Water Food Enviroment blog: The legacy of Alex Hildebrand
Posted by: Maven on February 7, 2012 at 8:04 amFrom the Water Food Environment blog:
“The water community in California recently lost a gem and a vitally important viewpoint. Alex Hildebrand had many attributes. He was a farmer in San Joaquin County, the President of the Sierra Club in the mid-1950s, a very accomplished collegiate skier, a champion for good water policy in California and a true gentleman.
For the past twenty years my life intersected with Alex in a variety of his capacities—Bay-Delta water policy advisory bodies, farmland preservation issues and the need for more reliable water supplies throughout California. I was always intrigued by Alex’s past, particularly his tenure as Sierra Club President and his days as a competitive skier at Badger Pass in Yosemite National Park. I also think of Alex during California football games in Berkeley when walking by Hildebrand Hall, named after his father. Alex was calm-mannered and polite; yet he had many strongly held views and he was tenacious and impeccably prepared for any discussion, always bringing his important views to any discussion in a very thoughtful manner. … “
Continue reading from the Water Food Environment blog by clicking here.
California Water Blog pays tribute to Alex Hildebrand
Posted by: Maven on January 26, 2012 at 8:21 amFrom the California Water Blog:
“One of the best minds of the Delta and its most devoted advocate has left us. Alex Hildebrand passed away Monday at the venerable age of 98.
Alex cared deeply for the land and the water of the South Delta, living his life and tending his farm in sync with the rise and fall of the waters. With his long life and sharp mind, Alex became the chronicler of change in the Delta and the Central Valley. If you wanted to know how things work in the Delta and why things changed, your source of wisdom was Alex. If you needed new ideas for how to manage this change, Alex was your best source. His knowledge and understanding were without peer. And he was always a gracious gentleman.
The staff, faculty, and colleagues of the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis wish to express our sympathies to the family of Alex Hildebrand. All of us, to an individual, admired and respected him greatly.
Thank you Alex.
Jeff Mount, Jay Lund, Ellen Hanak, Peter Moyle”
Rest in peace, Alex Hildebrand.
Alex Hildebrand (1913-2012): Champion of the Delta
Posted by: Maven on January 24, 2012 at 9:06 amFrom the Stockton Record:
“Alex Hildebrand, the courteous south Delta farmer and engineer who campaigned relentlessly against a peripheral canal and still drove a tractor well into his 90s, died early Monday.
He was 98.
Not only did Hildebrand influence California water policy with his arguably unsurpassed knowledge of the Delta, but he was always willing to explain to beginners the complex hydrology of the West Coast’s largest estuary.
And until the end, he remained determined to save it. … “
Continue reading from the Stockton Record by clicking here. Note: This article is behind the paywall at the Stockton Record. Login or registration required to read it. A free registration will give you 10 article reads per month.
MORE ON ALEX HILDEBRAND’S PASSING: The Central Valley Business Times covers it here, and Alex Breitler has links on his blog to a profile and one of Mr. Hildebrand’s last letters to the governor.
Rest in peace, Alex Hildebrand.
This just in … Alex Hildebrand, champion of Delta estuary, passes away at age 98
Posted by: Maven on January 23, 2012 at 3:47 pmFrom the Stockton Record:
“Alex Hildebrand, a south Delta farmer and engineer who twice fought the peripheral canal and understood the estuary as well as anyone, died this morning at his home.
He was 98.
“Many, many of the engineers that have had anything to do with the Delta have often come up to me and said, ‘Nobody understands the Delta like your father. ‘No one,’ ” Hildebrand’s daughter, Mary, said today. … “
Continue reading from the Stockton Record by clicking here.
Heal the Bay’s Mark Gold named to UCLA environmental post
Posted by: Maven on January 11, 2012 at 7:08 am
From the UCLA Newsroom:
“Heal the Bay President Mark Gold plans to move inland a few miles on Jan. 30, when he will become an associate director at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.
The prominent environmentalist will use his decades of experience to guide and deepen the institute’s engagement with government agencies, policymakers and the environmental community. He will help spearhead efforts to build the institute’s education, research and public outreach program.
Gold, a UCLA alumnus, will also conduct outreach to donors, provide leadership to the institute’s Coastal Center, and continue his work as an adjunct professor at UCLA. He announced today that he will step down as president of Heal the Bay but will continue to serve on the organization’s advisory board.
“I’m excited to become part of UCLA’s efforts to build the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability,” Gold said. “UCLA’s education enabled me to become an environmental leader at Heal the Bay, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to give back to the university through teaching, fundraising and providing leadership.” … “
Continue reading from the UCLA Newsroom by clicking here.
SEE ALSO: Heal the Bay president steps down to take UCLA post, from the LA Times
Former Democratic Sen. Ruben Ayala, 89, was leader on water
Posted by: Maven on January 6, 2012 at 7:58 amFrom the Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Alert:
“Former Democratic Sen. Ruben Ayala, who was a leading force on water policy during his two decades in the state Legislature, died last night. He was 89.
News of his death was announced in a statement from the office of Democratic Assemblywoman Norma Torres, who now represents Ayala’s home region. A Torres spokeswoman said Ayala had been battling a prolonged illness. … “
Continue reading from Capitol Alert by clicking here.
New boss of California Fish and Game has tough balancing act
Posted by: Maven on December 24, 2011 at 7:11 amFrom the San Diego Union-Tribune:
“Charlton H. “Chuck” Bonham was named director of the California Department of Fish and Game in August. Earlier this month he had just completed 20 town hall meetings with staff members, including the San Diego-based Region 5, when the Union-Tribune caught up with him for an interview.
Since being named the director of the state agency in charge of California’s vast and complex resources, the 43-year-old and his wife, Eve, have welcomed a bouncing baby boy, Charlton, into their lives. Bonham is a native of Atlanta, Ga., and learned an appreciation for wilderness in the Great Smokies in North Carolina. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of Georgia, served in the Peace Corps in Senegal, Africa, where he spoke just enough Wolof to help and occasionally stumble into a faux pas. He was a trip leader in the Great Smokies, where he took adventurers fishing, hiking, canoeing and camping, before deciding to go to Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Ore., where he specialized in conservation and natural resources law. … “
Continue reading from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.
The Water Tamer: John Briscoe tackles water insecurity around the world
Posted by: Maven on December 17, 2011 at 7:42 amFrom Harvard Magazine:
“In the little town of 5,000 where he now lives, John Briscoe holds the exalted title “master of the Todd Pond dam,” a tiny impoundment. He uses this role to introduce his students to the competing demands at the heart of water management.
“Everyone who lives on the pond likes the water to be kept high because it looks nice,” he explains. “But if you have a full lake and there is a lot of rain, water that overtops the dam will erode the base and you will lose your dam—which is a safety issue.” As the manager, therefore, Briscoe must monitor the weather. “If rain is coming, I go and take out a few boards to lower the level.” If the rain doesn’t materialize, a lot of swampy muck is exposed around the shoreline, and everyone asks him, “How come you lowered the dam?” The decision, he explains, was probabilistic.
Meanwhile, aquatic reeds grow and accelerate the accumulation of silt behind the dam, because “the natural course is to revert to being a swamp. But people don’t want to live on a swamp. They want to cut the trees around the pond so they can have a view; but that also speeds silting. How do you deal with human needs and environmental needs and safety? All of which, at a much lower level, are the issues of the great river systems in the world.” … “
Continue reading from Harvard Magazine by clicking here.
A Run on the Water Bank: A determined investigator pursues a Los Angeles billionaire for allegedly seizing control of the state’s water supply. It’s Chinatown again, Jake.
Posted by: Maven on December 13, 2011 at 8:46 amFrom California Lawyer (hat tip to C-WIN):
“Who is Adam Keats, and why is he so focused on Los Angeles billionaire Stewart Resnick? Attorneys representing Resnick’s vast agricultural holdings in the Central Valley wish the troublesome plaintiffs lawyer would just go away.
Keats, 40, is senior counsel at the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), one of the nation’s most aggressive and uncompromising environmental rights organizations. A graduate of UC Davis’s law school, the Massachusetts native has a passion for hiking and backpacking, a fascination with the wilderness philosophies of Henry David Thoreau and John Muir, and a regimen of riding a bicycle four miles to and from his San Francisco office each day – rain or shine.
Resnick, 74, is a silver-haired entrepreneur with a UCLA law degree and a personal fortune estimated at $2 billion. His Los Angeles-based holding company, Roll Global, manages a portfolio of companies that includes Teleflora, Pom Wonderful, Fiji Water, and Paramount Farming Co. – the world’s largest producer of pistachios and almonds. He and his wife, Lynda, are a quintessential power couple with a reputation for political savvy and philanthropy. They live in a spectacular Beaux-Arts mansion in Beverly Hills and have endowed an exhibition hall of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and a neuropsychiatric hospital.
What Keats and Resnick share is an interest in water – and the legal disputes that inevitably accompany its scarcity. … “
Continue reading from California Lawyer by clicking here.
California Wasteland: Erin Brockovich still fighting for neighbors over contaminated drinking water
Posted by: Maven on December 10, 2011 at 8:21 amFrom ABC News:
“The real Erin Brockovich is bold and brassy, much like the character in the movie named for her. She certainly has the sass and the looks to play herself on the big screen, but instead Julia Roberts got the part and the Oscar.
“In the bathroom, this one lady goes, ‘Anyone ever tell you look like Erin Brockovich?’” said Brockovich. “I started laughing. I said, ‘I am her.’ She goes, ‘Yeah right. You wish.’”
But to the residents of Hinkley, Calif., a small speck of a town on the edge of the Mojave Desert, Erin Brockovich, 51, is more than a mythic name. She is the real-life hero who led the charge against their neighbor, the giant utility Pacific Gas and Electric, which contaminated the town’s water supply in the 1950s and 60s with a chemical called chromium-6. The state of California now recognizes chromium-6 as a carcinogen from ingestion in drinking water. … “
Continue reading from ABC News by clicking here.
On the Public Record: News commentary: Wanger, Gleick and Delta residents
Posted by: Maven on December 8, 2011 at 7:53 amFrom the On the Public Record blog:
“Eh. I couldn’t be bothered by Judge Wanger’s signing on with Westlands. His writing in his decisions showed he’d adopted the buzzwords (and presumably the thought short-cuts) of the pro-westside-ag side of things, so I was just happy that he became an open advocate for them rather than pretending to be a neutral while making important decisions. He’s backed off that now anyways. Whatever.
(No, I didn’t think that hiring on with Westlands showed that he’d been biased all along. They have a long history of buying political clout and talent; I’m not surprised they bid on Wanger. Looked to me like he followed legal ethics. I think his own writing showed he’d become biased, presumably from living in a pro-ag milieu during a very politicized few years, but a lawyer working for the highest bidder doesn’t mean to me that he had always sided with Westlands.) … “
Wednesday’s top of the scroll: Wanger cuts legal ties to Westlands Water District
Posted by: Maven on December 7, 2011 at 8:45 amFrom the Fresno Bee:
“Retired federal judge Oliver W. Wanger did an about-face today, deciding not to represent Westlands Water District in a case pending before a state appellate court.
A legal brief last week showed Wanger had signed on to represent Westlands in a lawsuit filed against it by several northern California groups.
But while Wanger’s expertise on water law was acknowledged, the move also resulted in intense debate about judicial ethics. As a judge, Wanger had presided over dozens of legal disputes involving Westlands — though the agency lost as many as it won in those cases.
Retired federal judge Oliver W. Wanger, pictured in August, did an about face Tuesday, Dec. 6, deciding not to represent Westlands Water District in a case pending before a state appellate court. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
Thomas Birmingham issued the following statement:
“The Westlands Water District regrets that we will not have the benefit of Oliver Wanger’s assistance in connection with this case. But we have the highest respect for his integrity and appreciate his strict adherence to the most exacting standards of legal ethics. His decision not to proceed with this matter is entirely consistent with the meticulous attention he applied to all aspects of the law during his long career in the federal judiciary. We hope to work with him on other issues in the future.”
MORE:
- Read the statement from the law firm here: WJH Statement re Westlands Water District 12-6-11 (00341910)
- Thomas Birmingham’s statement is here: Westlands Release Wanger and Westlands
MORE NEWS COVERAGE:
- Wanger changes mind, won’t represent water district in suit, from the Stockton Record
- Judge who became attorney for California water district steps away from the job, from the Contra Costa Times
- Wanger backs out of representing Westlands Water District, from Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org
EVEN MORE WANGER:
Ex-judge tarnishes past rulings with new job, says editorial
Posted by: Maven on December 5, 2011 at 8:09 amFrom the Oakland Tribune (Contra Costa Times), this editorial:
“Over the past decade, no federal judge has had more influence over water disputes in California than recently retired U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger. Now he is raising serous doubts about his judicial integrity by going to work for the Westlands Water District, which recently won favorable rulings from him.
Westlands is the nation’s largest agricultural district by crop value and a major user of limited water supplies. A year ago, Wanger invalidated a federal opinion designed to protect Delta smelt. It would have reduced water supplies to the district by limiting pumping from the Delta.
Obviously, Westlands was pleased by Wanger’s ruling, calling it balanced and a victory for good science and the public interest. In other words, it was good for Westlands farmers’ profits. … “
Continue reading this editorial from the Oakland Tribune by clicking here.
Stockton Record editorial: Wanger moves to other side of stream
Posted by: Maven on December 4, 2011 at 7:37 amFrom the Stockton Record:
“It’s all legal, ethical even, according to some legal scholars. Certainly that’s the opinion of recently retired U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger.
Of course that would be his view given that his current client used to appear before him in his Fresno courtroom.
Wanger, who presided over dozens of cases involving the Westlands Water District during his 20-year judicial career, now represents the agency. … “
Continue reading from the Stockton Record by clicking here.
Column: Wanger does what good free agents do
Posted by: Maven on December 4, 2011 at 7:34 amFrom columnist Bill McEwen at the Fresno Bee:
“Oliver W. Wanger became the best-known judge in the Valley during 20 years on the federal bench. Now, in his return to private practice, he has turned into the LeBron James of local lawyers.
James, you might recall, infamously said, “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach” after being one of the most-coveted free agents in National Basketball Association history and signing with the Miami Heat.
The day Wanger left the bench, he became a hotly pursued free agent, too. He has taken his talents to the west side, or, more precisely the Westlands Water District.
What did you want him to do? Rent an office downtown and put up a “pro bono done here” sign? Sorry, that’s not what free agents do. … “
Continue reading this column at the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
SF Chronicle editorial: Oliver Wanger, from judge to water-rights litigant
Posted by: Maven on December 3, 2011 at 7:38 amFrom the San Francisco Chronicle:
“When U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger retired on Sept. 30, he took with him a deep understanding of California’s arcane and endless water wars. What is he doing with this knowledge? Going to work for farmers fighting environmentalists over water rights.
His switch from jurist to courtroom litigant doesn’t appear to violate judicial rules. But it’s a disappointing mistake in judgment. It undercuts the credibility of his past rulings, and it’s another setback for the trust badly needed to work through issues of delta water flows, water rights and safeguards for jeopardized fish. … “
Continue reading this editorial from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.
Monterey County Herald editorial: Westlands water judge fraught with conflict
Posted by: Maven on December 2, 2011 at 8:24 amFrom the Monterey County Herald:
“Newly retired federal Judge Oliver W. Wanger seemed to play it down the middle in his extremely important decisions on federal water law, including rulings on endangered species protections and how they would impact the delivery of water in Central California and beyond.
But now Wanger has cast a cloud on his past orders by agreeing to work as an attorney for the giant Westlands Water District, one of the key players in many of the cases he labored on during his two decades on the federal bench in Fresno.
Wanger has agreed to defend Westlands from claims by environmental groups that some of Westlands’ water contracts clash with California environmental law. … “
Continue reading from the Monterey County Herald by clicking here.
Randy Record elected to lead Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA)
Posted by: Maven on December 2, 2011 at 8:10 am
From the Association of California Water Agencies, this press release:
“Members of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) have elected Randy Record, a longtime director of Eastern Municipal Water District, to a two-year term as president of the statewide group. John Coleman, a member of the East Bay Municipal Utility District Board of Directors, was elected vice president. The two will take office in January.
The election, which took place at ACWA’s 2011 Fall Conference & Exhibition, capped a year in which the association launched several new policy initiatives and worked to advance a comprehensive approach to the state’s water supply challenges.
“The need to invest in our statewide system has never been more critical,” Record said. “We have faced tough economic times in California in the past, but we had the vision and the will to invest in our infrastructure. We have to find that vision and will again.”
Record has served as vice president of the association since January 2010. He has been a member of the Eastern Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors since 2001 and has represented Eastern on the board of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California since January 2003, currently serving as first vice chair.
He served a two-year term as chair of ACWA’s Federal Affairs Committee. He is founding chair of the Riverside County Water Task Force and a member of the Hemet San Jacinto Action Group and The Monday Morning Group of Western Riverside County.
Coleman has served on the East Bay Municipal Utility District Board of Directors since 1990. He was president of the EBMUD board from 1996 to 2000 and served as vice president in 2009 and 2010.
He is a past president of the board of the California Association of Sanitation Agencies and currently chairs the Upper Mokelumne River Watershed Authority and the Freeport Regional Water Authority. He was appointed chair of ACWA’s Federal Affairs Committee in December 2009.
ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 440 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com.
Assemblymember Perea honored by clean water advocates for work in rural communities
Posted by: Maven on December 2, 2011 at 8:09 am
From the website of Assemblymember Perea:
“Assemblymember Henry T. Perea (D-Fresno) was honored by the Community Water Center (CWC) for his leadership and dedication to bringing clean drinking water to the rural communities’ of the Central Valley Thursday.
“We want to recognize the leadership that Assemblymember Perea has taken to bring real change on this issue and make sure that valley community drinking water is a priority in Sacramento,” Laurel Firestone, Co-director of the CWC said. “More than any other elected representative; he has led on this issue for his constituents and many other communities.”
Assemblymember Perea’s Access to Safe Drinking Water Act was signed into law in October and will provide disadvantaged communities with the opportunity to apply for state grants that fund the entire cost of desperately needed water infrastructure projects they otherwise couldn’t afford.
He continues to work with local clean water advocacy agencies and the California Department of Public Health to bring clean water to every home and will introduce legislation in January to aid in the process.
Assemblymember Henry T. Perea represents the 31st District in the California State Assembly which includes the central San Joaquin Valley communities of Cutler-Orosi, Dinuba, Firebaugh, Fowler, Kerman, Mendota, Parlier, Reedley, Sanger, San Joaquin, Selma and the city of Fresno. “
Editorial: By working for Westlands, Wanger puts legacy in doubt
Posted by: Maven on December 1, 2011 at 8:11 amFrom the Sacramento Bee, this editorial:
“Of all the federal judges who have recently presided in California, none has had more impact on California water issues than just-retired U.S. District Court Judge Oliver W. Wanger of Fresno.
Appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1991, Wanger was at the center of highly contentious rulings on federal water contracts, endangered species protections and disputes over toxic drainage.
On numerous occasions, the Westlands Water District – the nation’s largest agricultural district by value of crops – was a party in those cases, and several times Wanger issued rulings favorable to this powerful water agency. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here. (Click here for the Fresno Bee’s slightly different version.)
AND: The Bakersfield Californian agrees.
Former Judge Wanger representing Westlands Water District
Posted by: Maven on November 30, 2011 at 7:32 amFrom the Fresno Bee:
“Recently retired federal judge Oliver W. Wanger, who presided over dozens of cases involving the Westlands Water District in a 20-year career, is now representing the agency.
The twist comes just two months after Wanger was ruling on federal water disputes in his final days on the Fresno bench. His most recent rulings for the most part sided with arguments made by Westlands and against those put forth by environmental groups at the federal government.
“I would love to hear what Westlands would say if we had hired [Wanger],” said Zeke Grader, executive director of the San Francisco-based Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman’s Associations.
That would be fine with him, Wanger said. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
MORE COVERAGE:
- Former judge goes to work for Westlands Water, from the Sacramento Bee
- Retired federal judge to represent Westlands Water District, from the Los Angeles Times
California Water Wars blog on Wanger’s new job: Aftermath
Posted by: Maven on November 30, 2011 at 7:27 amFrom the California Water Wars blog:
“Former U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger, who spent two decades as a jurist deep in the Central Valley, is shaping up as something of a courtroom nemesis for environmentalists. And he’s not even on the bench.
Wanger, who has ruled on numerous water cases, retired at the end of September – but not before he blasted the government’s environmental assessments of flows and fresh water in a case involving Delta smelt protections. Wanger’s sharp language, in which he denounced experts from the Bureau of Reclamation and the Fish and Wildlife Service, drew national attention.
The Westlands Water District, the nation’s premier farm irrigation district and a major political player in the Central Valley, sought more flows south from the Delta; the government’s position would have limited them. In the end, Wanger’s decision was favorable to Westlands. … “
Continue reading from the California Water Wars blog by clicking here.
Dan Walters: New documentary nostalgic for days of Gov. Pat Brown
Posted by: Maven on November 21, 2011 at 7:24 amFrom Dan Walters at the Modesto Bee:
“As California’s economy continues to languish and as its political dysfunction becomes more obvious — and more intolerable — one reaction has been nostalgia.
If only another Ronald Reagan would appear, those on the right sigh, California would once again be golden.
No, those on the left insist, what we really need is another Pat Brown, the last governor to make government work.
The latter lament has now taken cinematic form, a documentary titled “California State of Mind: The Legacy of Pat Brown,” which is making the rounds of film festivals and special showings. … “
Continue reading from Dan Walters at the Modesto Bee by clicking here.
Family Water Alliance guarding farmers’ rights for 20 years
Posted by: Maven on November 19, 2011 at 6:40 amFrom the Colusa Sun-Herald:
“Sue Sutton can remember the very day the Family Water Alliance was born.
“It seems like yesterday,” said Sutton, who for more than 15 years was the face of one of the most successful grassroots organizations in the North State and beyong.
The organization celebrates its 20th anniversary tonight at its annual dinner in Maxwell. … “
Continue reading from the Colusa Sun-Herald by clicking here.
Congresswoman Napolitano recognized with Southern California Water Committee award
Posted by: Maven on November 18, 2011 at 7:52 amFrom the office of Congresswoman Grace Napolitano:
“Today, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano was honored with the 2011 Harriett Wieder Water Leadership Award by the Southern California Water Committee.
“I am honored and humbled to receive this award,” Napolitano said. “Many challenges to our water supply remain for us to overcome, including climate change, a growing population, and the rising price of water. With continued cooperation at the local, state, and federal level, we can develop the reliable and inexpensive water supply we need to grow our economy. I thank the Southern California Water Committee and look forward to working together on these issues.”
Napolitano was selected for her leadership on the Hoover Power Allocation Act of 2011, which reauthorizes the Hoover Dam to continue providing power to communities across California, Nevada, and Arizona through 2067. The bill also sets aside 5% of the dam’s power to allow Native American tribes and other groups to access it for the first time. The House and Senate passed the bill last month after a multi-year effort
Napolitano is the top Democrat on the House Water and Power Subcommittee.”
Educator championed for solar water-pumping innovation
Posted by: Maven on November 3, 2011 at 8:11 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
“When Bruce Rasmussen sought to improve a local water system in his role as a homeowners association president, he never dreamed that it would lead him to Washington, D.C.
Today, he will be honored at the White House as a Champion of Change and participate in activities designed to help the nation’s leaders create high-quality jobs in the United States.
The White House Champions of Change Initiative spotlights Americans from all walks of life who are doing extraordinary things in their communities to “out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world,” according to a news release. … “
Find out more about why this Vacaville resident is being honored by clicking here.
Congresswoman Napolitano honored with Water Leadership Award
Posted by: Maven on November 2, 2011 at 7:55 am
Received via email from the office of Congresswoman Grace Napolitano:
“Today, the Southern California Water Committee (SCWC) announced that it will be honoring Rep. Grace F. Napolitano with the 2011 Harriett Wieder Water Leadership Award at their November 17 annual dinner in the City of Industry.
“I am honored to accept this award, and to recognize the many communities and agencies who work together to protect and improve our water supply,” Napolitano said. “We must continue to meet our water challenges and provide the reliable and inexpensive water we need for strong economic growth.”
Napolitano was selected for her leadership on the Hoover Power Allocation Act of 2011, which reauthorizes the Hoover Dam to continue providing power to communities across California, Nevada, and Arizona through 2067. The bill also sets aside 5% of the dam’s power to allow Native American tribes and other groups to access it for the first time. The House and Senate passed the bill last month after a multi-year effort.
Napolitano is the top Democrat on the House Water and Power Subcommittee.”
Alex Breitler’s blog: Scrutinized scientist gets award
Posted by: Maven on October 25, 2011 at 7:50 amFrom Alex Breitler’s blog:
“One of the Delta smelt scientists so sharply criticized by former federal judge Oliver Wanger has received an in-house award for her work on the contested biological opinion.
Jennifer Norris last month was given the Star Award from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Southwest Regional Manager Ren Lohoefener, along with fish biologist Matt Nobriga. … “
Continue reading from Alex Breitler’s blog by clicking here.
Q&A with retiring Helix water manager Mark Weston
Posted by: Maven on October 19, 2011 at 7:57 amFrom the San Diego Union-Tribune:
“LA MESA — Mark Weston, general manager at the Helix Water District for the past 10 years, will retire at the end of the year after a 38-year career in water, wastewater and municipal infrastructure engineering that took him from his Northern California roots to Helena, Mont., to Poway, and finally to La Mesa.
Weston, a licensed civil engineer for 35 years in California, will spend retirement traveling with his wife of 38 years, Anne. The couple has two sons. … “
Continue reading from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.
California Water Wars blog on Judge Wanger: Speaking out
Posted by: Maven on October 8, 2011 at 7:42 amFrom the California Water Wars blog:
“Newly retired U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger, who ruled on numerous water and environmental cases during 20 years on the bench in the Central Valley, is going on the speaking circuit: He’ll be making a major public appearance next month before at south state water group’s fundraising dinner.
He’ll also be appearing at an Oct. 11 fund-raiser for a candidate to the Fresno County board of supervisors – his first presentation since leaving the bench, according to the candidate.
There is nothing improper about retired jurists — or doctors, journalists or school superintendents, for that matter — saying anything they want to whomever they want. … “
Continue reading from the California Water Wars blog by clicking here.
The man with his hand on California’s spigot: U.S. District Court Judge Oliver W. Wanger’s decisions determined how much water gets pumped south to fields and cities and how much stays behind to sustain fish species
Posted by: Maven on October 7, 2011 at 8:35 amFrom the Los Angeles Times:
“For more than a decade, the state’s de facto water baron has been a man most Californians never heard of.
Oliver W. Wanger is not the archetypal power broker embodied by William Mulholland but a workaholic U.S. District Court judge whose Fresno courtroom was the forum for many of the state’s fiercest water conflicts.
Last week was his last on the bench. At the age of 70, Wanger returned to private practice, leaving a record of long, complex rulings and a parting diatribe at federal scientists that has echoed across the country. … “
Continue reading from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
Powerful figure in water wars steps down
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2011 at 8:52 amFrom the Silicon Valley Mercury News:
“One of the most powerful forces in California’s water wars is stepping down after two decades on the federal bench.
More than anyone else in recent years, U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger has decided how much of the state’s most precious resource goes to farms and cities and how much to the environment. He’s done so reluctantly, he said, grabbing the water policy reins because elected leaders failed to do so.
He’s rejected the work of government scientists when they failed to do enough to protect Delta smelt and Chinook salmon from extinction, earning environmentalists’ cheers and farmers’ boos.
However, he’s also preserved water for farmers, making water agencies ecstatic and environmentalists glum.
“At this point, I have no friends in California. That’s the fact,” Wanger said. … “
Continue reading from the Silicon Valley Mercury News by clicking here.
Tuesday’s top of the scroll: Judge Wanger’s interview on the California Report
Posted by: Maven on September 27, 2011 at 9:51 amFrom the California Report:
“U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger’s courtroom has been home to fierce battles between fishermen, farmers and environmentalists. Now, after ruling on more cases governing California water than any other living judge, Wanger is retiring. Reporter: Sasha Khokha”
California Water Wars blog: Judicial temperament
Posted by: Maven on September 26, 2011 at 8:04 amFrom the California Water Wars blog:
“The last thing you want in a federal courtroom – any courtroom – is a testy judge. But that is precisely what federal scientists confronted in the latest legal fight over the tiny Delta smelt, which needs fresh water to thrive in its increasingly saline marshy habitat.
“Testy’ may be too kind a description. Fresno U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger, who steps down this month after more than two decades on the bench, excoriated the scientists – one from the Bureau of Reclamation, the other from the Fish and Wildlife Service – for what he characterized as deliberately deceiving the court with inconsistent testimony. The FWS scientist, he said was a “zealot;” the other was “”untrustworthy as a witness.” … “
Continue reading from the California Water Wars blog by clicking here.
Sunday’s top of the scroll: Federal judge who ruled in water cases steps down
Posted by: Maven on September 25, 2011 at 10:00 amFrom the San Francisco Chronicle:
“A federal judge whose rulings in high-profile California water cases have had far-reaching impact on protections of threatened fish species and on how much water flows from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to farms and cities is stepping down after two decades on the bench.
The decisions of judge Oliver W. Wanger — who leaves the courthouse on Sept. 30 — have at times angered farmers, environmentalists and federal government officials. Despite this, Wanger, 70, is recognized by all sides for his historic role and his strict adherence to the law.
“Over the course of the last two decades, no one has had a greater influence on California water than Judge Wanger,” said Tom Birmingham, general manager of the Westlands Water District, the largest agricultural water district in the nation, which has participated in numerous cases before the judge. “There isn’t a judge for whom I have greater respect.” … “
Continue reading from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.
Santa Clara Valley Water District’s Beau Goldie answers reader questions
Posted by: Maven on September 22, 2011 at 7:49 amFrom the San Jose Insider:
“This is the newest installment of a San Jose Inside feature that allows readers to pose questions to public officials. This week, Santa Clara Valley Water District CEO Beau Goldie has answered 10 questions selected by SJI staff out of dozens submitted by San Jose Inside commenters. The topics range from SCVWD employee pay to dam safety. …
I’d like to ask how much the Water District spends each year on advertising and outreach? Water District ads encouraging people to conserve are on all of the time. (By now, I think we’ve got it!)
— Timothy WrightThe budget for marketing campaigns has varied depending on the seasonal need. For example, the “Save 20 gallons” water conservation campaign was released in 2009, following a 15 percent mandatory conservation call by our board of directors. The call came as the state entered the third year of drought and the need to save water became more urgent and immediate. … “
Continue reading from the San Jose Insider by clicking here.
Congresswoman Napolitano at Scripps Institution of Oceanography: Cooperation needed on water supply
Posted by: Maven on September 21, 2011 at 7:24 am
From the website of Congresswoman Grace Napolitano:
“Yesterday, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano addressed the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, as the keynote speaker for their 2011 Water Symposium “Water, Climate & Finance: The New Intersection.”
“Local communities, the federal government, and public and private water providers will all have to work together to improve our water supply for the 21st century,” Napolitano said. “Even with climate change and a growing population, there is enough water to meet future demands if we become more efficient, protect our streams and aquifers from pollution, and use the latest water technologies to increase supply. This more reliable and efficient water supply will provide a solid foundation for economic growth and expansion for years to come.”
Napolitano is the top Democrat on the Water and Power Subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The two-day conference included policy makers, scientists, and businessmen who discussed potential public-private partnerships and how to best address the diminishing global supply of potable water.
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California, San Diego is one of the oldest and largest centers for ocean and earth science research in the world.
Secretary Salazar to visit Bay Area on Sept. 19 to highlight Federal efforts on water
Posted by: Maven on September 17, 2011 at 7:14 amFrom ACWA’s Water News:
“U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will visit Northern California on Monday, Sept. 19, to highlight the Department’s recent efforts to increase water reliability in the state and dedicate a fish screen project by Contra Costa Water District. … “
More details on Secretary Salazar’s visit from ACWA’s Water News by clicking here.
A conversation with California’s Resources Secretary
Posted by: Maven on September 15, 2011 at 8:25 amJohn Laird, who announced yesterday that he won’t be running for the state Senate, sat down with Capitol Weekly for this interview:
“John Laird is sitting in an armchair in his austere 13th floor office in the state Resources Building on O and 9th Streets. The former chair of the Assembly Budget committee is in shirt sleeves buttoned at the wrist. He gestures broadly while talking.
There are posters of parks on the walls, a hard hat from the state firefighters on a credenza, a row of baseball caps in the otherwise empty bookcase. His desk is ordered but full.
Named secretary on Jan. 5 – one of Gov. Jerry Brown’s first appointments – the 61-year-old Santa Rosa native touched many of the issues he now is responsible for overseeing during his six-year tenure in the Assembly: state parks, the Sierra Conservancy, renewable energy, the future of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
The former aide to East Bay Rep. Jerry Waldie, Santa Cruz City Council member, director of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project and Cabrillo College Board trustee talks with Capitol Weekly about his current job and some of its unique challenges. … “
Continue reading at Capitol Weekly by clicking here.
Wanger’s retirement will leave a huge hole, says editorial: The Eastern District has been well-served by his time on bench
Posted by: Maven on September 2, 2011 at 7:16 amFrom the Fresno Bee, this editorial:
“We can’t recall a federal judge from our region who has had a bigger impact on the judiciary than Oliver W. Wanger. It’s not just that Wanger takes on the highest profile and most controversial federal cases — and he does — but he’s also been much more public than most judges in explaining the role of the courts in our system of government.
Wanger never bought into the idea that federal judges should only be heard from when ruling from the bench. He never compromised his cases by speaking about them, but would often explain the intricacies of the law. … “
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