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 pm
From 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:
\Ӣ 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).\Ӣ 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
Bay-Delta blog: DWR petitions to extend State Water Project permits
Posted by: Maven on August 23, 2010 at 7:25 amFrom the Bay-Delta blog:
“The Department of Water Resources, which holds permits to appropriate water for the State Water Project, has petitioned the State Water Resources Control Board to extend several of those permits for five years to December 31, 2015. Last week, SWRCB noticed the petitions (PDF), allowing protest until September 20. The relevant permits authorize diversions from the Feather River and the Delta, storage at Lake Oroville and San Luis Reservoir, and power generation at Oroville and Thermalito. … “
Continue reading from the Bay-Delta blog by clicking here.
The State Water Project celebrates 50th anniversary
Posted by: Maven on August 13, 2010 at 8:18 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
“The world’s largest water engineering project weaves through the heart of California, diverting northern mountain snowmelt to southern desert cities.
The State Water Project was born in 1960 when California voters approved a $1.75 billion bond measure. For the project’s 50th anniversary, the California Museum in Sacramento offers a new exhibit on the massive canal, reservoir and pumping network. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
The California Museum exhibit honors State Water Project
Posted by: Maven on August 12, 2010 at 9:42 amFrom the Department of Water Resources:
“SACRAMENTO — A special exhibit honoring California's State Water Project (SWP) has begun a year-long run at The California Museum. Entitled “Extreme Engineering: The California State Water Project Past, Present and Future,\” it will be on view through July 17, 2011.
“This year marks the 50th anniversary since voters in November 1960 approved the $1.75 billion bond measure authorizing construction of the SWP,\” said Mark Cowin, Director of the Department of Water Resources (DWR), which built and operates the SWP. “The California Museum's dramatic SWP exhibit is a suitable recognition of the historic value of the SWP in the daily life of our state.
Continue reading “The California Museum exhibit honors State Water Project” »
The California Museum features State Water Project in new exhibit; Highlights the pressing need for innovation in statewide water infrastructure
Posted by: Maven on August 12, 2010 at 9:41 amFrom the State Water Contractors, this press release:
“Sacramento, CA : A year-long exhibit has launched at The California Museum, featuring one of the state's most significant achievements : the State Water Project. The State Water Contractors, who funded the original construction of the project and continue to pay for its operations, applaud the museum for focusing on such an important component of our state's infrastructure, and also for highlighting the pressing need for new accomplishments.
“The State Water Project was a marvel for its time,\” said Laura King Moon, assistant general manager of the State Water Contractors. “We're grateful for the years of service the project has given us.
Moving water will get easier: New south of Delta pipeline will tie the San Joaquin River flow to the California Aqueduct
Posted by: Maven on August 1, 2010 at 7:03 am
From Sierra 2 the Sea:
“A water project that will help water users move water where it is needed and even recirculate water used for San Joaquin River restoration is moving forward this fall just as the world enters an apparent La Nina climate pattern. A cooling of the equatorial waters, La Nina typically means drier conditions in the Southwest but sometimes more rain in the northern part of California. The weather pattern is likely to affect the state's rainfall this winter.
Advocates of additional water infrastructure in California have made the argument that connecting the state with dams and canals helps meet critical water needs for urban, farm and environmental purposes. Long term climate change is likely to increase the need to capture and store supply as well as insure reliability to move water south of the Delta where most of the state's population lives. … “
Continue reading from Sierra 2 the Sea by clicking here.
Friday’s top of the scroll: California Aqueduct/Delta-Mendota intertie project gets $14.6 Million
Posted by: Maven on July 30, 2010 at 7:33 amFrom the Central Valley Business Times:
“A $14.6 million contract, with the money coming from the federal stimulus act, has been awarded to Shimmick Construction of Oakland to build a pumping plant and pipeline to link the Delta-Mendota Canal and the California Aqueduct.
The project is about five miles west of Tracy and when completed is expected to allow greater utilization of the capacity at the state and federal Jones Pumping Plant. The “Intertie\” will also allow for maintenance and repair activities and provide a greater ability to respond to emergencies, the government says. … “
Continue reading from the Central Valley Business Times by clicking here.
Secretary Salazar announces $14.6 million of economic recovery funding for Delta-Mendota Canal/California Aqueduct Intertie Pumping Plant, underground pipeline
Posted by: Maven on July 30, 2010 at 7:31 amFrom the Bureau of Reclamation, this press release:
“Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Bureau of Reclamation's Mid-Pacific Region has awarded a $14.6 million contract under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for construction of the Delta-Mendota Canal/California Aqueduct Intertie Pumping Plant and Pipeline (Intertie).
“These stimulus funds will not only help the economy and provide jobs, but also will contribute to the actions being taken to help alleviate California's water crisis,\” said Secretary Salazar. “The Intertie adds flexibility through the use of existing facilities while increasing the reliability of water projects in California's Central Valley.
With this ARRA award, Reclamation is initiating the construction phase of the project. The $14.6 million award was issued to Shimmick Construction of Oakland, Calif. for building a pumping station and underground pipeline connection, installing four pumps and motors and building an electrical switchyard. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2010 and be completed by early 2012.
When completed, the Intertie will connect the Delta-Mendota Canal (DMC) and the California Aqueduct to relieve DMC conveyance limitations, allow for maintenance and repair activities, and provide the flexibility to respond to Central Valley Project and State Water Project emergency water operations. The project was identified as a proposed action in the August 2000 CALFED Bay-Delta Program Programmatic Record of Decision. The new facility will be located between the DMC and California Aqueduct approximately five miles west of the City of Tracy, California.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act enacted in 2009 gave $3 billion to the Department of the Interior.
The ARRA funds represent an important component of the President’s plan to jumpstart the economy and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so the country can thrive in the 21st century. Under the ARRA, Interior is making an investment in conserving America’s timeless treasures : our stunning natural landscapes, our monuments to liberty, the icons of our culture and heritage : while helping American families and their communities prosper again. Interior is also focusing on renewable energy projects, the needs of American Indians, employing youth and promoting community service.“With its investments of Recovery Act funds, the Department of the Interior and its bureaus are putting people to work today to make improvements that will benefit the environment and the region for many years to come,\” Secretary Salazar said.
Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Department's economic recovery projects. The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on www.recovery.gov and on www.interior.gov/recovery. Secretary Salazar has appointed a Senior Advisor for Economic Recovery, Chris Henderson, and an Interior Economic Recovery Task Force to work closely with Interior's Inspector General and ensure the recovery program is meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility, and transparency set by President Obama.
Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit Reclamation's website at www.usbr.gov.”
State Water Project increases water allotments to 50%
Posted by: Maven on June 24, 2010 at 7:34 amFrom the San Francisco Chronicle:
“California raised the amount of water it will deliver to cities and farms this year after a string of abnormally late, heavy storms.
The state Department of Water Resources said Wednesday that it expects to supply its customers with 50 percent of the water they have requested – up from a 45 percent estimate in late May and a rock-bottom 5 percent estimate early in the year.
Last year, the agency delivered 40 percent of the requested water following three dry winters and legal restrictions on water pumping out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta due to concerns over collapsing fish species in the estuary. Through its sprawling State Water Project, the department supplies water to some 25 million Californians and 750,000 acres of agricultural land. … “
Continue reading from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.
Tim Quinn of ACWA says on his blog that while it is good news, the bad news is that even in a wet year, the allocation is only 50%:
” … Today's announcement is once again a reminder that we have to invest in our long-term water infrastructure and move to implement solutions that will secure California's water future. We never know what the next water year will look like in California. We must act now to ensure we have the water we need tomorrow.”
Read the full text of this blog post from Tim Quinn at ACWA’s Voices on Water blog by clicking here.
Read the press release from DWR by clicking here.
This just in … Late spring weather allows DWR to increase water allocation; Final delivery adjusted to 50% of requests
Posted by: Maven on June 23, 2010 at 11:45 amFrom the Department of Water Resources:
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is adjusting its final 2010 State Water Project allocation to 50 percent of requested amounts because of late Spring storms.
“Unusual late season storms that augmented Northern Sierra snowpack have allowed us to increase our delivery estimate to 50 percent,\” said DWR Director Mark Cowin. “But, our state will continue to suffer chronic water shortages until we improve our conveyance system, increase storage and resolve the complex environmental problems of the Delta.
Even with a return to normal precipitation and reservoir levels, and an above normal Sierra snowpack, State Water Project (SWP) deliveries will remain limited due to current restrictions on Delta pumping to protect native fish species. The 50 percent allocation, although a dramatic increase from the 5 percent originally estimated for this year, will still leave many communities, farms and businesses with limited alternative supplies.
Lake Oroville in Butte County, the SWP's principal supply reservoir, stands at 77 percent of capacity and 91 percent of average for this time of year. But fishery agency restrictions on Delta pumping to protect salmon, Delta smelt and other species continue to constrain water deliveries to the Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast and Southern California. DWR estimates that fishery restrictions this year will impact SWP deliveries by 800,000 acre-feet.
In 2009, DWR delivered 40 percent of the amount requested by the 29 public agencies with long-term contracts to receive SWP water. Those contractors deliver water to more than 25 million Californians and approximately 750,000 acres of irrigated farm land. The average SWP allocation over the past 10 years is 68 percent of contractor requests.
DWR will continue to urge all California's to conserve water this summer both indoors and outdoors. DWR is partnering with the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) on the Save Our Water program to promote conservation statewide as a long-term behavior change. The program website is www.saveourh2o.org.”
On the Public Record blog on C-WIN lawsuit: “Get Judge Roesch, if you can. That man fears nothing.?
Posted by: Maven on June 5, 2010 at 6:53 amFrom the On the Public Record blog:
“I love how audacious C-WIN is, and am glad they're out there. They're taking on the right issues, and often go straight to the heart of them. These are all from memory, so I don't know if I have them exactly right, but suing the State Board to define and enforce reasonable and beneficial use, challenging the big project contracts, getting DWR to take environmental documentation seriously :those are all great. I would love it if they could wrest the Kern Water Bank back from private ownership. They're right; the state should own and operate that reservoir. I love that they're raising the real hard questions and I usually hope they'll win. I don't even mind that they're litigious; bad as courts are for deciding complex multi-party questions, it isn't like we've got a better forum here. … “
Continue reading from the On the Public Record blog by clicking here.
Friday’s top of scroll: Lawsuit seeks return of millions for failed Delta protection plan
Posted by: Maven on June 4, 2010 at 8:15 amFrom the Contra Costa Times:
“A coalition of Delta farmers and environmentalists sued Thursday to recoup millions of dollars in taxpayer money they contend was paid illegally to Kern County landowners who sold water to a failed Delta environmental protection program.
The lawsuit, the latest salvo in an increasingly chaotic and bitter statewide fight over Delta water, also seeks to force Kern County landowners to return a giant underground reservoir to public ownership and to undo a 16-year-old pact between state water officials and their customers. That agreement, the litigants say, is destroying the Delta ecosystem and enriching Kern County landowners.
Known as the Monterey Agreement, it changed how a sprawling, state-owned water project delivers Delta water to parts of the Bay Area, Kern County, Southern California and other parts of the state. The agreement gave Kern County landowners the underground reservoir and more reliable water supplies while also increasing the amount of water pumped out of the Delta, the lawsuit contends.
“It’s like Chinatown, on steroids,” said California Sportfishing Protection Alliance director Bill Jennings, referring to the 1974 Jack Nicholson film that depicted Los Angeles’ infamous raid on Owens Valley water in the early 20th century. … “
Continue reading from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
From the Stockton Record:
” … The suit claims the California Department of Water Resources illegally transferred the state-owned Kern Water Bank to a joint-powers authority controlled by powerful southern San Joaquin Valley agricultural interests, including Paramount Farming Co. LLC, one of the largest fruit-tree farms in the world.
The 1995 deal, known as the Monterey Plus Amendments, “amounts to an unlawful and unconstitutional gift of a critical state asset, ceding effective control of the country’s largest groundwater storage facility to private interests,” the lawsuit said.
The suit seeks to undo the agreement, claiming it altered State Water Project contracts and primarily benefited “corporate irrigators” and speculative water stockpiling, the plaintiffs argue.
“This was a poorly negotiated backdoor deal that put the wealthy growers of subsidized crops ahead of fisheries and the need for a sustainable and reliable supply of clean drinking water for California’s cities,” Stockton’s Bill Jennings, executive director of the California Sport Fishing Protection Alliance, said in a written statement. … “
Continue reading from the Stockton Record by clicking here.
MORE INFORMATION:
Vimeo: Monterey Plus Amendments
Posted by: Maven on June 4, 2010 at 7:30 amFrom Bruce Tokars:
“The year was 1994. The biggest players involved in distributing water in California held a secret meeting in Monterey to re-write the rules of water delivery. They met to change the rules that they did not like, changing them to suit their own purposes. The result of their meetings became known as “the Monterey Plus Amendments”, new rules that have altered the course of California water history. Rules that have had negative consequences for the environment and taxpayers. This video documents how the Monterey Plus Amendments came to be, what they mean to you and your family, and the need to stop their implementation.”
Monterey Plus Amendments from Bruce Tokars on Vimeo.
Thursday’s top of the scroll: C-WIN, CSPA & CBD file suit over the Monterey Amendments
Posted by: Maven on June 3, 2010 at 8:18 amFrom the California Water Impact Network (C-WIN), this press release:
“SANTA BARBARA, Calif.: Today groups are seeking to block a secret backroom deal signed by five water contractors along with the Department of Water Resources to undo water contracts underlying voter approved bonds four decades earlier. Absent court action, contract changes that largely benefit southern central valley corporate irrigators at the expense of urban ratepayers will trade away ratepayer funded projects and allow massive diversions of water from the Delta charging only pumping costs.
“These contract changes break promises made to bond holders and ratepayers,\” said Carolee Krieger, President and Executive Director of the California Water Impact Network [C-WIN], one of the groups seeking to block the contract changes. “These changes undo decades of urban ratepayer protections for the benefit of a few agribusiness corporations and real estate developments at the expense of ratepayers and bondholders.
The back room deal, known as the “Monterey Amendments\” signed in 1995 without public input was challenged in court. The courts ruled the contract changes, deeding of portions of the State Water Project known as the Kern Water Bank, and removal of protections for southern California ratepayers would not be valid until a new analysis of the impacts had public review and was certified as complete.
“The State Water Project and the Kern Water Bank were developed by the state, at ratepayer expense, to benefit all of California,our cities, our farms, and our fish,\” said Adam Keats, lead attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. “But with the Monterey Plus Amendments it has been hijacked by private interests who are using it for their own ends, including stockpiling water to enable destructive speculative development. Meanwhile the state's entire water system gets closer and closer to collapse and multiple fish species,salmon, Delta smelt, even Sacramento splittail,are brought closer to the brink of extinction so that subsidized growers can make profits off of water sales and new sprawl development can be built in the last of our wild places.
The suit, filed today in Sacramento Superior Court, was brought by C-WIN, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Central Delta Water Agency and the South Delta Water Agency agencies that deliver water to Delta-area farmers. The suit challenges the legality of the following:
- Institutionalizing the concept of “paper water\” : water promised by contract that can never realistically be delivered.
- Eliminating the “urban preference,\” which prioritized water deliveries to municipal customers during drought. This change resulted in water shortages and higher utility rates for southern California ratepayers.
- Illegally transferring state property known as the Kern Water Bank to private entities and undermining the California Water Code by masking the purpose and place of water use.
- Increasing water exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, thus worsening water quality problems and triggering the collapse of the Delta's ecosystem and fisheries.
The lawsuit seeks to reinstate the urban water preference during drought in State Water Project contracts, reduce the pumping of Delta water that has resulted in the collapse of fisheries, and return the Kern Water Bank to public ownership.
“This was a poorly negotiated backdoor deal that put the wealthy growers of subsidized crops ahead of fisheries and the need for a sustainable and reliable supply of clean drinking water for California’s cities,\” said Bill Jennings, chairman of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance in Stockton. “The Metropolitan Water District gambled it could raid the Delta for ‘surplus' water. It not only lost that bet, but the Monterey Plus Amendments triggered the collapse of Delta ecosystems and our once-great salmon fisheries.
More Reading:
Monterey Plus Amendments Background Information (PDF)
Monterey Plus Amendments Chronology (PDF)
The state accelerates Delta pumping after judge temporarily lifts environmental restrictions
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 8:34 amFrom the Riverside Press-Enterprise:
“The state will almost quadruple its take of water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta today after a judge temporarily lifted pumping limits, a move that could ease restrictions on Inland residents later this year, officials said.
The state Department of Water Resources is diverting 5,800 cubic feet per second, said Carl Torgersen, chief of operations and maintenance. That’s up from 1,500 cubic feet per second before the judge’s decision Tuesday; the increase is in effect for three weeks.
The additional water is enough to supply about 400,000 homes for a year, and will be that much less that has to be taken out of storage reservoirs, Torgersen said.
The water will flow into the State Water Project, the system of aqueducts that moves supplies from northern California to the south, and a federal canal network that serves farms and residents in the San Joaquin Valley.
“That is a big benefit, because it means that same amount of water will still be in storage in case we need it later this fall,” said Peter Odencrans, spokesman for Eastern Municipal Water District, which serves Moreno Valley southward to Temecula and east to Hemet and San Jacinto. … “
Continue reading from the Press-Enterprise by clicking here.
Friday’s top of the scroll: Water officials announce increase in deliveries
Posted by: Maven on May 21, 2010 at 7:54 amFrom the Fresno Bee:
“A series of late season storms has prompted water officials to increase the amount of water to be delivered to farmers and cities.
The state Department of Water Resources announced Thursday that it would increase water deliveries to 45 percent of the amount requested. … “
Continue reading this article from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
Read the press release from DWR here.
This just in … DWR increases water allocation; Final delivery estimate is 45 percent of requests
Posted by: Maven on May 20, 2010 at 3:43 pmFrom the Department of Water Resources:
SACRAMENTO : Late season storms have allowed the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to increase its final 2010 State Water Project allocation to 45 percent of requested amounts.
“While the increase in deliveries is good news,\” said DWR Director Mark Cowin, “we will continue to have a water supply crisis until we improve our conveyance system, increase storage and resolve the complex environmental problems of the Delta.
State Water Project (SWP) delivery remains limited due to low reservoir storage after three dry years and restrictions on Delta pumping to protect native fish species. The 45 percent allocation, although a dramatic increase from the 5 percent originally estimated for this year, will still leave many communities, farms and businesses with limited alternative supplies.
Lake Oroville in Butte County, the SWP's principal supply reservoir, is still at only 68 percent of capacity despite major spring snowstorms. And fishery agency restrictions on Delta pumping to protect salmon, Delta smelt and other species continue to ratchet down water deliveries to the Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast and Southern California. DWR estimates that fishery restrictions this year will reduce deliveries by 600,000 acre-feet.
In 2009, DWR delivered 40 percent of the amount requested by the 29 public agencies with long-term contracts to receive SWP water. Those contractors deliver water to more than 25 million Californians and approximately 750,000 acres of irrigated farm land.
The average SWP allocation over the past 10 years is 68 percent of contractor requests.
DWR will continue to urge all California's to conserve water this summer both indoors and outdoors. DWR is partnering with the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) on the “Save Our Water\” program to promote conservation statewide as a long-term behavior change. The program website is www.saveourh2o.org.
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