 457 (Wolk: Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta); 458 (Wolk: Conservancies: Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy); and Assembly Bill 13 (Salas: Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy).

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under Events

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Some species rebound, but more become endangered

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 6:35 am

From the Scientific American:

The global crisis for endangered species is more serious than the financial meltdown, with numbers of imperiled animals and plants rising at record rates, scientists are warning in a report released today.

In its latest four-year assessment of endangered species, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has added several new entries to the Red List of Threatened Species. Judging from the list’s expansion, the report warns, the world is unlikely to meet a goal of reversing a trend toward species depletion by 2010.

The report, “Wildlife in a Changing World,” estimates that 22 percent of known mammals are either facing the threat of extinction or are already extinct. It also found great stress for amphibians, with more than 30 percent classified as threatened or extinct.

“We now know that nearly one quarter of the world’s mammals, nearly one third of amphibians and more than 1 in 8 of all bird species are at risk of extinction,” IUCN warns. “This allows us to come to the stark conclusion that wildlife … is in trouble.”

Read more from the Scientific American by clicking here.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under Water & Wildlife

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Carl Pope: Wild America creeps back

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 6:33 am

From Carl Pope at the Huffington Post:

For eight years under George Bush, America’s wilderness faced a systematic assault from the federal government. By the end of the first Bush term, more than 100 million acres that previously enjoyed federal protection had lost it.

Since last November’s election, the Bush legacy has been unraveling, and the progress on this front has been encouragingly swift. Last month the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued a biological function that will require fundamental changes in how the government operates California’s water system. The biologists concluded that salmon, steelhead, green sturgeon, and killer whales all would be at risk unless the amount of water that remains in the rivers and deltaic systems is increased — which means less diversion for irrigation.

“What is at stake here is not just the survival of species but the health of entire ecosystems,” said Rod Mcinnis, administrator of the NMFS Southwest Regional Office. In addition to mandating a reduction in irrigation supplies by another five to seven percent a year, NMFS made other suggestions: The boldest is to open up the Red Bluff Diversion Dam on the Sacramento River to allow Chinook salmon and sturgeon unimpeded passage upriver.

Read more from Carl Pope at the Huffington Post by clicking here.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under Water & Wildlife

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USDA chief spotlights food crops at D.C. garden: Six acres of organic vegetables designed to showcase USDA mission

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 6:20 am

From the Capital Press:

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack is transforming the six-acre site surrounding the department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., into a showcase of good farming and conservation practices.

While Vilsack’s original plans called for a 612-square-foot organic vegetable garden, those plans were soon expanded to encompass 1,300 square feet. In addition to the garden, the site also has ornamental flower gardens and mini-wetlands designed to reduce pollution and surface water runoff. Dan Newhouse, director of Washington state’s Agriculture Department, recently traveled to the nation’s capital on a trade trip. He said initiatives like the new gardens at the White House and USDA headquarters send “a great message.”

“People continue to be more and more interested in where their food comes from,” he said. “A garden is a window into the lives of the men and women who farm for a living.”

For Vilsack, these landscaping changes make more sense for an agency dedicated to agriculture than the site’s original landscaping with its grass, flower borders and memorials. During the Feb. 12 dedication of “the People’s Garden,” Vilsack, 58, broke ground with a tool far more powerful than the customary shovel. Donning a hard hat and manning a jackhammer, he started removing what he referred to as 1,250 square feet of “unnecessary paved surface” that will be planted in grass.

“You’ve heard of paving over farmland,” he said as onlookers cheered. “We’re taking a reverse action today. We’re reclaiming this piece of earth.”

Read more from the Capital Ag Press by clicking here.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under Agriculture

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Rainfall year still falls short of average for Northern California

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 6:19 am

From the Chico Enterprise-Record:

Many north state cities saw an increase in rainfall over the past year, but generally precipitation remained below average as California’s three-year-old drought continued. The Enterprise-Record’s weather station in Chico recorded exactly 20 inches of rain for the precipitation year ending June 30 — an 8-percent increase over the prior year. The 2008-09 total was about 79.8 percent of the average total of 25.09 inches.

The precipitation picture was similar across the north state. E-R weather observer Ron Ullman reported 26.15 inches in Oroville, a 29 percent increase over 2007-08’s 20.15 inches. In Paradise, E-R weather observer Jay Castor reported 52.88 inches, 29 percent more than the prior year’s 40.95 inches. The Paradise Irrigation District recorded 47.17 inches at its station, 90 percent of its average 51.86 inches.

Although the past year’s rainfall is below normal, it is an improvement over 2006-07 and 2007-08. In Chico, there were 16.17 inches and 18.49 inches of rain respectively.

Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record by clicking here.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under Drought, Weather & Snowpack, Northern California

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January’s rain deficit hurt Sacramento annual total

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 6:17 am

From the Sacramento Bee:

As the Sacramento region settles into its annual stretch of dry summer weather, data from the official rain season that ended Tuesday show that though it could have been worse, a little more precipitation would not have hurt.

Predictions from the National Weather Service provide no hope that the new rain season – it runs annually from July 1 through June 30 – will start any differently than the previous one ended: It will be warm and dry.

This holiday weekend forecast is for mostly clear skies and high temperatures in Sacramento reaching 96 degrees on Independence Day.

Read more from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under Drought, Weather & Snowpack

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Wasted water could affect pocketbooks in La Canada

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 6:16 am

From the La Canada Valley Sun:

A water ordinance that went into effect this week for La Cañada residents could mean the installation of water restricter devices and heavy fines for home owners — and that’s even if it is their gardeners or employees who are over watering or not following the water conservation rules.

Each of the seven areas that buy water from Foothill Water District and ultimately Metropolitan Water District, are under an Orange Alert and being told to restrict water use. The various districts have selected their own manner of dealing with those restrictions, some specifying which days of the week residents can water and others simply asking customers to cut back.

For La Cañada Irrigation District customers, after an initial violation notification, there is a fine — not to exceed $100 — for a second violation, with a third-violation fine not to exceed $250. Should a fourth-notification be required, there would be a fine up to $1,000.

In addition to fines, and the installation by the district of a flow-restriction device, the district may disconnect a customer’s water service for willful violations of the mandatory restrictions, according to a pamphlet distributed by the district.

Read more from the La Canada Valley Sun by clicking here.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under Southern California

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High mercury levels found in SoCal fish

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 6:16 am

From the San Bernardino Sun:

Fish in many freshwater lakes and reservoirs tested in Southern California have highly elevated levels of mercury and some fish also have high levels of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), according to a report issued by the State Water Resources Control Board in May. The levels are high enough to set off alarm bells for health officials, but anglers aren’t being asked to stop eating their catch.

Yet.

The report gives data from the first year of a two-year study being conducted by the SWRCB and represents the largest survey ever done on contaminants in sportfish from the state’s lakes and reservoirs. The first year of data showed methylmercury and PCB levels in commonly consumed sportfish - catfish, largemouth bass, bullhead, and carp - are likely to be very high in many waters, and anglers should be prudent about eating these fish and follow some simple, common-sense guidelines until the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) gets more data that might lead to official health advisories and warnings.

“It’s a red flag, for sure, but it’s not a storm warning,” said Dave Clegern, a spokesman for the SWRCB. “People should be concerned, but not panicked. We certainly don’t want to discourage people from eating fish because it is an important part of a healthy diet.” The preliminary results show that it’s very likely that many, if not most, of the major fishing reservoirs in the region have levels of mercury that eventually will require some health advisories.

Read more from the San Bernardino Sun by clicking here.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under Southern California

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San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board to address concerns about Gregory Canyon landfill

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 6:15 am

From the Fallbrook Village News:

The Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) will soon be considering the issuance of a permit for the proposed Gregory Canyon landfill. The San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) seeks to impose conditions on that permit to alleviate any impacts not only to its facilities but also to the San Luis Rey River, which serves as a local water supply for several CWA agencies.

Although the original item being debated during the CWA board meeting April 23 would have authorized a letter to the RWQCB which opposed issuance of a permit for the proposed landfill, the amended motion approved by the CWA board authorizes a letter to the RWQCB expressing the CWA’s concerns which were raised in 1999 during the Environmental Impact Review process about the impact to aquifer groundwater supplies from landfill leakage. The letter also urges the RWQCB to evaluate negative drinking water quality impacts which could occur from leakage when the RWQCB considers issuance of a permit.

The RWQCB has scheduled an August 12 hearing on the waste discharge permit for the proposed landfill. “What the Authority’s doing today is a good step,” said Otay Water District general manager Mark Watton, who also represents Otay on the CWA board.

Read more from the Fallbrook Village News by clicking here.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under San Diego

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The authority on San Diego water: Questions for Maureen Stapleton

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 3, 2009 at 6:07 am

From the Voice of San Diego:

When we last sat down for an extensive interview with Maureen Stapleton, general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority, the region’s water wholesaler, the current water shortage hadn’t yet unfolded. We talked, among other things, about her coffee-table books.

In the three years since, a lengthy list of endangered fish have restricted operations of the pumps that deliver water to Southern California from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a major source. Levels in Lake Mead, a key storage reservoir on the Colorado River, another major source, have continued dropping. The potential impacts of climate change on the snowfall that yields our water supplies have become clearer. And water-use restrictions started across the county for the first time in two decades. So we had a lot to talk about.

The water authority’s stated mission is to provide a safe and reliable water supply to its 24 member agencies. Water restrictions went into effect across the county today (July 1). Does that represent a failure on the water authority’s behalf?
I think this year we will not be able to achieve our fundamental mission. It is very troubling for me. We have made tremendous strides in increasing water reliability for this region. Probably more so than any other region in California — between the increase in local supplies, conservation, recycling, the Quantification Settlement Agreement, the completion of the two canal (lining projects).

Tremendous progress has been made, but that progress didn’t come quick enough for us to avoid some cut. Had this 13 percent cut arrived five years from now, we’d be in a much different place.

Read more from the Voice of San Diego by clicking here.

July 3, 2009 · Filed Under San Diego

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Thursday afternoon update: Pumps bring water, but for how long? Efforts to protect Delta smelt cut water by 660,000 acre feet last year

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 2:14 pm

From the Capital Press:

Federal government pumps in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta started moving much-needed irrigation water to farms Wednesday, July 1, but questions remain about how long those pumps will continue running.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told the audience of a town hall meeting in Fresno Sunday, June 28, that the Central Valley Project pumps would run through the end of the year, facilitating 70 approved water transfers totaling 245,000 acre feet. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Mike Connor, who also spoke at the town hall meeting, said the agency is working to make the most of this year’s water supplies.

However, there was some skepticism. West side farmer Bob Diedrich said growers already knew the pumps would resume moving water south on July 1, but questioned how long they would remain on considering the latest National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency biological opinion on salmon recovery. That biological opinion has focused all fish recovery efforts on reducing the amount of pumping from the Delta.

It is unknown how much the opinion would affect pumping, said Sarah Woolf of Westlands Water District. The Bureau of Reclamation told the district they would phase in the restrictions, Woolf said, but there is no guarantee the pumps will remain on.

Read more from the Capital Press by clicking here.

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under Delta smelt

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GOP ads link Dems to Valley water crisis

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 2:12 pm

From the Fresno Bee:

Republican strategists are now roughing up San Joaquin Valley congressional Democrats with radio ads linking them to the region’s water woes. In an aggressive new tack, the National Republican Congressional Committee on Wednesday began running a 60-second radio ad attacking Reps. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, and Jim Costa, D-Fresno. The ad running throughout the week links the two Democrats to systemic irrigation-water shortages.

“Cardoza and Costa can’t persuade Democrat leaders to change radical environmental laws,” the ad intones. “So while the congressmen fail … the Valley goes dry.”

The Republican Congressional Committee did not offer further explanation for this particular ad or the targeting. The campaign committee is, however, running a number of ads against Democrats. For instance, this week, the committee also initiated ads attacking 14 other Democrats on energy issues.

Read more from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under Drought, Weather & Snowpack

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The Fight for Valley Water is Far from Over

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 2:07 pm

From Fresno’s CBS 47:

Valley growers hope lawmakers will not forget they need water desperately. Thousands of farmers and workers marched through downtown Fresno Wednesday. They’re trying to get lawmakers to turn the pumps in the San Joaquin River Delta back on and they don’t plan to stop the protests until they get their water.

Thousands of farmers, workers and water rights supporters asked to be heard.

Valley Congressman George Radanovich, who took part in the rally, said, “The important thing is to focus the energy so that we make sure that we get an interim project in this fall.”

Read more from Fresno’s CBS 47 by clicking here.

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under Agriculture, Drought, Weather & Snowpack, San Joaquin Valley

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Ag board hears farmer’s plight; Irrigation cuts have cost $830 million in farm revenue

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 2:05 pm

From the Capital Press:

Corporate ag can have dirty boots too. To be sure, there are plenty of large-scale farms on the San Joaquin Valley’s west side and some, even though they are family owned, are corporations. In many instances the farms are owned and operated by people like Bob Diedrich, who took time June 24 to tell members of the state’s board of food and agriculture what restrictive water policies have done to his livelihood.

Diedrich, a fourth-generation farmer, normally grows almonds, tomatoes, garlic, onions, beans, cantaloupes and wheat on 1,100 acres on the west side of Fresno County. This year he’s down to 400 acres, hoping to save a block of five-year-old almond trees.

The announcement that federal water deliveries to the valley’s west side water districts would be 10 percent of normal this year has had large and small growers scrambling for water to irrigate their crops. A third year of drought has reduced run-off from the Sierra, but restrictions on pumping water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to protect several species of fish have many farmers calling this year’s shortage a “man-made drought.”

Read more from the Capital Press by clicking here.

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under Agriculture, Drought, Weather & Snowpack

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Washington Update: House bill would promote water research programs

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 1:57 pm

From Water World:

The House of Representatives has passed a bill creating a panel to coordinate the activities of various government agencies in an effort to improve federal water research and development. The bill, the National Water Research and Development Initiative Act, now awaits Senate action.

The legislation, by Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), would have the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration lead a team to guide federal water research, development, demonstration, data collection and dissemination in order to respond to changes in U.S. water use, supply and demand. The task force would draft a National Water Availability Research and Assessment Plan to coordinate water research and development projects at all levels of government. The plan would have specific goals, such as implementing a national water census.

The House amended the bill to give water resource managers input on research needs. Another amendment specified that the assessment plan should help water resource managers anticipate regional water supply and demand fluctuations due to climate change. A third amendment would create an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wastewater and stormwater reuse pilot program, which could provide communities with an option as they plan for water supply reductions.

Read more from Water World by clicking here.

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under Water Legislation

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This summer, kids can dive into water conservation

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 1:55 pm

From the San Diego Union Tribune:

When the weather warms up, there is nothing more enticing for kids than water – whether it be running through the sprinklers, wading in a kiddie pool or playing with the hose. The problem is that our current water shortage is giving parents pause about indulging children’s aquatic aspirations. Here are some ways to teach your kids about water conservation while still letting them have some fun:

Explain yourself: Saving water can seem like an abstract concept for many kids, says Chris Robbins, water conservation supervisor for the city of San Diego. When he gives talks to school groups, he brings along a big jug of water. He asks the kids to pick up the 1-gallon container so they can feel how heavy it is. He asks them to think about how hard it would be to have to carry the jug a long way to help them realize that water is a precious resource and not something to be wasted.

Find out more tips for teaching kids about water conservation from the San Diego Union Tribune by clicking here.

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under Conservation

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Plastic not-so-fantastic: How the versatile material harms the environment and human health

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 1:52 pm

From the Scientific American:

From cell phones and computers to bicycle helmets and hospital IV bags, plastic has molded society in many ways that make life both easier and safer. But the synthetic material also has left harmful imprints on the environment and perhaps human health, according to a new compilation of articles authored by scientists from around the world.

More than 60 scientists contributed to the new report, which aims to present the first comprehensive review of the impact of plastics on the environment and human health, and offer possible solutions.

“One of the most ubiquitous and long-lasting recent changes to the surface of our planet is the accumulation and fragmentation of plastics,” wrote David Barnes, a lead author and researcher for the British Antarctic Survey. The report was published this month in a theme issue of Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B, a scientific journal.

As the scrutiny of the environmental toll of plastic increases, so has its usage, the scientists reported.

Since its mass production began in the 1940s, plastic’s wide range of unique properties has propelled it to an essential status in society. Next year, more than 300 million tons will be produced worldwide. The amount of plastic manufactured in the first ten years of this century will approach the total produced in the entire last century, according to the report.

“Plastics are very long-lived products that could potentially have service over decades, and yet our main use of these lightweight, inexpensive materials are as single-use items that will go to the garbage dump within a year, where they’ll persist for centuries,” Richard Thompson, lead editor of the report, said in an interview.

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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Windsor enacts mandatory water conservation

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 1:50 pm

From the Santa Rosa Press Democrat:

Beginning immediately, Windsor residents are required to be even stingier with water use. On a 4-0 vote, the Town Council on Wednesday enacted mandatory water conservation measures requiring residents to limit irrigation to three days per week, confine watering to night and early morning hours and make sure there is no over-spray and gutter runoff.

Town officials predicted that more lawns will turn brown. And in more of a symbolic gesture, over the objections of Councilman Sam Salmon, the council agreed to turn off the fountain on the Town Green for the summer and drain it, even though it re-circulates and loses relatively little water.

The council’s resolution requires that residents east of Highway 101 only irrigate Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Residents west of Highway 101 can do so on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. There is no watering on Mondays.

“As a town, we’ve been doing really well with conservation,” Mayor Robin Goble. But she and her colleagues agreed more needs to be done.

Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat by clicking here.

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under Northern California

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Caples Lake fills, fish restocking commences

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 1:47 pm

From YubaNet.com:

One year after the El Dorado Irrigation District (district) Board of Directors declared an emergency to repair the outlet works at the Caples Lake main dam, the lake’s water level is nearly full and an ambitious fish restocking program is well underway. Visitors will find the full array of outdoor recreation activities-hiking, camping, fishing, photography, wildlife viewing, and more-that they are used to at the lake and in the surrounding area.

Ample snow and rain over the winter and spring combined to fill Caples, contrary to most predictions that precipitation would fall short of what was needed after last fall’s drawdown left only 753 acre-feet* of water in the lake. The overall capacity is 22,340 acre-feet. On July 1, 2009, reservoir storage stood at 21,760 acre-feet.

The drawdown was necessary to complete emergency repairs to the outlet works.

Read more from YubaNet.com by clicking here.

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under Lake Tahoe & the Sierra's

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State Fish and Game wants PG&E to put more water in Butte Creek for salmon

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 1:45 pm

From the Chico Enterprise-Record:

The state Department of Fish and Game wants PG&E to put more water in Butte Creek to benefit salmon. The stream has one of the last remaining runs of naturally spawning spring-run salmon in California. It’s believed more water would contribute to keeping the run viable, and it might help prevent fish from being stranded downstream, said Joe Johnson, a senior environmental scientist with Fish and Game.

On Tuesday, 26 salmon were rescued by Fish and Game workers from the creek below Highway 99. The fish were caught with nets and trucked upstream. If they had been left in the creek, they would have died once the water warmed up, Johnson said.

Spring-run salmon in Butte Creek and other waters of the Sacramento River system are classified as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. Special efforts have been made to restore them, such as removing dams and increasing water flows. These seem to have helped. The Butte Creek run, which once numbered only a few fish, has grown to several thousand in recent years.

This year, however, the numbers of salmon generally have been down. Johnson said it’s impossible to say exactly why because there are so many potential factors.

Read more from the Chico Enterprise Record by clicking here. Related coverage from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under Northern California

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Thursday’s top of the scroll: Water pumping restrictions to protect Delta smelt end

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 8:07 am

From the Sacramento Bee:

Federal officials on Tuesday ended seasonal water pumping restrictions intended to protect the threatened Delta smelt.

The end of the water flow limits came in accordance with a biological opinion that governs Delta water export pumping only through June 30. Tuesday’s action means water exports this summer no longer will be restricted specifically to protect smelt. The pumping rules don’t resume again until winter.

Read more of this brief story from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under Delta smelt

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Rally for water rights hits downtown Fresno

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 8:00 am

From the Fresno Bee:

Ron Schafer and Alice Powlick aren’t farmers or farmworkers. They are middle-school teachers who came to Wednesday’s water rally in downtown Fresno on behalf of their students. The teachers joined several thousand who jammed the front of City Hall to plead with the state and federal governments to provide the Valley with more irrigation water. Mike Lukens, city of Fresno spokesman, estimated the crowd at between 3,500 to 4,000 at its peak.

More than a dozen speakers, including Congressmen Devin Nunes, R-Visalia, and George Radanovich, R-Mariposa, blamed environmental protections along with a third dry year for the shortage of water for Valley farmers.

Schafer and Powlick say they see the ripple effects of the drought in their southeast Fresno classrooms. “We hear the students talk about their parents being out work because of the drought,” Schafer said. “And it is hard for them.”

Read more from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.

From Stockton’s Record:

“Water makes the difference between the Garden of Eden and Death Valley,” said comedian Paul Rodriguez, who acts as a spokesman for the Latino Water Coalition, a group lobbying for changes in water delivery policy regarding the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

The noon rally was organized by the grower-funded group, which also organized an April march from Mendota to the San Luis Reservoir hoping to draw national attention to the issue.

On Wednesday, nearly 4,000 people carrying professionally printed signs proclaiming, “No water, no jobs, no hope, no future,” marched through downtown. One man who declined to give us name said his Kettleman City employer had driven him and other workers there and were paying them for their time. Another woman said she came with 50 other employees of a Tulare agriculture contractor for free, to protect their jobs.

Speakers stressed the importance of San Joaquin Valley agriculture, which they said produces more than half of the domestically grown U.S. food supply. “If you like foreign oil, you’ll love foreign food,” some signs read.

Secretary Salazar announces $134.3 million in economic recovery investments to improve water reclamation and reuse in the West

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 7:37 am

From the U.S. Department of the Interior, this press release:

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Bureau of Reclamation has identified 27 water reclamation and reuse projects that will share in a total of $134.3 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

These water projects – known as “Title XVI” projects for the title of Public Law 102-575 that established the program – facilitate the reclamation and reuse of wastewater and naturally impaired ground and surface waters.

The $134.3 million for these projects is part of President Barack Obama’s $1 billion investment of ARRA funding provided by the Department of the Interior for water projects across the West. In April, Secretary Salazar announced an additional $260 million in ARRA funding to address California’s current drought conditions and to meet the state’s long-term water supply infrastructure needs. Today’s announcement brings total funding for California water-related activities funding under the Interior portion of ARRA to $381 million.

These 27 projects will team non-federal sponsors with local communities and the federal government to provide growing communities with new sources of clean water while promoting water and energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. Federal funding will be leveraged to construct a total of more than $675 million in Title XVI projects.

“The Bureau of Reclamation is known for its forward-looking partnerships with local communities and governments to provide reliable, efficient water across 17 Western states,” Secretary Salazar said. “These ARRA funds will continue that tradition – creating economic opportunities and local jobs while infusing some of the nation’s most drought- ravaged areas with expanded water supplies and a brighter outlook for the future.”

Read more from the press release by clicking here.

From the Office of the Governor, this statement:

California Recovery Task Force Director Cynthia Bryant today issued the following statement after U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced $134.3 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funding for water recycling and reuse projects in the West. California water agencies received $131.8 million of this funding for 26 of the 27 total projects announced today.

“We are working around the clock with the federal government to pump Recovery Act funding into the California economy quickly and responsibly - and as California copes with ongoing drought conditions, this funding is especially welcome to help fund critical water recycling and conservation projects up and down the state,” said California Recovery Task Force Director Cynthia Bryant.

Read more and get a list of projects approved for funding by clicking here.

The ACWA issued this brief statement:

“This is a huge victory for California. These dollars are a much-needed boost for our state, which leads the nation in developing and implementing water recycling projects to stretch every drop of water in California,” Quinn said.

He credited Interior officials for making recycling projects a priority for ARRA dollars, and thanked the state’s congressional delegation for its efforts to secure the funding.

Metropolitan Water District issued a statement praising the Obama administration and Representative Grace Napolitano:

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar this morning identified the 27 projects throughout the West that will share nearly $135 million in ARRA funding through the Bureau of Reclamation’s Title XVI program. Projects within California will receive 98 percent of the federal funding, with more than 70 percent of the state’s projects located within Metropolitan’s six-county service area.

“Today’s federal investments will help pave the way for water reclamation and reuse projects and programs that will expand the reliability of statewide resources and bring long-term sustainable water supplies within reach for all of California,” said Timothy F. Brick, chairman of Metropolitan’s Board of Directors.

“This level of federal funding for California projects, particularly in the state’s south coastal plain, will not only bring drought relief and jobs, but also the promise of balancing local resources with imported supplies. This balance is part of the ongoing effort to address the needs of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta’s fragile ecosystem and to secure a more reliable water system serving 25 million Californians,” Brick said.

Among those in the California congressional delegation who played critical roles in securing the funding, Brick singled out Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Montebello) in her role as chair of the House Water & Power Subcommittee for her continued leadership in helping to address California water issues and problems.

“If not for leaders like Congresswoman Napolitano, Southern California would remain mired in the crosshairs of some of the most challenging water supply and economic conditions we’ve ever faced, without the tangible hope and promise provided by today’s federal funding.”

More from the Metropolitan Water District by clicking here.

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under Recycled Water

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Oops… Yesterday was Happy New Precipitation Year from the National Weather Service

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 7:28 am

Aquafornia reader Jeffrey emailed me yesterday, noting that the water year for water officials begins October 1st. Apparently, the National Weather Service uses a different calendar.

My apologies for the confusion. So, all you party animals who celebrated yesterday have my permission to do it all again in the fall!

(And thanks, Jeffrey, for writing!)

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under Uncategorized

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Dan Bacher commentary: Peripheral Canal - Panama Canal North?

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 7:27 am

From Dan Bacher, this commentary:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senator Dianne Feinstein, corporate agribusiness and other supporters of the peripheral canal around the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta have carefully avoided discussing what an actual canal would look like, as well as its enormous environmental impacts and budget-busting cost to the taxpayers.

However, in the size and scope of the project, it would be very similar to the Panama Canal, according to recent comments by Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan on the floor on the floor when she and other legislators were asked to vote on a bill to fund a committee to develop a plan to implement the Delta Vision recommendations.

The recommendations call for a “conveyance” that will transport 15,000 cubic feet of water per second (cfs) from the Sacramento River around the Delta, according to Buchanan. This is smaller than the proposed 1982 peripheral canal that was intended to transport 22,000 cfs.

During drought years, the Sacramento River does not have 15,000 cfs. flow for over half the year. In 2007, the flow exceeded 15,000 cfs. in three months with the highest month at 22,500 cfs.

“Based on an engineering report completed in 2006, a conveyance to transport 15,000 cfs. would be between 500 and 700 feet wide requiring a 1300 foot right-of-way,” said Buchanan. “That’s the width of a 100 lane freeway! The length of the conveyance would be 48 miles. By comparison the Panama Canal is between 500 and 1000 feet wide and is 50 miles long.”

“I’m not going to vote for a plan that builds a Panama Canal down the middle of the 15th Assembly District!” concluded Buchanan.

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under Peripheral Canal

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Otter population falls as humans pollute ocean

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 7:24 am

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Sea otters along the California coast are dying off faster than at any time since the late 1990s, a disturbing trend that experts say is partially due to human-caused water pollution, the U.S. Geological Survey reported Tuesday.

A spring census of the threatened otters found only 2,654 otters along 375 miles of coast, a 3.8 percent drop from the year before.

“We know the problem is not one of reduced reproduction. It’s one of elevated mortality,” said Tim Tinker, a wildlife biologist at the USGS Western Ecological Research Center at the UC Santa Cruz Long Marine Lab. Lab tests show the otters are primarily dying from disease carried by bacteria, viruses and parasites. Those organisms are found in sewage as well as urban and farm runoff that contaminates creeks and coastal waters, researchers have found.

And although the animals don’t seem to be suffering from lack of food due to fluctuating ocean conditions, researchers say their nutrition is limited when they can’t get their fill of their preferred prey - crabs, urchins, clams, abalone and mussels.

Pollution and overfishing reduce the food supply, as does heavy feeding in popular spots by the otters themselves. When the otters aren’t able to get the proper food, they are less likely to successfully fight disease, scientists say.

Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under Other Oceans & Beaches Stories

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Assembly speaker asks for more nominations to California Coastal Commission; no appointment expected this week

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2009 at 7:22 am

From the Silicon Valley Mercury News:

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass is asking for additional nominations for the Central Coast seat on the powerful California Coastal Commission.

A handful of names have already been submitted, including that of incumbent Dave Potter, but the speaker’s office said Wednesday that soliciting more bids would push forward the deadline for a final decision, something that needed to be done because of her office’s preoccupation with budget matters.

“By no means does this mean she’s unhappy with the current nominations,” said Shannon Murphy, a spokesperson for Bass, D-Los Angeles. “The speaker’s been consumed with budget negotiations.”

Bass had been due to select an appointee by this week. Her request for more nominations gives her an additional 75 days.

Read more from the Silicon Valley Mercury News by clicking here.

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under Other Oceans & Beaches Stories

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