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.” … “
Continue reading from the Liberty Blog by clicking here.
Commentary: It’s the water, stupid: The perils of clearcutting
Posted by: Maven on October 7, 2011 at 8:15 amFrom OpEd News, this commentary by Bob Burnett:
“When you fly to the west coast, you usually pass over the Sierra Nevada mountain range. On a clear day you’ll notice the surrounding forests are irregular; they’ve been “checkerboarded.” Millions of acres have been logged and “clearcut.” While problematic on many levels, clearcutting imperils the drinking water for 45 million Americans.
Clearcutting is a logging technique where all trees in a given area are cut down. The valuable timber is hauled away and the residue, the “slash pile,” is burned. Then the ground is scraped and sprayed with herbicides to suppress native vegetation. The area is replanted with one species, typically pine. In recent years, this process has been rebranded as “even-age” timber management. … “
Continue reading from OpEd News by clicking here.
Five-year survey shows wetlands losses are slowing, marking conservation gains and need for continued investment in habitat
Posted by: Maven on October 7, 2011 at 8:09 am
“America's wetlands declined slightly from 2004-2009, underscoring the need for continued conservation and restoration efforts, according to a report issued today by the Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The findings are consistent with the Service's Status and Trends Wetlands reports from previous decades that reflect a continuous but diminishing decline in wetlands habitat over time.
The report, which represents the most up-to-date, comprehensive assessment of wetland habitats in the United States, documents substantial losses in forested wetlands and coastal wetlands that serve as storm buffers, absorb pollution that would otherwise find its way into the nation's drinking water, and provide vital habitat for fish, wildlife and plants.
“Wetlands are at a tipping point,\” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “While we have made great strides in conserving and restoring wetlands since the 1950s when we were losing an area equal to half the size of Rhode Island each year, we remain on a downward trend that is alarming. This report, and the threats to places like the Mississippi River Delta, should serve as a call to action to renew our focus on conservation and restoration efforts hand in hand with states, tribes and other partners. … “
Continue reading this press release from the Department of the Interior by clicking here.
EPA boosts water policing as farmers say worst fears realized
Posted by: Maven on September 28, 2011 at 8:46 amFrom Bloomberg News:
“Fifth-generation farmer Kenny Watkins ran afoul of the U.S. clean-water police in 2009. His infraction: Planting hay in a pasture.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ordered Watkins to stop cultivating a 160-acre (65-hectare) tract in central California because he might destroy seasonal ponds and harm the San Joaquin River. Watkins has defied the decision and the federal government's control over what he can grow on his farm.
His battle is cited by agriculture groups as they try to fend off a proposal by the Corps and the Environmental Protection Agency to enlarge the U.S. role in guarding waterways against contamination. The two agencies are reviewing a plan that would require permits under the Clean Water Act for work on wetlands or small channels that are usually dry. They say they're clarifying authority they already have and critics say it's a power grab. … “
Continue reading from Bloomberg News by clicking here.
Commentary: Clean water or bust: What can we afford to do?
Posted by: Maven on September 15, 2011 at 8:26 amFrom Capitol Weekly, this commentary by Robert Ketley:
“No reasonable person argues the need for clean creeks, rivers and beaches in California. However, if we are to meet our fiduciary responsibility in effectively managing the limited resources entrusted to us by the public, we must ask ourselves this question. What level of implementation can local government afford for clean water programs
The State Water Resources Control Board is reissuing the Phase II stormwater permit. This revised permit will apply to over 200 towns, cities and counties across California. Precedent setting changes are under consideration. … “
Continue reading from Capitol Weekly by clicking here.
Army Corps on YouTube: Why do we need wetlands?
Posted by: Maven on September 10, 2011 at 8:12 amFrom the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, posted at YouTube:
“U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District project manager James Robb uses a watershed model Sep. 3, 2011, to show how wetlands filter water pollutants during a public outreach event in Loomis, Calif.”
Dan Bacher: Obama administration bans public from toxic selenium monitoring meetings
Posted by: Maven on September 8, 2011 at 8:36 amFrom Dan Bacher at AlterNet:
“In the latest federal attack on democratic process and transparency in California, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation barred downstream representatives from meetings of a group tasked with monitoring toxin selenium discharges from western San Joaquin Valley agricultural wastewater into the San Joaquin River, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and San Francisco Bay.
Bill Jennings, executive director/chairman of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA), said the move came on the heels of a new U.S. Geological Survey study indicating that toxic selenium discharges into the San Joaquin River need to be up to 50 times smaller than the current water quality objectives. New federal documents also indicate toxic selenium pollution already exceeds legally safe water quality objectives in water below the federal export pumps in the Delta Mendota Pool. … “
Continue reading from Dan Bacher at AlterNet by clicking here.
C-WIN: Selenium pollution risks to drinking water and wildlife documented in federal reports
Posted by: Maven on September 6, 2011 at 8:17 amFrom the California Water Impact Network, this press release:
“New federal reports document that selenium pollution is getting worse and existing water-quality standards for selenium will not protect fish and wildlife. These scientific findings contradict assurances by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, irrigators, and regulators that the selenium problems of the Western San Joaquin Valley and the Bay-Delta are being addressed.
“Even though the poisoned ponds of Kesterson were buried in the 1980's, selenium continues to pollute the waters and wildlife refuges of the San Joaquin Valley and the Delta,\” said Carolee Krieger, Executive Director and President of the California Water Impact Network (C-WIN, online at http://www.c-win.org).
U.S. EPA, on September 1, 2011, announced that they will propose new site-specific water-quality criteria for selenium that will protect fish and wildlife in the San Francisco Bay and Delta. The new criteria will be based on results of scientific studies by the U.S. Geological Survey [http://www.epa.gov/region9/water/ctr/] C-WIN's analysis of the reports shows that the science provides the basis for a change in the water-quality standard for selenium from 5 ppb to less than 1 ppb, and for some species and hydrologic conditions, less than 0.1 ppb, which is 50 times less than the current 5 ppb. [http://www.c-win.org/webfm_send/188]. This change is needed to protect economic resources of the Delta Estuary and Bay including salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and diving birds.
“These scientific documents raise questions about the wisdom of letting the Grassland Drainers continue to use the San Joaquin River as a de-facto drain and whether the existing Central Valley water quality selenium standard of 2 ppb for wildlife refuges is adequate,\”stated Tom Stokely, a water policy analyst with C-WIN. … “
Continue reading from the California Water Impact Network by clicking here.
Antioch facility guilty of violating Clean Water Act
Posted by: Maven on September 2, 2011 at 6:16 amFrom the Silicon Valley Mercury News:
“A Delaware construction company was ordered by a federal judge to pay $5 million after admitting an Antioch facility it owns dumped pollutants into the San Joaquin River, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.
Kie-Con Inc. pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Clean Water Act from January 2004 to April 2007. Judge Nathanael ï » ¿M. Cousins also sentenced the corporation to following an environmental compliance plan, U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag said in a release. … “
Continue reading from the Silicon Valley Mercury News by clicking here.
Mokelumne River: Watershed program pays farmers to enhance environment
Posted by: Maven on September 2, 2011 at 6:12 amFrom the Western Farm Press:
“Sustainable Conservation, in partnership with Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Incentives, Protected Harvest and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, has been awarded a $372,000 Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop a pilot program to measure environmental benefits in California's Mokelumne River Watershed. The program will attract funding to pay farmers, ranchers and foresters to enhance nature's benefits, including water purification, erosion control and wildlife habitat.
“Typically farmers and ranchers are paid to grow crops and raise livestock,\” said Ashley Boren, Executive Director of Sustainable Conservation. “But many of these individuals who manage their land responsibly provide important services that benefit nature and human well-being. We need to create ways to pay farmers and ranchers for these services. … “
Continue reading from the Western Farm Press by clicking here.
Gov. Jerry Brown may restructure water boards, throwing ag rules into doubt
Posted by: Maven on September 1, 2011 at 8:50 amFrom the Silicon Valley Mercury News:
“Gov. Jerry Brown’s determination to shrink the size of government could spell the end for a board overseeing a nationally watched set of proposed agricultural water rules, according to a proposal being circulated by Brown’s office.
According to sources familiar with the plan, Brown recently proposed restructuring California’s nine regional water quality boards, including eliminating the Central Coast board weighing the controversial rules. While the plan hasn’t been formally announced, critics say Brown, with barely a week left in the 2011 legislative session, is proposing a radical change with potentially huge implications for local drinking water.
“It’s hard to do these big political changes in the last seven days of session. And we wonder why certain water boards were chosen for consolidation over others,” said Jim Metropulos, a Sierra Club lobbyist in Sacramento. … “
Continue reading from the Silicon Valley Mercury News by clicking here.
Lake Tahoe: Zephyr Cove Resort’s fuel leak didn’t hurt shoreline
Posted by: Susan Lauer on August 4, 2011 at 7:51 amFrom the Sacramento Bee
Results of soil and groundwater samples at Zephyr Cove Resort on Lake Tahoe’s east shore show that both have been contaminated by an underground fuel leak.
Earlier samples of the lakeside resort’s potable water supply showed it is free from contamination, U.S. Forest Service officials said.
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
Read from the Tahoe Daily Tribune by clicking here.
Study Launched To Look At Softener Effects On Septics
Posted by: Susan Lauer on August 1, 2011 at 7:54 amFrom Water Online
A new study conducted through Virginia Tech will examine the effects water softeners might have on septic tanks, the Water Quality Association announced recently.
The investigation is being funded by WQRF (Water Quality Research Foundation), which also announced it is seeking funding for the project and other projects. The study is expected to be completed in summer, 2012.
Continue reading from Water Online by clicking here.
Clean Water Act guidance should be withdrawn, ACWA says in comment letter
Posted by: Maven on July 23, 2011 at 7:51 amFrom ACWA’s Water News:
“Draft guidance for the Clean Water Act issued earlier this year represents a vast expansion of federal jurisdiction over water bodies and could put recycled water projects in jeopardy, ACWA said in comments submitted July 22 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Calling the draft guidance a “rule in disguise,\” ACWA called on EPA to withdraw the guidance and begin a formal rulemaking process. … “
Continue reading from ACWA’s Water News by clicking here.
Wednesday’s top of the scroll: C-WIN & CSPA challenge approval of agricultural waiver
Posted by: Maven on July 13, 2011 at 8:29 amFrom the Central Valley Business Times:
“Approval of an extension of the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program waiver and its environmental impact report by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board is being challenged by the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and the California Water Impact Network.
The waiver exempts irrigated agriculture from having to obtain waste discharge requirements for pollutant discharges to surface and ground waters. The Regional Board extended the waiver for two years at its June meeting.
The appeal alleges that the board violated numerous laws and regulations, including the California Environmental Quality Act, the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act and California's Non-point Source Control and Antidegradation policies. … “
Continue reading from the Central Valley Business Times by clicking here.
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Aquafornia's Mission
Aquafornia's mission is to educate readers about the complex and often controversial issues surrounding water in California.
Aquafornia is affiliated with the Water Education Foundation, an impartial, nonprofit organization, whose mission is to create a better understanding of water resources and foster public understanding and resolution of water resource issues through facilitation, education and outreach.
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