Wednesday’s top of the scroll: Department of Water Resources report predicts decrease in State Water Project deliveries
Posted by: Maven on February 8, 2012 at 8:43 am
From ACWA’s Water News:
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) released a draft report last week predicting decreases in State Water Project deliveries due to a variety of factors. The State Water Project Draft Delivery Reliability Report 2011 updates DWR’s assessment of its ability to maintain current (2011) and future (2031) State Water Project delivery reliability if no significant improvements are made to convey water through the Delta or to store more variable runoff expected with climate change. … “
Continue reading from ACWA’s Water News by clicking here.
Picture of the California Aqueduct bifurcation by the Department of Water Resources.
Department of Water Resources seeks more green energy for State Water Project
Posted by: Maven on January 31, 2012 at 7:56 am
From the Department of Water Resources:
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is continuing to increase the amount of green energy in the State Water Project (SWP) power portfolio. DWR has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to purchase up to 180,000 WHh of energy a year from qualified renewable energy sources.
This was announced by Veronica Hicks, Chief of the DWR’s State Water Project Power and Risk Office. This is anticipated to be the first in a series of requests to further supplement with renewable energy the SWP energy portfolio, half of which already, on average, consists of clean hydropower.
“The purchase of renewable energy will assist DWR in meeting its goal of reducing its greenhouse gas footprint to 50 percent below its 1990 emissions,” stated Mark Cowin, DWR Director. “This step also helps achieve the Governor’s goal of increasing the use of renewable energy in California.”
Continue reading “Department of Water Resources seeks more green energy for State Water Project” »
Delta Science Program releases report on the independent review of SWP/CVP operations
Posted by: Maven on December 16, 2011 at 8:33 amFrom the Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Science Program:
“An independent panel of national scientific experts convened by the Delta Science Program has released its 2011 review report on the implementation of Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA) Actions affecting the Operations Criteria and Plan (OCAP) for State/Federal Water Operations.
The report informs the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as to the efficacy of the prior year’s actions prescribed by their respective RPAs and includes specific recommendations for how RPA Actions could be better linked to biological objectives for salmon, steelhead, green sturgeon and delta smelt.
The report also looks at how well agencies responded to the previous year’s review.”
Federal Agencies’ Initial Response to the Panel’s Report (December 15, 2011)
For more background or links to the review materials, click here.
DWR certifies Perris Dam Remediation Program final EIR
Posted by: Maven on December 2, 2011 at 7:21 amFrom the Department of Water Resources:
“SACRAMENTO — The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has certified and adopted the Perris Dam Remediation Program final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR). DWR anticipates completing the dam remediation design by the end of 2013, and to construct repairs from 2014 to 2015.
In 2005, DWR identified potential seismic safety risks in the foundation of Perris Dam, located in northeastern Riverside County, 11 miles southeast of Riverside and 60 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. While there was no imminent threat to life or property, in the interest of ensuring public safety, the state lowered the water level of Lake Perris to conduct the EIR process and complete repairs. Once repairs are completed in 2015, DWR will be allowed to refill the lake to the previous level.
The Perris Dam Remediation Program, the project proposed to implement repairs, was analyzed in a draft EIR (DEIR). The DEIR included three separate project components: (1) Perris Dam remediation, (2) outlet tower replacement, and (3) emergency outlet extension. The proposed repair plan includes upgrading the dam by strengthening roughly 700,000 cubic yards of the foundation material with cement-deep-soil-mixing methods and reinforcing it with a stability berm placed on top of the improved foundation. This would allow the lake to return to its previous maximum operating pool elevation after construction.
Continue reading “DWR certifies Perris Dam Remediation Program final EIR” »
State projects ample water supply
Posted by: Maven on November 22, 2011 at 7:32 amFrom KFSN:
“The State Department of Water Resources provides water for 25 million Californians, and irrigates about one million acres of farmland.
The agency is projecting everybody will get at least 60 per cent of the maximum possible supply right now. Sarge Green, of the Center for Irrigation Technology at Fresno State say’s it’s a good sign.
“60 per cent is a little more than half, but it’s at the beginning of the year before we’ve had any of our major precipitation so that means there is water in the bank already,” Green said. … “
Continue reading from KFSN by clicking here.
State Water Contractors respond to DWR announcement of initial SWP allocation
Posted by: Maven on November 22, 2011 at 7:22 amFrom the State Water Contractors, this statement received via email from General Manager Terry Erlewine:
“California’s initial water allocation for 2012 reflects the very wet year we’ve had in 2011. Public water agencies continue to face a great deal of uncertainty because our water delivery system is extremely vulnerable. The water supply for 25 million people, businesses and farms is channeled by old and fragile levees built 100 years ago. A major earthquake in Northern California could trigger levees to break throughout the Delta, allowing saltwater to rush in from the San Francisco Bay contaminating a significant portion of our freshwater supply. Public water agencies throughout the state support the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, which seeks to secure a reliable water supply through construction of a new water delivery system and significant habitat restoration efforts. For more information, please visit http://www.swc.org/issues/delta-disrupted.
Sacramento, CA-[Terry Erlewine's statement:] “This is a welcome change for public water agencies but, 2011’s wet weather does not change the fact that California’s water delivery system is extremely vulnerable and creates enormous water supply uncertainties for 25 million people, businesses and farms.”
The State Water Contractors is a statewide, non-profit association of 27 public agencies from Northern, Central and Southern California that purchase water under contract from the California State Water Project. Collectively the State Water Contractors deliver water to more than 25 million residents throughout the state and more than 750,000 acres of agricultural lands. For more information on the State Water Contractors, please visit www.swc.org.
Department of Water Resources announces initial water delivery estimate for 2012
Posted by: Maven on November 19, 2011 at 7:13 amFrom the Department of Water Resources:
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today announced an initial allocation of 60 percent of requested deliveries to State Water Project contractors for 2012.
The initial allocation – or water delivery estimate – is always conservative because it is made before the major winter storms that supply reservoir storage.
Today’s initial 60 percent allocation is relatively high due to carryover storage from unusually wet conditions last winter.
“We are off to a promising start for next year’s water supply,” said DWR Director Mark Cowin. “We are cautious not to be overly optimistic, but last winter’s near-record snowpack and rainfall promises that even average precipitation this winter should give us adequate supplies for our farms, cities and businesses.”
Lake Oroville in Butte County, the State Water Project’s principal storage reservoir with a capacity of 3.5 million acre-feet, is at 80 percent of capacity with 2,825,422 acre-feet held in Lake Oroville. That is 130 percent of normal for the date, breaking the 2006 carryover storage record by 132,000 acre-feet.
Just a normal winter will significantly increase today’s allocation of 60 percent of the slightly more than 4 million acre-feet requested by the 29 public agencies (contractors) that supply water to more than 25 million Californians and nearly a million acres of irrigated farmland.
This year is an example of how conservative, early water delivery estimates can be expected to increase as storms roll in. The initial allocation for this calendar year, made in November of 2010, was 25 percent. As winter took hold, a near-record snowpack and heavy rains sweeping the state resulted in a final allocation of 80 percent of requests.. The final allocation was 50 percent in 2010, 40 percent in 2009, 35 percent in 2008, and 60 percent in 2007. The last 100 percent allocation – difficult to achieve even in wet years because of Delta pumping restrictions to protect threatened and endangered fish – was in 2006.
The Department of Water Resources operates and maintains the State Water Project, provides dam safety and flood control and inspection services, assists local water districts in water management and water conservation planning, and plans for future statewide water needs. Contact the DWR Public Affairs Office for more information about DWR’s water activities.”
Bakosphere: How does valley water get over the Grapevine?
Posted by: Maven on November 16, 2011 at 8:40 am
From the Bakosphere:
“Some people may not know it, but lots of Central Valley water is piped down to Southern California. But how does it get over the 4,000-foot-high Tehachapi Mountains?
Chris Austin tells you in a illustrative post on her Maven’s Photoblog titled “The Big Lift: A photo tour of the State Water Project’s Edmonston Pumping Plant.” … “
Continue reading from the Bakosphere by clicking here.
Reclamation announces 2011 integrated annual review of coordinated operation of the CVP and SWP
Posted by: Maven on October 28, 2011 at 8:22 amFrom the Bureau of Reclamation:
“The Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources have scheduled a public workshop to perform a Delta Science Program Review of the RPA implementation during the 2011 coordinated operation of the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP), previously referred to as “Operations Criteria and Plan (OCAP) Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPAs).” The goals of the workshop are to develop lessons learned, incorporate new science and make appropriate scientifically justified adjustments to the RPAs or their implementation to support real-time decision making for the next water year. Additionally, the independent science panel review is to inform the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service whether or not the desired effectiveness was accomplished by prior years water operations and regulatory actions, as prescribed in the coordinated long-term operation RPAs. The workshop is scheduled over two days:
Sacramento Tuesday, November 8, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. PST Wednesday, November 9, 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. PST 650 Capitol Mall, Stanford Room (First Floor) Please allow extra time for parking and federal building security screening procedures. Current photo identification is required for building access. Visitors may not bring cameras or cell phones with camera capability into the building. … “
The meeting will be webcast. In Maven’s continuing quest to make this website as useful to you as possible, the link to the webcast will be posted at the top of the scroll on the days of the meeting. Click here for webcast details and contact information.
Public meeting to be held on State Water Project encroachment permits
Posted by: Maven on October 18, 2011 at 6:17 amFrom the Department of Water Resources:
“SACRAMENTO — Please take notice that on October 26, 2011 from 6 p.m to 8 p.m. at City of Fairfield Community Center, Lakeside Room B, 1000 Kentucky Street, Fairfield, CA , the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) will hold an informal public informational meeting to discuss proposed regulations that will specify requirements for obtaining a permit to encroach on right of way property surrounding the State Water Resources Development System (“State Water Project”), including open canal systems, underground pipelines and related facilities.
The State Water Project encompasses approximately 700 miles of canals and pipelines throughout the state from Oroville Dam in Butte County, northern California to Perris Dam in Riverside County, southern California, including the Coastal Branch of the California Aqueduct in San Luis and Santa Barbara Counties. Information regarding the State Water Project can be found at http://www.water.ca.gov/swp/. A map of the entire project can be accessed at http://www.water.ca.gov/swp/docs/SWPmap.pdf.
Water Code sections 12899 through 12899.11 authorize DWR to control, by way of an encroachment permit, access to the right of way property adjacent to, over, or under the State Water Project. DWR is granted the authority to promulgate regulations to control access, and to enforce the right of way to protect the physical integrity of any facility of the State Water Project, or prevent interference with the department’s rights with regard to access, inspection, repair, or the operation and maintenance of any State Water Project facility. Water Code section 12899, et seq. can be accessed free of charge at http://law.onecle.com/california/water/12899.html. Copies of the statute will also be provided at the meeting.
DWR will be creating regulations setting forth specific requirements for obtaining the encroachment permit including fees to be charged, requirements for mitigation of adverse effects to State Water Project property or facilities, and requirements for preventing or mitigating existing or continuing encroachments that interfere with access, inspection, repair, operation or maintenance of the State Water Project facilities.
DWR welcomes comments, questions, or suggestions from any member of the public, or representatives of public entities who may be affected by the regulations.
The agenda for the meeting is available at (website). If you cannot attend and would like to submit questions or comments these should be sent to: Leroy Ellinghouse, Department of Water Resources, Room 641-2, 1416 – 9th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
The Department of Water Resources operates and maintains the State Water Project, provides dam safety and flood control and inspection services, assists local water districts in water management and water conservation planning, and plans for future statewide water needs.
Plan put into place to look at increasing state water facility efficiency
Posted by: Maven on August 11, 2011 at 8:19 amFrom the California Water Plan eNews:
“DWR has completed the first step toward increasing the efficiency and benefits of California’s water facilities. DWR has released a plan of study to define the four phases of the System Reoperation Program. The program will look at management procedures, physical modifications and other elements in an effort to get the most out of the state’s water facilities.”
Arroyo Lover’s: California State Water Project inspection trip revealing
Posted by: Maven on June 21, 2011 at 8:03 amFrom the Arroyo Lover’s blog:
“Though I have been teaching California Water to Cal Poly/Pomona students for the past three years, I had not had the opportunity to visit the ‘Holy Grail’ of the California State Water Project until this past week.
Thanks to an invitation from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California through Pasadena Board Director Tim Brick, I was invited to join 36 others in a behind the scenes ‘inspection tour’ of the State Water Project (SWP).
The two day trip was a whirlwind visit to the Oroville Dam, the Feather River Fish Hatchery, the Oroville Dam Visitor Center, the Delta and levees, the Banks Pumping Plant and the Skinner Fish Facility, with a briefing on current Bay-Delta issues at MWD’s Sacramento office. … “
Continue reading from Arroyo Lover’s blog by clicking here.
Lawsuit against DWR continues to flow
Posted by: Maven on May 8, 2011 at 8:28 amFrom the Appeal Democrat:
“Three years ago, this column noted that Yuba City and some other entities that receive water from Lake Oroville had just sued the state over, well, water.
It was one of those arcane bits of litigation that few people understand, involving water contracts, areas of origins and promises made but maybe not necessarily broken.
In any event, this looked like the kind of legal jousting that could go on for a bit. … “
Continue reading from the Appeal Democrat by clicking here.
Thursday’s top of the scroll: State Water Project Allocation increased to 80 percent
Posted by: Maven on April 21, 2011 at 9:33 amFrom the Department of Water Resources:
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today increased the 2011 State Water Project (SWP) water allocation to 80 percent of contractors’ requests, up 30 percent from last year’s final allocation.
“This is very good news,” said DWR Director Mark Cowin. “Near-record precipitation and water content in our mountain snowpack have given us a good supply year. We should not forget, however, that this state can slip back toward drought conditions any given year and conservation needs to be a lifelong habit.”
This year’s allocation is 3,337,701 acre-feet. In 2010, the State Water Project delivered 2.086,000 acre-feet, 50 percent of a requested 4,172,126 acre-feet, up from a record-low initial projection of 5 percent due to lingering effects of the 2007-2009 drought.
Could the California Aqueduct turn into a solar farm?
Posted by: Maven on April 21, 2011 at 9:12 am
From the New York Times Green blog:
“In Wednesday’s Times, I wrote about start-up companies developing solar panel arrays that float on water. The companies see a potentially large market to generate electricity from building floating arrays for irrigation and mining ponds, hydroelectric reservoirs and canals.
But the great white whale for some of these solar developers is deploying floating photovoltaic arrays on the California Aqueduct, the 400-mile long canal that irrigates much of the state’s agricultural heartland and delivers water to Southern California.
“It’s a dream for us,” said Phil Alwitt, project development manager for SPG Solar, a Novato, Calif., company that has built floating solar arrays for winery irrigation ponds. … “
Continue reading from the New York Times Green blog by clicking here.
Photo of the California Aqueduct by the Department of Water Resources.
This just in … 2011 SWP allocation increases to 70%
Posted by: Maven on March 16, 2011 at 8:12 amFrom the Department of Water Resources, a notice to contractors that the SWP Allocation is being increased to 70%:
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is increasing the allocation of 2011 State Water Project (SWP) water for long-term contractors from 2,503,276 acre-feet to 2,920,488 acre-feet. Based on recent precipitation, runoff, and current water supply conditions, SWP supplies are projected to meet 70 percent of SWP contractors’ 2011 requested Table A amounts, which total 4,172,126 acre-feet. Attached is the revised 2011 SWP 70 percent allocation table. … “
Read the Notice to State Water Project Contractors at DWR by clicking here
UPDATE: Read the official DWR Press Release here.
Commentary: Cut State Water Project’s ties to the budget
Posted by: Maven on March 15, 2011 at 7:01 amFrom the Sacramento Bee, this commentary by Terry Erlewine, general manager of the State Water Contractors:
“The State Water Project delivers water to more than 25 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland. For 50 years it has reliably powered California’s economy and provided the foundation on which families, farms and businesses succeed. But in recent years its reliability has faltered due to the state’s unending fiscal crisis.
As recently as December 2010, the SWP was unable to deliver more than 70,000 acre-feet of water because understaffing delayed needed maintenance and repair. One acre-foot of water is more than 325,000 gallons, or enough to cover a football field one foot deep. Making the SWP reliable for the next 50 years will require changes in how it is operated and maintained. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
Time for a new era of governing water statewide, says SacBee editorial
Posted by: Maven on February 28, 2011 at 5:48 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
“Water is California’s most precious resource. Yet in lean years and wet ones, California manages to mismanage this precious resource in spectacular fashion.
That is the take-home message from a monumental report released last week by the Public Policy Institute of California, titled “Managing California Water.” The 482-page report issues both a clarion call and a road map for lawmakers and water interests to move beyond conflict and toward a new era of “reconciliation.”
One clear message of the report is the need to modernize and consolidate the various institutions that govern how water is used. On the state level, decisions about water are now bifurcated between the Department of Water Resources and the State Water Resources Control Board. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
The State Water Project: A marvel under stress
Posted by: Maven on February 25, 2011 at 8:42 am
From Tom Philp at the City Brights blog:
“The State Water Project exemplifies the grand scale of California infrastructure. It is the world’s largest man-made water system. It has nation’s tallest dam and its longest aqueduct. The SWP’s 31 storage facilities and 701 miles of canals and aqueducts comprise the backbone of the state water delivery system. It is an engineering marvel. Twenty-five million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland rely on it. And for 50 years, the SWP reliably delivered.
Until recently.
The State Water Project is not immune to the challenges facing all of California government – the exodus of veteran employees and the procurement bureaucracy that can slow the purchase of basic supplies for maintenance. … “
Continue reading from Tom Philp at the City Brights blog by clicking here.
Renewable energy for the State Water Project
Posted by: Maven on February 17, 2011 at 8:52 amFrom the Department of Water Resources:
“The Department of Water Resources is taking action to develop renewable energy in an effort to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and achieve AB 32 goals. In addition to executing power contracts for the output from wind and solar projects constructed by others, DWR is exploring ways it can develop solar on its own property.
DWR has partnered with the University of California, which has a goal of becoming carbon neutral, to explore the feasibility of putting solar along or over the California Aqueduct. We have had informational discussions with three large global solar energy developers to explore the unique issues and challenges with such a project. Safety is a concern, as any installation would have to be moved quickly to accommodate an emergency response to a canal lining failure, which has occurred in various locations. There are also above ground pipelines and other utilities crossing the Aqueduct that must be considered. Vandalism is an issue in many remote locations along the Aqueduct – it is difficult to provide security. … “
Continue reading from the Department of Water Resources by clicking here.
Press release: Plan for Delta water use should end big agriculture takeover of State Water Project, groups say
Posted by: Maven on January 27, 2011 at 8:12 amFrom the Center for Biological Diversity, this press release:
“Environmental and fishery groups this week urged the Delta Stewardship Council to undo the privatization of the State Water Project by San Joaquin Valley industrial agriculture interests. The groups’ letter, providing comments on the upcoming Delta Water Plan, details numerous ways a secret deal made between the Department of Water Resources and State Water Project contractors has diverted state water resources into the bank accounts of big agriculture interests while making water deliveries less reliable for homes and businesses in Southern California.
The environmental groups filed two suits in 2010 to overturn the “Monterey Plus” amendments to the State Water Project’s long-term contracts. The amendments grew out of the secret deal negotiated by the Department and Project contractors in Monterey, Calif., in 1994. Among other changes to the Project’s long-term contracts, the amendments remove the “urban preference” of Project water, which provided that in times of drought, agricultural contractors would have their deliveries reduced before urban contractors. The amendments also provided for the privatization of the Kern Water Bank, the country’s largest underground reservoir, located in Kern County, which was developed by the state in the early 1990s. … “
Continue reading from the Center for Biological Diversity by clicking here.
Doug Obegi/NRDC: Allocations show a better water year for California
Posted by: Maven on January 27, 2011 at 7:57 amFrom Doug Obegi at the NRDC Switchboard blog:
“Thankfully, 2011 is shaping up to be a better water year than the past several years, which is great news for farmers, fishermen, cities, and the environment. The Central Valley Project is estimating it will deliver more than 7.1 million acre feet to farmers and cities throughout California, which is around 75% of the CVP’s total maximum contract amounts. The State Water Project is estimating it will deliver 60% of maximum contract amounts of 4.23 million acre-feet. Together, that’s nearly 10 million acre-feet of water that will be drawn for our rivers and streams for consumptive use this year by the SWP and CVP. … “
Continue reading from the NRDC Switchboard blog by clicking here.
Water deliveries increase: Winter precipitation is 66 percent of average
Posted by: Maven on January 22, 2011 at 7:47 amFrom the Oroville Mercury Register:
“The Department of Water Resources increased its projected 2011 deliveries of State Water Project water to 60 percent of contractors’ requests, up 10 percent from the December forecast, a press release Friday stated.
In 2010, the State Water Project delivered 50 percent of a requested 4,172,126 acre-feet, up from a record-low initial projection of 5 percent due to lingering effects of the 2007-2009 drought.
“Today’s allocation increase reflects robust early winter precipitation and an impressive Sierra snowpack,” said DWR Director Mark Cowin. “But prudent water planning dictates caution as we monitor the rest of California’s rainy season.” … “
Continue reading from the Oroville Mercury-Register by clicking here.
This just in … DWR raises State Water Project allocation to 60%
Posted by: Maven on January 21, 2011 at 3:22 pmFrom the Department of Water Resources:
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today increased its projected 2011 deliveries of State Water Project water to 60 percent of contractors’ requests, up 10 percent from the December forecast.
In 2010, the State Water Project (SWP) delivered 50 percent of a requested 4,172,126 acre-feet, up from a record-low initial projection of 5 percent due to lingering effects of the 2007-2009 drought.
“Today’s allocation increase reflects robust early winter precipitation and an impressive Sierra snowpack,” said DWR Director Mark Cowin. “But prudent water planning dictates caution as we monitor the rest of California’s rainy season.”
Despite mostly dry conditions this month, precipitation so far this winter is over 66 percent of average for the entire water year (October 1-September 30). December precipitation was 195 percent of average. And near-record snowfall in the Sierra and other mountain ranges assures above-drought runoff into reservoirs and streams this spring and early summer.
Statewide, snowpack water content is more than 150 percent of average for the date and 79 percent of the average, April 1 seasonal total. In addition, most major reservoirs are above normal storage levels.
Lake Oroville in Butte County, the State Water Project’s principal reservoir, is at 101 percent of normal storage for the date after gaining 550,000 acre-feet in December. It currently is holding 2.34 million acre-feet. Remaining winter weather will determine whether if fills to its 3.5 million acre-foot capacity. Lake Shasta north of Redding, the federal Central Valley Project’s largest reservoir with a capacity of 4.5 million acre-feet, is at 113 percent of normal storage for the date (75 percent of capacity).
It may be a cautionary note that precipitation this month has been light (to date, 13 percent of the January average), but today’s storage and snowpack levels warrant optimism for irrigators and municipal water users.
The State Water Project delivers water to more than 25 million Californians and nearly a million acres of farmland.
Projections of SWP deliveries are adjusted through the winter and early spring as hydrologic conditions develop. DWR is conservative in its projections since farmers and others can suffer if expected amounts cannot be delivered. In November, DWR’s first estimate for 2011 was that it would be able to deliver 25 percent of requests. The initial estimate – always low because it is made before the months of heaviest precipitation – was raised to 50 percent in December.
SWP deliveries were 60 percent of requests in 2007, 35 percent in 2008, and 40 percent in 2009.
The last 100 percent allocation – difficult to achieve even in wet years because of pumping restrictions to protect threatened and endangered fish – was in 2006.
In addition to environmental restrictions, water deliveries are affected by aging equipment and difficulties in recruiting and retaining skilled technical personnel. These issues have reduced DWR export pumping by more than 100,000 acre-feet since last month, impacting the overall 2011 allocation. “
Sac State pens $300,000 contract with Department of Water Resources
Posted by: Maven on January 20, 2011 at 8:08 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
“Sacramento State University has signed a two-year, $300,000 contract to help the state Department of Water Resources with research and training.
Under the program, DWR’s division chiefs and project managers will request university help on specific projects. The university, led by civil engineering professors Saad Merayyan and Ramzi Mahmood, will then work to define the project scope and assemble a university team to carry it out. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
DWR releases 2010 Accomplishment documents
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2010 at 7:15 amFrom ACWA’s Water News:
“DWR has released a fact sheet detailing its accomplishments on the California Water Plan in 2010, including developments in content, collaboration and outreach. … “
For more information and links to the accomplishment documents, click here.
Water supply boosted after wet fall
Posted by: Maven on December 18, 2010 at 7:25 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
“The state on Friday boosted its water supply forecast to 50 percent for water contractors who draw water from the Delta.
The move represents a large increase so early in the winter, a measure of confidence in water supplies thanks to a very wet fall in California. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
This just in … DWR boosts State Water Project allocation to 50%
Posted by: Maven on December 17, 2010 at 10:01 amFrom the Department of Water Resources:
“The Department of Water Resources today increased its projected deliveries of State Water Project water in 2011 to 50 percent of contractors’ requests.
“This is very good news after the 2007-2009 drought from which we’re still recovering,” said DWR Director Mark Cowin. “We don’t want to be overly optimistic with most of the winter ahead of us, but recent storms have given us the best early season water supply outlook in five years.”
The initial 2011 allocation, or delivery estimate, on November 22 was 1,043,034 acre-feet, or 25 percent of the SWP contractors’ requested amount of 4,172,126 acre-feet. The 50 percent allocation announced today equals 2,086,065 acre-feet.
This year’s (2010) final allocation was 50 percent of requests, up from the 5 percent initially projected after three dry years. The 5 percent initial allocation was the lowest since the SWP began delivering water in 1967.DWR is conservative in estimating water deliveries since farmers and others can suffer if expected amounts cannot be delivered. It is likely that the 50 percent allocation will be increased as rain and snowfall totals continue to increase. A major storm system is sweeping into the state today.
Electronic readings indicate that water content in the statewide mountain snowpack is 122 percent of normal for the date, and as of yesterday, the northern Sierra region had received 42 percent of normal precipitation for the entire water year (October 1 – September 30).
Releases have been increased from several reservoirs, including the federal Central Valley Project’s Lake Shasta north of Redding and Folsom Lake near Sacramento, to make room for runoff from storms sweeping in from the Gulf of Alaska over the next several days.
Lake Oroville in Butte County, the State Water Project’s principal reservoir, is at 81 percent of normal storage for the date (50 percent of capacity), still with plenty of room to handle incoming storms. Shasta is at 73 percent capacity (118 percent of normal), and Folsom at 48 percent of capacity (100 percent of normal for the date).
DWR supplies water to 29 public agencies with long-term contracts to purchase State Water Project water. Collectively, the contractors serve more than 25 million Californians and close to a million acres of irrigated farmland.”
This just in … DWR sets SWP initial allocation at 25%
Posted by: Maven on November 22, 2010 at 11:27 amFrom the Department of Water Resources:
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today announced an initial allocation of 25 percent of requested deliveries to its State Water Project (SWP) contractors for calendar year 2011. The initial allocation is a conservative delivery estimate and will be adjusted as hydrologic conditions develop during the winter.
Nonetheless, 25 percent is a much-improved figure from last year’s initial projection of only 5 percent, the lowest since the SWP began delivering water in 1967. Following three consecutive drought years, 2010’s persistent spring storms allowed DWR to increase the initial 5 percent allocation to 50 percent. The 25 percent initial allocation for 2011 represents 1,043,034 acre-feet, compared with the maximum allowable 4,172,126 acre-feet in water deliveries that SWP contractors requested.
However, the allocation at this time of year is a conservative estimate. As winter progresses and the Department has a clearer picture of water conditions, the allocation can be increased. If average precipitation continues, the final allocation will likely be raised to 60 percent of requested amounts. This season’s early conditions are much improved over last year. California’s precipitation to date stands at 165 percent of average, which is 20 percent of average for the water year (October 1-September 30). October precipitation was 250 percent of average.
The SWP’s principal reservoir, Lake Oroville in Butte County, is at 47 percent of capacity, 76 percent of average for this date. Initial SWP allocation reflects carryover storage levels in the state’s major reservoirs and federally mandated environmental restrictions on water deliveries from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to protect endangered fish species.
SWP water is distributed among 29 long-term contractors who serve more than 25 million Californians and about 750,000 acres of irrigated farmland.”
Special Presentation: The State Water Project: Connecting California’s Water [Slideshow]
Posted by: Maven on November 14, 2010 at 8:20 amThis slideshow is available perpetually on the “Information Desk” section at the top of the right-hand column of the blog —————————————>
From Aquafornia and the Water Education Foundation, this exclusive slideshow presentation on the State Water Project (click on the slide to begin the presentation):
A full-color slideshow paying tribute to California’s State Water Project (SWP) is now featured on Aquafornia – www.aquafornia.com – the blog covering water news pertaining to California. The slideshow is free for viewing.
Entitled “The State Water Project: Connecting California’s Water,” the slideshow highlights the historical value of the SWP to the daily lives of Californians. In total, the SWP provides drinking water for 25 million people and irrigation water for more than 750,000 farmland acres.
Through photographs and descriptions, Aquafornia’s slideshow follows the headwaters of the Feather River to the nation’s tallest dam, at Oroville, and then over hundreds of miles of aqueduct on its way to Southern California. Web links are included throughout each section to help readers explore each subject further.
“We are glad to provide a colorful, comprehensive slideshow to educate people about the importance of the SWP, which has been called the life force of the state,” said Rita Schmidt Sudman, executive director of the Water Education Foundation. “Fifty years later, water continues to be a controversial subject. Yet as the father of the SWP – Gov. Pat Brown – once said that water with problems is better than no water and all the same problems.” Continue reading “Special Presentation: The State Water Project: Connecting California’s Water [Slideshow]” »
On the Public Record blog to Governor-elect Jerry Brown: And I want a stand-up work station!
Posted by: Maven on November 11, 2010 at 8:04 amFrom the On the Public Record blog:
“Got an email today asking what I would say to Governor-elect Brown if I got the chance to talk to him for five minutes. I listed some stuff, but have been thinking about the question ever since. I’d like to add a couple more things about changing the agency culture.
First thing I’d say is that although I never see it discussed in the press, one of the consistent themes of the Schwarzenegger administration was that the agencies must work together. I suppose that’s not news, because who cares how the agencies work (so long as they do), and shouldn’t they all be working together already? Sadly, no, there wasn’t much coordination, even between agencies working on the same stuff, as the public can tell you. But I can attest that the practice of working with other state agencies is creeping into the culture here; it is becoming more and more reflexive to ask who else is working on the same stuff and what do multiple agencies need to do to avoid contradictions or duplications. Governor-elect Brown would do well to keep that going.
I would suggest a couple more things that seem to me to could re-direct agency attitudes in ways I’d like to see. … “
Continue reading from the On the Public Record blog by clicking here. Oh, and I’d want one of those workstations with a treadmill like I saw on a news show once ….
Thursday’s top of the scroll: DWR director announces new environmental stewardship policy
Posted by: Maven on November 4, 2010 at 9:02 amFrom Mark Cowin, Director of the Department of Water Resources, this memo and policy paper issued to DWR employees:
“Earlier this year, I shared my vision for the Department of Water Resources with you, emphasizing DWR’s role in leading California towards more sustainable, integrated water resources management to provide for a productive economy, healthy ecosystem, and desirable quality of life for all Californians. In following this vision for DWR, I have taken the next step from the establishment of our Sustainability Policy, and approved DWR’s new Environmental Stewardship Policy.
This Environmental Stewardship Policy was developed to support a “Total Resource Management” approach to planning activities and projects Department-wide. Under an environmental stewardship paradigm, the concept is to “integrate” environmental requirements and not just “mitigate” environmental impacts, by including environmental benefits as an objective and outcome in the planning and development of operations or projects. In this approach, building in environmental benefits at a meaningful scale can address long-term sustainability from economic, social and environmental perspectives. … “
Continue reading this memo & policy paper by clicking here.
Intertie hailed as important step
Posted by: Maven on October 22, 2010 at 8:13 amFrom the Capital Press:
“After declaring victory on a long-fought effort to connect the state and federal water projects with a new pipeline, politicians and government officials are hoping they can build momentum for solving California’s continuing water challenges.
At an Oct. 14 groundbreaking ceremony near Tracy, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar called the project — the Delta-Mendota Canal/California Aqueduct Intertie, a short pipeline that will connect the federal and state conveyance facilities — a demonstration of what state and federal agencies can accomplish together.
“Something that started decades ago is now becoming reality,” Salazar said. “While we celebrate the progress today .. we have some very significant challenges ahead of us.” … “
Continue reading from the Capital Press by clicking here.
Ground finally broken on Delta ‘intertie’
Posted by: Maven on October 18, 2010 at 8:49 amFrom the Stockton Record:
“The fact that little has been done to expand California’s water infrastructure over the past half century might explain why a member of the Obama Cabinet, a senior U.S. senator and more than a dozen other elected officials celebrated as “historic” a 500-foot-long pipe on Thursday.
When it’s built, that pipeline – known as the “intertie” – will connect the California Aqueduct with the Delta-Mendota Canal west of Tracy, allowing more water to be exported from the Delta under certain conditions.
This is just the beginning, officials vowed. One water exporter suggested that Thursday’s groundbreaking could be a “dress rehearsal for much bigger things to come” – such as, perhaps, a peripheral canal or tunnel. … “
Continue reading from the Stockton Record by clicking here.
DWR releases final 2009 SWP Delivery Reliability Report
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 8:37 amFrom the Department of Water Resources:
“SACRAMENTO –The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has released for public review the Final State Water Project Delivery Reliability Report 2009.
The report updates estimates of current (2009) and future (through 2029) State Water Project (SWP) delivery reliability and incorporates federal biological opinions for smelt and salmon and potential impacts of future climate changes. The 2009 report shows current SWP annual Table A deliveries averaging 60 percent (2,595 taf) of the maximum contract amount of 4,133 thousand acre-feet (taf) per year.
Produced every two years as part of a settlement agreement signed in 2003, the report contains estimates that are used by water agencies within the SWP service area in developing their water management plans.
The 2009 report shows that future SWP deliveries will be impacted by two significant factors:
• Restrictions on SWP and Central Valley Project (CVP) Delta pumping required under biological opinions issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (December 2008) and National Marine Fisheries Service (June 2009).• Climate change, which is altering State hydrologic conditions.
This report represents the state of water affairs if no actions for improvement are taken. It shows continued erosion of SWP water delivery reliability under the current method of moving water through the Delta.
The State Water Project Delivery Reliability Report 2009 is available for public review at http://baydeltaoffice.water.ca.gov.”
On the Public Record blog: More on the LHC report, and thoughts on the day’s news
Posted by: Maven on September 2, 2010 at 9:17 amFrom the ever-popular On the Public Record blog, more thoughts on the Little Hoover Commission report, including this:
” … if DWM is going to take on water rights authority, it should have water quality authority as well. Water rights and water quality are inextricably linked. The volume of water determines pollutant loads, both concentrations and temperature. The State and Regional Boards are putting a lot of effort into managing salts right now; moving water IS moving salts, so that goes straight back to permission to move water.
The famous State Board decisions about water quality standards in the Delta are also flow decisions about how much water is required to push the salt concentrations westward. If Water Rights were to come over to (the proposed, new) DWM, I think it would rapidly become conspicuous that they still need to do their work hand in hand with Water Quality. … “
Continue reading from On the Public Record blog by clicking here. (Link is now fixed.)
And if you’re thirsting for more, the On the Public Record blog comments on shipping water, Asian carp, and water credit cards here.
On the Public Record blog on the LHC study: System re-operation, and an inadvertant admission.
Posted by: Maven on September 1, 2010 at 8:35 amThe On the Public Record blog continues it’s series of posts on the Little Hoover Commission’s report on water governance, this time responding to t
” The state can increase the amount of water available for use and better perform its environmental protection role by managing California’s state and federal reservoirs as a single system, and optimizing their operations to maximize storage. The process would require working with regional groups to integrate groundwater storage into a broader state strategy.
System re-op? System re-operations is the only state-level action that promises benefits worth mentioning? That’s it? That’s what the (new) Department of Water Management can do to make water available for human and environmental use? Oh friends. What this tells us is that THERE IS NO NEW WATER COMING. What we have in the system now is all there is going to be. (Personally, I don’t think we’ll even have that. I think we’ll lose more to climate change and environmental needs than we can squeeze out of system re-op.)
Little Hoover Commission listened to all that testimony and heard nothing about the (proposed, new) DWM planning more projects and building new dams, or opening up new sources. The best thing they heard, or at least the only thing they mentioned, was system re-op. … “
Read the full text of this post from the On the Public Record blog by clicking here.
On the Public Record: On separating the State Water Project from DWR, & more
Posted by: Maven on August 31, 2010 at 8:38 amOn the Public Record blog sits down to actually read the Little Hoover Commission report, and begins a likely series on the report (beginning overview post here) and then in a second post, delves in to the question of separation of the SWP & DWR::
“The LHC report on a new water governance structure proposes to make the State Water Project (the actual reservoirs, plumbing, water rights and operations) its own deal, separate from DWR who runs it now. The LHC mentions a whole host of problems with using the state civil service to staff the water project operations; I have no firsthand knowledge about the severity of these problems. I can vouch that getting hired with the state is profoundly screwy. Maybe it does cause problems over at the projects.
Then the report goes on to say that the State Water Project (state) and the Central Valley Project (feds) should get married and live together forever in the State Water Project’s new home, which I have no problem with, because I’m totally openminded like that (pg 65).
Now for the aspects of separating the State Water Project from DWR that I do have opinions about … “
Continue reading from the On the Public Record blog by clicking here.
On the Public Record blog also reacts to yesterday’s Hanford Sentinel story on the Dudley Ridge transfer:
” … the thing that always strikes me about Dudley Ridge is that unlike anywhere else I know of, there is no District identity. The “District” can’t disagree with anyone, because there is nothing that would ordinarily make up a “District.” No one lives in Dudley Ridge, unless maybe there are some laborer camps. So there is no “public” to go to district board meetings, issue comment and run for the Board if they don’t like the direction the district is going. … “
Continue reading this post from On the Public Record blog by clicking here.
Friday’s top of the scroll: Little Hoover Commission recommends changes in water supply management
Posted by: Maven on August 27, 2010 at 7:59 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
“The state’s Little Hoover Commission on Thursday proposed a shake-up in how California manages its water, calling today’s “confusing water governance” ineffective for both water efficiency and environmental protection.
The commission spent nearly 18 months probing various agencies and laws that govern California water. An independent oversight agency, its 13 members are appointed by the governor and Legislature.
Likely the thorniest of its three main recommendations is to divest the State Water Project from the Department of Water Resources. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
From the Contra Costa Times:
” … The state Department of Water Resources currently handles long-range planning and water conservation programs and runs the State Water Project, which in turn provides most of the agency’s budget — a potential conflict, or at least the appearance of one, according to the commission.
“We think they can run (the water project) much better and more efficiently “… as an independent entity,” said Daniel Hancock, the commission’s chairman and a retired homebuilding industry executive from San Ramon. … “
Continue reading from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
Press release: Little Hoover Commission calls for new water department with focus on supply management and planning; separate entity for State Water Project, more bond oversight
Posted by: Maven on August 27, 2010 at 7:51 amFrom the Little Hoover Commission:
“The Little Hoover Commission on Thursday, August 26, 2010, issued recommendations calling for a new approach to managing California’s water supply. The Commission released its report, Managing for Change: Modernizing California’s Water Governance, urging the governor and the Legislature to restructure the state’s water administration to better coordinate key supply management and planning roles, and separate them from the operation of the State Water Project.
The Commission concluded that the state’s current water management and planning structure, in place since 1969, is obsolete and leaves the state ill-prepared to handle unpredictable precipitation, growing population and the need to better balance environmental needs with urban and agricultural demand. California’s current Department of Water Resources was created in 1956 to launch the State Water Project. A half century later, the project is complete. Today, the department’s mission of operating the project is at odds with its separate mission of managing existing water resources and planning for future needs.
In the intervening decades, environmental laws and court rulings have added requirements to ensure that sufficient water is devoted to protect the environment and support endangered species. When water supplies are static, or reduced by drought, the result is conflict, too often settled in court, out of the hands of California’s leaders.
“The real issue is the reallocation of the resource in a fundamentally different way than the system is capable of handling,” Little Hoover Commission Chairman Daniel Hancock said. … “
Continue reading this press release from the Little Hoover Commission by clicking here.
READ THE REPORT HERE: Managing for Change: Modernizing California’s Water Governance
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