Coverage wrap up: Water deliveries slashed 85%; drought in 2009 could be the worst in California history, officials say
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 31, 2008 at 6:36 amSo many articles this morning across the state regarding the announcement of the initial 15% allocation from the State Water Project. Here’s what they have to say:
From the Los Angeles Times:
State water deliveries could be slashed next year if California continues its dry streak, a move that could lead to widespread rationing.
California Department of Water Resources officials Thursday said water agencies could get as little as 15% of their State Water Project allocations, although that figure could go up if Sierra Nevada rain and snowfall return to normal in the coming months. “We’re clearly making a major call for extra conservation, but also permanent conservation,” said water resources director Lester Snow, who renewed the Schwarzenegger administration’s call for the construction of new reservoirs.
Officials at Southern California’s major water supplier, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, say its board soon will discuss whether to initiate cutbacks. “We are preparing for the real possibility of water shortages and rationing,” said Jeff Kightlinger, the MWD’s general manager.
From the North County Times:
The situation is made worse for Southern California by the rapidly falling level of Diamond Valley Lake in Southwest Riverside County, the region’s primary insurance policy against drought. As a result, Jeff Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District, said there is a “very real possibility” that the ongoing voluntary call to residents in Southern California counties —- including San Diego and Riverside —- to conserve voluntarily will be replaced by a mandatory cutback by May.
“We are one step away,” said Maureen Stapleton, general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority, which buys water from Metropolitan and distributes it to area cities and water districts. And, Stapleton said, “If there is not a drop of rain and a flake of snow between now and mid-January, I can see earlier action being necessary.”
The [San Diego County] water authority and local providers plan to follow Metropolitan’s lead.
From the Long Beach Press Telegram:
Low water storage levels in the state’s major reservoirs, ongoing drought conditions, a growing population and court-ordered restrictions on water deliveries from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta all are to blame for the water shortage, Snow said. Last year, a federal judge limited the amount of water that can be released from the Northern California delta in order to protect the endangered smelt fish.
Without the delta restrictions, the water allocation would have been about 20 percent, Snow said. He said California needs above-average precipitation over the winter to adequately replenish the state’s reservoirs, many of which are below half or a third full. His department’s recommendation is to “hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” he said. “We’re clearly making a major call for extra conservation,” Snow said.
From the Daily Breeze:
The announcement of the allocation comes a month earlier than normal to give local water agencies additional time to develop plans. Most have anticipated tighter water supplies and have taken steps to try to reduce water use.
The Metropolitan Water District, which delivers supplies to 26 member agencies, gets its water from the State Water Project and the Colorado River. General Manager Jeff Kightlinger said there is the possibility of rationing throughout the region, with the first discussions to take place in November.
“It still sends a solemn message up and down California - we all must immediately reduce water use to stretch available supplies,” Kightlinger said. “Over the past two years, Metropolitan has depleted more than a third of its water reserves to deal with drought and court-ordered cutbacks. This is not a short-term problem that will be washed away with a few good storms.”
Richard Nagel, general manager of West Basin Municipal Water District, said Thursday’s announcement was mostly anticipated but underscores the need for people to conserve. West Basin provides water to most of the South Bay and gets roughly two-thirds of its supplies from the Metropolitan Water District.
West Basin will continue promoting conservation as the allocation figure is re-evaluated this year and next, Nagel said. A final figure is anticipated in April. “Each month they come up with an allocation figure. It could be the same, or it could increase, depending on the snowpack (conditions),” Nagel said. “We’re at 15 percent … we need to get to 50 percent or higher to be in the clear.”
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
Water supplies for agencies such as the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and East Bay Municipal Utility District that don’t rely on the state for water won’t be affected the state allocation.
The five Bay Area agencies that receive water from the state are the Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Solano County Water Agency, Alameda County Water District, Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Zone 7 and Santa Clara Valley Water District.
The agencies said that while the low allocation is discouraging, they already had made contingency plans this summer. “We actually thought the state would come in at 10 percent,” said Paul Piraino, general manager of Alameda County Water District, which provides water to Fremont, Newark and Union City.
Earlier this year, the district decided to augment its groundwater reserves by moving 10,000 acre-feet of water from its underground reserves in Kern County and an additional 12,000 acre-feet from the San Luis Reservoir. “It’s sort of like putting some money in the bank early … for the not-so-rainy day,” Piraino said.
From the Sacramento Bee:
Sacramentans are not directly affected by the forecast, because they don’t depend on the State Water Project for deliveries. The forecast primarily affects water users in the Bay Area and Southern California.
Yet Sacramento should take heed, because it also depends on the parched Sierra Nevada for most of its water supply. Snowmelt stored in California reservoirs is at its lowest level in 14 years.
“In fact, the entire state is wrestling with very serious drought conditions,” said Tim Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies. “Wherever you live in California, start conserving water because you are going to be affected if drought conditions persist.”
From Stockton’s Record:
Farmers in the Central Valley said they will be forced to fallow fields, while cities from the Bay Area to San Diego might have to impose mandatory rationing. Mike Young, a fourth-generation farmer in Kern County, called the water projections disastrous. “For the amount of acres we’ve got, we’re not going to have enough water to farm,” he said.
and
Stockton-area water officials repeatedly have said over the summer that this area has enough water to get by, but that the coming winter will be critical for next year. San Joaquin County as a whole has had difficulty finding new sources of water, and the groundwater on which the area has heavily relied is dropping.
From the Bakersfield Californian:
Kern County Water Agency general manager Jim Beck said between the smelt and explosive Central Valley population growth, there is far more demand for water today than during the last major drought of 1988 to 1992.
That means farmers are going to have to add to the 20,000 acres left fallow this year for lack of water. Beck estimates 90,000 acres in Kern County will be affected next year, including 50,000 not planted at all, and 40,000 acres of permanent crops watered enough to stay alive but not enough to bear fruit.
Groundwater banking has helped ease the water shortage up to now, but because of the Delta issue, “We won’t have opportunities to replenish those supplies for use in future droughts,” Beck said.
From the San Diego Union Tribune:
The state has released an initial allocation projection lower than 15 percent only once, in 1993. However, that 10 percent forecast jumped to a full 100 percent of supply requests thanks to a bountiful winter. But the overall water picture is even more bleak today than it was in 1993. Reservoirs are half-full. Court-ordered protections to save the rare delta smelt in the Sacramento delta will divert as much as 660,000 acre-feet of water, enough for 1.3 million households a year. And climatic changes threaten to further reduce snowpack.
Last year started out promising, but finished with the driest March-through-May ever recorded. The previous year also produced skimpy amounts of snow. “We have the potential in a third year to have the worst drought in California history,” warned Lester Snow, director of the Department of Water Resources.
Snow said it is clear that the state needs more storage and a canal to carry water through the Sacramento delta, which could minimize threats to fish. “The clock is ticking,” he said.
ACWA: Near record-low water allocation paints grim picture for 2009
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 31, 2008 at 5:47 amFrom Marketwire, this press release from ACWA:
Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Executive Director Timothy Quinn issued the following statement today on the initial 2009 water supply allocations announced by the Department of Water Resources. The department has notified State Water Project contractors that they may receive just 15% of requested deliveries next year — the second lowest initial allocation in the project’s history. SWP contractors deliver water to 25 million Californians and more than 750,000 acres of farmland.
“This extremely low allocation leaves little doubt that we are in critical territory going into 2009. While the State Water Project service area will clearly see major impacts as a result of this allocation, the drought will continue to have a grip on the entire state. And it is likely to get worse before it gets better.
“All Californians have to take this seriously. Though many of the drought actions have been voluntary to this point, we see a trend toward more restrictive kinds of actions. Tight controls on outdoor water use will be the norm, and many Californians will see drought surcharges and higher water rates to encourage conservation.
“Even if it rains tomorrow or we end up with a wet year, we can’t assume these problems will go away. It’s a new day in California water as we deal with both drought and court-ordered restrictions on water deliveries. We have to invest in making our system — and particularly the Delta — more sustainable so we can meet the needs of species and the environment and still have a reliable water supply.”
ACWA is partnering with the Department of Water Resources to coordinate drought assistance and public education efforts. More on ACWA’s efforts and drought response measures is available at http://www.acwa.com/issues/drought2008/water_supply_conditions.asp.
ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 450 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com.
Grim water supply forecast for 2009 reinforces need for new water delivery system, says the State Water Contractors
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 31, 2008 at 5:38 amFrom Market Watch, this press release from the State Water Contractors:
The bleak water supply forecast for 2009 reinforces the pressing need to build a new water delivery system that will protect the environment and provide a reliable water supply for Californians. Water agencies receiving water from the State Water Project (SWP), one of the state’s primary water delivery systems, may only get 15 percent of their contract water supplies in 2009, according to early forecasts released today by the California Department of Water Resources.
In light of the low predictions, the State Water Contractors also warned today that residents, businesses and farms throughout the state will see significant new restrictions on water use in 2009.
“Even if we have a wet fall and winter, the water won’t necessarily be available to us because deliveries are also being cut to protect fish in the Delta. We are anticipating drastically reduced water supplies, regardless of weather conditions,” said Laura King Moon, assistant general manager of the State Water Contractors. “The fragility of the Delta ecosystem, combined with the drought we are currently experiencing, makes it imperative for California to agree on a comprehensive, long-term Delta fix. We can’t make it rain, but we can make the system work better to ensure a reliable water supply for Californians and protect the environment.” added Moon.This exceptionally low forecast is due to restrictions placed on water deliveries from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (Delta) to protect endangered fish species, and severely dry conditions in California throughout 2008 that are expected to continue into 2009. A ten percent projected statewide allocation for the SWP is the lowest in California history.
This comes at a time when California is already reeling from ongoing hits to the state’s water supply and delivery system. Having been allocated only 35 percent of their contracted water supplies in 2008, state water managers have been facing significantly reduced water deliveries for nearly a year.
Dry conditions have been so bad that Governor Schwarzenegger has formally declared California to be in a state of drought and collectively, reservoirs throughout the state are at the lowest levels in 14 years. San Luis Reservoir, one of the state’s largest reservoirs, is able to hold 2,039,000 acre-feet of water but today only holds a little more than 230,000 acre-feet — a dismal 11 percent of capacity. In addition to drought, instability within the Delta has significantly impacted the reliability of our water supply. Water exports were slashed in 2008 to protect fish species and by mid-2008, 660,000 acre-feet of water had been cut - enough to serve 5.3 million Californians for one year.
California cuts water deliveries to cities, farms
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 30, 2008 at 3:32 pmFrom the Associated Press and the San Diego Union Tribune:
The state said Thursday it would cut water deliveries to their second lowest level ever, prompting warnings of water rationing for cities and less planting by farmers.
The Department of Water Resources announced it will deliver just 15 percent of the amount that local water agencies throughout California request every year. That marks the second lowest projection since the first State Water Project deliveries were made in 1962.
It could force farmers in the Central Valley to fallow fields and cities from the San Francisco Bay area to San Diego to impose mandatory water rationing.
The state’s reservoirs are low after two years of dry weather and court-ordered restrictions on water pumping out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This year, water agencies received just 35 percent of the water they requested.
Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune by clicking here.
Metropolitan Water District General Manager’s statement on initial State Water Project allocation for 2009
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 30, 2008 at 3:22 pmFrom Business Wire:
Jeff Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, issues the following statement regarding the California Department of Water Resource’s initial 15 percent allocation of State Water Project supplies to Metropolitan for the 2009 water year:
“We are preparing for the very real possibility of water shortages and rationing throughout the region in 2009. Over the past two years, Metropolitan has depleted more than a third of its water reserves to deal with drought and court-ordered water cutbacks from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. These reserves are rapidly reaching a level that demands careful management.
“While this low initial State Water Project allocation was anticipated, it still sends a solemn message up and down California—we all must immediately reduce water use to stretch available supplies.
“Metropolitan cannot expect any short-term relief from its supply situation if it begins to rain in the Southland, in Northern California or in the Colorado River watershed. The Delta’s serious environmental problems are driving court decisions and regulatory actions that are drastically limiting the ability to move water across the estuary. This is not a short-term problem that will be washed away with a few good storms.
“Throughout its 80-year history, Metropolitan has dependably met the region’s imported water needs. It has been a remarkable era of water stability, thanks to astute decisions that expanded our storage facilities, enhanced conservation and increased local supplies such as recycling. But now we are facing a continuing historic dry cycle and unprecedented environmental challenges in the Delta.
“For many months, Metropolitan has closely monitored weather conditions and water storage levels. If the region faces a shortage in 2009, the district has in place an allocation formula that seeks to equitably distribute supplies, while preserving emergency reserves. Conservation is an absolute necessity. Using less and being more efficient is the new water reality in Southern California.”
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving nearly 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.
Long Beach Water Department: State officials project 85% cut to requested state water deliveries in 2009; The initial allocation is second lowest in the history of the State Water Project
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 30, 2008 at 3:21 pmFrom the Long Beach Water Department, this press release:
Today, the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners are again urging area water suppliers to immediately implement mandatory prohibitions on certain outdoor uses of water, following a dramatic announcement by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) that imported water deliveries to the San Francisco Bay area, the Central Valley and to southern California are initially projected to only be 15 percent of normal. The State’s announcement, which comes each year around the end of November, comes early this year to encourage local water suppliers throughout the state to prepare for what is expected to be another dry year.
The State Water Project delivers water to more than 25 million California residents and more than 750,000 acres of farmland. This year, water contractors requested 4,166,376 million acre-feet of water for the 2009 calendar year, the maximum contractual amount allowed. The actual water deliveries can increase from the initial allocation depending on the year’s hydrologic and water supply conditions. The lowest initial allocation was 10 percent of contractors’ requested amount in 1993, but the number was increased to 100 percent of the requested amount as favorable weather conditions developed. Last year however, the initial figure was 25 percent and it was only increased to 35 percent.
Jeff Kightlinger, General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the agency that supplies Long Beach with half its water supply, said his agency is preparing for the very real possibility of shortages and rationing throughout the region next year. “Over the past two years, Metropolitan has depleted more than a third of its water reserves to deal with drought and court-ordered water cutbacks from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. These reserves are rapidly reaching a level that demands careful management.” Kightliner also stated that his agency can’t count on relief from the situation if it rains here, in northern California or in the Colorado River watershed. “The Delta’s serious environmental problems are driving court decisions and regulatory actions that are drastically limiting the ability to move water across the estuary. This is not a short-term problem that will be washed away with a few good storms.”
Kevin Wattier, General Manager of the Long Beach Water Department, goes further, stating that the State of California, and water supply leaders like the Metropolitan Water District, must do all they can to move communities throughout the State, particularly here in southern California, into mandating strict water conservation requirements, most importantly the prohibition of egregious outdoor watering activities that have been common place in neighborhoods all across southern California. “We need to collectively engineer a major lifestyle change in the way we think about and use water, so that inefficient and wasteful uses, which go on each and every day in our communities, are no longer tolerated. Postponing action is a gamble that we cannot afford to make as a region, considering the consequences that we’ll face short of an above average rain year. We are at a point where southern California simply does not have enough water to meet our demand for it going forward, even in normal hydrologic years.”
In September 2007, the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners officially declared that a water supply shortage for southern California, including Long Beach, was imminent, triggering implementation of the Commission’s Emergency Water Supply Shortage Plan. Activation of that plan put in place several strict prohibitions on certain outdoor uses of water, making those particular uses illegal activities in the City of Long Beach. Long Beach water demand for Fiscal Year 2008 set a new, record 10-year low. That announcement, made earlier this month, means that less water was consumed in Long Beach this past fiscal year, than any other year over the past decade. In fact, Long Beach consumed less water this past fiscal year than the city did during the height of the 1987-1992 drought, with mandatory rationing and a population 15 percent smaller than today. September 2008 was the City’s 9th record setting month (all 10-year lows) for low water use since the Board of Water Commissioner’s water shortage declaration.
John Allen, President of the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners, cites marked human behavior and attitude change as the reason for the city’s record setting year. “This is an entire community coming together and engaging itself in a worthy endeavor. We need other southern California communities to get going, which will be the only way any successful region wide effort is going to be sustained.”
The Long Beach Water Department is an urban, southern California, retail water supply agency and the standard in water conservation and environmental stewardship.
DWR Releases Initial State Water Project Allocation
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 30, 2008 at 10:01 am
From the Department of Water Resources, this press release:
Sacramento -The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today announced an initial allocation of 15 percent for water delivery to the State Water Project (SWP) contractors in 2009.
“This further dramatizes the urgent need for additional investments in water storage and conveyance infrastructure to assure an adequate and reliable water supply,” said DWR Director Lester Snow. “The uncertainly of precipitation patterns due to global warming and deteriorating conditions in the Delta, California’s main water hub, demand immediate action to enhance our ecosystem and keep our economy productive in the 21st century. The Governor has sounded the wakeup call, and the clock is ticking.”
The allocation is the second lowest in the history of the SWP. It reflects the low carryover storage levels in the state’s major reservoirs, ongoing drought conditions and court ordered restrictions on water deliveries from the Delta.
The lowest initial allocation figure was 10 percent of SWP Contractors’ requests in 1993, but that number was increased to 100 percent during the water year as conditions developed. Last year, the initial figure was 25 percent and it was increased to 35 percent.
DWR has historically made this important announcement at the end of November, complying with the long-term water supply contracts requiring a
Dec. 1 announcement. Today’s announcement comes slightly earlier to help local water agencies better prepare for 2009, which is expected to be another dry year. The announcement is part of the department’s effort to implement Gov. Schwarzenegger’s Drought Executive Order (S-06-08) directing DWR to help local water districts and agencies proactively address these conditions.SWP contractors deliver water to more than 25 million California residents and more than 750,000 acres of farmland. This year, SWP contractors requested 4,166,376 million acre-feet of water for the 2009 calendar year, the maximum contractual amount allowed. Actual delivery amounts can increase from the initial allocation depending on the year’s hydrologic and water supply conditions.
In preparing the initial allocation, DWR considered a conservative projection of hydrology; SWP operational constraints including additional 2009 Delta export restrictions per the federal district court’s remedy order to protect Delta Smelt; and 2009 contractor demands, including carryover water from 2008.
A notice to SWP contractors appears on DWR’s State Water Project Analysis Office Web site at: http://www.swpao.water.ca.gov/notices/
Water supply falling short; rationing may be necessary
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 30, 2008 at 6:00 amFrom Riverside’s Press-Enterprise:
Inland water agencies could get only 15 percent of the supplies they requested from the State Water Project next year — one of the lowest anticipated deliveries since 1993 — possibly spurring mandatory rationing in some areas, officials said Wednesday.
The state Department of Water Resources is scheduled to announce the estimated allocation of water from Northern California today. But a state expert confirmed it will be 15 percent, and local authorities said that was consistent with what they were told to prepare for.
“We’re anticipating getting a low allocation, possibly a record low,” said Bob Muir, spokesman for Metropolitan Water District, a wholesaler for 18 million customers in the Inland area and other parts of Southern California.
The Department of Water Resources supplies Metropolitan and 28 other agencies.
The announcement follows two dry years and court-ordered reductions in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta pumping that cut the amount delivered to suppliers by two-thirds, said Ted Thomas, department spokesman.
The 2008 water year, which ended Sept. 30, was deemed critically dry, with statewide runoff from snowpack at 57 percent of normal. Instead of the normal two-thirds full, the state’s major reservoirs are at about one-third of capacity.
Read more from the Press Enterprise by clicking here.
The Department of Water Resources is expected to release it’s allocation figures today for the upcoming water year - I’ll post it as soon as it is available.
‘09 may deliver deeper water cuts: Coachella Valley braces for possibility of third straight year of drought for California
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 29, 2008 at 7:30 amFrom MyDesert.com:
As the Western drought continues, California is preparing to make deep cuts next year to the amount of water it provides to the Coachella Valley and other communities statewide.
The state Department of Water Resources is preparing to announce preliminary water allotments for 2009 that will be “most likely less than 20percent of what our customers have requested,” spokesman Ted Thomas said. That’s the lowest preliminary projection since 10 percent delivery was predicted in 1993.
The state delivered 60 percent of water allotments last year, and was slated to deliver 35 percent this year. “We’re in a second consecutive dry year,” Thomas said. “There’s concern we could have a third consecutive dry year, which could really be Draconian.”
More from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
California slashes supply to state water districts
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 28, 2008 at 6:21 am
From CBS5:
After two extremely dry years, CBS 5 has learned that California will drastically slash the amount of water it gives to districts statewide.
In what could be the worst crisis in Decades, the California Department of Water Resources tells CBS 5 it will cut supplies to water districts by 85 to 90 percent.
“It’s pretty serious right now…California has had its second critically dry year. We are looking at going into a third potentially dry year. We have actually drawn down our reservoirs…we are actually having difficulties delivering water this year,” said Wendy Marin of the California Department of Water Resources.
From the Sierra, through the mighty Sacramento San Joaquin Delta and along the California Aqueduct, the State delivers water for drinking and irrigation to 25 million Californians each year. There are 29 state agencies that deliver this water and every one will see huge cutbacks beginning January 1st.
Read more from CBS5 by clicking here.
I heard a rumor the allocation could be as low as 15%. The announcement from DWR is expected this week.
DWR Weather and Climate News for October: Wet fall a possibility
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 18, 2008 at 6:36 amFrom DWR’s Weather and Climate News:
There is a bit of an update on the fall forecast. Trends are now toward the possibility of a wet fall. Several weeks ago, there was very limited information as to the long-range outlook. And while nothing substantial has transpired, there are indications that a bigger player in this winter’s scenario will be the Madden-Julian Oscillation.
The MJO is a weather phenomenon that has some pretty clear signals, so forecasters can get an idea of its development with an advance time of 30-60 days. Beginning in the Indian Ocean, enhanced convection begins and moves eastward across the Pacific. The MJO essentially produces warm, wet storms, with boosts from both the tropics and the colder Arctic air.
There is only a lead time of a few days for determining where along the west coast these warm, wet MJO storms will hit. Some may not even turn into big low pressure cells, but those that do can strike anywhere from the Pacific Northwest, to Southern California. So pay attention to where they seem to be tracking. And when they do come onshore, they can produce rather heavy downpours. Historically, Bay Area flooding in December, 2003 and Southern California flooding in February, 2004 were of the MJO under ENSO neutral conditions variety. According to the CPC, we are in a La Nada (ENSO Neutral; neither El Nino nor La Nina), or maybe a slightly cool, weak La Nina, which had been very strong last year.
Biggest risk, for now, will be burn areas. With multiple sites from record wildfires up and down the state, debris flow and flash flooding might be triggered.
The National Weather Service Sacramento Office is discussing the potential of a wet fall, and for these types of storms to develop in November. Both the north and south state could be impacted by MJO type storms. Balance all these forecast indicators against the nearly La Nada indicator, which doesn’t provide strong guidance for either a wetter or drier than normal winter. It’s a hard thing to forecast a whole winter. But they say there may be hopes of a normal to wetter than normal Northern Sierra winter. Southern California could have a dry year, but the MJO is a possibility there, too. So, very hard forecast.
The picture for this season also includes great capacity in our reservoirs for incoming rain, so that’s one upside of 2 dry years. Many of the larger upstate reservoirs are at about one-third capacity, so mainstem river flooding would be something much slower to develop.
State officials host statewide drought summit; Announce creation of drought water bank
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on September 4, 2008 at 2:25 pmFrom the Department of Water Resources:
SACRAMENTO – State, federal and local water officials gathered today to discuss California’s ongoing drought and ways to alleviate the effects of ongoing dry conditions. At the Drought Summit hosted by the Department of Water Resources (DWR), Director Lester Snow announced the creation of a 2009 Drought Water Bank, a program designed to facilitate water transfers.
“We are in the midst of a drought right now and California potentially faces another dry year in 2009. It’s clear that we must find solutions to our water crisis,” Snow said. “A water bank provides a valuable tool to help provide water to communities who need it most. This is just one of the many ways the state is working to address the drought.”
Secretary for Resources Mike Chrisman, Secretary for Food and Agriculture A.G. Kawamura, State Water Resources Control Board Executive Director Dorothy Rice and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Regional Director Don Glaser participated in the summit. Information about the state’s water and reservoir supply, drought modeling and forecasts of future water allocations, financial and programmatic assistance and other efforts to help water contractors, local water agencies, farmers and all state water users cope with the drought. A significant recent action was the expedited funding of $17 million in Prop 50 Drought Assistance Program grants last week to local water agencies and districts to implement water saving projects.
At the Summit, local agencies had the opportunity to share examples of how a lack of water is affecting their communities and made recommendations about how the state can support local water agencies, large and small, as they grapple with the shortages.
On June 4, Gov. Schwarzenegger issued Executive Order S-06-08 declaring a statewide drought, which directed state agencies and departments to take immediate action to address the dry conditions. He also issued a State of Emergency Proclamation for nine Central Valley counties (Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern) to address that area’s urgent water needs.
2009 Drought Water Bank
To implement the 2009 Drought Water Bank, DWR will purchase water from willing sellers, primarily from water agencies upstream of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This water will be transferred using State Water Project (SWP) or Central Valley Project (CVP) facilities to water agencies that are at risk of experiencing water shortages in 2009 due to drought conditions and that require supplemental water supplies to meet anticipated demands. Water acquired by the 2009 program would be available for purchase by public and private water systems in California based on certain needs criteria.
Water supplies from the 2009 Drought Water Bank will be open to all water providers who can obtain water from the Delta either directly or by exchange with other water providers who have access to Delta water supplies from the SWP or CVP.
DWR in coordination with U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will confer with the California Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service as appropriate to meet legal requirements. DWR will provide California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA) compliance for the program, and will require certain environmental safeguards to be included in purchase agreements, depending on the nature of the transfer and location of the transfer water. DWR will hold interactive webinars on the program aimed at buyers and sellers on Tuesday, Sept. 17. For additional information about the details of the Water Bank or on the webinars, please visit www.water.ca.gov/drought or call the DWR Public Affairs Office at (916) 653-9712.
Drought Summit
The organizations participating in the Drought Summit include the Association of California Water Agencies, State Water Contractors, California Farm Water Coalition, League of California Cities, California Urban Water Conservation Council, California Rural Water Association, California Urban Water Agencies, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, East Bay Municipal Utility District, Kern County Water Agency, San Diego Water Authority, Santa Clara Valley Water District, San Luis Delta Mendota Water Authority, Contra Costa Water District and Northern California Water Association. In all, these organizations represent the interests of more than 25 million California water users.
Drought 2008 facts:
- For the Northern Sierra, this spring and summer were the driest on record since 1921. In addition, 2007 and 2008 made up the ninth driest two-year period in 88 years of record keeping for the Northern Sierra.
- Statewide precipitation for the six-month period February through July 2008 was 45% of average – the fourth driest of 114 years on record.
- State reservoir capacities are at severe lows, with Folsom at 31%, Shasta at 34% and San Luis at 13%.
- By the end of this water year (Sept. 30), Lake Oroville will reach its lowest carryover storage since the drought of 1977.
- The water shortage is affecting the state’s economy, slowing down development projects and forcing growers to fallow land. For example, farmers in northern San Diego County are stumping avocado trees and pulling out citrus trees due to water shortages. The Westland Water District reports that one-third of the farmland is being fallowed this year, at a loss of at least 500 jobs. The California Department of Food and Agriculture reports the result of the drought is a $260 million loss to the state’s ag industry this year.
Preliminary information shows that the 2009 water year likely will also be severely dry. State water planners are preparing for a protracted drought by instituting a variety of programs intended to conserve water and stretch the state’s resources. For additional information about the drought, visit the Department of Water Resource’s drought web page at www.water.ca.gov/drought.
DWR announces revival of the “Drought Water Bank” as drought is expected to extend into 2009
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on September 4, 2008 at 1:32 pmFrom the Central Valley Business Times:
The drought parching California is expected to extend into 2009 and state officials hope efforts announced Thursday will help ease some of the problems.
The Department of Water Resources says it will create a 2009 “Drought Water Bank,” a program designed to facilitate water transfers.
“We are in the midst of a drought right now and California potentially faces another dry year in 2009. It’s clear that we must find solutions to our water crisis,” says Lester Snow, DWR director. “A water bank provides a valuable tool to help provide water to communities who need it most. This is just one of the many ways the state is working to address the drought.”
To implement the 2009 Drought Water Bank, DWR will buy water from willing sellers, primarily from water agencies upstream of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This water will be transferred using State Water Project or Central Valley Project facilities to water agencies that are at risk of water shortages in 2009 due to drought conditions and that require supplemental water supplies to meet anticipated demands.
Water acquired by the 2009 program would be available for purchase by public and private water systems in California based on certain needs criteria.
Click here to read more from the Central Valley Business Times.
Reuters News adds this:
The last time California’s Department of Water Resources set up a water bank was in the early 1990s and the agency plans much more strict guidelines for its new effort, said Wendy Martin, the statewide drought coordinator for the agency.
“We will be paying closer attention to … making sure water is being used for the greatest and highest public service. We’re not going to let people take water and use it for frivolous reasons,” Martin told Reuters by telephone. She noted that agencies buying water through the bank will have to commit to a 20 percent reduction in overall water use.
Schwarzenegger said the program will help ease water shortages if California’s drought presses on and he once again urged lawmakers to agree on a bond bill for financing an expansion of the state’s water storage and delivery infrastructure.
“California’s drought is impacting our economy, our agriculture and our families, and an end to these dry conditions is nowhere in sight,” he said. “While we are taking action to address the state’s drought situation, there remains an urgent need for Californians to step up conservation efforts and for the legislature to pass a comprehensive water plan that will ensure California has the water it needs to keep our economy strong and our people working,” Schwarzenegger added.
More from Reuters News by clicking here.
Northern California counties file lawsuit against DWR to receive full SWP allocation under ‘area of origin’ rights
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 21, 2008 at 7:59 amFrom the Weekly Calistogan:
The Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District is among those challenging DWR in Sacramento County Superior Court. At stake are state supplies that Napa Valley cities depend on for half their water. While Calistoga gets about half its water supply from the state, American Canyon depends on the State Water Project for nearly all of its supplies.
Earlier this year the state cut State Water Project deliveries by 65 percent, citing drought conditions that left Sierra Nevada reservoirs below normal.
If the suit is successful, DWR would have to give Napa County and the other plaintiffs 100 percent of their allocation every year, drought or no drought.
The plaintiffs — Napa County, Butte County, Solano County Water Agency and Yuba City — argue that they are entitled to full allocations under the terms of the 1963 contracts that launched the State Water Project.
The project, the largest of its kind in the nation, supplies more than four million acre feet annually to Bay Area, Central Valley and Southern California water districts.
The plaintiffs, who receive two percent of this amount, say their 1963 contracts exempt them from dry-year cutbacks because they contribute water to the Sacramento River Delta, from which the State Water Project draws its supplies.
From the Solano-Napa Times Herald:
The “area of origin” refers to land north of the Delta, said David Okita, Solano Water Agency general manager.
The DWR and the Napa and Solano agencies differ on how to interpret the original contracts agencies have securing their state water supplies.
The four agencies maintain the contracts protect them from water cuts during shortages. One reason they are immune is that their jurisdictions lie within areas where the water originates, according to the lawsuit. The other 25 agencies with state water contracts only have rights to surplus water and have to bear bigger reductions during dry spells, Okita said.
The lawsuit allegations were bolstered by a recent court decision siding with the agencies with “area of origin” rights, he said.
DWR information officer Don Strickland said its lawyers are studying the lawsuit. He said the state is not ready to make an official response.
The contract dispute has been brewing for a while, Strickland added. “They can’t understand why they can’t get a full allotment and say, ‘We come from the part of the country the water comes from,’ ” he said. “They want their full allotment.”
Napa County’s water situation this year is not dire, but things could worsen should the state hold back more water in 2009, Riesenberg said. This year, Napa cities are relying more on local reservoirs and other supplies, he said.
Solano users also are not in bad shape, mainly because the county has plenty of water stored in Lake Berryessa, Okita said. “We are in better shape than most folks, but we should be getting 100 percent of our state water supplies instead of 35 percent,” Okita said.
An editorial in the Napa Register sees water wars on the horizon, as trouble is brewing:
The pressure on the Delta comes from many sides: Municipal users, agricultural users, fish and wildlife and their advocates among humans, problems caused by toxic runoff. In addition, the health of San Francisco and San Pablo bays are largely dependent on the health of the Delta.
Lawsuits between government agencies over complex issues like water allocations have a tendency to drag on forever. It is our hope that the Department of Water Resources sees the importance — and minimal harm — of upping the supply to the affected agencies and eases the pressure without marathon litigation.
But when the lawsuit is over, it’s a sure bet that California’s water wars will still be raging.
The Weekly Calistogan article references a press release. I have looked all over, and I cannot find one online. If someone knows where I can find it, please let me know!
Ebb and flow: A watchdog group is asking state water regulators to reconsider what it says is an unwise and secret decision to increase water exports from the Delta
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 2, 2008 at 7:27 amFrom the Tracy Press:
An environmental watchdog group asked state water regulators to retract a recent decision to pump more San Joaquin Delta water for the rest of the year to thirsty Central Valley farmland.
The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance said the order is illegal because it flouts water quality standards. The group filed a petition this week asking the State Water Resources Control Board to reconsider.
One board member approved a Department of Water Resources request to increase pumping by about 2,000 acre-feet a day — though the amount will vary depending on demand — because of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s declared emergency drought. In a state of emergency, it becomes legal to bypass water quality standards and export more water despite failing to meet normal legal conditions to do so, said board spokesman Dave Clegern. “It’s not the way we prefer to do things,” he said. “But this is an emergency.”
The alliance argues that even in times of emergency, pumping more water without bringing it up to par with state standards is illegal. It argued, too, that the order was secret and the public wrongfully excluded from the process.
The Department of Water Resources asked the board to use both state and federal pumps to speed up water delivery to a half-million-acre irrigation district between Los Banos and Kettleman City.
Board member Art Baggett granted the request under a provision enacted nearly a decade ago that allows state water policymakers to act quickly and without public comment if they deem the need urgent enough.
“It’s perfectly legal and there was nothing secret about it,” Clegern said of board member Baggett’s judgment call.
Dropping Lake Oroville levels may require boat launch ramp extensions
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 7:11 amFrom the Department of Water Resources, more bad news for Lake Oroville, the main reservoir on the State Water Project, in this press release:
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) reports that Lake Oroville’s boat launch ramps will soon be left high and dry by the rapidly dropping water level. The reservoir currently holds about 1,315,000 acre feet of water with a surface level of 707.85 feet. That’s only 37 percent of capacity and just 49 percent of average for this time of year.
When the level drops to 707 feet at Lime Saddle Marina (probably tomorrow or Friday), 705 at Bidwell, and 700 at the Spillway, normal boat launch operations will cease. At that point, DWR will use steel mat extensions to allow one-lane launching at Bidwell or Spillway, depending on conditions. Boaters are advised that conditions are subject to change due to weather, changing lake levels or other variables. Four wheel drive vehicles are recommended when using the temporary ramps.
Lake Oroville’s lowest historical level was 645 feet above sea level (when it held 882,000 acre-feet) on Sept. 7, 1977. DWR officials fear the lake may drop below this level before wet weather returns.
Specific information about the daily launch conditions can be obtained by calling the California Department of Parks and Recreation at: (530) 538-2200. Lake Oroville elevations can be obtained by calling the DWR Lake Conditions Recording at (530) 534-2307, or accessing the DWR Web site at http://www.lakeoroville.water.ca.gov/about/stats/levels.cfm
Draft versions of regional water reports for California Water Plan update now available online; public comment sought
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 17, 2008 at 8:53 amEvery five years, the Department of Water Resources updates it’s water plan. From DWR’s Water Plan website:
The California Water Plan provides a framework for water managers, legislators, and the public to consider options and make decisions regarding California’s water future. The Plan, which is updated every five years, presents basic data and information on California’s water resources including water supply evaluations and assessments of agricultural, urban, and environmental water uses to quantify the gap between water supplies and uses. The Plan also identifies and evaluates existing and proposed statewide demand management and water supply augmentation programs and projects to address the State’s water needs.
The water plan is currently being updated for 2009, and the draft regional reports are now available online. Each regional report includes a discussion of the geography & hydrology of the region, key challenges facing it, ongoing programs and data on water supplies and uses.
DWR is seeking public comment which can be submitted online. All written comments will be posted online for review. The deadline for commenting is August 1st.
Click here to check out your regional report. Unfortunately, if you are looking for our region, the South Coast, the working draft is not posted yet. Since the public comment deadline is only about two weeks away, it should be posted soon.
The second part in a two-part series: How does tap water get to Santa Clarita?
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 15, 2008 at 7:43 amFrom Aquafornia’s hometown newspaper, the Santa Clarita Signal, the second of a two-part series that follows a drop of water from it’s origins in Northern California to our taps here in Santa Clarita. The article briefly covers the history of the State Water Project, noting that once the drop arrives in Santa Clarita, it has traveled more than 480 miles from the snow pack on Kettle Rock, pushed turbines at more than half a dozen hydro-electric plants and crossed two major mountain ranges:
So, when a Santa Clarita ratepayer turns on the tap and our sample drop of water - that began as melted snow on the peak of Kettle Rock - helps fill a glass of water; half the glass is typically filled with water that has travelled the same route from Northern California. The remaining half of the glass is water that has come from four local sources: groundwater wells, including shallow wells that tap the Alluvial Aquifer and from water deposits set deep in the earth inside the Saugus Formation.
Last month, Masnada , speaking at a luncheon of the Santa Clarita Chamber of Commerce, told local business people, warned them about the consequences of diminishing snow packs. “The most recent effects of climate change are reflected in the Department of Water Resources’ State Water Project delivery regarding reduced availabilities of water,” he told The Signal last week.
Continuing dry conditions and court-ordered restrictions on Delta water exports are limiting water deliveries to farms and urban areas. DWR estimates that it will only be able to deliver 35 percent of requested SWP water this year to the Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast and Southern California.
“We’re looking at a 35 percent allocation for this year,” Masnada said. “The long-term average will see 66 to 69 percent (allocation). Some years, its been 80 to 90 percent allocation. Two years ago, it was 100 percent allocation. “It really depends on what mother nature does.”
Read more from the Santa Clarita Signal by clicking here.
DWR announces water transfer agreements
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 1, 2008 at 12:33 pmFrom the Department of Water Resources:
More water is flowing to drought-stricken Central Valley farms as a result of new Department of Water Resources (DWR) water transfer agreements. The agreements come after Gov. Schwarzenegger’s State of Emergency proclamation on June 12 for nine counties affected by severe water shortages and his statewide drought proclamation on June 4.
“I continue to push for a comprehensive plan to address California’s water supply issues and the environmental crisis we face in the Delta. The drought has only intensified our need for immediate actions like conservation, increased groundwater storage and financial support for local water agencies and non-profit organizations,” Gov. Schwarzenegger said. “The steps that the Department of Water Resources is announcing today—like expediting $12 million in grants for water conservation—not only represent real action in response to my recent Executive Order, but they demonstrate our unyielding commitment to our immediate water needs and California’s long-term vision to restore the Delta.”
Responding to the Governor’s emergency declaration, up to 50,000 acre feet of groundwater will be pumped into the State Water Project this summer. This water comes from groundwater wells in the Westlands Water District (WWD) and will be transferred to other parts of the WWD service area that do not have groundwater access.
DWR is lending 37,500 acre feet of water to Central Valley Project (CVP) contractors out of the San Luis Reservoir. An additional 25,000 acre feet is being made available by Metropolitan Water District of Southern California for the benefit of both CVP and SWP contractors.
“Thanks to the Governor’s leadership and the tremendous cooperation between water agencies, Central Valley farms will have more water during the peak growing season for many crops,” said DWR Director Lester Snow. “These actions will help ease what could otherwise be a dire situation for our farms, our economy and our way of life.”
In addition to the water transfers and exchanges, DWR will expedite $12 million in grants to water agencies and non-profit organizations. The funds can be used for water conservation activities including rebate programs, public education and outreach, leak detection, and retrofit of systems for greater water efficiency. Of the $12 million, $2 million is earmarked for disadvantaged communities and $10 million for other agencies and organizations. DWR will hold an online workshop on the grant program July 8 at 10 a.m. More information on the workshop and the grant program is available at: www.owue.water.ca.gov/finance/index.cfm
To help communities finance new investments in water management funding DWR has awarded $6.4 million in grant funding to 31 public agencies from the Local Groundwater Assistance Program. Funding will support development of groundwater management plans and programs, installation of groundwater monitoring wells, hydro geologic studies of groundwater basins, development of groundwater models and data storage systems, and many other actions to enhance groundwater management and usage throughout California. A listing of the agencies and projects receiving grants is posted at: http://www.grantsloans.water.ca.gov/grants/assistance.cfm
DWR and the State Water Resources Control Board will also award up to $58 million to four Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) efforts. DWR will provide the San Diego County Water Agency up to $25 million and the County of Humboldt up to $2.1 million. The State Water Resources Control Board previously awarded $25 million to the Santa Barbara County Water Agency and $6 million to the Kings River Conservation District. The funding will support a wide variety of water management activities including landscape water efficiency projects, recycled water and desalination projects, groundwater recharge facilities, water and wastewater infrastructure improvements, watershed management activities, and design work for new water management facilities. Additional information about the IRWM program is available at: http://www.grantsloans.water.ca.gov/grants/irwm/integregio.cfm
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.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife & National Marine Fishery Service consult on CVP & SWP
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 5, 2008 at 6:44 amFrom the California Farmer:
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fishery Service has been asked to begin formal consultation on Central Valley Project and State Water Project. A Federal judge invalidated a water plan that would have allowed more pumping from the San Francisco Bay Delta at the expense of five species of protected salmon and steelhead trout (June CF page 4). The same Fresno judge Oliver W. Wanger made a similar ruling in August 2007 to protect the delta smelt.
And as if that it not enough, the FWS has determined that a petition has presented enough information to initiate a status review to consider listing of the Longfin smelt under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Since last December, Fish & Wildlife Service officials have been meeting regularly with the Bureau of Reclamation & Department of Water Resources, working on salmon and smelt issues.
Salmon:
By regulation, FWS and NMFS have 135 days to complete the Biological Opinion, a clock that starts once all additional information is submitted and the Biological Assessment is complete. The Biological Assessment will describe the factors that may affect winter-run and spring-run Chinook salmon and critical habitat. A significant factor affecting all listed salmon in the Central Valley is the loss of spawing and rearing habitat upstream of the major dams. Factors include, but are not limited to, high water temperatures, low flows and flow fluctuations and fish passage.
Delta Smelt:
The Service has determined that the following recommendation will be protective of delta smelt. The projects will implement a 7-day average target of -2,000 Cubic Feet per Second (cfs), and to maintain the flap gates on the agricultural barriers in the open position.
The smelt recommendations are meant to help with maintaining proper water temperature for spawning. Also, entrainment of smelt has been increasing, and they still have been found in the vicinity of the export pumps.
Find out more in this article from California Farmer by clicking here.
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