Holiday highlights! A brief recap of the last two weeks
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 5, 2009 at 8:00 amWelcome back! Here’s some highlights of what’s happened over the past two weeks, for those of you who took some time off:
The battle over Sacramento’s waste water treatment plant, the subject of a lawsuit by the State Water Contractors as well as a letter from Diane Feinstein heated up over the holiday break: Laura King Moon kicked it all off with this commentary in the Sacramento Bee, saying that 13 tons of ammonia are flushed down the Delta every day by the plant to the detriment of the ecosystem (as well as other stressors), yet only the export pumps are blamed. Mary Snyder of the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District fired back in this reponse, saying “No scientific data or evidence exists to support the misinformation campaign being waged by the State Water Contractors”. The Sacramento Bee published this editorial, noting that the sanitation district had hired a public relations firm to the tune of a half a million dollars, rather than spending the money on science and studies. In today’s Sacramento Bee, the sanitation district says it’s ready to help the Delta, and defended the public relation’s spending, saying “too much is at stake for Sacramento for us to just sit back and allow others to create a political environment that forces Sacramento ratepayers to subsidize water infrastructure and treatment for other parts of the state”.
What other stressors in the Delta? How about sea lions, power plants, toxic discharges, and rusty boats….
On other Delta news, the Delta Vision report was submitted to the Governor last Friday afternoon, recommending the peripheral canal be built sooner rather than later, but didn’t recommend changing the governance structure - yet. The Sacramento Bee reported on a project to build gates at various parts of the Delta for salinity control, predictably not popular with some, and the San Francisco Chronicle ran a story on how rising sea levels and failing levees mean some Delta islands will be lost.
The Department of Water Resources did it’s first snow survey of the season on December 30, and the results were not great: 76% of normal - an improvement over last year at this time when it was only 60%. However, DWR meteorologist Elissa Lynn says La Nina is back. Here’s coverage from around the state.
The recent winter storms boosted the snowpack and allowed ski resorts to finally open. The Sacramento Bee ran an article on how climate change is already altering things, and Lake Tahoe officials are working on a plan for the area’s ski-resort dependent economy to survive if the snowpack continues to diminish. The effects are also being felt at the other end of the state as Malibu’s shrinking Broad Beach is a possible victim of rising sea levels due to climate change.
Seems like everyone’s submitting their wish list for the Obama administration’s stimulus package, including San Diego, who is asking for $175 million for the Poseidon Carlsbad desalination plant. Scott Harrison of the San Diego Surfrider Association fired back in this commentary, questionning why taxpayers should now foot part of the bill for the project: if “technology was the cure-all that proponents all (yes, including every one of your local, state and national level representatives have drunk the Poseidon Kool-Aid) claim it to be, it would have no trouble attracting mountains (mountains!) of venture capital money.”
The San Diego Union Tribune ran a special report on how energy exploration could affect the Colorado River, Utah hopes the BLM will choose one of two options (out of 11) that would keep pumps out of Snake Valley, and the Pacific Research Institute released a report on how water markets could solve our water crisis.
Golf Week ran a special report on the water challenges facing golf courses: Water worries, Paspalum grass can help golf courses meet water supply and water quality challenges, How golf courses in the dry Southwest are innovating for more efficient water use, Irrigation planners are key to keeping the greens green, and how painting greens in winter instead of overseeding can save water.
From the Information Desk: Why the Delta is so important to all Californians
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 12, 2008 at 6:04 amAnother Aquafornia exclusive from the Information Desk:
Anyone in California who remotely follows water news or current events has no doubt heard about the Delta, and the multitude of problems and issues facing this vital region. These issues, if left unresolved, can have huge ramifications for the entire state, but it can be hard to understand just how this relatively small area in Northern California could be of such concern to those of us living in Southern California, or elsewhere in the state. Many Californians, including some who live in the region, don’t even know where or what the Delta is, or why they should really care. What could the Delta possibly have to do with me?
Well, a lot, actually. Everyone in California depends upon the Delta for something, be it drinking water, fresh produce or livestock, goods shipped over the highways and railways that transverse it, or gas and electricity that is carried in pipes and transmission lines. Wildlife also depends on the Delta, as it provides a crucial habitat for wildlife, and an important stop for migratory birds.
The relatively small region has a big job: it is the hub of California’s massive water storage and delivery system, with water exports to agricultural and urban users in the Bay Area, Central California, and Southern California. Two-thirds of Californians rely on the Delta for their drinking water.
However, the Delta is in decline by all accounts. Its levee system is fragile, many of its native species are declining, there are water quality issues in some areas, and no governmental entity seems to be squarely in charge. The issues facing it are complex and intertwined; it is virtually impossible to fix one problem without creating several others. However, in recent years, it has become obvious to all the stakeholders that ‘business as usual’ in the Delta region simply isn’t sustainable.
These issues, if left unresolved, will have ramifications for nearly every California resident. So, let’s take an in-depth look at the issues facing this unique region of our state.
Read the rest of this Aquafornia exclusive by clicking here.
From the Information Desk: California’s Water Crisis
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 11, 2008 at 6:18 am
This week, I’ll be highlighting exclusive articles from Aquafornia’s Information Desk, which is at the top of the right hand side bar. The article, California’s Water Crisis, takes a look at the factors putting pressure on California’s water supply, and a rundown of possible solutions to meet the challenges ahead:
California’s modern history is written in gold mining, railroads, and most recently, the development of water. Water irrigates millions of acres of farmland, making California the nation’s leading agricultural producer and exporter of agricultural goods. Water has made the development of Southern California and Bay Area cities possible.
However, California now faces monumental challenges in meeting the water demand of its current and projected population. Further compounding the problem is that the public remains largely unaware of the major issues confronting the state’s water supply.
While some agencies have built regional projects to increase local water supply and storage, California’s state and federal water systems have not seen any major upgrades since the State Water Project was completed in 1973, despite the addition of nearly 14 million residents.
According to population projections, the state’s total population will increase to 60 million people by the year 2050, an increase of over 56% from the 2000 census numbers. As the state’s population continues to grow, this is putting strain on our existing water supplies, as well as bringing into question the ability to accommodate this expected future growth.
At the same time, drought and climate change are reducing the snowpack California depends on to fill its reservoirs, and the Delta, critical hub of California’s water system, faces multiple risk factors to its fragile levees while continuing to experience ecosystem decline and plummeting native fish populations.
Continued population growth throughout the Southwest combined with a persistent drought in the Colorado River basin is putting increased pressure on the limited resources of the Colorado River. In addition, Indian reservations, left out of previous water rights agreements, have begun to exercise their long-held but unused water rights, putting further strain on the limited resources of the Colorado River.
Ensuring a water supply to meet the needs of California’s existing residents while providing for future population growth has become a major statewide issue as news stories and research reports highlight the challenges that lie ahead and legislators debate putting another multi-billion dollar bond measure in front of voters. More dams, increased conservation, water transfers, desalination and more - there are many possibilities, each with its benefits and drawbacks. There is no easy answer; unfortunately, no silver bullet.
To really understand the situation and the challenges ahead, we’ll look at some background information on California and water. Next we’ll take a look at the factors putting stress on California’s water resources. Then we’ll look at our options for meeting the challenges ahead. Lastly, we’ll look at what water agencies and the legislature are doing to prepare California for a drier future.
Read the rest of this exclusive article from the Information Desk by clicking here.
From the Information Desk: Where does California’s water come from?
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 10, 2008 at 7:46 am
This week, I’ll be highlighting all the great resources available on Aquafornia’s Information Desk, located at the top of the right hand side bar. The Information Desk is a collection of links to exclusive Aquafornia articles and water related web resources.
Today we’ll start with the newest addition, Where does California’s water come from? This article covers all the basics about California water - where it comes from and the various water systems that move water around the state:
California has been called “the most hydrologically altered landmass on the planet”, and it is true: the California of today bears little resemblance to its former self. Today, there are reservoirs where there once was desert, desert where there once was cropland, and cropland where there once was a swampy marsh. Some rivers have been dried up; some rivers flow through mountains into other rivers’ beds; and some rivers even flow backwards at times.
California’s transformation from a sparsely populated region into one of the world’s leading agricultural and food production regions is due to the development of the area’s natural resources, especially water. Water development, storage and distribution projects have transformed deserts into farmland and supported development of large cities and towns. These water projects have helped make California a leading agricultural producer, a major manufacturing center, the most populated state in the country, and the eighth largest economy in the world.
However, this rapid and intensive development has not been without its consequences. Fish populations have been depleted, wetlands have been drained, and dams and levees have altered natural water flow patterns. Invasive plants and species are changing ecosystems and altering native habitat. Species of many native plants and wildlife have declined or become extinct, and water quality has been impaired by agricultural, mining and urban sources.
Find out all about California’s water by clicking here.
Southern California and water - an introduction
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 6, 2008 at 6:40 amBack before Aquafornia, I wrote for a local website in Santa Clarita called SCVTalk. This is an adaptation of my very first article on water; yes folks, this is the article which started it all! This article was originally posted on SCVTalk and discussed where Santa Clarita’s water comes from. I have reworked the article to take a more regional focus on where Southern California’s water comes from, making this article is a ‘prequel’ of sorts to the California Water Crisis article. This article is posted on the new Aquafornia Information Desk on the right-hand side of the page.
California is a beautiful fraud; a magnificent put-on, an exquisitely lush illusion. From the farmlands of the Central Valley to the swimming pools, green lawns and flowering landscapes of Southern California, it is all a brilliantly engineered masterpiece, an extensive rearrangement of the existing natural order, created by the ingenuity and will of man, and costing
billions of taxpayer dollars in the process. The palm trees, the tropical flora and fauna, as well as the millions of people, all of it does not belong here. Not any of it.
In the West, it is said that water flows uphill towards money, and nowhere else could that be truer than here in Southern California. About half of the water that flows freely from our taps started as snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and has traveled 444 miles from Northern California. It has leapt up 3000 feet to traverse the Tehachapi Mountains, and traveled through gigantic siphons, pumps and tunnels to reach us.
WATER DEVELOPMENT WAS KEY TO CALIFORNIA’S GROWTH 
As early as 1900, Los Angeles had already outgrown its meager water supply, the Los Angeles River. William Mulholland found the water the growing city needed in the Owens Valley, and embarked on an ambitious project to bring it here. And ever since then, California has remade its landscape on an unprecedented scale. There are reservoirs where there once was desert, desert where there once was cropland, and cropland where there once was a swampy marsh. Some rivers have been dried up; some rivers flow through mountains into other rivers’ beds; and some rivers even flow backwards at times. 
Since the Gold Rush era, California has been transformed from a vast, sparsely populated area into one of the world’s leading agricultural and food production regions. Much of this development is due to the development of the area’s natural resources, most especially water. Water development, storage and distribution projects have transformed deserts into farmland and supported development of large cities and towns. These water projects have helped make California a leading agricultural producer, a major manufacturin
g center, the most populated state in the country, and the eighth largest economy in the world.
However, this rapid and intensive development has not been without its consequences. Fish populations have been depleted, wetlands have been drained, and dams and levees have altered natural water flow patterns. Native species of many plants have declined or become extinct, and water quality has been impaired by agricultural, mining and urban sources.
IT NEVER RAINS IN CALIFORNIA …..
No other state has rearranged their environment to the same extent as California. The truth is, most of California is an arid semi-desert, with a climate similar to that of the North African Plain. Los Angeles is drier than Beirut. About 65 percent of the state receives less than 20 inches of rainfall per year, most of that in the winter months. While 70 percent of California’s runoff occurs north of Sacramento, 75 percent of California’s urban and agricultural demands are to the south.
The abundant sunshine and mild temperatures of Central and Southern California are ideal for agriculture; the only ingredient missing is the rain. California’s rainfall is seasonal – dry during the hot summer months, and wet for only a few months in the winter. Still, California has more irrigated acreage than any other state, thanks to massive water projects started early in the twentieth century and still continuing today.
WATER PROJECTS AND THE STATE’S ECONOMY
Water development has three primary goals: flood control, water storage, and hydroelectric power generation. California is home to four massive water projects, plus numerous local projects. The map to the right shows the water projects located throughout the state. The Los Angeles Aqueduct brings water from the Owens Valley south to Los Angeles. The Colorado River Aqueduct brings water from the Colorado River for irrigation in the Imperial Valley and urban uses in Los Angeles and San Diego. The Central Valley Project irrigates farmland in the Central Valley and provides water to the Bay Area; the State Water Project brings water from the San Francisco Bay Delta and delivers it to farmers in the Central Valley, as well as providing water for urban uses in Southern California. In addition, the Hetch-Hetchy Aqueduct and the Mokelumne Aqueduct supply water to the Bay Area. Click on the map at the right to see it enlarged and to visit the DWR website. 
Moving water around the state is an energy intensive process. Total energy used to pump and treat water accounts for at least 6.5% of total electricity used statewide. The State Water Project is the state’s largest single consumer of electricity, accounting for 2 to 3 percent of electrical energy use per year. Hydroelectric power does produce a portion of this energy back, but whether the project is a net user or net producer of energy depends upon the distance the water must be moved. In most cases, more energy is used than is produced by these projects. 
Water fuels the economy of California, and managing it properly is of paramount importance. It has also been a source of decades-long political wars. Besides the satisfying the needs of a growing population, demands for more water also comes from the agricultural industry, businesses, manufacturers and developers. These needs must be balanced against demands for protecting water quality and for protecting fisheries, wildlife and recreational interests. The fundamental controversy is one of distribution, as conflicts between these competing interests continue to be exacerbated by continued population 
growth and periods of drought.
Everything depends on the manipulation of water – capturing it behind dams, storing it in reservoirs, and rerouting it in concrete rivers over hundreds of miles. California has twelve hundred major dams, the two biggest irrigation projects on earth, and some of the biggest reservoirs in the country. Only about 25% is for urban use, the remainder is split between irrigation and environmental purposes.
Click “more” to read more of this Aquafornia exclusive!
Read more
Aquafornia Exclusive: Why the Delta matters to every Californian
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on September 3, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Anyone in California who remotely follows water news or current events has no doubt heard about the Delta, and the multitude of problems and issues facing this vital region. These issues, if left unresolved, can have huge ramifications for the entire state, but it can be hard to understand just how this relatively small area in Northern California could be of such concern to those of us living in Southern California, or elsewhere in the state. Many Californians, including some who live in the region, don’t even know where or what the Delta is, or why they should really care. What could the Delta possibly have to do with me?
Well, a lot, actually. Everyone in California depends upon the Delta for something, be it drinking water, fresh produce or livestock, goods shipped over the highways and railways that transverse it, or gas and electricity that is carried in pipes and transmission lines. Wildlife also depends on the Delta, as it provides a crucial habitat for wildlife, and an important stop for migratory birds.
The relatively small region has a big job: it is the hub of California’s massive water storage and delivery system, with water exports to agricultural and urban users in the Bay Area, Central California, and Southern California. Two-thirds of Californians rely on the Delta for their drinking water.
However, the Delta is in decline by all accounts. Its levee system is fragile, many of its native species are declining, there are water quality issues in some areas, and no governmental entity seems to be squarely in charge. The issues facing it are complex and intertwined; it is virtually impossible to fix one problem without creating several others. However, in recent years, it has become obvious to all the stakeholders that ‘business as usual’ in the Delta region simply isn’t sustainable.
These issues, if left unresolved, will have ramifications for nearly every California resident. So, let’s take an in-depth look at the issues facing this unique region of our state. Read more
Is Desalination the Answer to California’s Looming Water Crisis?
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 30, 2007 at 9:44 pmAn Aquafornia Exclusive:
In Southern California, much of the water we use here is imported from the San Francisco Bay-Delta area, the Owens Valley, and the Colorado River. Southern California is experiencing its driest year on record, and water resources throughout California and across the Southwest are being impacted by a persistent drought, global warming, and continued population growth. With 20 desalination projects proposed for the California coast, desalination is being considered as an answer to California’s dwindling water supply. Desalination would provide a reliable, drought-proof water supply from a seemingly endless source and would give local control to municipalities who are located far from fresh water sources. But is desalination truly the answer to California’s water shortage?
Aquafornia's Information Desk
Aquafornia's Discussion Forum
Aquafornia's Photos on Flickr
Upcoming Events
Check out the upcoming events from the Water Education Foundation.
Recent Posts
- Saturday’s top of the scroll: Divisive Delta canal now on the fast track; Fears loom that moving water south could devastate, contaminate supply
- How it works: The Bay Delta Conservation Plan
- Delta groups and legislators plan rally for Tuesday, July 7
- Dan Bacher on the Seaweed Rebellion: North Coast enviros battle Schwarzenegger and Big Green over MLPA
- Environment groups find less support from Supreme Court justices
- Can the Mississippi Delta survive rising seas?
- City of Ukiah is serious about water conservation
- Latest state water cuts looming for Ukiah residents
- Mussel plague on Lake Tahoe?
- Tuolumne sewer row brewing
- A turf war your water bill can win
- Governor signs disaster assistance order
- Dry conditions continue
- New rate plan slated for Lakeside Water District customers
- Friday’s top of the scroll: State budget crisis scuttles Delta levee hazard detection, repairs
Aquafornia's Mission
Aquafornia's mission is to educate readers about the complex and often controversial issues surrounding water in California.
Aquafornia is affiliated with the Water Education Foundation, an impartial non-profit organization, whose mission is to create a better understanding of water issues and help resolve water resource problems through educational programs.
Find It
Save / E-mail / Share Aquafornia
E-mail Newsletter
To receive email announcements from the Water Education Foundation, sign up here.
News Article Archives
- Agriculture
- Aquafornia Exclusives
- Biofuels
- Bottled water
- Climate change & water supply
- Commentary
- Conservation
- Delta Issues
- Desalination
- Drinking Water
- Drought Tolerant Landscaping
- Drought, Weather & Snowpack
- Events
- Flood Control
- General Water Issues
- Geothermal Energy
- Grandiose water plans
- Great Green Ideas
- Groundwater
- Indian Water Rights
- Infrastructure
- International Water Issues
- Invasive Species
- Levees
- Monterey Agreements
- National water news
- Oceans and Beaches (all)
- Odds and Ends
- People in the News
- Recycled Water
- Regional Water Issues
- All-American Canal
- Antelope Valley
- Bakersfield
- Bay Area
- Coachella Valley
- Colorado River Basin
- Imperial Irrigation District & Imperial Valley
- Lake Tahoe & the Sierra's
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles River
- Northern California
- Orange County
- Owens Valley & Mono Lake
- Riverside - San Bernardino
- Sacramento
- Salton Sea
- San Diego
- San Joaquin Valley
- Southern California
- Southwest Water Issues
- Westlands Water District
- Stormwater & Urban Runoff
- Uncategorized
- Water & Development
- Water & Energy
- Water & Investing
- Water & Population
- Water & the Environment
- Water & Wildlife
- Water Agency News (all)
- Water Banking
- Water History
- Water Legislation
- Water Quality
- Water Rights
- Water Storage
- Water Supply
- Water Technologies
- Water Transfers
- Weather Modification
- Weird & Wacky Water News
Web Resources
Agriculture
Conservation
Delta Resources
Environmental Organizations
Fishing Blogs
Landscaping
Los Angeles River
News
Salton Sea
Southern California Blogs
Water Agencies
Water Blogs
- Aguanomics
- American Water Resources Assn. Blog
- Aqua Channel
- Chronicles of the Hydraulic Brotherhood
- EDF’s On The Waterfront
- Great Lakes Law Blog
- H2ONCoast Blog
- Inkstain - jfleck
- Misu Blog
- Spouting Off - Mark Gold of Heal the Bay
- Water Cooler Blog
- Water SISWEB
- Water Words That Work
- Waterblogged
- WaterCrunch
- WaterWired
- Western Water Blog
Water Information