California farmers spending $900 million annually fighting weeds
Posted by: Maven on February 9, 2012 at 7:22 amFrom the Western Farm Press:
“Western agricultural concerns about weed cost increases center on the growing problem of herbicide resistance.
At the recent California Weed Science Society annual meeting in Santa Barbara, Calif., in the traditional* realm of weed control, Brad Hanson, UCCE weed science specialist, addressed the issue of off-site movement of herbicides, a growing concern because of heightened regulations to prevent ground and surface water contamination.
“Any herbicide that misses the target or moves from a plant treatment zone is off-target,” said Hanson. … “
Continue reading from the Western Farm Press by clicking here.
Court: Sierra logging plan left out impact on fish
Posted by: Maven on February 7, 2012 at 9:04 amFrom the San Francisco Chronicle:
“The Bush administration’s decision in 2004 to dramatically expand logging in Sierra forests throughout California, as a means of fire protection, failed to analyze the potential impact on numerous species of fish, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.
The U.S. Forest Service violated environmental laws by omitting from its public report any reference to the effect of increased logging and road-building on fish in the mountain streams, including nine species listed as threatened or endangered, said the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
The 2-1 ruling does not require an immediate halt to any tree-cutting or other work authorized by the so-called 2004 Framework for 11.5 million acres in 11 national forests. … “
Continue reading from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.
USDA dedicates $16 million to Mother Lode forests
Posted by: Maven on February 6, 2012 at 7:16 amFrom the Modesto Bee:
“Economically depressed Amador and Calaveras counties are about to receive millions of dollars in forest-restoration funding from the federal government.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced Thursday a 10-year commitment of up to $16 million to revive the health of forest-related industries on national forest lands in the two counties.
The Cornerstone Project in the headwaters of the Mokelumne, Calaveras, Stanislaus and Cosumnes rivers will receive $730,000 this year.
Funding means that federal officials have recognized that the region is at the forefront of a nationwide movement to restore forests, Calaveras County Supervisor Steve Wilensky said. … “
Continue reading from the Modesto Bee by clicking here.
Central Coast: Ag runoff center of water quality debate
Posted by: Maven on February 3, 2012 at 7:20 amFrom the Salinas Californian:
“Everyone on the Central Coast seems to want cleaner water but can’t agree on how to get it.
That message was clear at a public debate on water quality Wednesday night at Salinas City Hall. The Central Coast Water Quality Control Board forum came in advance of a March 15 hearing in San Luis Obispo, where the board will consider controversial agricultural runoff rules, known as the agricultural order. The board heard comments and asked questions, but did comment as they will at next month’s hearing. … “
Continue reading from the Salinas Californian by clicking here.
Proposal will ensure better future for California forests, says Vilsack
Posted by: Maven on February 2, 2012 at 8:15 amFrom the Sacramento Bee, this commentary by Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture:
“America’s forests are one of our nation’s great treasures. Not only are they wonderful places to be outside with friends and family, they provide us with much of the water we drink, clean the air we breathe, provide habitat for wildlife, and support jobs and growth in rural communities.
Healthy forests are critical to President Barack Obama’s vision for an economy that’s built to last. More than 173 million visitors come to national forests and grasslands every year to hike, bike, view wildlife, go hunting, fishing and rafting and enjoy being in the great outdoors. This generates billions of dollars and supports hundreds of thousands of middle-class jobs for local communities. Forests and grasslands also support good jobs related to timber and forest products, energy and other multiple uses of our public lands. … “
Continue reading this commentary at the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
Restored wetlands no match for real thing
Posted by: Maven on February 2, 2012 at 8:08 amFrom the Los Angeles Times:
“How easy is it to recreate nature? When it comes to wetlands, the answer seems to be “not very.”
A new paper examining data from more than 600 restored or man-made wetlands found that in key ways, they don’t measure up to the real thing.
Wetlands perform vital ecosystem functions. They act as fish nurseries, control erosion, clean up water, store carbon, and provide wildlife habitat. But they have been filled, drained and paved over at a steady pace, prompting efforts to restore them in California and across the nation. … “
Continue reading from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
Legal Analysis: Federal District Court rules that EPA has only an oversight role in approving a state’s 303(d) listings
Posted by: Maven on January 26, 2012 at 8:02 amFrom Somach Simmons & Dunn, this environmental law & policy alert:
“On December 16, 2011, the District Court for the Northern District of California held that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) appropriately exercised its oversight authority in approving the State of California’s (State) listing of Redwood Creek as an impaired water body under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. § 1313(d)). (Barnum Timber Co. v. United States Environmental Protection Agency (Case No. C08-01988) 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 145155.)
Barnum Timber Company (Barnum), owner of forestland in the Redwood Creek watershed challenged the EPA’s approval of the State’s listing and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for sediment and temperature in Redwood Creek. Barnum brought suit under the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. § 701 et seq.) arguing that, in its approval capacity, the EPA was required to review the legal adequacy of the State’s determinations of impairment. Barnum argued that in failing to review the weight of the evidence, EPA acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner.
EPA argued that its role is one of oversight, leaving to the states the responsibility to identify the waters for the list. … “
For more legal analysis from Somach Simmons & Dunn, click here.
Study: Restored wetlands rarely equal condition of original
Posted by: Maven on January 25, 2012 at 8:26 amFrom the University of California Newsroom:
“Wetland restoration is a billion-dollar-a-year industry in the United States that aims to create ecosystems similar to those that disappeared over the past century. But a new analysis of restoration projects shows that restored wetlands seldom reach the quality of a natural wetland.
“Once you degrade a wetland, it doesn’t recover its normal assemblage of plants or its rich stores of organic soil carbon, which both affect natural cycles of water and nutrients, for many years,” said David Moreno-Mateos, a University of California, Berkeley, postdoctoral fellow. “Even after 100 years, the restored wetland is still different from what was there before, and it may never recover.”
Moreno-Mateos’s analysis calls into question a common mitigation strategy exploited by land developers: Create a new wetland to replace a wetland that will be destroyed and the land put to other uses. At a time of accelerated climate change caused by increased carbon entering the atmosphere, carbon storage in wetlands is increasingly important, he said.
“Wetlands accumulate a lot of carbon, so when you dry up a wetland for agricultural use or to build houses, you are just pouring this carbon into the atmosphere,” he said. “If we keep degrading or destroying wetlands, for example through the use of mitigation banks, it is going to take centuries to recover the carbon we are losing.” … “
Continue reading from the University of California Newsroom by clicking here.
SEE ALSO: Not All Wetlands Are Created Equal, from the New York Times Green blog
Nitrogen pollution impacts & solutions: Report highlights new research and offers solutions for a nitrogen-soaked world
Posted by: Maven on January 22, 2012 at 7:31 amFrom Medical News Today:
“The nitrogen cycle has been profoundly altered by human activities, and that in turn is affecting human health, air and water quality, and biodiversity in the U.S., according to a multi-disciplinary team of scientists writing in the 15th publication of the Ecological Society of America’s Issues in Ecology. In “Excess Nitrogen in the U.S. Environment: Trends, Risks, and Solutions,” lead author Eric Davidson (Woods Hole Research Center) and 15 colleagues from universities, government, and the private sector review the major sources of reactive nitrogen in the U.S., resulting effects on health and the environment, and potential solutions.
Nitrogen is both an essential nutrient and a pollutant, a byproduct of fossil fuel combustion and a fertilizer that feeds billions, a benefit and a hazard, depending on form, location, and quantity. … “
Continue reading from Medical News Today by clicking here.
Research paper: Forests and water in the Sierra Nevada: The Sierra Nevada Watershed Ecosystem Enhancement Project
Posted by: Maven on January 21, 2012 at 7:40 amFrom UC Merced:
“In this white paper on the Sierra Nevada Watershed Ecosystem Enhancement Project (SWEEP), we make the case that upstream management of Sierra Nevada forests can significantly increase the value of downstream water resources by shifting water towards higher value uses and optimizing the timing of runoff. The focus of this paper is on the west-side mixed-conifer forests at elevations of about 1500-3600 m (5000-12,000 ft), which are highly productive owing to the availability of sufficient water, predominance of above-freezing temperatures and presence of other conditions necessary for growth.
California has a Mediterranean climate, with wet winters and dry summers. Precipitation falling as rain on Sierra Nevada forests enters the soil and is partitioned between evapotranspiration and runoff. Much of the rainfall leaves the forest as evapotranspiration, owing to ample water storage in the subsurface and temperatures that allow growth year round. At higher elevations, e.g. above elevations of 1800-2100 m depending on both latitude and microclimate, which are dominated by snow rather than rain, the snowpack provides an important seasonal storage of water that, together with subsurface-water storage, provides the water needed for forest growth over the summer and fall. Forest thinning to reduce vegetation and thus evapotranspiration will result in a higher fraction of precipitation, particularly snowmelt, leaving the mountain forest as runoff.
Historically, the unique character of Sierra Nevada forests was defined by its tall trees, relatively mild climate and low forest density. In many areas, current forest densities are much higher than historical values. Forest thinning can also influence the timing of snowmelt and runoff. That is, a less-dense canopy can allow snow to reach the ground rather than be held in the canopy; and strategic spacing of forest openings will limit early season sunlight reaching the forest floor and retard snowmelt. … “
Continue reading this paper by clicking here.
Council report assesses progress on State Water Quality Monitoring
Posted by: Maven on January 14, 2012 at 6:26 amFrom ACWA’s Water News:
“The California Water Quality Monitoring Council has issued a 2011 progress report on implementation of a comprehensive monitoring strategy for the state.
The strategy, released in December 2010, is aimed at assembling a wide array of water quality data about the state’s lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and ocean waters. … “
Continue reading from ACWA’s Water News by clicking here.
YouTube: Working with farmers to decrease Nitrogen pollution
Posted by: Maven on January 7, 2012 at 8:42 amFrom the Environmental Defense Fund, posted at YouTube:
“Farm policy expert Suzy Friedman partners with farmers to solve an age-old dilemma and protect water quality.”
Mosquito Districts seek exemptions from Clean Water Act
Posted by: Maven on January 4, 2012 at 8:27 amFrom Capital Public Radio:
“Mosquito control officials in California say we may see a rise in mosquito-borne illness. They blame a court decision that went into effect recently.
Mosquito control agencies must now adhere to the federal Clean Water Act which means spraying pesticides over waterways where mosquitoes breed may be tougher. … “
Continue reading from Capital Public Radio by clicking here.
State water board fails to adopt new forestland rules
Posted by: Maven on December 22, 2011 at 8:07 amFrom the California Farm Bureau Federation:
“Changes that had been proposed to water quality regulations for national forestland in California failed last week to get the votes needed for adoption by the State Water Resources Control Board. Agricultural groups say the proposed changes could have greatly complicated logging and grazing activities on national forests within California if they had been adopted.
The California Farm Bureau Federation and the California Cattlemen’s Association said the proposed “nonpoint source waiver of waste discharge requirements” was unnecessary, because it would have duplicated federal regulations.
“Fortunately, as a result of efforts by CFBF, CCA and various recreational-use groups, the water board rejected the proposal,” said Danny Merkley, CFBF water resources director. “Instead, we’ll be working with the board staff as they investigate alternatives as directed by the water board.” … “
Continue reading from the California Farm Bureau Federation by clicking here.
The Hill’s Congress Blog: Renewing America’s commitment to clean water
Posted by: Maven on December 15, 2011 at 8:58 amFrom the Hill’s Congress Blog, this post by Jan Goldman-Carter of the National Wildlife Federation:
“Nearly forty years ago, Republicans and Democrats passed the Clean Water Act to keep our river, lakes, streams and wetlands from becoming open sewers and garbage dumps that burned from a whirlpool of nasty chemicals. Lawmakers understood clean water meant healthy people, a healthy economy and a healthy environment.
Ultimately, they also understood that these factors ensured a stronger country. Protecting clean water wasn’t controversial – it was commonsense.
Americans still care about keeping their water safe. In a Gallup Poll released earlier this year, they listed clean water as their top environmental concern. Restoring the Clean Water Act is in keeping with the wisdom of decades past and the current needs of our country. Protecting our waters and wetlands also honors a longstanding commitment to future generations of Americans. It is time for the Administration to move forward and sustain that legacy by restoring longstanding Clean Water Act protections for the Nation’s wetlands, lakes and streams. … “
Continue reading from the Congress Blog by clicking here.
Court invalidates numeric effluent limitations in construction stormwater general permit
Posted by: Maven on December 14, 2011 at 8:10 amFrom Somach Simmons & Dunn, this Environmental Law & Policy Alert:
“On December 2, 2011, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Lloyd G. Connelly issued a decision invalidating the numeric effluent limitations (NELs) contained in the General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated With Construction and Land Disturbance Activities, State Water Resources Control Board Order 2009-009-DQ (the Construction General Permit or CGP). (California Building Industry Association, et al. v. State Water Resources Control Board, Sacramento County Superior Court Case No. 34-2009-80000338.)
The court found the NELs were not supported by substantial evidence, and that the State Water Board failed to comply with federal Clean Water Act requirements for the establishment of technology based numeric effluent limitations. The court granted a peremptory writ of mandate ordering the State Water Board to set aside the portions of the GCP imposing NELs for turbidity and pH and to refrain from enforcing the NELs. Other provisions of the CGP remain in effect and enforceable. … “
Continue reading from Somach Simmons & Dunn by clicking here.
Keep the Clean Water Act strong, says commentary
Posted by: Maven on December 4, 2011 at 7:16 amFrom the New York Times, this commentary by William K. Reilly, former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency:
“Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, a milestone for a series of landmark environmental laws that began with the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970. Those actions set our nation on a course to restore our damaged natural resources, but today, because of political pressures and court rulings, the extent and durability of some of those key protections are at risk.
Since its enactment in 1972, the Clean Water Act has encountered resistance from powerful business interests that have tried to fill wetlands, drain marshes, develop shorelines and allow pollution to flow off their property. One approach these developers have used to weaken the law has been to try to limit its jurisdiction, to say it shouldn’t apply to this or that water body. The rationale has always been to argue that the water on the particular property in dispute didn’t connect with interstate bodies of water and therefore should be exempt from federal regulation. … “
Continue reading this commentary at the New York Times by clicking here.
Thursday’s top of the scroll: Scientists propose thinning forests to enhance runoff
Posted by: Maven on December 1, 2011 at 8:33 am
From the University of California’s Newsroom:
“Runoff from the Sierra Nevada, a critical source of California’s water supply, could be enhanced by thinning forests to historical conditions, according to a report from a team of scientists with the University of California, Merced, UC Berkeley and the Environmental Defense Fund.
The team proposes to test the hypothesis that forest-management strategies that use thinning to reduce fire risk and maintain the historical mix can also increase water yield and extend the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada.
The scientists suggest that by selectively reducing the number of trees — which use large amounts of the water received through precipitation — the amount of water that is released from the forest as runoff could increase. This enhanced runoff could make things easier for farmers and water managers statewide. … “
Continue reading from the University of California by clicking here.
MORE COVERAGE: UC scientists say thin Sierra forests to get more water runoff, from the Central Valley Business Times
Sunday’s top of the scroll: Maps help utilities, others pinpoint solutions: Protecting water supply, numerous resources key, forest officials say
Posted by: Maven on November 27, 2011 at 7:54 am
From the Stockton Record:
“New maps posted online this month by the U.S. Forest Service pinpoint where the nation’s drinking water is most jeopardized by wildfires and other threats to high-country forests.
One of the hot spots, according to the maps, is the headwaters of the Mokelumne River in the high Sierra east of Stockton.
The new mapping effort is called Forests to Faucets. The data behind it is why water utilities in some western cities now help pay to maintain portions of nearby national forests.
Some water utilities have concluded that by spending a few million dollars a year thinning overgrown forests, they can avoid high-intensity fires that could send mudslides into reservoirs and cost tens of millions of dollars. … “
Continue reading from the Stockton Record by clicking here.
MORE: Visit the Forest Service’s Forest to Faucets website by clicking here.
RELATED: Disasters elsewhere could teach California, from the Stockton Record
Photo of the Calaveras Big Trees State Park by flickr photographer Ame Otoko.
Clear-cuts help us keep our forests healthy, says commentary
Posted by: Maven on November 27, 2011 at 7:39 amLast Sunday, Katherine Evatt, president of the Foothills Conservancy, wrote a commentary on the clear-cutting of forests in the Sierras. I did not post the original commentary because it didn’t deal specifically with water issues. However, in this Sunday’s Sacramento Bee, VP of Sierra Pacific Industries Daniel Tomascheski responds, and he does address water quality issues in his commentary:
“Katherine Evatt isn’t the only one who can’t see the forest for the trees. It’s not surprising that many people are alarmed to see good forest practices at work. A few acres of downed trees don’t square with their notion of what a healthy forest is supposed to look like.
Ironically, it’s what they don’t see that tells the real story. They don’t know that the robust stands of foothill conifers nearby, filled with wildlife and natural wonders, are themselves the product of decades of sound forestry practices – including commercial harvesting.
The debate over cutting trees has raged for generations, often without facts to back up either side. Few people had ever bothered to actually go into a forest to study it in place over time. But Sierra Pacific Industries has done that now for nearly two decades – with rigorous monitoring and assessment of commercial forestry practices, water quality, wildlife habitat, archaeological resources and native plants. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
Forests to Faucets interactive maps and data now available online
Posted by: Maven on November 24, 2011 at 7:23 amFrom the U.S. Forest Service:
“The USDA Forest Service Forests to Faucets project uses GIS to model and map the continental United States land areas most important to surface drinking water, the role forests play in protecting these areas, and the extent to which these forests are threatened by development, insects and disease, and wildland fire.
The results of this assessment provide information that can identify areas of interest for protecting surface drinking water quality. The spatial dataset can be incorporated into broad-scale planning, such as the State Forest Action Plans, and can help identify areas for further local analysis. In addition it can be incorporated into existing decision support tools that currently lack spatial data on important areas for surface drinking water.
This project also sets the groundwork for identifying watersheds where a payment for watershed services (PWS) project may be an option for financing conservation and management on forest lands. On a macro scale, the Forests to Faucets data identifies areas that supply surface drinking water, have consumer demand for this water, and are facing significant development threats—all important criteria for successful PWS initiatives.
In perhaps its most important role, this work can serve as an education tool to illustrate the link between forests and the provision of surface drinking water—a key watershed-based ecosystem service. “
For interactive Forests to Faucets maps, data, and reports, click here.
Even the cleanest wastewater contributes to more ‘super bacteria’, study finds
Posted by: Maven on November 20, 2011 at 6:47 amFrom Science Daily:
“A new University of Minnesota study reveals that treated municipal wastewater — even wastewater treated by the highest-quality treatment technology — can result in significant quantities of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, often referred to as “superbacteria,” in surface waters.
The study also suggests that standard wastewater treatment technologies probably release far greater quantities of antibiotic-resistant genes used by bacteria, but this likely goes unnoticed because background levels of bacteria are normally much higher than in the water studied in this research. … “
Continue reading from Science Daily by clicking here.
Cal Watchdog blog: Punch hits California’s water softening industry
Posted by: Maven on November 16, 2011 at 8:55 amFrom the Cal Watchdog blog:
“The hammering fist of government has the nuance and delicacy of someone playing the piano while wearing boxing gloves. California’s $500 million water softening industry has been a punching bag for state politicians for several years, and it’s trying to fight back before it goes down for the count.
The current battleground is the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, a 242-square-mile district in the southwest corner of San Bernardino County, approximately 35 miles east of Los Angeles. It treats sewage and provides recycled water for 850,000 residents in the cities of Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario and Upland, along with the Cucamonga and Monte Vista water districts. … “
Continue reading from the Cal Watchdog blog by clicking here.
Thursday’s top of the scroll: Suit filed over drainage into San Joaquin River
Posted by: Maven on November 10, 2011 at 8:26 amFrom the Fresno Bee:
“Fishing and conservation groups sued the federal government Wednesday, hoping to stop the west Valley flow of tainted irrigation drainage into the San Joaquin River.
With a long-awaited restoration of salmon starting late next year in the river, the time has come to cut off the contaminated water from the Grassland Bypass Project, the groups say.
West-side farmers have worked with federal and state regulators to reduce the pollution, plaintiffs say, but they have come up far short.
“These discharges are toxic to fish,” said Zeke Grader, executive director of the San Francisco-based Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman’s Associations, a plaintiff. “It doesn’t make any sense to continue.” … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
MORE COVERAGE:
- Suit seeks to stop alleged pollution by CA farmers, from the AP via the San Francisco Chronicle
- Suit filed over Valley runoff, from the Stockton Record
MORE INFO:
… and the irrigators respond, say lawsuit is a waste of money
Posted by: Maven on November 10, 2011 at 8:21 amFrom the Central Valley Business Times:
“A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday against the U.S. EPA by environmental groups is a waste of taxpayers’ money, says the head of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, one of the major suppliers of irrigation water to the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.
Pointing to the Grassland Bypass Project near Los Banos in the Central Valley, Dan Nelson, executive director of the water authority, says irrigators “have gone to great lengths and huge expense to responsibly manage agricultural drainage, be accountable for their discharges and exercise care for the environment.” … “
Continue reading from the Central Valley Business Times by clicking here.
and this too … Fishing and conservation groups sue to protect Bay-Delta estuary from toxic agricultural wastewater
Posted by: Maven on November 9, 2011 at 11:29 amReceived via email, this press release from the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, Friends of the River, San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association Inc., The Institute for Fisheries Resources, and Felix Smith:
“Fishing and conservation groups today filed suit in federal court under the Clean Water Act to stop the continuing unlawful discharges of agricultural wastewater into the San Joaquin River and San Francisco Bay-Delta. The move represents the latest salvo in a decades-long battle to stop Western San Joaquin Valley agribusinesses from sending their toxic wastewater to downstream users, harming drinking water supplies, wildlife, fisheries, and farming.
“This legal action is necessary to enforce the Clean Water Act’s mandate that the Nation’s waters be both swimmable and fishable,” stated Steve Evans of Friends of the River. “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision of March 17, sanctioning these selenium discharges for another 10 years, even as they continue to exceed water-quality standards, demands that citizens file suit to enforce the law.”
Chemicals in the agricultural wastewater, created by irrigating the soils of the Western San Joaquin Valley, which are laced with contaminants, have been found throughout the waterways downstream of the polluters, including at the intakes for public drinking water supplies for millions of Californians.
Legal analysis: Effluent and monitoring violations top the list of Water Board enforcement actions in 2010
Posted by: Maven on November 9, 2011 at 8:11 amFrom Somach Simmons & Dunn, this Environmental Law & Policy Alert:
“On October 1, 2011, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) released its updated Enforcement Report. The Enforcement Report summarizes violations of combined waste discharge requirements (WDRs) and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued to wastewater and stormwater facilities. The Enforcement Report also summarizes enforcement actions taken in response to violations and includes an update on those involving minimum mandatory penalties (MMPs). This article describes the findings and conclusions in the October 1, 2011 Enforcement Report.
California Water Code section 13385(o) requires the State Water Board to report information on enforcement activities related to surface water discharges from wastewater and stormwater facilities within California. The State Water Board and regional water quality control boards (Regional Water Boards) authorize and condition such discharges in combined WDRs/NPDES permits. Reports must include: (1) a compilation of the number of permit violations in the previous calendar year; (2) a record of the formal and informal compliance and enforcement actions taken for each violation; and (3) an analysis of the effectiveness of current enforcement policies, including MMPs required by statute for certain violations. … “
Continue reading from Somach Simmons & Dunn by clicking here.
Conserving California’s water at its forest source: New report outlines need for safeguarding primary watershed serving 22 million Californians from Mount Shasta to Los Angeles
Posted by: Maven on November 8, 2011 at 7:29 am
From the Pacific Forest Trust:
“Anyone who has seen the classic movie “Chinatown” or read “Cadillac Desert” knows California has a water problem.
Seventy-five percent of the state’s water demand comes from the densely populated and dry southern California. Yet most of the state’s precipitation – more than 70 percent – falls north of Sacramento, in a region defined by the Klamath and Cascade Mountain ranges. This 10-million-acre arc of land encompasses the Trinity Alps, Klamath, Cascade and Northern Sierra Ranges, a vast, interconnected network of forested watersheds that filter and supply this precious resource to more than 25 million Californians via the Central Valley and State Water Projects and Sacramento Delta.
Between 80-85 percent of the water flowing into the Sacramento Delta comes from the Sacramento River – which in turn derives between 80 and 85 percent of its flow from the Klamath-Cascade (KC) Region.
Few Californians realize how much they depend on this region’s water and climate benefits – nor how at-risk those resources are. Steep declines in the state’s timber economy have eroded incentives to retain and maintain the KC’s forests, private or public.
These threats – and strategies for dealing with them – are detailed in “The Klamath Cascade: California’s Forest Watershed in the Balance.” This new report from the Pacific Forest Trust introduces the Region and makes recommendations for an innovative “all-lands,” landscape-scale approach to its management in order to secure the future of California’s primary water source. … “
Read the full text of this press release here: PFT-KC-Report-Release-11-3-11
You can download a copy of the report by clicking here.
Reclamation schedules public meeting of the Data Collection and Review Team for the Grassland Bypass Project
Posted by: Maven on November 8, 2011 at 6:28 amFrom the Bureau of Reclamation:
“The Bureau of Reclamation, on behalf of the Oversight Committee for the Grassland Bypass Project, has scheduled a public meeting on the status of the drainage management project along the San Joaquin River in central California.
The purpose of the public meeting is to share the Data Collection and Review Team’s (DCRT) reports, present data, identify trends and evaluate the implementation of the Grassland Bypass Project (GBP). The project has separated unusable agricultural drainage water discharged from the Grasslands Drainage Area from wetland water supply conveyance channels, thereby facilitating drainage management for agriculture and promoting continuous improvement in water quality in the San Joaquin River. … “
The meeting is set for Thursday, November 17th, in Rancho Cordova. Continue reading from the Bureau of Reclamation by clicking here.
U.S. EPA finalizes pesticide general permit; State Water Board permits remain in effect
Posted by: Maven on November 5, 2011 at 7:34 amFrom ACWA’s Water News:
“The U.S. EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System pesticide general permit for aquatic pesticide applications went into effect Oct. 31 but has little regulatory effect on California water agencies.
EPA has assigned California primacy for the implementation and enforcement of the federal Clean Water Act, including NPDES permits. This authority has been assigned to the State Water Resources Control Board, which had previously adopted several NPDES permits for aquatic pesticide applications. … “
Continue reading from ACWA’s Water News by clicking here.
Federal judge backs rules that limit pesticide use near salmon habitat
Posted by: Maven on November 3, 2011 at 8:31 amFrom the Oregonian:
“A federal judge today upheld new rules designed to protect West Coast salmon and steelhead from three widely used farm pesticides.
Pesticide manufacturers sought to overturn a 2008 decision by the National Marine Fisheries Service that limited where three organophosphate pesticides — chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion — could be sprayed in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California. … “
Continue reading from the Oregonian by clicking here.
Proposed septic rules facing less opposition
Posted by: Maven on November 1, 2011 at 8:21 amFrom the Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
“Revised septic tank regulations may be facing less outright opposition from rural landowners and property rights activists, whose protests two years ago sent a previous proposal back to the drawing board.
The state Water Resources Control Board is set to take public comment on the revised rules Wednesday in a meeting at the Wells Fargo Center in Santa Rosa.
Initial public feedback and light turnout at two hearings last week on the issue in other parts of the state suggest that critics may be less alarmed by the new proposal. … “
Continue reading from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat by clicking here.
Septic system rules return after hiatus
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2011 at 6:59 amFrom the Union-Democrat:
“State regulators have reinvigorated a decade-old plan to monitor many of the state’s 1.3 million septic tanks in an effort to prevent sewage from leaching into waterways.
The State Water Resources Control Board announced an amended policy this month that would place more-stringent regulations on septic systems that are situated near polluted water ways.
The original Assembly Bill 885 plan, proposed in 2000, would have placed restrictions on all septic systems, requiring homeowners to have them professionally inspected every five years at a cost of $300 to $500 per tank. The plan, however was met with a backlash from homeowners, who said the state-ordered maintenance was too expensive and unnecessary. … “
Continue reading from the Union Democrat by clicking here.
The new rules are drawing mixed reviews, reports the Record Searchlight:
“Revised rules for septic tanks got mixed reviews Friday during an afternoon workshop in Redding.
It was one of two held in Redding on Friday as the state Water Resources Control Board officials are traveling across the state holding public workshops.
The presentation drew 70 people inside the David Marr Theater at the Shasta Living Center. An evening presentation attracted 25 people. … “
Continue reading from the Record Searchlight by clicking here.
New septic rules offer relief for most rural residents, says commentary
Posted by: Maven on October 25, 2011 at 7:46 amFrom the Record Searchlight, this commentary by Tom Howard, executive director of the State Water Resources Control Board:
“Septic systems, or onsite wastewater treatment systems, make a modern, rural lifestyle possible.
And, most of the time, they do a good job. More than 1.3 million septic systems are buried beneath the foothills, valleys and fields of California. But in some areas of the state they can be a problem.
Septic systems can be a serious threat to human health and to aquatic life. They can leach sewage, which may carry nitrates (nutrients) and dangerous pathogens into ground waters and nearby drinking water wells. Septic systems that are located too close to streams, creeks and rivers can pollute the waters of the state and harm aquatic life. … “
Continue reading from the Record Searchlight by clicking here.
Septic system rules put burden where it belongs, says editorial
Posted by: Maven on October 25, 2011 at 7:37 amFrom the Record Searchlight, this editorial:
“It’s not a conspiracy but the simple arithmetic of democracy: The political voice of California’s big-city voters often drowns out that of rural residents.
But the roar of protest from the roughly 1.2 million households who live off the sewer grid, instead relying on home septic systems, got someone’s attention in Sacramento.
And a good thing, too.
Roughly three years after it heard fierce blowback from a draconian proposal to require tough new statewide septic-system standards, as well as regular testing of home wells and septic tanks, the State Water Resources Control Board is trying again. The revised rules, circulating now and the subject of two public information meetings in Redding on Friday, are a healthy step toward sanity. … “
Continue reading this editorial from the Record Searchlight by clicking here.
Cleanup teaches local students about Mokelumne River pollution
Posted by: Maven on October 19, 2011 at 8:09 amFrom the Lodi News-Sentinel:
“While standing on the curb in front of Heritage Primary Elementary School, sixth-grader Alejandra Medina swept a mixture of leaves, dirt and pieces of plastic toward fifth-grader Pedro Velaquez, who held a dust pan.
The students were cleaning the streets on Tuesday afternoon in honor of the 39th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. The students also learned about how trash and debris in the street flows into the storm drains and goes directly into the Mokelumne River. … “
Continue reading from the Lodi News-Sentinel by clicking here.
Senator Wyland: Throw new water regulations down the drain
Posted by: Maven on October 18, 2011 at 6:39 amFrom the website of State Senator Mark Wyland:
“When California is struggling with the second highest unemployment rate in the country, increasing the regulatory burden for businesses is unwise and will harm efforts to improve the climate for job creation.
Until a public hearing last week, few knew about a proposed permit change that could affect tens of thousands of Californians.
The State Water Resources Control Board, charged with regulating water runoff and monitoring storm water discharge, is currently reviewing permit requirements. Although protecting our natural resources is important, the Board tentatively approved a sweeping set of water regulations that are unreasonable and costly for businesses. Opponents estimate that compliance costs could range from tens of thousands of dollars at small businesses and schools, to hundreds of millions of dollars at large facilities owned by ports and industrial facilities. In addition, the Board did not seek testimony from businesses about the economic considerations of complying with the new permits.
I care about preserving our natural resources, but we have to balance our priorities. Before adopting new regulations, government must consider the impact on the environment and the economy. I encourage the Board to throw their revised regulations down the drain and start over.”
EPA puts Tuolumne, Stanislaus on list of polluted waterways
Posted by: Maven on October 13, 2011 at 8:02 amFrom the Union Democrat:
“Portions of the Tuolumne, Stanislaus and Merced rivers have been added to a list of polluted California waterways.
The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday announced the rivers’ inclusion on its list of “California Impaired Waters,” making the determination based on high water temperatures, an indication of poor water quality.
The report focused on 24 California waterways — portions of creeks and rivers — including the Lower Tuolumne River (from Don Pedro Reservoir to the San Joaquin River), the San Joaquin River (from the Merced to the Tuolumne River) and the Stanislaus River to the Delta boundary. … “
Continue reading from the Union Democrat by clicking here.
Wednesday’s top of the scroll: EPA finalizes California’s list of polluted waters
Posted by: Maven on October 12, 2011 at 8:45 amFrom YubaNet.com:
“More of California’s waterways are impaired than previously known, according to a list of polluted waterways submitted by the state to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and finalized by the agency today. Increased water monitoring data shows the number of rivers, streams and lakes in California exhibiting overall toxicity have increased 170 percent from 2006 to 2010.
California has some of the most magnificent rivers, lakes and coastal waters in the country. However, of its 3.0 million acres of lakes, bays, wetlands and estuaries, 1.6 million acres are not meeting water quality goals, and 1.4 million acres still need a pollution clean-up plan, known as a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). Of the 215,000 miles of shoreline, streams and rivers, 30,000 miles are not meeting water quality goals, and 20,000 miles still need a TMDL. The most common contaminants in these waterways are pesticides and bacteria, followed by metals and nutrients. … “
Continue reading from YubaNet.com by clicking here.
MORE COVERAGE:
Toxic waters: The complete list of foul water in California, from the Central Valley Business Times
Number of State’s Known Polluted Waterways Increases 170%, from ACWA’s Water News
Increased monitoring finds more water pollution in California, from the Los Angeles Times
Santa Ana River segments, creeks make polluted list, from the Riverside Press-Enterprise
California waters showing toxicity increased 170 percent since 2006, from Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org
Liberty Blog: Demagoguing wetlands!
Posted by: Maven on October 12, 2011 at 8:01 amFrom the Pacific Legal Foundation’s Liberty Blog:
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently issued a report to Congress called “Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States 2004 to 2009.” The report contains a preface by Secretary of Interior, Ken Salazar, that states: “Findings from this study indicate that between 2004 and 2009, wetland losses outdistanced wetland gains.”
The problem is, it’s not true.
Findings from this study actually indicate that “[t]he difference in the national estimates of wetland acreage between 2004 and 2009 was not statistically significant.” … “
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