State Board upholds stricter limits for Sac Regional Wastewater Plant
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2012 at 5:39 amFrom ACWA’s Water News:
“Tighter treatment requirements for the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plan are appropriate and necessary to protect beneficial uses in the Delta, the State Water Resources Control Board concluded in a draft order issued Monday.
The draft order followed a review requested by the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance of a strict new discharge permit for the district approved in December 2010 by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. The permit requires the district to limit the amount of ammonia and other constituents discharged into the Sacramento River and the Delta by the wastewater treatment plant. … “
Continue reading from ACWA’s Water News by clicking here.
Company wants to tap Mojave’s public lands for Southland water: Cadiz Inc. could realize $1 billion to $2 billion in revenue over the plan’s 50-year life; Opponents say public resources are being used for private profit
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2012 at 5:37 amFrom the Los Angeles Times:
“Three decades ago a group of businessmen pored over NASA satellite imagery as part of a worldwide hunt for large groundwater reserves they could tap to grow desert crops. They found the signs they were looking for here in the sun-blasted mountain ranges and creosote-freckled valleys of the Mojave Desert, 200 miles east of Los Angeles.
The group, which founded Cadiz Inc., bought old railroad land, drilled wells and planted neat grids of citrus trees and grapevines, irrigating them with water that bubbled out of the desert depths at the rate of 2,000 gallons a minute.
But by the mid-1990s, Cadiz had a new business plan: Sell water, not lemons. … “
Continue reading from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
UC nitrate study surprises few, says commentary
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2012 at 5:26 amFrom the Porterville Recorder, this commentary by Don Curlee:
“The big surprise in the recently released comprehensive study about nitrates invading the underground water supplies is that its conclusions haven’t surfaced earlier.
Released by the University of California, the study merely confirmed what experienced agricultural researchers have known all along: nitrates from fertilizer applied to crops and from manure accumulated in dairy operations tends to penetrate the soil to depths that affect underground water supplies.
The same agricultural researchers will tell you the situation does not call for panic. However, to ensure safe drinking water for millions whose supplies are pumped from underground aquifers the nitrate concentrations need to be monitored constantly, and treatment facilities need to be updated and well maintained. … “
Continue reading Don Curlee’s commentary at the Porterville Recorder by clicking here.
Siskiyou supervisors want congressional hearings on dam claims
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2012 at 5:17 amFrom the Record-Searchlight:
“The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors is asking Congress to hold hearings looking into a federal whistle-blower’s claims that federal scientific reports on removing dams on the Klamath River were influenced by politics.
The board voted Tuesday to send a letter to U.S. Rep. Wally Herger, asking him to hold a field hearing near the dams “whose fate is at stake in this politically perturbed process,” the letter says.
“From very early on, Siskiyou County has had serious concern that a predetermined outcome would skew the commitment to scientific integrity and transparency promised for the decision-making process on the Klamath River dams,” the letter says. … “
Continue reading from the Record Searchlight by clicking here.
Red Bluff Fish Passage Improvement Project nearly complete
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2012 at 5:13 amFrom the Capital Press:
“Jeff Sutton grinned as he watched water being pumped into a canal that would take it to some of the nearly 150,000 agricultural acres his water districts serve.
“It’s actually pumping water now. This is pretty exciting,” Sutton said May 14 as he stood atop the pumping station that is part of the $190 million Fish Passage Improvement Project here. “It’s providing water to growers as we speak.”
Crews are wrapping up nearly three years of construction on the project, which includes a quarter-mile-long wall of fish screens, a forebay, a pump house, canals and a high-voltage switch yard. … “
Continue reading from the Capital Press by clicking here.
Far past time for Potter Valley to be heard on Eel River issues, says commentary
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2012 at 5:12 amFrom the Eureka Times-Standard, this commentary by Fortuna resident Richard Leamon:
“The Friends of the Eel River put on “The Eel River Symposium” a month ago at the Fortuna River Lodge which I attended. There was a crowd of more than 130 people. The agenda had excellent speakers giving information on beavers, frogs, legal issues and dam removal.
I was particularly interested in the dam removal presentation. I lived in Potter Valley for 37 years and Scott Dam above Potter Valley was the place where Friends of the Eel River were focused. They also discussed the Potter Valley Diversion Project.
In the 1950s powerful floods occurred in the Russian River. Sonoma County put up the money to build Coyote Dam and created Lake Mendocino. Lake Mendocino is filled in winter from Cold Creek and the East Fork of the Russian River which exits from Potter Valley and has a watershed of its own. In the 1960s terrible floods ravaged the Eel River Valley. Places like Myers Flat and Pepperwood suffered severe damage. People in the hamlets of Holmes and Pepperwood now build homes on second-story foundations. I’m told that the Potter Valley Diversion Tunnel is sometimes used in winter to alleviate flooding conditions in the Main Stem of the Eel. … “
Continue reading from the Times-Standard by clicking here.
Taking care of our local watershed is top priority, says commentary
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2012 at 5:10 amFrom the Redwood Times, this commentary:
“Water Day II drew a lively crowd of scientists, river advocates and homesteaders to the Mateel Community Center on Sunday, May 6. The program offered a full menu of speakers and small breakout sessions that packed a lot of information into a long day that started at 9 a.m. and continued into the evening. The one uniting theme of this effort was the vital importance of protecting our rivers, streams and groundwater to the continuance to life.
Mike Furniss drew on his 25 years of experience with the U.S, Forest Service and a quote he attributed to Benjamin Franklin that “many small leaks can sink a big ship.”
He also identified a basic truth about water, that it always moves downhill, which is one reason the badly engineered and poorly maintained roads that criss-cross the mountains around us do so much damage to the waterways. Furniss said that roads and streams shouldn’t connect, that road cuts into hillsides should be avoided and all roads out-sloped to allow the water to follow its natural course. The water intends to reach the streams and rivers and should be allowed to do so. Abandoned roads have ongoing cumulative impacts on the landscape and if they are not treated they create a system of gullies that further destabilizes the mountainsides. … “
Continue reading from the Redwood Times by clicking here.
Woodland council looking after city’s water supplies, says commentary
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2012 at 5:05 amFrom the Woodland Daily Democrat, this commentary by Matt Rexroad, Yolo County’s 3rd District supervisor and a former Woodland mayor:
“Last month the Woodland City Council approved an increase in our water rates over a four-year period. As a taxpayer I have no desire to pay for government programs that are not needed.
But the outstanding leadership of the city of Woodland to secure and deliver a diversified water supply to our homes and businesses is well worth the cost.
Revenue from the increase will be used to ensure the city can meet strict water quality regulations and improve our water supply and infrastructure. Contrary to what some believe, this money cannot be used to fund any other part of city government. … “
Continue reading from the Woodland Daily Democrat by clicking here.
Lake Merced transfer helps clear the way for cleanup, recreation at site
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2012 at 5:04 amFrom the San Francisco Examiner:
“For years, Lake Merced’s future has been murky. Plans to clean the surrounding waterfront and improve recreational opportunities generated more talk than action.
But last week, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission approved a transfer of land at the lake, which will help clear the road for a $10.7 million cleanup of land occupied by the Pacific Rod and Gun Club.
The proposed cleanup now shifts the focus on progress at Lake Merced to long-stalled plans for a renovated boathouse and waterfront recreation such as kayaking, stand-up paddling and day camps. … “
Continue reading from the San Francisco Examiner by clicking here.
Santa Clara Valley Water District under investigation for violating water pollution laws
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2012 at 5:02 amFrom the Silicon Valley Mercury News:
“Silicon Valley’s leading drinking-water provider, which collects millions of dollars from the public to provide clean water, is under investigation for violating state water-pollution laws after repeatedly spilling hydraulic oil into its reservoirs.
Prosecutors from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office have notified the Santa Clara Valley Water District that the agency is facing fines of up to $25,000 in connection with the most recent spill, in early January at Coyote Reservoir.
“Due to the serious nature of the violations and the potential impact on the environment, the District Attorney’s Office has decided that a civil prosecution is appropriate in this case, with the goals being threefold — punishment, deterrence and compliance,” deputy district attorney Tina Nunes Ober wrote in a March 29 letter to water district CEO Beau Goldie. … “
Continue reading from the Silicon Valley Mercury News by clicking here.
Group taps technology to solve Pajaro Valley groundwater deficit
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2012 at 5:00 amFrom the Contra Costa Times:
“When raspberry grower John Eiskamp wants to know how much water his crop needs, he consults his iPad.
With his system of strategically placed soil probes and a wireless tower for transmitting data, he could use a smart phone or the computer in his office just as easily.
In the three years since he placed the first probe, Eiskamp estimates he’s cut water use by 20 percent.
The system will be more readily available to other growers thanks to a wireless transmission network being built throughout the Pajaro Valley. … “
Continue reading from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
Managing nitrogen on farmland focus of forums
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2012 at 4:59 amFrom the Central Valley Business Times:
“Growers, dairy operators, agency representatives, agricultural commissioners, policymakers and other community members are expected for half-day forums in June to discuss management of agricultural nitrogen.
The forums will be held in Sacramento on June 12 and in Tulare on June 18.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources will be hosting the two community forums to explore solutions to nitrate in groundwater and the role of policy. … “
Continue reading from the Central Valley Business Times by clicking here.
Bakersfield: Water flows for bike race
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2012 at 4:57 amFrom Bakersfield Now:
“Stage five of the Amgen Tour of California rolls into Bakersfield on May, 17th.
With all eyes of the biking world on Bakersfield, organizers want to make the city appear as aesthetically pleasing as possible.
That’s why today the City of Bakersfield will let the water flow just for the bike race into the normally dry Kern River from the Lake Isabella Dam. … “
Continue reading from Bakersfield Now by clicking here.
Commentary: The public trust doctrine as it relates to Lake Elsinore
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2012 at 4:53 amFrom the North County Times, this commentary:
“After the American Revolution, each of the original states ceded to the sovereign the right and duty to protect navigable waters and submerged lands not in a proprietary capacity, but rather “as a trustee of a public trust for the benefits of the people” for uses such as commerce, navigation and fishing. This right and duty was passed on to all the other states by way of the Equal Footing Doctrine. The determination of what was a navigable waterway was to be determined at the time of statehood.
“The public trust … is an affirmation of the duty of the state to protect the people’s common heritage of streams, lakes, marshlands and tidelands….” —- Supreme Court of California in a 1983 comment in regards to a ruling on Mono Lake.
In looking at this doctrine, a navigable waterway is one that was such at the time of statehood. In California that date is Sept. 9, 1850. … “
Continue reading this commentary by clicking here.
QSA: Landmark water deal comes under scrutiny
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2012 at 4:51 amFrom the San Diego Union-Tribune:
“An alliance of Imperial Valley residents and former San Diego City Attorney Mike Aguirre on Tuesday released a report that criticized the Imperial Irrigation District and raised questions about the landmark 2003 sale of water to the San Diego County Water Authority.
The 35-page analysis said the irrigation district is governed under a system in which “private interests mostly outside of Imperial Valley benefit at the expense of the people of the Imperial Valley.”
It said the Quantification Settlement Agreement between San Diego and the Imperial Irrigation District was a “give-away of important IID property rights.” That deal, which spans decades, is an important element of San Diego’s strategy to diversify its water sources. … “
Continue reading from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.
Imperial Irrigation District, public discuss water transfer
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2012 at 4:49 amFrom the Imperial Valley Press:
“Through more than four hours of discussion about the Imperial Irrigation District’s water transfer, questions were answered, insults were spewed and the future of the Imperial Valley was argued over.
Both consulting attorney Charles T. DuMars and outside counsel David Osias spoke on issues related to the Quantification Settlement Agreement, the nation’s largest agriculture-to-urban water transfer. However, both talked on different issues associated with the transfer of IID-entitlement water to coastal urban areas.
DuMars went over his preliminary final report, going over how the district can move to implement the water transfer, or a “critical path forward,” according to the report title. … “
Continue reading from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.
This just in … Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District petitions State Water Board to vacate permit requirements; Board sets workshop for July
Posted by: Maven on May 15, 2012 at 11:32 amThe State Water Resources Control Board has scheduled a workshop in July to review the waste discharge requirements for the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (SRCSD).
The SRCSD is petitioning the State Water Resources Control Board to vacate the new filtration requirements for ammonia, pathogens and nitrate citing “adverse impacts on residents of all economic circumstances, business and development, and the environment. These adverse impacts are not justified. The Regional Board was too committed to certain outcomes and did not consider what is reasonable and necessary … ” Read the full text of SRCSD petition here: a2144apetition-1
The initial review by the Board finds that the requirement to provide equivalent to “disinfected tertiary recycled water” level of treatment is correct, given the high level of public contact, its use for irrigation and the use of Delta waters for drinking water supplies, and that the Board is not required to consider economics. Read the full text here: A-2144ab draft order (5-14-12)
Study suggests steelhead trout lose out when water is low in wine country
Posted by: Maven on May 15, 2012 at 8:06 amFrom Science Daily:
“The competition between farmers and fish for precious water in California is intensifying in wine country, suggests a new study by biologists at the University of California, Berkeley.
The findings, published in the May issue of the journal Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, link higher death rates for threatened juvenile steelhead trout with low water levels in the summer and the amount of vineyard acreage upstream.
The researchers found that juvenile steelhead trout are particularly at risk during the dry summer season typical of California’s Mediterranean climate. Of the juvenile steelhead trout present in June, on average only 30 percent survived to the late summer. In years with higher rainfall and in watersheds with less vineyard land use, the survival of juvenile trout over the summer was significantly higher. … “
Continue reading from Science Daily by clicking here.
SEE ALSO: Trout and Vineyards Compete for Water in Wine Country, from Live Science
Lake Tahoe: Officials consider pesticides to fight invasive species
Posted by: Maven on May 15, 2012 at 8:00 amFrom KGO-TV San Francisco:
“The State Water Resources Control Board is confronting a major controversy Tuesday: whether to allow pesticide use in Lake Tahoe. Some believe it will save the lake from being choked to death by invasive species, while others say it could destroy an environmental treasure.
The lake supports a $5 billion economy and a stunning natural eco-system. But all the beauty is facing a growing underwater threat — plants and animals that are not supposed to be there.
There are about 20 invasive species in Tahoe, crowding out native species and changing the chemistry of the water. … “
Continue reading from KGO TV by clicking here, or watch below:
District projects to improve ag water efficiency
Posted by: Maven on May 15, 2012 at 7:38 amFrom the Capital Press:
“Farmers within five water districts in central and southern California will see improved efficiency in their water delivery as a result of projects being undertaken by two federal agencies.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Natural Resources Conservation Service are doing $5.3 million worth of district-wide and on-farm projects to save water and improve water management.
The projects will be done in the Henry Miller Reclamation District 2131 in the Dos Palos area, the Firebaugh Canal Water District, the Tulare Irrigation District, the Rancho California Water District in the Temecula area, and the Central California Irrigation District in the Los Banos area. … “
Continue reading from the Capital Press by clicking here.
Yosemite Falls streaming live online for 1st time
Posted by: Maven on May 15, 2012 at 7:36 amFrom the San Francisco Chronicle:
“For the first time ever, Yosemite Falls, the highest waterfall in North America, can be called up on a computer and viewed from the comfort of the living room sofa.
On Monday, the nonprofit Yosemite Conservancy will switch on a webcam that will show the thundering waterfall in all its incarnations throughout the year, its latest addition to an array of technology connecting couch potatoes and computer nerds to nature. … “
Continue reading from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.
Late, smaller runoff still a danger on Valley rivers
Posted by: Maven on May 15, 2012 at 7:28 amFrom the Fresno Bee:
“More than a dozen people died in Central California waterways last year and 2012 already is off to a deadly start.
This year’s river runoff may not be as strong as last year’s — closer to an average year — but that doesn’t mean it will be safer to be a river rat.
The intensity of this season’s winter runoff into rivers and lakes may arrive a little later in the spring and summer because of late winter rains, said Fresno County sheriff’s Lt. Greg Gularte, who directs the county’s boating enforcement unit. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
Southern California: Bill seeks to clarify groundwater oversight
Posted by: Maven on May 15, 2012 at 7:24 amFrom the Long Beach Press Telegram:
“A proposed law designed to keep water bills from skyrocketing has passed a state Senate committee, but opponents vow to fight the measure they say is a “political power grab.”
Senate Bill 1386, authored by Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, would remove barriers to storing groundwater in the Central Basin and would allow for underground water reserves to protect against high rates in dry periods. Area cities and water agencies have been embroiled in legal battles over how and by whom the water should be stored.
The bill unanimously passed the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee last week. … “
Continue reading from the Long Beach Press Telegram by clicking here.
MORE: California Supreme Court Rules in Favor of WRD and Ratepayers, press release from the Water Replenishment District
Chance of Rain blog: Los Angeles built into a corner
Posted by: Maven on May 15, 2012 at 7:19 amFrom the Chance of Rain blog:
“The list price was $1.125 million in August 2011, when Sotheby’s International Realty held the first open house for 1674 Highland Oaks Drive, in the Los Angeles suburb of Arcadia. Scented candles burned, classical music played and the air conditioner ran as potential buyers milled through the home’s three bedrooms, living room and combination den/dining room. Through sliding glass doors, a pool was visible in the rear garden; beyond it stood a sharply trimmed hedge. Past the hedge, in the ravine below it, a deep wash lay. Metropolitan Los Angeles ends at the edge of this canyon property, and above the wash, its steeply upland collar of national forest begins. … “
Continue reading from the Chance of Rain blog by clicking here.
Hungtington Beach: GM nixes secret desal talks with Poseidon after Brown Act complaints
Posted by: Maven on May 15, 2012 at 7:17 amFrom Surf City Voice:
“Confronted by complaints of illegality, the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) dropped a scheduled closed session section of a meeting of its board of directors scheduled for today (May 15) at 11 a.m.
General Manager Kevin Hunt had scheduled the closed session in order to meet with officials of Poseidon Resources Inc., the company that proposes to build the as yet unfinanced and unpermitted $750 million ocean desalination plant that would convert about 100 million gallons of ocean water into 50 million gallons of drinking water every day.
The public meeting will go ahead minus the Poseidon item, but instead of holding session at MWDOC’s regular location in Fountain Valley, the seven board members will meet at the offices of the agency’s new legal team, Best, Best & Krieger (BKK). … “
Continue reading from Surf City Voice by clicking here.
The fight for water: Nevada taps Lake Mead and hunts for ‘Utah’ water
Posted by: Maven on May 15, 2012 at 7:12 amFrom Deseret News:
“Pat Mulroy isn’t willing to gamble on the future of the 2 million residents who need the Colorado River to keep Lake Mead full enough to quench their thirst.
An unwavering 11-year drought has reaffirmed the harsh reality that two-thirds of Nevada’s population is caught in the grip of the fickle and foundering water supply of the Colorado River, for which this year is the third driest since 1965.
Never mind last year — the third wettest — which provided welcome relief but only reiterated to Mulroy that you can’t depend on the undependable.
“So after having experienced a very wet year last year, we’re learning a very valuable lesson,” said Mulroy, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority. “One good year won’t get us out of this protracted drought period.” … “
Continue reading from Deseret News by clicking here.
The fight for water: Here’s why the West’s oldest battle could hit you at the tap; plus can the mighty Mississippi save the West?
Posted by: Maven on May 14, 2012 at 7:26 amFrom Deseret News:
“The West is running out of water.
Its lifeblood, the Colorado River, is being hemorrhaged by cities, by farms and ranches, by power plants and by the more than 30 million people who depend on its water in the United States and another 6 million people in Mexico.
This year’s flows are near historic lows with runoff about a third of average, pushing the seven states that share the river toward another year of drought. But those stresses are trumped by dire predictions from the agency managing the Colorado River system, forecasting demand far outstripping supply during the next 50 years, reaching crisis levels within two decades.
It reveals a coming tug-of-war over water resources that may pit Utah against other states in the fight for new development, jobs, housing and force an answer to one of the West’s most enduring questions: Who is entitled to the water? … “
Continue reading from Deseret News by clicking here.
Part 2 of the series continues:
“Towing icebergs to California, diverting Mississippi River water to the Colorado Front Range or building massive plants to desalinize water from the Sea of Cortez are among the options to counter future water shortages in the two basins of the Colorado River.
Other considerations include tearing down all the dams along the system to force groundwater recharge, prohibit new golf courses and place bans on man-made lakes, water parks or swimming pools for single-family homes.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is nearing the final stages of a study that for the first time in more than 40 years is charting projected supply and demand “imbalances” of Colorado River water — which was over-allocated some 90 years ago through a water-sharing agreement among Utah, six other Western states and Mexico. A draft of the study is slated to be released next month, with a final report scheduled for July. … “
Continue reading from the Deseret News by clicking here.
Utah, Nevada look to prevent water crisis
Posted by: Maven on May 14, 2012 at 7:16 amFrom KSL.com:
“Throughout the Southwest, states who have faced years of drought are addressing the possibility of a water crisis, and they are focusing their efforts on averting such a crisis.
Though reservoirs in the Southwest, like Utah’s Lake Powell and Nevada’s Lake Mead, benefitted from a wet 2011, this year has proven another dry year. The water of the Colorado River is stored in those two reservoirs, and roughly 30 million people across seven states are dependent upon that water.
In 1922, the reservoirs’ water was divided up among seven states. For 100 years, the notion has prevailed that dams and reservoirs would save the Southwest from water shortages. But that view is being challenged as metropolises have sprouted in the land of sagebrush and cactus. … “
Continue reading from KSL.com by clicking here.
SEE ALSO: Another take on Colorado Basin failure mode concludes that Arizona and Nevada are the trouble spots, from the Inkstain blog
Filling to a safe level: Success Dam re-evaluated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; higher water level OK’d
Posted by: Maven on May 14, 2012 at 7:10 amFrom the Visalia Times-Delta:
“Over the past few years, Lake Success near Porterville hasn’t been the lake it used to be.
That’s because in 2004, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers set restrictions on the maximum amount of water the lake could hold, lowering the water level 30 feet.
The difference is striking. There’s less surface area to maneuver boats and finding a good beach for swimming got harder as the lake’s surface area has shrunk by about a third.
As a result, the number of visitors to the lake has declined in recent years, and some businesses that depended on lake tourists have gone under — including the lake’s marina — or have been struggling since the initiation of the water-level limits. … “
Continue reading from the Visalia Times-Delta by clicking here.
Rural towns devise unique plan to solve water problems
Posted by: Maven on May 14, 2012 at 7:09 amFrom California Watch:
“For a good part of its rich history, residents of unincorporated Allensworth, the first African American colony west of the Mississippi, have gone without a reliable supply of safe drinking water.
This is still the case today, where the Tulare County community’s wells – which provide water to the neighboring Colonel Allensworth State Historical Park that commemorates the area’s legacy – exceed federal levels for arsenic.
Arsenic is naturally occurring in the area, and consumption of the semi-metal can cause nausea and skin discoloration. It has also been associated with various cancers. … “
Continue reading from California Watch by clicking here.
Santa Clarita: Officials say no trace of perchlorate
Posted by: Maven on May 14, 2012 at 7:07 amFrom the Santa Clarita Signal:
“Water officials have found no trace of perchlorate in any of the wells operated by the Newhall Water Company District, one year after the district stepped up its well inspection, a district official said.
District officials concerned about water contamination by perchlorate stepped up their inspection of wells after the chemical was detected in a well owned by the Valencia Water Company.
“Several months ago, the district decided to voluntarily start monitoring for perchlorate quarterly instead of what was required as annually at our nc-12 and nc-13 wells,” said Steve Cole, general manager of the Newhall County Water District, referring to the wells nearest the perchlorate-contaminated Whittaker-Bermite site. … “
Continue reading from the Santa Clarita Signal by clicking here.
Bill seeks to clarify groundwater oversight
Posted by: Maven on May 14, 2012 at 7:05 amFrom the Contra Costa Times:
“A proposed law designed to keep water bills from skyrocketing has passed a state Senate committee, but opponents vow to fight the measure they say is a “political power grab.”
Senate Bill 1386, authored by Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, would remove barriers to storing groundwater in the Central Basin and would allow for underground water reserves to protect against high rates in dry periods. Area cities and water agencies have been embroiled in legal battles over how and by whom the water should be stored.
The bill unanimously passed the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee last week. … “
Continue reading from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
Inland Empire water agency wades into water war
Posted by: Maven on May 14, 2012 at 7:02 amFrom the Redlands Daily Facts:
“One of the region’s biggest wholesale water districts has jumped into a water war being waged by San Diego County against the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
Claremont-based Three Valleys Municipal Water District has joined the legal action on the side of Metropolitan, accusing plaintiff San Diego County Water Authority of bungling a water purchase from Imperial County and trying to make MWD’s 26 water agencies pay for the blunder.
If San Diego County wins its lawsuit and negotiates cheaper water rates only for itself, Three Valleys customers could see rate increases of up to 30 percent, according to Three Valleys officials. If wholesale prices rise, it could affect Three Valleys’ 550,000 customers in such cities as Diamond Bar, La Verne, San Dimas and Pomona. … “
Continue reading from the Redlands Daily Facts by clicking here.
Commentary: Cadiz water project good for county
Posted by: Maven on May 14, 2012 at 7:01 amFrom the San Bernardino Sun, this commentary by Bob Van Valer, president of Roscoe Moss Company, and Bob Ereth, general manager of national business development for Layne Christensen Company:
“The Cadiz Valley Water Conservation, Recovery and Storage Project is a worthwhile proposal that deserves the support of decision makers and local communities. Extensive scientific and technical research, including test wells drilled by Layne Christensen’s local rigs and crews, has proven that the project can work in the Mojave Desert. Its construction will create jobs and have far-reaching economic benefits for the area.
The Cadiz project is designed to conserve desert groundwater that would otherwise evaporate or become too salty to drink after reaching the desert dry lakes. It will supply water for about 200,000 families and businesses throughout Southern California.
Cadiz Inc. has pledged to keep the economic benefits of this project in San Bernardino County. They have pledged to spend 80 percent of the capital cost in the county, including buying locally manufactured pipe, and to hire 50 percent of workers locally. They can and will get the project built with local pipe suppliers and local steel. This is a significant economic investment in the county when job creation and economic recovery can’t come soon enough. … “
Continue reading this commentary at the San Bernardino Sun by clicking here.
Commentary: Cadiz project will employ sustainable groundwater practices
Posted by: Maven on May 14, 2012 at 7:00 amFrom the Sacramento Bee, this commentary by Winston H. Hickox (published April 19th – somehow I missed this):
“Winston H. Hickox, former secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency, is a principal with the consulting firm California Strategies. He is responding to the April 13 Viewpoints article, “Plan to tap groundwater for profit shows need for better state policy.” That article stated: “The bottom line is that the project relies on unsustainable mining of groundwater, designed to extract groundwater at a rate exceeding natural recharge.”
As the former secretary of California’s Environmental Protection Agency and a member of the Cadiz Inc. board of directors, I felt compelled to respond to John Bredehoeft and Newsha Ajami’s mischaracterizationof the Cadiz Valley Water Project and California groundwater policy.
California faces many water challenges. Northern California supplies are environmentally challenged. Our erratic climate has long droughts. Water rates are escalating. Water agencies are exploring projects to improve supply reliability, including groundwater projects in partnership with private companies. … “
Continue reading this commentary at the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
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