Rules, money blocking dam projects, officials say
Posted by: Maven on February 9, 2012 at 7:56 amFrom the Stockton Record:
“Congressman Tom McClintock, R-Granite Bay, is calling for relaxation of “1970s-era” environmental laws that he says are blocking construction of much-needed dams in California and throughout the western United States.
McClintock represents the 4th Congressional District that was redrawn last year to include Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties. He noted that most major dams in the region and in the Western U.S. were built more than 50 years ago.
He is also chairman of the House Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power that held an oversight hearing Tuesday in Washington at which representatives of western farmers and some water agencies said they agree that easing environmental rules could get dams built. … “
Continue reading from the Stockton Record by clicking here.
Tuesday’s top of the scroll: Report backs $1 billion plan to raise dam; Some relocation is necessary, but agriculture, wildlife benefit
Posted by: Maven on February 7, 2012 at 9:14 am
From the Record Searchlight:
‘A draft report released Monday by federal officials says a $1.07 billion plan to raise Shasta Dam by 18½ feet is feasible and economically justifiable.
Raising the dam would increase the lake’s storage about 14 percent, benefitting agricultural and municipal water users in the state, according to the Shasta Lake Water Resources Investigation draft feasibility report.
Raising the dam also would benefit salmon and steelhead trout that migrate up the Sacramento River by providing a more reliable supply of cold water for spawning, the feasibility report says.
But some roads, buildings and businesses around the lake would be inundated by the higher lake level, said Pete Lucero, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the agency that prepared the report. … “
Continue reading from the Record Searchlight by clicking here.
Here is the press release from the Bureau of Reclamation:
“The Bureau of Reclamation today released a Draft Feasibility Report and Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Shasta Lake Water Resources Investigation (Shasta Investigation), examining the potential to enlarge Shasta Dam and Reservoir to achieve multiple water resources purposes. The Shasta Investigation is one of five surface water storage studies included in the 2000 CALFED Bay-Delta Programmatic Record of Decision and is a continuing feasibility study under the authority of Public Law 96-375.
Shasta Dam, on the upper Sacramento River about 9 miles northwest of Redding, Calif., is 602 feet high with a current reservoir capacity of 4.55 million acre-feet. Reclamation completed construction of the dam and reservoir in 1944 for flood control, irrigation water supply, municipal and industrial water supply, hydropower generation, fish and wildlife conservation and navigation purposes. … “
Continue reading from the Bureau of Reclamation by clicking here.
Natural Resources Committee: Water storage vital to rural communities, job creation, economic growth
Posted by: Maven on February 7, 2012 at 8:16 amFrom the House Natural Resources Committee, this press release:
“The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power held an oversight hearing today on “Water for Our Future and Job Creation: Examining Regulatory and Bureaucratic Barriers to New Surface Storage Infrastructure.”; The hearing highlighted the regulatory burdens that hinder vital water storage improvement projects that help create jobs, increase agriculture production, generate hydropower and grow the economy and common sense ways to overcome those hurdles.
Cumbersome environmental regulations have delayed critical water storage projects for years while urban growth, environmental litigation and age strain current water storage infrastructure.; Rural communities, ranches and family farms across the country are dependent on a dependable water supply, which is directly linked to storage capacity. Current and new dams and reservoirs provides affordable emission-free electricity to millions of Americans, supports the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands hard-working families and protects America’s food security.
The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) has built more than 600 dams over the last century, however over 66% of their facilities were constructed over 50 years ago. A recent BOR study found nearly one hundred potential sites for new surface storage sites, yet due to environmental regulations and other factors it has been over a generation since BOR built multiple large scale water storage facilities. … “
Continue reading from the Natural Resources Committee by clicking here.
Commentary: Water shortage —- here we go again, maybe
Posted by: Maven on January 24, 2012 at 8:16 amFrom the North County Times, this commentary by Gary Arant, General Manager of the Valley Center Municipal Water District:
“We are starting to see the articles: “Record Dry December,” “Water Officials Worried About Dry Year,” “Ski Resorts Hope for Snowy January,” etc.
Even though last year was plentiful and record setting in terms of snow pack, rainfall and filling previously parched reservoirs, water officials are now, “cautious,” “concerned,” and “wary” about what 2012 might bring.
Like so many scenarios in the “Jekyll and Hyde” world of California water supply, this news likely has the public scratching its collective head. People must think: “Weren’t you the same guys who just had us taking out lawns, catching rain water and taking short showers because there was a drastic shortage, then you told us that the shortage is over and things are back to normal?”
Now the public is hearing the soft but audible drum beat that things might not be going so well again with our state’s water supply. … “
Continue reading this commentary at the North County Times by clicking here.
Doug Craig’s blog: The dam truth: build more
Posted by: Maven on January 24, 2012 at 8:04 amFrom Doug Craig’s blog at the Record Searchlight:
“”Climate change is real. Global warming is real. We need to manage the reality of a changed climate. We need to adapt to changes in the pipeline.”
Lester Snow, director of the California Department of Water ResourcesToday’s Record Searchlight editorial tackles an issue that has been bouncing around for awhile, why hydroelectric power isn’t considered “renewable.”
Of course, it is renewable. In fact, according to Wikipedia, “It is the most widely used form of renewable energy, accounting for 16 percent of global electricity consumption.”
“The production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water,” is squeaky clean. No fossil fuels are burned in the production of hydro power. … “
Continue reading from Doug Criag’s blog at the Record Searchlight 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.
San Diego: Dam cams show dam construction work
Posted by: Maven on January 7, 2012 at 8:15 amFrom Government Technology:
“Watching the construction of San Diego’s San Vicente dam raise in its entirety would take roughly four years. But with the help of webcams, viewers can literally watch the dam grow in a matter of minutes through a time-lapse video of still shots.
The San Vicente dam — a main source of water for the San Diego region — is currently under construction to be raised an additional 117 feet high. There’s online access to a compilation of photos showing the time lapse of the progress of the dam raise, according the San Diego County Water Authority. … “
Continue reading from Government Technology by clicking here.
Star-News Editorial: California dream: another Yosemite
Posted by: Maven on January 5, 2012 at 8:37 amFrom the Pasadena Star-News, this editorial:
“A second Yosemite for California?
What Golden Stater wouldn’t like another spectacular Sierra Nevada valley to show off to the world – and to hike and camp in?
Many Californians know that there was indeed such a place, Hetch Hetchy, and that the founder of the Sierra Club himself, the immortal John Muir, fought until his dying day to keep it from being dammed up as a reservoir.
That means no one alive but perhaps for a scuba diver has ever seen it, deep beneath the surface of the reservoir that provides some 7 percent of California’s drinking water, mostly for San Francisco and other Bay Area cities. … “
Continue reading this editorial from the Pasadena Star-News by clicking here.
Tom Philp: 2011: For water, a replenishing year
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 7:24 amFrom Tom Philp at the City Brights blog:
“In water, many statistics dwell on averages– average rainfall, average outflow to the ocean, average diversions/deliveries. In most years, however, there is little that is “average” about California water. True to form, 2011 will go down as go down as yet another perfectly abnormal California year. But the year did illustrate a key to the state surviving Nature’s boom-bust cycles of deluges and droughts. That key is to capture water in the wet years–even if short-term customer demands are down–and to store the supply (somewhere) for the inevitable dry cycles.
For Southern California, by my math, the region managed to replenish its storage system (various above-ground reservoirs and groundwater basins) at the rate of roughly 13,000 gallons every second in 2011. … “
Continue reading from Tom Philp at the City Brights blog by clicking here.
Draft DWR Report: Description and Screening of Potential Tools and Methods to Quantify Public Benefits of Water Storage Projects
Posted by: Maven on December 11, 2011 at 7:35 amAs I was poking around the internet this morning, updating the calendar, I came across this draft report at the California Water Commission website. It is loaded up under meeting materials for the January meeting, but no agenda for the meeting has been posted as of yet.
So if you’d like to take a look, here is the Department of Water Resources draft report, “Description and Screening of Potential Tools and Methods to Quantify Public Benefits of Water Storage Projects.”
Tahoe/Truckee water levels hit sweet spot ahead of winter
Posted by: Maven on November 26, 2011 at 5:55 amFrom the Sierra Sun:
“Following a near-record-breaking winter, water supplies in Northern California and Nevada have struck a balance between not enough and too much, according to regional water managers.
“We’re looking pretty good for both supply and having some room going into winter,” said Chad Blanchard, chief deputy water master for the U.S. District Court Water Mas ter.
Lake Tahoe has come down 1.28 feet since it peaked Aug. 4. About four-fifths of the drop has come from evaporation, which has been bolstered by high winds this fall, Blanchard said. … “
Continue reading from the Sierra Sun by clicking here.
Commentary: How ruling affects New Melones
Posted by: Maven on November 25, 2011 at 7:19 amFrom the Modesto Bee, this commentary by Jeff Shieldsm general manager of the South San Joaquin Irrigation District, and Steve Knell, general manager of the Oakdale Irrigation District:
“In a Sept. 2 ruling, U.S. District Federal Judge Oliver Wanger found against the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s request to locate what is known as X2, a measure point of salinity in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, 74 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge.
The goal was to have more delta water flow to the Pacific Ocean, supposedly beneficial to the fish. The government filed a motion to stay the ruling.
Sept. 16, Wanger refused to grant the stay and blasted the federal government and several of its witness. In part, this is what the judge had to say: “The government’s witnesses’ declarations were not credible” and “the government had acted in bad faith.” The judge went even as far to call one federal expert’s testimony “that of a zealot.”
These are telling and truly monumental statements by a federal judge. … “
Continue reading this commentary by clicking here.
Thanksgiving Day top of the scroll: Feds face water trial in Stockton East district
Posted by: Maven on November 24, 2011 at 7:57 amYes, Aquafornia is here every day – even the holidays, posting all the latest water news for you, starting with this from the Fresno Bee:
“The federal government could be on the hook for millions of dollars in a Sacramento trial next year, nearly two decades after aggrieved San Joaquin Valley water districts first took the government to court.
Water, remember, can clog up justice.
In the latest example of a slow-motion, high-stakes California water dispute, Stockton East Water District officials are now preparing for a June 2012 trial that will determine what the federal government owes for failing to deliver enough water from New Melones Reservoir. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
San Diego County Water Authority now placing concrete to raise main San Vicente Dam; Tallest dam raise in United States will more than double reservoir’s capacity
Posted by: Maven on November 23, 2011 at 6:00 amFrom the San Diego County Water Authority:
“Major construction on the San Diego County Water Authority’s San Vicente Dam Raise project has reached its biggest phase. Concrete placement to raise the main dam at the San Vicente Reservoir by 117 feet is now under way.
Upon completion, the raised dam will create room for an additional 52,100 acre-feet of water for potential emergency use, and an additional 100,000 acre-feet of capacity to store water during wet years, for use in subsequent dry years. (An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons, or enough to supply two average single-family households of four people for a year.)
“We’ve entered the phase of construction where the new, bigger dam will really take shape,” said Water Authority Board Chair Michael T. Hogan. “This vital regional water infrastructure project will help enhance the reliability of San Diego County’s water supply for generations to come.” … “
Continue reading from the San Diego County Water Authority by clicking here.
State projects ample water supply
Posted by: Maven on November 22, 2011 at 7:32 amFrom KFSN:
“The State Department of Water Resources provides water for 25 million Californians, and irrigates about one million acres of farmland.
The agency is projecting everybody will get at least 60 per cent of the maximum possible supply right now. Sarge Green, of the Center for Irrigation Technology at Fresno State say’s it’s a good sign.
“60 per cent is a little more than half, but it’s at the beginning of the year before we’ve had any of our major precipitation so that means there is water in the bank already,” Green said. … “
Continue reading from KFSN by clicking here.
Tom Steinstra’s Outdoors: Lakes in unbelievable shape
Posted by: Maven on November 21, 2011 at 7:30 amFrom Tom Steinstra’s Outdoors column at the San Francisco Chronicle:
“It seems just yesterday when the giant San Luis Reservoir along Highway 152 was so empty on the Thanksgiving holiday week that it looked like a giant dust bowl. Shasta Lake was 27 percent full, Lake Oroville less than 25 percent and giant Folsom and Camanche looked something like puddles.
This year, heading into winter, the lakes are in amazing shape, as high as I can remember them for Thanksgiving week, when they often reach their lowest levels of the year. It bodes great things for California’s water supply, as well as next year’s lake- and river-based recreation for camping, fishing, boating and all water sports.
San Luis, which gets Delta water via the California Aqueduct, is 87 percent full. Down in L.A., Pyramid Lake is 99 percent full and Castaic is 88 percent full. That will give water managers more flexibility to operate the Delta Pumps and hopefully minimize fish kills during migrations and spawns. … “
Continue reading from the Outdoors column at the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.
Aging dams threatened by climate change
Posted by: Maven on November 18, 2011 at 7:53 amFrom the Downey Patriot:
“Record heavy rains in the Pacific Northwest last winter unleashed floods and landslides and overtopped some of the region’s giant concrete dams. Heavy winter snows in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains and in the central Rockies left Western officials fearing warm spring weather, rapid snowmelt, and more floods.
Such worries are increasing across the West as climate change creates greater fluctuations in watershed flows that infrastructure was not built to withstand.
Add the fact that dams and levees are aging and ill-maintained because federal and state budget cupboards are bare, and wherever you look, there’s the possibility for a perfect storm of flooding and costly infrastructure failure. … “
Continue reading from the Downey Patriot by clicking here.
Army Corps updates Success Dam status
Posted by: Maven on November 15, 2011 at 7:42 amFrom the Porterville Recorder, this update by Col. William J. Leady, district engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:
“During the past few months, we’ve had two big developments with our project to fix Success Dam. So I’d like to explain the status of the project, and what its future looks like to us now.
As we look forward, it’s important to keep in mind that over its 50 year life so far, Success Dam has provided considerable value – preventing flooding during many wet years and providing essential water storage.
Last month, we bought the first of the three properties closest to the dam. We expect to begin the appraisal process for the Lakeside Trailer Park in the coming weeks. Purchasing those properties is an important step in reducing the risk at Success, and we are glad to be delivering on it for those who have waited to move for so long. … “
Continue reading from the Porterville Recorder by clicking here.
Dams — What goes up must come down, and then what? Scientist monitors how ecosystem regroups after dam removal
Posted by: Maven on November 9, 2011 at 7:35 amFrom YubaNet.com:
“Time can take its toll on a dam. As dams age, they are more costly to repair and the risk of a catastrophic dam break increases — putting property and lives at risk. But, removing them can mean big changes to the community, and the environment.
“A lot of communities now are trying to wrestle with the decision of whether or not to support dam removal. And part of that uncertainty is our lack of scientific knowledge of what’s going to happen when you take a dam out,” says Dartmouth College geographer Frank Magilligan.
With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Magilligan studies river systems to learn how dam removal might affect them. His “lab” has been the relatively small Homestead Dam along the Ashuelot River in Swanzey, N. H., 60 miles south of his campus office. The Homestead Dam was built more than 200 years ago along the Ashuelot. It’s long outlived its purpose, once serving as a power source for a local mill that is long gone. … “
Continue reading from YubaNet.com by clicking here.
USACE on YouTube: Success Dam Nov. 2011 update
Posted by: Maven on November 5, 2011 at 6:58 amFrom the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, posted at YouTube:
“Success Dam is more than 50 years old and in need of major repairs. The Corps has been authorized to purchase at-risk property below Success Dam while a plan to fix the dam is being prepared. For more info: http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/projects/civil/successdam/”
California Water Blog: The UnDammed
Posted by: Maven on November 3, 2011 at 8:22 amFrom Jeff Mount at the California Water Blog:
“I had the great pleasure of being up in the Olympic Peninsula for the Elwha Dam removal ceremonies a few weeks ago. With the Native American tribes singing songs to welcome the salmon back, and innumerable dignitaries pontificating and bloviating, it was a great celebration that culminated when an excavator punched the first hole in the Elwha Dam.
But what, if anything, can we here in California learn from this effort in Washington?
As background, the Elwha River flows from the Olympic National Park into the Straits of Juan de Fuca, just west of Port Angeles. In 1913 the Elwha Dam was completed. In 1927 the Glines Canyon Dam was constructed upstream. These two dams were built to provide electricity used in a paper mill in nearby Port Angeles. … “
Continue reading from the California Water Blog by clicking here.
State’s water storage examined at Water Commission workshop
Posted by: Maven on October 27, 2011 at 8:59 amFrom ACWA’s Water News:
“The future of water storage in California and the potential impacts of specific storage projects were discussed during a California Water Commission workshop held Oct. 25 in Sacramento.
The second of two Commission workshops on the topic, the day-long session featured 26 speakers, including ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn, state and federal officials, water agency managers, engineers and environmentalists. … “
Continue reading from ACWA’s Water News by clicking here.
Water wars don’t have to happen, says the Chico Enterprise-Record: “Greater storage capacity is also essential … “
Posted by: Maven on October 10, 2011 at 7:53 amFrom the Chico Enterprise-Record, this editorial:
“[Chico E-R] view: The abundance of water this year has eased the squabbling over it. There’s a lesson in it that we ought to learn.
We’ve heard fewer arguments that environmental protection regulations are depleting water supplies needed by agricultural and urban users. There hasn’t been much chatter that farmers are wasting too much water that should go to cities. Because this year there’s plenty for everyone.
A record 6.5 million acre-feet has been pumped from the Delta this year, mostly to Central Valley farms and Southern California. That is enough to serve the state’s entire population for a year and a half.
Much of the water went to refill water banks and reservoirs, which were depleted during the dry years from 2007 through 2009. … “
Continue reading this editorial from the Chico Enterprise-Record by clicking here.
Congressman Jeff Denham commentary: Addressing water storage and conveyance problems in the Valley
Posted by: Maven on October 6, 2011 at 8:49 am
Received via email, this commentary by Congressman Jeff Denham:
“While immediate concerns about our budget, health care and the country’s economic crisis dominate the news coverage, we cannot overlook how important a reliable water supply is in creating jobs in California. There is a direct correlation between water and jobs here in the Valley, and with consistent double-digit unemployment rates, we need to find solutions to the storage, conveyance, and regulatory problems exacerbating our state’s man-made water crisis.
Since taking office, I have introduced bills and amendments to ensure that California’s water supply will be used to its maximum potential. Yesterday my bill, H.R. 2578, which will allow the Merced Irrigation District (M.I.D.) to propose a ten-foot modification to their spillway gates at the New Exchequer Dam, passed through the House Committee on Natural Resources. The next step for the bill is the House Floor. If passed, my bill will begin to solve the regulatory problems that arise during water shortages.
Currently, M.I.D. is discussing a proposal to raise the spillway gates at the New Exchequer Dam by ten feet. This proposal would create an added capacity to store an extra 70,000 acre-feet of water during three summer months of a wet year, like this past one. This past year, the area that would be used to store this additional water was naturally inundated by the high flows with no adverse impacts to wildlife or the local Mariposa economy, but because we weren’t able to effectively store the water, we could not utilize this resource to create renewable energy and many Valley jobs. For the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to be able to consider the project proposed by M.I.D., Congress will first have to pass my bi-partisan bill, H.R. 2578.
Contra Costa Times editorial: California must boost water storage
Posted by: Maven on October 6, 2011 at 8:34 amFrom the Contra Costa Times, this editorial:
“There’s nothing like a couple of wet years to dampen arguments that environmental protection regulations are depleting water supplies needed by agricultural and urban users.
A record 6.5 million acre-feet has been pumped from the Delta this year, mostly to Central Valley farms and Southern California. That is enough to serve the state’s entire population for a year and a half.
Much of the water went to refill water banks and reservoirs, which were depleted during the dry years from 2007 through 2009.
It was the three-year drought, not environmental rules, that resulted in water pumping reductions to the dismay of farmers, who blamed what they believed were overly strict pumping regulations to protect fish and wildlife. … “
Continue reading this editorial from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
Lessons learned from the earthquake performance of concrete dams
Posted by: Maven on September 27, 2011 at 9:03 amFrom International Water Power & Dam Construction:
“In an update to a 1979 paper on the response of concrete dams to earthquakes, Kenneth D Hansen and Larry K Nuss present details on the earthquake performance of six dams, and discuss their significance for the dam engineering profession
An important paper was published in the April 1979 issue of International Water Power and Dam Construction entitled Response of Concrete Dams to Earthquakes. Authored by Kenneth D Hansen and Louis H. Roehm, the paper reported on the performance of 17 concrete dams in nine countries that had been subjected to ground shaking in excess of 0.10 g. Specific case histories were presented for the following six dams that were shaken severely up to that time and the performance noted … “
Continue reading from International Water Power & Dam Construction by clicking here.
Water storage workshop looks at state’s options
Posted by: Maven on September 21, 2011 at 7:40 amFrom the California Farm Bureau Federation’s Ag Alert:
“Opportunities remain to capture more water for use by California’s cities, environment and farms, but speakers at a water-storage workshop in Sacramento last week said the state must rethink its water system to support reliable future supplies.
“We have to change our way of thinking,” said Timothy Quinn, Association of California Water Agencies executive director, during opening remarks at the first of two workshops on water storage sponsored by the California Water Commission.
The California Legislative Analyst’s Office projects that there’s currently enough water supply to meet demands in “average” water years. But in dry years, demand exceeds supply, and Quinn pointed out that achieving the equal goals of creating a more reliable water supply for California and restoring the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem are both important and expensive.
Water storage is only one part of the solution, he said. … “
Continue reading from the California Farm Bureau Federation by clicking here.
Congressman Denham’s bill may cost Mariposa $25 million in the next decade
Posted by: Maven on September 16, 2011 at 8:52 amFrom the Sierra Sun Times, this commentary:
“Increasing numbers of groups and individuals in Mariposa and elsewhere in California oppose legislation proposed by Congressman Jeff Denham because it would, if passed, have serious adverse implications for Mariposa’s economy as well as remove protection of a portion of a Wild and Scenic River for the first time.
“The Congressman seems perfectly willing to sacrifice existing jobs and our beautiful river to enrich people who don’t even live here” said Barton Brown M.D., a 30-year resident of Mariposa County and a 22-year advocate of measures to manage and protect the Merced River for future generations.
Mr. Denham, who represents Mariposa and Tuolumne counties and portions of Madera and Stanislaus counties, introduced two bills (H.R. 869 and H.R. 2578) this year on behalf of Merced Irrigation District (MID), which, if approved, would raise the maximum legal water level in Lake McClure by up to 12 feet from 867 feet. … “
Continue reading from the Sierra Sun Times by clicking here.
Calaveras Dam replacement to begin amid retrofit
Posted by: Maven on September 16, 2011 at 8:10 am
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
“The days are numbered for the old tower and decorative arches at Calaveras Dam, which holds back the reservoir that is San Francisco’s largest local source of drinking water.
Workers for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission will begin shoveling dirt today as part of a $416 million project to replace the 210-foot-high earthen barrier that has collected water from Alameda Creek for 86 years. … “
Continue reading from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.
From the Oakland Tribune:
” … On Friday, earthmovers will begin the long work of removing 7 million cubic yards of gravel, rock and other material — enough to build the Great Pyramid of Giza twice, said Dan Wade, project manager for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
One-half of the excavated material will go back into the new dam, and the other half will be disposed in the area.
When the project is finished, the reservoir will be restored to its original size of nearly 100,000 acre-feet, making it again one of the Bay Area’s largest reservoirs. … “
Continue reading from the Oakland Tribune by clicking here.
Photo of Calaveras Dam intake structure by flickr photographer Christina B. Castro.
California Water Commission workshop speakers stress creativity in water storage approach
Posted by: Maven on September 15, 2011 at 8:45 amFrom ACWA’s Water News:
“Speaker after speaker at a California Water Commission workshop today in Sacramento reiterated for commissioners the importance of thinking creatively in solving the state’s water storage issues.
Today’s task for speakers was to provide commissioners with a historical perspective on water storage projects, an overview of past, present and future projects, and a look at what’s ahead with changing conditions and uncertainties in planning, developing and funding.
“We have to change our way of thinking,” said ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn in opening remarks that set the stage for the first of two workshops on “The Future of Water Storage in California.” … “
Continue reading from ACWA’s Water News by clicking here.
Tim Quinn: Water commission begins important dialog on storage
Posted by: Maven on September 15, 2011 at 8:42 amFrom Tim Quinn at ACWA’s Voices on Water blog:
“The California Water Commission convened a workshop today on one of the most important topics facing this generation of water managers: the future of water storage in California.
Students of history know that water storage and delivery systems built by previous generations of Californians fueled the rise of everything from the high-tech enclaves of Silicon Valley to the fertile farmland of the Central Valley to the vibrant cities and industries of Southern California.
These systems remain critical to our state, but we have to change the way we think about them today. As I told members of the commission in my presentation today, our storage needs are changing. How we respond to that change will affect our economy and our environment in the future. … “
Continue reading from ACWA’s Voices on Water blog by clicking here.
Jay Lund: Water storage in California
Posted by: Maven on September 14, 2011 at 8:42 am
From Jay Lund at the California Water Blog:
““With a larger reservoir, there is some increasing gain with further size, but in a diminishing ratio.” – Alan Hazen (1914)
Water storage capacity is an important tool in California’s water system for capturing lower-value water for higher-value uses later. Such storage aids water supply, flood protection, hydropower, and recreational uses and helps regulate downstream water quality and supply cold water flows for fish. California has about 42 million acre-feet(maf) of surface reservoir storage capacity and much more storage capacity in underground aquifers (150 million to 1.45 billion acre-feet, depending on how you count it).
Seasonal water storage: In normal years, about 8-14 million acre-ft of water is stored in the wet season and used in the dry season. This compares to roughly 34 maf/yr of average net agricultural and urban water use. Human water use is highest in California’s dry summer, so crops and landscapes must be watered from stored winter and spring flows. Roughly 5-8 maf is held in surface reservoirs and 3-6 maf is held in groundwater basins. … “
Continue reading from the California Water Blog by clicking here.
SCWC Blog: Storage – A critical part of water supplies
Posted by: Maven on September 8, 2011 at 8:35 amFrom Richard Atwater at the Southern California Water Committee’s blog:
“Serious concerns about the Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Plan are mounting quickly these days. Over the last few weeks, water leaders and stakeholders across the state have been lodging criticism about the fifth staff draft of the Delta Plan on a number of critical fronts. We’ll have some further thoughts on the latest plan draft in my next blog piece but I wanted to highlight today a recent letter submitted to the Delta Stewardship Council on State Water Project and Central Valley Project operations.
Just last week, the State Water Contractors and the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority submitted a joint letter to the Delta Stewardship Council taking issue with several inaccurate statements in the draft plan that, according to the letter, “add up to a false portrayal of these two water systems.” … “
Continue reading from the Southern California Water Committee blog by clicking here.
Water Commission Hearing to examine storage set for Sept. 14
Posted by: Maven on September 1, 2011 at 8:24 amFrom ACWA’s Water News:
“The California Water Commission will hold the first of two water storage workshops on Wednesday, Sept. 14, in Sacramento. Attendees are asked to RSVP by Sept. 9. … “
Continue reading from ACWA’s Water News by clicking here.
Green Roots blog: Metropolitan Water District report delivers interesting findings on future of California water
Posted by: Maven on August 24, 2011 at 8:11 amFrom the Planning & Conservation League’s Green Roots blog:
“A few months ago a prestigious Blue Ribbon Committee (BRC) delivered its report outlining challenges and opportunities for Metropolitan Water District (MWD) to the year 2060. MWD is the largest supplier of drinking water in theUS, supplying water to 14 cities and 12 municipal water districts that then provide water to 18 million Californians.
In this report, the BRC analyzed risks and opportunity costs of planning under current and plausible future trends in MWD service area for the next 50 years. Most interestingly, the BRC found, “In many plausible future scenarios, the share of imports in the region’s portfolio from the State Water Project [Delta water] and Colorado River Aqueduct is likely to decrease… Under these scenarios, locally developed supplies will need to increase from their current level and transfers from agricultural water users also pursued.” [emphasis added] … “
Continue reading from the Green Roots blog by clicking here.
Friday’s top of the scroll: State water board funds Sites Reservoir study
Posted by: Maven on August 19, 2011 at 8:45 amFrom the Colusa Sun Herald:
“For more than three decades, Colusa County’s valley residents have called for a foothills reservoir west of Maxwell. Those decades have included more than a half dozen flood years, and an even greater number of drought years for which proponents of the Sites Reservoir argued could have provided some relief.
But in an era when more dams have been torn down than built in the North State, the project has had little political or financial support.
Until now. … “
Continue reading from the Colusa Sun Herald by clicking here.
Utilities and climate scientists team up to prepare for bleak water future
Posted by: Maven on August 19, 2011 at 7:53 amFrom Solve Climate News:
“Ten of the nation’s largest water utilities have teamed up to connect climate scientists and water providers so utilities will have the information they need to prepare for the harmful effects of global warming.
Climate change will create a host of challenges that affect water supply, water quality, stormwater drainage and flood control. Utilities on the coast may need to prepare for rising sea levels. Utilities in the Southwest could face more intense droughts. … “
Continue reading from Solve Climate News by clicking here.
Big snowpack, cooler spring and summer ideal for water users
Posted by: Maven on August 18, 2011 at 8:49 amFrom the Modesto Bee:
“This year has brought the best that water managers could imagine — an abundant snowpack and a manageable melt.
Rivers mostly have stayed within their banks as they carried the runoff from the Sierra Nevada to farms and cities in the Central Valley and beyond.
“Things could have gone wrong, but they went pretty well,” Maury Roos, chief hydrologist for the California Department of Water Resources, said Wednesday.
The central Sierra snowpack was 163 percent of average as of April 1, the department reported. Officials warned at the time that a warm spring could speed up the melt and cause flooding. … “
Continue reading from the Modesto Bee by clicking here.
Yes, we have it pretty good this year in California, but Texas, not so good: Run out of water? Dry Texas town heading that way, 500 water systems statewide are under some mandatory drought restrictions, from MSNBC
California Water Resources Control Board to vote on funding Sites Reservoir study
Posted by: Maven on August 12, 2011 at 7:57 amFrom the Willows Journal:
“When Mary Wells’ great-great-grandfather founded a western foothill community that eventually became known as Sites, he probably never envisioned his homestead and those of his neighbors ever being underwater.
But a decision Tuesday by the California Water Resources Control Board could lead to an actual beginning of a reservoir that has been talked about for more than 30 years.
“We have to start sometime,” said Wells, who guided a group of 20 government agency representatives Wednesday on a agriculture tour of the Antelope Valley in western Colusa County. … “
Continue reading from the Willows Journal by clicking here.
Water level behind Oroville Dam dips, just a little
Posted by: Maven on August 12, 2011 at 6:40 amFrom the Chico Enterprise-Record:
“After months of being at or near the very top of the dam, Lake Oroville is beginning to drop, just a little.
At its fullest, the surface of Lake Oroville is 900 feet above sea level. For months, the lake level has sat at or just inches below that peak. … “
Continue reading from the Chico Enterprise-Record by clicking here.
RELATED: You can see the levels of all major reservoirs in California by clicking here.
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