Dry hydrants doomed up to 5 Yorba Linda homes, officials say

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 22, 2008 at 5:45 am

From the Los Angeles Times:

As many as five homes were lost to wildfire in an upscale Yorba Linda neighborhood last weekend because firefighters had no water, leaving them no choice but to let the homes burn, fire officials said Friday.

Firefighters were forced to abandon the upper portion of Hidden Hills Estates because when they hooked their hoses to hydrants, no water came out, said Orange County Fire Authority Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion.

Officials of the Yorba Linda Water District, which maintains the water system for the area, acknowledged this week that the area of upper Hidden Hills Estates had suffered weak water pressure for at least several months before the fire, but insisted that the problems Nov. 15 were due to the overwhelming water demands of the blaze.

More than 180 homes were destroyed or damaged when fire tore through Yorba Linda that day, 19 of them in the Hidden Hills neighborhood where firefighters encountered the dry hydrants. The ridge-top homes are adjacent to Chino Hills State Park, a 14,100-acre expanse of oaks and dry grasslands.

“They decided to fight the fire where they had water,” Concepcion said, explaining why strike teams headed for lower ground. Although crews were able to use water tenders to shuttle some water up the hill, Concepcion blamed the loss of three to five homes on the lack of water from hydrants.

Read more from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.

November 22, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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Ode to the commode: On World Toilet Day, we should all be plumb grateful to be bestowed with a loo — many in the world aren’t as lucky

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 19, 2008 at 3:40 pm

From the Los Angeles Times:

Today is World Toilet Day. You might chuckle or blush, but it’s worth taking a moment to acknowledge what the humble loo has done for us.

Though the word “toilet” is often considered declasse and even rude to utter aloud, much of modern life would not be possible without the commode. Ask yourself this: If you had to live without toilets or electricity, which would you choose?

If you opted for electricity, you might consider the plight of Londoners during the summer of 1858, when the city experienced what historians know as the Big Stink.

As a thriving metropolis at the peak of an empire, London teemed with vitality. But all those productive citizens had to poop, and all that excrement had to go somewhere.

Where it went, generally, was into chamber pots and thence into the streets or one of the city’s 200,000 backyard cesspits, which overflowed into basements, neighbors’ yards and nearby streets. Most of it ended up in the River Thames as undiluted, putrid muck. The problem was perennial, but the summer of 1858 was unusually hot, causing bacteria in the pits and river to multiply. The stench was so appalling the House of Commons was overpowered. Parliamentarians soaked the curtains in chloride of lime to combat the smell and considered moving their business upriver to Hampton Court. Anyone who could leave town did.

The experience galvanized the Metropolitan Board of Works, which set about reforming the city’s sanitation infrastructure. The next year, the major elements of the London sewerage system were under construction, which in turn necessitated the evolution of the flush toilet. Though the first modern toilet is said to have been built for Elizabeth I, true flushable loos are an invention of the late 19th century.

Read the rest of this article from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.

November 19, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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Prospect of sewers strikes horror in rustic Malibu

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 19, 2008 at 3:23 pm

From the Associated Press:

“Sewer” has always been a dirty word in this celebrity-studded coastal community, which grew up believing that building an underground maze of plumbing would invite the sprawl that covers much of the rest of Southern California. But the city, which has long relied on septic tanks over sewer pipes, may soon be forced to acquiesce. After a prolonged battle over bacterial pollution in nearby waters, the Regional Water Quality Control Board plans to vote Thursday on a proposed ban on septic tanks in the heart of Malibu — a move some fear could forever alter the rustic character by encouraging rampant development.

“If you come to Malibu you can look up and see the hills still, unlike cities where it’s covered in development,” Mayor Pamela Conley Ulich said. “For people who live here and visit, it’s a sanctuary. We’re famous for our beautiful beaches.”

But those beaches can harbor unhealthy bacteria as human waste leaks from septic leach fields into groundwater, then trickles into creeks and makes its way to the sea. Even visiting surfers in Malibu know to keep their mouths closed when riding the breaks at famous Surfrider Beach — one of the state’s most popular, scenic and polluted stretches of coast.

“People are always getting sick — sinus infections, stomach, gastrointestinal viruses, and you just chalk it up to this is where I surf,” said Joe Melchione of the Malibu Surfing Association.

Read more from the Associated Press by clicking here.

November 19, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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Southern California wildfires: Did low water pressure hinder the fight?

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 19, 2008 at 6:26 am

From the Los Angeles Times:

Residents of Yorba Linda, where fire destroyed 118 homes, had complained for years of poor water pressure, a problem that may have made it more difficult for firefighters to beat back the weekend blaze that tore through the upscale community.

In Sylmar, where about 500 mobile homes burned to the ground, fire officials said they were investigating reports of lack of water pressure there. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power supplies water to the Oakridge Mobile Home Park property line, but inside, the water system belongs to the park.

In both areas, residents and some officials were openly discussing whether the lack of water pressure complicated the already monumental task that firefighters faced.

Fire officials in Sylmar are checking to see if their department had inspected the mobile home park hydrants as required in the last year, said Craig Fry, assistant fire marshal for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said he was at the mobile home park after the fire burned through on Saturday, and firefighters told him that hydrants had stopped working and they were forced to use their water tenders instead. “We would have had a fair shot if the pressure hadn’t gone down,” said Battalion Chief Fred Mathis, as he sat in his firetruck in the mobile home park Saturday.

Read more from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.

November 19, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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Many say no thanks to no-flush urinals

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 19, 2008 at 5:55 am

From the Seattle Times:

Men since Adam have survived without urinals that flush. By the early 1990s, concerns over water shortages and environmental impact spawned a garage industry for urinals that don’t use water. Since then, the devices, which rely on special oil-filled drain traps, have become the rage in eco-conscious communities nationwide, especially in water-worried California and the arid Southwest. They’re now the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. urinal market, accounting for 250,000 of its 12 million units, thanks largely to powerful advocates.

The influential U.S. Green Building Council promotes no-flush urinals as a way to win its prized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design endorsements. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers specifies them for the service’s future construction. Nobel laureate and former Vice President Al Gore is a board member of Falcon Waterfree Technologies of Grand Rapids, Mich., the leading no-flush urinal maker.

Still, an inconvenient truth hovers over the no-flush urinal industry: Many one-time fans say that the urinals are icky, tricky and costly to maintain. Among those worried about their performance is Mary Ann Dickinson, executive director of the Chicago-based Alliance for Water Efficiency, a nonprofit that promotes water conservation. She fears no-flush urinals will fizzle and deter other water-saving innovations just as underperforming low-flow toilets did in the early 1990s. “We need to make sure no-flush urinals deliver effective savings before we incentivize their placement,” she cautioned.

Read more from the Seattle Times by clicking here.

November 19, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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Is climate change to blame for string of Southland fires?

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 18, 2008 at 7:30 am

From the Los Angeles Times:

Is climate change to blame for the string of destructive fires that have hit Southern California in recent years? Research has shown an increase in large wildfires in some western forest regions in recent decades, particularly in the northern Rocky Mountains and, to some extent, California’s Sierra Nevada.

Warming is reducing the snowpack there and causing it to melt earlier, resulting in a longer, drier fire season. But scientists say no definitive link has been demonstrated between rising temperatures and wildfires in Southern California’s chaparral country.

Read more from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.

OK, rule out climate change. So we’re back to groundwater abuse, curses from God, Al-Queda, or the vast government weather tampering conspiracy …..

Picture is the Sayre fire as viewed from the blessedly upwind location of Aquafornia’s home base Santa Clarita.

November 18, 2008 · Filed Under Climate change & water supply, General Water Issues

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Pat Mulroy for U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 18, 2008 at 6:12 am

From Michael Campana and the AWRA Blog:

Now that I have gotten Peter Gleick on the radar screen for White House Water Advisor, it’s time to move on to something or someone else. The big question: Could I top that suggestion?

How about Pat Mulroy for Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation? You mean the putative “800-pound gorilla of Western water?” Yes, that’s the one.

You’re no doubt thinking that I have taken leave of my senses, but I have not. I can’t even claim it’s my idea. I am at the excellent AWRA meeting in New Orleans, and her name came up in a discussion with colleagues. We were actually talking about Gleick as water advisor when someone mentioned that Mulroy, who heads the Southern Nevada Water Authority, was being mentioned as a candidate for the Commissioner of Reclamation.

That ought to make the rest of the country (like these people) real comfortable! Read more from the AWRA blog by clicking here.

November 18, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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Brian Bowcock: Thinking outside the box to make water available to everyone

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 16, 2008 at 5:53 am

From the Claremont Courier Online:

Brian Bowcock says he’s at his best bringing people together to find common ground. That’s how he describes his work representing Claremont and La Verne on the Board of Directors of Three Valleys Municipal Water District. “I can get things done faster, cheaper and more efficiently,” he said, quoting a plaque his employees gave him when he retired as Director of Public Works for the city of La Verne.

Mr. Bowcock’s chief concern is making water available for his constituents. This includes making water available for people in developing countries who may not have access to adequate water supplies. Towards this end, he has been involved in an organization called “Water for People,” a non-profit that partners with communities to promote and build “safe drinking water resources and improved sanitation facilities in developing countries,” according to the organization’s Annual Report.

This past June, Mr. Bowcock was awarded the Kenneth J. Miller Founders’ Award for his service to Water for People’s international humanitarian effort. Mr. Bowcock received the award for his work to “promote the cause of Water For People, educate others on its important work, and increase fundraising activities within the section.”

Read more from the Claremont Courier Online by clicking here.

November 16, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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A seafood snob ponders the future of fish (eating fish, that is ….)

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 16, 2008 at 5:50 am

From the New York Times, this column on fish:

I suppose you might call me a wild-fish snob. I don’t want to go into a fish market on Cape Cod and find farm-raised salmon from Chile and mussels from Prince Edward Island instead of cod, monkfish or haddock. I don’t want to go to a restaurant in Miami and see farm-raised catfish from Vietnam on the menu but no grouper.

Those have been my recent experiences, and according to many scientists, it may be the way of the future: most of the fish we’ll be eating will be farmed, and by midcentury, it might be easier to catch our favorite wild fish ourselves rather than buy it in the market.

It’s all changed in just a few decades. I’m old enough to remember fishermen unloading boxes of flounder at the funky Fulton Fish Market in New York, charging wholesalers a nickel a pound. I remember when local mussels and oysters were practically free, when fresh tuna was an oxymoron, and when monkfish, squid and now-trendy skate were considered “trash.”

But we overfished these species to the point that it now takes more work, more energy, more equipment, more money to catch the same amount of fish — roughly 85 million tons a year, a yield that has remained mostly stagnant for the last decade after rapid growth and despite increasing demand.

Read more from the New York Times by clicking here.

November 16, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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In bad economy, boat owners abandon their vessels

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 16, 2008 at 5:43 am

From the Seattle P-I (hat-tip to the Trout Underground):

From Southern California to Maine, the foundering economy, high fuel prices and poor fishing have driven boat owners to abandon perhaps thousands of vessels on the waterfront, where they are beginning to break up and sink, leaking oil and other pollutants.

Boats have long been a barometer of consumer confidence, disposable income and the overall state of the economy. Now, marina and harbor officials are reporting a sudden increase in the past year in the number of deserted pleasure boats and working vessels.

In Antioch, a town about 45 miles east of San Francisco, harbormaster John Cruger-Hansen showed up at his marina one day last spring to find the horizon changed overnight. On the San Joaquin River, he saw an old crane, a rusted barge, a tugboat and an assortment of other junked boats, all of which had been hauled in and left illegally.

“Boating is a pure luxury and one of the first things to go when the economy turns south,” said Cruger-Hansen, who expects to see more abandoned boats by year’s end. “If it comes to the point of putting food on the table or paying the boat slip fee, it’s the boat that goes.”

Read more from the Seattle P-I by clicking here.

November 16, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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Bill Stall dies at 71; Pulitzer-Prize winning editorial writer for The Times

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 14, 2008 at 1:55 pm

Thank you to Mike Gardner for sending me this link along to me, referring to Bill as “a helluva reporter well-known among water buffalos and a great guy”. From the Los Angeles Times:

William R. Stall, a longtime staff member of the Los Angeles Times who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing in 2004, died Sunday at his home in Sacramento. He was 71.

Stall had been in failing health much of the year and died of complications from pulmonary disease, according to Times columnist George Skelton, a friend and colleague.

In his nearly 50-year journalism career, Stall focused on reporting government and politics, natural resources and the environment. He followed nearly every California governor since Ronald Reagan was sent to Sacramento in 1967 through the recall of Gray Davis and the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Pulitzer board said that his editorials on California’s troubled state government “prescribed remedies and served as a model for addressing complex state issues.” The editorials, written in October, November and December 2003, may be found on The Times’ website at latimes.com/billstall.

“Bill’s legacy is his work,” Jim Newton, the editorial page editor of The Times, said Sunday. “He was an incisive analyst of California government and politics whose writing on those subjects is as current today as it was when he wrote it — testament to his prescience as well as to the enormity of the subjects he tackled. We’d be a better state if more people had listened to him at the time.”

Rest in peace, Bill. More from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.

November 14, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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Aquarium of the Pacific unveils new watershed exhibit in certified green-design building

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 14, 2008 at 6:03 am

From the Long Beach Press Telegram:

Officials from the Aquarium of the Pacific unveiled a new facility Wednesday that has been certified with the highest possible rating for a green-design building and a new display that advocates water conservation. The 1,246-square-foot classroom, which is part of the Aquarium’s new permanent display “Our Watersheds: Pathway to the Pacific,” received a platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council, a leading authority on sustainable building practices.

The new green classroom is the largest expansion to the Aquarium since the shark exhibit in 2002, and houses the new watershed exhibit:

A watershed is an area of land where all the surface water drains to the same lower destination. This water can come from high in the mountains or from rain that falls on the streets. The 7,180-square-foot “Our Watersheds” display is nestled behind the Shark Lagoon and Lorikeet Forest and also features an outdoor, interactive environmental exhibition targeted for kids.

This three-dimensional model shows children how rain flows from the surrounding mountains and streets before it empties into Long Beach.

The water-flow exhibit and eco-classroom are surrounded by native landscaping found throughout the Los Angeles and San Gabriel watersheds. These 30 plants, which consist of scrubs, ground covers, grasses and perennials, are adapted to the region’s climate and do not require much irrigation. They also provide abundant food for birds, bees, butterflies and beneficial insects.

Read more from the Long Beach Telegram by clicking here.

November 14, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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Mokelumne partnerships flowing

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 12, 2008 at 5:41 am

From the Amador Ledger:

The Mokelumne River is the main artery of the counties of Amador and Calaveras. Over centuries of known human habitation, it has been many things to many people.

The future of the Mokelumne River, its tributaries, its beneficiaries and all that comes along with its management and use, was the topic of a meeting last month night at the Amador County Supervisors chambers.

Hosting the meeting were Rob Alcott, of the Upper Mokelumne River Watershed Authority, along with Leslie Dumas of RMC Water and Environment and Karen Johnson of Water Resources Planning, consultants to the authority, and UMRWA members of the steering committee formed by the authority for the project. Committee members were Amador Water Agency General Manager Jim Abercrombie, AWA engineering and planning manager Gene Mancebo, along with Calaveras County Water District General Manager Dave Andres and water resources manager Ed Pattison. Also present was Tom Francis of East Bay Municipal Utilities District, the District’s UMRWA representative for this plan update.

“We want to be in position when grant dollars become available,” Alcott began. “The San Joaquin River Hydrologic Region allocation, out of the $1 billion total that will be available to implement Integrated Regional Water Management Plans, is $57 million.”

Alcott went on to explain that a regional water management group must be the lead agency. “Three entities are required,” he said, “and two must be water agencies.”

Read more from the Amador Ledger by clicking here.

November 12, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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Carson wastewater treatment facility honored for achievements

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 10, 2008 at 10:52 pm

From Market Watch:

The Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) is a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility serving over 3.5 million residents and thousands of businesses and industries in Los Angeles County. The facility was recently honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with the National Clean Water Act Recognition Award for Outstanding Operations and Maintenance at the Water Environment Federation’s Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference in Chicago.

The treatment facility, located in Carson, California, and owned and operated by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, was given the first place award in the Large Secondary Plant category for “demonstrating outstanding and innovative operations and maintenance practices.” The plant was selected because of its achievements in process control, biosolids management, and pollution prevention.

“One of the key achievements of the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant is its energy self-sufficiency,” said Steve Maguin, the Sanitation Districts Chief Engineer and General Manager. “The plant uses biogas created during the wastewater treatment process to generate 22 MW of electricity, making the plant energy self-sufficient and saving $18 million per year.”

Furthermore, the facility continues to operate in full compliance with all regulatory requirements and is committed to resource conservation by reducing energy usage, employing water conservation methods such as using treated water for plant processes, and converting its fleet of light-duty vehicles to compressed natural gas to lower air emissions.

Read more from Market Watch by clicking here.

November 10, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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PG&E weather modification plan raises concerns

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 6, 2008 at 5:58 am

From the Mt. Shasta Newspapers:

On October 22, utility giant Pacific Gas and Electric posted a “Notice Of Intention” in the Mt. Shasta Area Newspapers outlining their plan to conduct a five-year “weather modification” program in southern Siskiyou County. Many wondered, “Wait a second… Our weather is going to be controlled by PG&E?” According to the notice, the answer is yes, at least partly. For some Siskiyou County residents, this is an unsettling thought, and many are demanding more information.

The program, called the “Pit-McCloud Cloud Seeding – Ground Water Enhancement Project,” is one of several projects of its kind throughout California. It is slated to begin on November 15 of this year and will involve “cloud seeding” over a target area “east of McCloud town, north of Burney town, south of Medicine Lake and bounded on the east by the White Horse and Big Valley mountains,” according to the NOI. The goal of the program, states PG&E, is to increase precipitation in the McCloud and Pit River watersheds in order to promote and protect the production of hydroelectric power.

Though the notice further states that “no adverse environment impacts will occur” and that “PG&E cloud seeding programs comply with all regulations,” many residents have expressed their concern over the program and want more information, including a group of citizens who held a rally in front of Mt. Shasta City Hall on October 28.

Among those participating in the rally was Mount Shasta resident Robin Houghten, who had many questions that he feels have not been adequately addressed. Speaking bluntly, Houghten stated, “I have concerns about the implications of launching chemicals in the environment.”

Read more from the Mt. Shasta Newspapers by clicking here.

November 6, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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Manufacturing thirst: The hidden water costs of our industrial economy

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 24, 2008 at 5:25 am

From AlterNet:

The rampant waste of freshwater for general public use — lawn watering, the creation of suburban fake lakes, excessive bathing and household washing — has been well documented, as has the politically charged use of water in US agriculture. But the use and abuse of water in various parts of the global industrial economy is often overlooked. From the mining of raw materials for manufacturing to energy production, to the manufacturing process itself, the US industrial economy uses a significant amount of water every year.

Exact numbers for the amount of water used outside of agriculture or home consumption are difficult to come by. The US Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that industry uses about five percent of all the water in the US, but does not include mining or electricity generation in that figure. A report from Dow Chemical puts the figure much higher, at around 20 percent. And perhaps more importantly, neither number takes into account the volume of water pollution that occurs in the course of industrial processes. At the very least, it’s clear that every year, billions of gallons of water are used — not to grow food or to meet physical human needs — but to quench our society’s thirst for the modern conveniences and technological devices we have come to rely on.

Read more from AlterNet by clicking here.

October 24, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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California’s Water: An LAO Primer

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 22, 2008 at 10:11 am

From the Legislative Analyst’s Office:

California’s water delivery system is facing a series of challenges due in part to a combination of increasingly variable weather conditions, legal requirements, and system operation and conveyance constraints. These challenges affect water availability, reliability, and delivery. Recent public and private efforts have sought ways to address these challenges. These measures include proposals to increase water through groundwater storage, surface storage, infrastructure changes, and system operation improvements, among others.

This report provides, through a “quick reference” document relying heavily on charts to present information, a snapshot of water in California, including:
(1) An Overview of California’s Water Governance
(2) Water Supply, Source, and Delivery
(3) How Do We Finance Water Projects?
(4) What Drives the Cost of Water?
(5) Issues for Legislative Consideration

For the pdf version of the report, click here. For an HTML version, click here.

October 22, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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Overpopulation and over-immigration threaten water supply, says ad campaign

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 21, 2008 at 6:07 am

From Market Watch, this press release from Californians for Population Stabilization:

Californians for Population Stabilization (CAPS) and allied organizations have initiated an ad campaign to draw attention to America’s looming water shortages and the role that population growth plays in the problem. The advertisements will appear in major national publications. “California and other parts of the country are already experiencing water shortages, yet the nation’s population will increase by 100 million people in just thirty years if we do not change course,” said Diana Hull, the organization’s President.

Low rainfall this spring led some water districts in California to institute mandatory rationing, and other districts have called for voluntary reductions. Politicians have responded with proposals for new, but often environmentally destructive, water projects. “In 1976 and 1977, California experienced much lower totals of rainfall than that of the last two years. Since then we have implemented a number of conservation measures so we should be in good shape. The difference is that California’s population was 22 million in 1976 and today it is 38 million,” continued Hull.

A Census Bureau report indicates that the U.S. population will rise to 439 million by 2050, or 135 million more than today. More than 80 percent of U.S. population growth will continue to be a direct result of immigration and births to immigrants. In California — where the population increases by a half million per year — that immigration component accounts for virtually 100 percent of the growth.

“Water is a precious resource, and as with other resources, we must learn to use it more efficiently. But we must also limit the demands that we place on our resources, and that means limiting immigration as well,” Hull said.

The ad campaign is part of a long-term effort by CAPS and its partners in America’s Leadership Team for Long Range Population-Immigration-Resource Planning to raise public consciousness about population growth and its effects on environmental problems. CAPS is a nonprofit organization that promotes policies designed to stabilize the population of California and the United States at a level that will protect resources and promote a good quality of life for all.

October 21, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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It was high noon in Fresno yesterday as Mayor Autry & Judge Wanger debate at luncheon

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 16, 2008 at 6:22 am

From the Fresno Bee:

Fresno Mayor Alan Autry and U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger took their long-running feud outside the courtroom Wednesday, with each man giving wildly different interpretations of the law in a lively and contentious debate.

Autry called judicial precedent a myth. He cited the Declaration of Independence — not the U.S. Constitution — as the supreme law of the land. He said federal judges are always free to interpret the law.

Said Wanger: “I am astounded by what I just heard.”

As the exchanges grew more pointed and edgy, Autry said to Wanger: “I’m glad there’s no gavel in your hand, because now it’s my time.”

What brought the men together Wednesday was a pair of recent cases presided over by Wanger. The veteran jurist described the legal basis for his recent controversial decisions involving the tiny delta smelt — rulings that cut water deliveries to west side farmers — as well as a settlement he approved in which Fresno agreed to pay $2.3 million to compensate the homeless for the city’s destruction of their property.

Autry has been openly critical of both decisions. Over the past two years, Wanger has expressed irritation at some of the mayor’s comments, including one, during the homeless case, in which he told the judge to “enter the real world and find out the real truth.”

Read more from the Fresno Bee by clicking here. Videos of the debate can be found by clicking here.

Columnist Bruce McEwen summed it up like this:

I had a blast watching High Noon on Wednesday. OK, it was High Noon without guns. And it wasn’t a movie. But it had Oliver W. Wanger, who, with his black suit and white hair, looks like a judge from central casting. And it had Alan Autry, who, with black boots and blue jeans, looks like a cowboy from central casting.

Wanger, a federal district court judge, and Autry, the mayor of Fresno, squared off at noon inside the Downtown Club to debate “The Role of Courts in Society.”

Wanger ate Autry’s lunch.

The judge didn’t play fair exactly. He based his arguments on things like the law, precedent and the Constitution.

Autry did what people do when they don’t have evidence or law on their side. He said that judges should use common sense. When that line of thinking didn’t win points with the crowd of mostly lawyers, law students and judges, the mayor turned creative. He said the Declaration of Independence was the ultimate law of the land, trumping even the Constitution.

An interesting theory, but not what I learned about the Constitution in eighth grade at Cooper Junior High.

More from Bruce McEwen by clicking here.

October 16, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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San Franciscans mull ballot proposition to rename sewage plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 15, 2008 at 6:32 am

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

The campaign to rename a San Francisco sewage plant after President Bush hasn’t generated much in the way of political activity. But it may be one of the few electioneering efforts to boast a ballot argument in haiku form. Proposition R would change the name of the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant, to the George W. Bush Sewage Plant.

The people behind the idea which, surprise, was dreamed up over beers, say their plan strikes the right note for the 43rd president’s memorial. The country’s gone to pot under his leadership, they say — from the Iraq war to the response to hurricane Katrina to the current financial turmoil. Slapping Bush’s name on a sewage plant “symbolizes the city’s deft ability to clean up its share of the financial and diplomatic mess left in this administration’s wake,” proponents say in a ballot argument.

The idea drew national attention after the measure qualified for the ballot earlier this year; the White House has declined comment while other Republicans have denounced the measure as childish and stupid.

Measure co-author Michael Jacinto concedes the campaign is “silly, but it does have a level of seriousness, especially since Congress has not done anything to hold Bush accountable. This is the people’s ability to help define a legacy.”

In heavily Democratic San Francisco, the measure has a good chance of passing. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.

October 15, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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