Internet out … again!
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 9, 2008 at 6:40 amOnce again, the internet is down at Aquafornia headquarters, a hazard of living where new homes are going in all around us. What little I’ve been able to post has come from the unwitting generosity of the neighbor who has the open wireless system…. Signal strength is low and when I post, I have to hold the laptop up above my head… but still, I keep blogging for you, dear reader….
Again, however, time constraints exist and I will once again have to leave to accomplish some actual paying work.
I have interesting things to post but no time to post them, so check back later!!!
Internet out at Aquafornia headquarters … further updates later
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 8, 2008 at 8:18 amThe internet is down, down, down at Aquafornia headquarters… the few stories I’ve been able to post have come from my laptop which is hooked on to some neighbors open wireless system, but just barely …
I’ve got to go out now and do some work that pays the bills. I will update as soon as service is restored, so check back later!
-Aqua Blog Maven
Check out Aquafornia’s new “Information Desk”, plus improved categories!
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 6, 2008 at 6:24 amRegular readers have probably noticed some changes to the blog. Ongoing work continues as there are still a few more features to be added.
New to the page is the Aquafornia Information Desk, which is stocked with important information on water supply issues. Newly posted today, “Southern California & Water” is an introductory article, detailing the sources where Southern California’s water comes from. “California’s Water Crisis” details the issues facing California’s water supply and considers possible solutions. “Why the Delta is Important” takes a look at the character and critical issues facing this tiny but vital region. “Recommended Reading” is a new category of news articles that are particularly relevant to Southern California. The slideshow of the State Water Project is also listed there, plus Water Conservation Tips and a page of other resources.
The new version of Wordpress now allows for a hierarchical structure for categories, which means that the Delta Issues category can now be subdivided into “Delta Vision”, “Peripheral Canal”, and etc. For instance, you can click on “Peripheral Canal” and read news stories only on the Peripheral Canal, or you can click on Delta Issues to read news stories posted on all Delta issues, including the peripheral canal and other stories.
I think the archive of news articles is one of the most powerful features of Aquafornia. Although many of the links have expired, hopefully enough has been excerpted to give you a jist of what the article was about. With over 2800 posts to go through, I’ve only made it back about three months. I work on it a few pages each day, and soon the entire archive will be recategorized.
Next on my list is to update the California Water Crisis article to include sections on our aging infrastructure and Native American water rights. The ending section about what our legislators are doing to solve these pressing issues needs to be rewritten - won’t take a lot of time to write “basically not much” …
So, check out the new Aquafornia features, and please pardon our dust as ongoing work on the blog continues. I am working to incorporate the suggestions I’ve received from readers, so if you have any suggestions or comments about the website, please feel free to email me.
Spam and hackers - Aaargh!
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 23, 2008 at 6:12 amSome of my regular readers might have noticed the indelicate “Gurus Suck” ad that was forever stuck in the Google ad bar below the heading. I remember thinking it was not necessarily the usual Google ad, but didn’t give it much thought, until Aqua Spouse looked at it and said something is wrong.
Wrong, indeed. Hackers managed to insert their own ad over the Google ad, and getting rid of it was quite a challenge. In a probably unrelated event, my email box got spammed big time, filling up with returned mail from Daemon & everywhere. We finally had to just batch delete the whole shooting match because it was just too much to pick through.
So…. if you emailed me last night for your free refrigerator magnet, or to offer me that high-paying writing/editing/water resource management (anything with a paycheck) job, then please write back!!!
I still have some refrigerator magnets left. Completely free for the asking! Just email me your address, and I’ll send it to you. You’ll receive no other mail from me; I am not compiling a list. Just addressing the envelope, that’s it. Completely free, Free, FREE!
Of course, you can donate if you’d like, but it’s not a requirement. ;)
(Gary, I did get your donation. I appreciate it very much! Refrigerator magnet on it’s way to you!)
Happy Birthday, Aquafornia!
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 21, 2008 at 7:27 am
Well, here it is, my blog’s first birthday!
And yes, I actually did buy my blog a birthday cake!Aquafornia has been broadcasting from it’s home base here in Santa Clarita, California for one year as of today, and in honor of this special occasion, I have prepared some birthday presents for you, my readers (see post below).
I’d also like to take a moment to reminisce on what Aquafornia has accomplished over the year, and my plans for the coming year. I also want to say thank you to those who have helped Aquafornia succeed.
2,437 posts later. Wow, that’s a lot. That’s about 204 per month, an average of 6.658 posts per day! One thing is for sure: water news is never really slow here in California.
Well, I couldn’t really do it without acknowledging Google. It is through a combination of Google News alerts, a personalized Google News page, and Google Reader that I can keep on top of what is going on in an almost instantaneous basis. And I’d like to say a special thank you to Tom Chandler over at Trout Underground. Tom was the first real blog to link to me & his support over the year really helped get Aquafornia off the ground.
Bloggers are not often granted the same access as other media sources, and through the year, a few organizations have snubbed Aquafornia. Rather than dwell on those, I want to acknowledge those that have been responsive. A big thank you to Ted & Dale over at the Department of Water Resources, who have always responded to my requests for photos & press releases with lightning speed! Also thank you to Ryan over at the Long Beach Water Department for sending me press releases directly and sending over some photos on my request. Thank you also to Dan Bacher for contributing to Aquafornia directly. Any organization with water-related press releases or other information is invited to submit directly to Aquafornia. Just drop me a line under the “contact me” link and I’ll send you the email address for submissions.
The mission of Aquafornia is to educate readers on California water issues, and to that end, Aquafornia has been successful. Recently, my Water Crisis article and the Delta article were required reading for a course at San Diego State University. The site was also linked as a resource for debate preparation, and I also have a link from Yale Univeristy. A candidate for a position on a water board wrote me, thanking me and telling me the website was invaluable in preparing his campaign.
The website also is developing into a categorized database of news coverage on important issues over the past year. For instance, where else on the Internet can you read articles chronologically on the Wanger Delta smelt decision?
I have also amassed quite a collection of water pictures on flickr. Want to know what a water bank looks like? I’ve got pictures! Aqueducts, dams, irrigation canals, farm fields … there’s a lot of pictures collected there, including simply the best picture possible of the Cascades facility that a regular person like me can take! I was recently notified of the possibility of some of my photos being included in a museum exhibit on California water! Check out the Aquafornia photo library by clicking here, and also see the special feature in the post below.
Aquafornia is your completely independent source for water news information. Aquafornia is not affiliated with any water agency, environmental group, or other organization. Well, except Cub Scouts, but I think you’ll agree that’s a non-issue.
I seek to make Aquafornia a voice for everyone on water issues. I want all sides to have a say here, and I work hard to post everything relevant, even the stories I don’t personally agree with. Am I missing something, some side of the story? If you think I’ve missed something, please feel free to send me a note.
Who reads Aquafornia? Through sitemeter, I actually have a bit of information about you. From picking through my stats, I have found that water agencies, farmers, government organizations, and universities read my blog. Occasionally, someone from the state senate reads, and I have even had a read or two from the Sargeant-At-Arms in Washington D.C. Newspapers sometimes research their stories here. In addition to Southern California, I get reads from the Bay Area, Central Valley, Las Vegas, and Arizona; sometimes even Colorado & New Mexico.
But as far flung as my regular readers are, the surprising thing that my sitemeter shows me is that regular readership makes up a small portion of visits per day. Out of every 100 hits, the average is about 33% of visits directly accessing the site; the remainder are Google searches that are directed here. There are more regular readers during the day; much less at night. This is a good thing, because it is providing a source of information for those looking for current information on water issues. It also bodes well for advertising as a potential source of revenue.
So what’s in my future plans for Aquafornia? The blog is still being worked on, with a custom header on the way. I’ll be making some room for advertising, and will be exploring other possible ways for Aquafornia to earn a little revenue. I’m planning more exclusive stories and special features, including photo tours of the Colorado River water system and Owens Valley Aqueduct. I am hoping to arrange for tours and write up stories about the Edmonston pumps and DWP’s Cascades facility, as well as other major water infrastructure. Over the summer, I hope to write a big piece on the Imperial Valley. And who knows what else I will be inspired to write about. When it comes to California and water, there certainly is no shortage of topics!
A big thank you to those of you who have taken the time to write to me personally with suggestions and thank you’s. I try to answer every one who writes me and wants a response, although sometimes life is so busy, it’s hard to find time to reply sometimes. But I appreciate the support and suggestions of all of you.
And lastly, thanks to the Aqua Family who graciously put up with the enormous amount of time I spend on Aquafornia. Thanks to Aqua Spouse for being my faithful navigator, and to the Aqua Kids, who seem to have accepted the fact that every vacation means a trip to a dam, reservoir, or a canal. (I tell ‘em it’s a shortcut! ha ha)
—Chris Austin, Aqua Blog Maven
Aquafornia’s birthday present for you: something for your eyes and something for your refrigerator!
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 21, 2008 at 7:27 am
To celebrate Aquafornia’s first birthday, here are not one, but two! yes, two! birthday treats for you, dear readers!
Sit back, relax, and let Aquafornia take you on a trip that follows the trip water takes from the Delta to Southern California in this special Aquafornia exclusive slideshow. The pictures are mostly mine, except for a few. A special thanks to Ted & Dale over at the Department of Water Resources in sending me the pictures to fill in what I cannot photograph myself. I am also a little light on pictures for the East Branch, but throughout the year, I plan to finish the east branch with more detail. I also plan to do the same eventually for the Colorado River system and the Owens Valley Aqueduct. Click here for Aquafornia’s exclusive slide show of the California Aqueduct.
Thank you to all my readers who have supported Aquafornia over the last year. As a special thank you, I have the perfect accessory to your refrigerator - the Aquafornia refrigerator magnet (featuring this picture of the Cascades facility, the iconic water symbol for Southern California. Just email me your address and I will send it to you free of charge, while supplies last, or at least until enough donations come in so I can order more… Click here to receive your free Aquafornia refrigerator magnet.
Of course, any one who makes a donation to Aquafornia will automatically receive a refrigerator magnet! See right side bar. ;) </hint>
Aqua Blog Maven traveling to the Delta this weekend
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 4, 2008 at 9:14 amWell, I’m off headed to Sacramento and the Delta. Internet access should be available so you’ll hardly know I’m gone! Today we’ll be driving up through the San Joaquin Valley looking at more interesting water infrastructure, and tomorrow, the Delta. I’ll be uploading pictures onto the flickr website; you’ll know I have done so when the flickr scroll changes.
Meanwhile, enjoy these wierd looking creatures found in a recent Antarctic expedition from National Geographic: Weird Sea Creatures of the Antarctic.
Enjoy your weekend!
Sneak Preview: Aquafornia pictures now on Flickr!
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 23, 2008 at 9:12 amI have been working on posting some of my pictures from my Yuma Trip, and with any luck, I’ll have the post ready by next week. I have been sidetracked in part because I decided to upload my pictures onto Flickr - not just the Yuma Trip, but I am working on getting all of them uploaded onto flickr. Then I’ll post a permanent link somewhere on the blog once it’s finished.
I’ve got over 500 pictures posted already and grouped into collections. I’ll be adding notes, better descriptions and tagging over the coming week. It’s still a work in progress.
If you want to check out my pictures on flickr, click here.
Aqua Blog Maven out in the field this weekend
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 15, 2008 at 8:04 amYes, I’m headed to Yuma, having won two nights in a hotel there in a Water Education Foundation auction, but don’t you worry. Thanks to wi-fi access and a laptop, Aquafornia will still be open and posting water news over the weekend - although it may come more sporadically than usual.
Today we’ll be heading out into the desert, trying to locate the Colorado River Aqueduct. Tomorrow we’ll be exploring the Colorado River area. Sunday, we’ll hang out in the Imperial Valley, and Monday we’ll head back up past the Salton Sea on our way home.
Any ideas or suggestions on what to see? Does anyone know if there is any marker at Pilot Knob that marks the spot where the Colorado River broke through, creating the Salton Sea? Does anyone know where I can get a picture of the All-American canal construction? Any other ideas? Please, send me an email.
I hope you enjoy your holiday weekend!
Merry Christmas from Aquafornia
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 24, 2007 at 5:45 pm
Aqua Blog Maven wishes you and your family a happy and safe holiday!