The pros & cons of artificial turf

Posted by: Maven on July 29, 2007 at 7:22 am

From Health News Digest.com:

The use of artificial turf for residential lawns is a growing trend across America, notably in regions where water supplies have a tough time keeping up with demand. Advocates of artificial turf point out, for example, that a whopping 56,000 gallons of water are applied each year to the average residential lawn.

Statistics also show that the mowing, watering and fertilizing of natural grass contribute as much as two percent to U.S. overall fossil fuel consumption. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, lawn care activities also account for about 10 percent of hazardous air pollution coast-to-coast. And studies on Long Island in New York State have shown that up to 60 percent of the synthetic nitrogen applied to lawns there ends up contaminating local ground water supplies.

Is synthetic grass the answer? Click here to read the rest of the article.

Check out the Water Resources Center Archives website

Posted by: Maven on July 28, 2007 at 12:20 pm

Here’s a great resource for water issues on the Internet. It’s the Water Resources Center Archives at the University of California at Berkeley. They cover water issues throughout the west, and everyday they post links to newspaper articles regarding water issues from all over the state. They also cover significant water-related research articles, events, and publications.

Here’s an interesting link regarding the removal of Marmot Dam in Oregon. There’s a link to a page where you can play a video of the explosion or see time-lapse photography of the process. Check it out by clicking here.

To visit the main page of the Water Resources Center Archives page, click here.

Weekend Project: Is there algae growing in your gutter?

Posted by: Maven on July 27, 2007 at 9:58 am

Here is a picture of a gutter filled with algae which was taken around 3pm on a day when temperatures were hovering around 105 degrees. This street is located in Santa Clarita, but I’m sure this is not an isolated problem. I was easily able to find several other streets with the same problem, including my own.

There could be only two explanations for algae growing in the gutter in an arid climate such as ours: either some are watering their lawns too much and/or at the wrong times, or there is a leak.

The Pacific Institute’s report, “Waste Not, Want Not: The Potential for Urban Water Conservation in California”, estimated that up to 32.5% of outdoor water use could be achieved by utilizing efficient irrigating practices. Furthermore, the Pacific Institute estimated that up to 12% of water use is just from leaks. Continue reading “Weekend Project: Is there algae growing in your gutter?” »

“Cow Power” helps to provide water in the Inland Empire

Posted by: Maven on July 25, 2007 at 10:20 pm

One of the fastest growing areas in Southern California is the Inland Empire, and population growth is expected to continue at astronomical rates. Here’s a water district that has really done an excellent job at providing water and energy for it’s residents, using some truly innovative technologies.

The Inland Empire Utilities Agency has found a way to utilize cow poop to generate electricity. That electricity is then used to power a water recycling plant and a desalination plant, which serves the needs of 20,000 families. The local dairy manure is processed anaerobically, which protects groundwater resources, as well as reduces the amount of methane gas that is released into the atmosphere. In fact, the IEUA received the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (AQMD) award for “Excellence in Advancement of Air Pollution Technology”. Continue reading ““Cow Power” helps to provide water in the Inland Empire” »

California Farm Bureau: supports Schwarzenegger, says water plan will create needed jobs

Posted by: Maven on July 24, 2007 at 4:02 pm

The California Farm Bureau issued a press release in support of Schwarzenegger’s water plan today:

[Schwarzenegger quote:] “I want to make sure that when people in California turn on their faucet, there’s always water coming out,” the governor said. “I want to make sure that when the farmers need water for irrigation, that there is water available for that. I want to make sure that we have enough water for our thriving industry in California and that we have enough water to power our cities and our state.”

Schwarzenegger has asked the state Department of Water Resources to take immediate steps to improve the deteriorating conditions of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, through which water travels to provide for the needs of 25 million Californians and irrigate hundreds of thousands of acres of Central Valley farmland. “But it also is one of the most vulnerable areas in California,” Schwarzenegger said. “It faces dangers of contamination from natural disasters and from rising sea water.”

In commenting on the governor’s water plan, California Farm Bureau Federation President Doug Mosebar said he was encouraged by the focus on new water storage. “Adding to our state’s water supply will benefit all Californians,” Mosebar said. “As the governor rightly points out, the time for action has come. We will continue to work with his administration to create an action plan that enhances water supplies, maintains delta water quality, benefits the environment and improves water security for family farmers, ranchers and all Californians.”

Steve Patricio, a grower from Merced, board chairman for Western Growers, joined Schwarzenegger at the San Luis Reservoir and had this to say:

“Farmers today use less water than they used in the 1960s while producing higher yields of high value crops with tremendous nutritional value. The water saved by agriculture has helped fuel California’s population growth,” he said. “But the time has come to prepare for the needs of future generations.”

Also on hand, Bob Balgenoth, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council in California, who had this to say:

[The Building and Construction Trades Council] supports the governor’s water policy because it will bring needed jobs to the Central Valley, which has the highest unemployment rate in the state. “His water project will generate enough jobs to employ all those 70,000 people that are unemployed, plus bring in new men and women, young men and women, to become apprentices and begin a career in construction, a good-paying with health, pension and good wages,” he said.

To read the full text of the article from the California Farm Bureau, click here.

More on Schwarzenegger’s water plan from the Office of the Governor

Posted by: Maven on July 19, 2007 at 7:33 am

Here’s the press release from the Office of the Governor regarding Schwarzenegger’s $6 billion water plan:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today directed the Department of Water Resources to take immediate action steps to improve conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, to help restore its natural habitat and protect the Delta smelt and other species. The Governor also identified more than $120 million in specific Delta restoration projects to be part of his comprehensive water plan, which he is calling on the Legislature to pass by the end of this year. He made the announcements on Twitchell Island in the Delta.

“Today, I am calling for actions to help restore the Delta, the largest estuary on the West Coast and home to hundreds of native plant and animal species. The Delta is also one of the most vulnerable areas of our state. It faces dangers of contamination from a natural disaster or rising sea levels. And, we saw an example of its vulnerability when we had to shut off the pumps for nine days to protect the threatened Delta smelt,” said Governor Schwarzenegger.

“The Delta is one of California’s most important resources — 25 million Californians rely on it for clean water. It also irrigates hundreds of thousands of acres of Central Valley farmland and is the heart of our $32 billion agricultural industry.”

This press release has a video clip of the Governor’s speech, as well as details on Schwarzenegger’s immediate directives for the Delta:

Today, the Governor issued immediate directives to protect the Delta. Using existing resources, the Department of Water Resources will implement these actions:

* Prevent the spread of invasive species. Invasive species like the quagga mussel compete with native species like the smelt.
* Improve research on the Delta Smelt. State and federal agencies will upgrade and continue operation of a smelt culture laboratory.
* Screen Delta agricultural intakes to protect smelt. The state will install fish screens to protect the smelt when water is diverted from the Delta to irrigate state-owned lands on Sherman and Twitchell Islands.
* Restore the North Delta’s natural habitat. The state will restore tidal wetlands and aquatic habitats at Cache Slough to provide spawning areas and promote the production of organisms that the smelt and other native fish eat. Dutch Slough is also a candidate for longer-term restoration.
* Improve Central Delta water flow patterns. The state will study and, if feasible, modify water circulation in the Central Delta near Frank’s Tract to protect fish and improve water quality.
* Improve our ability to respond to Delta emergencies. The state will enhance Delta emergency response and levee failure plans and stockpile materials to repair damaged levees.

The press release also includes a wish-list of other projects to be negotiated after the budget is passed, which includes additional wetlands and habitat restoration, conservation programs, emergency preparedness and carbon sequestration projects, among others.

The press release notes: The actions are not intended to replace recommendations from ongoing Delta planning efforts. Instead, they are to make incremental improvements until long-term plans are in place. They will be compatible with any long-term Delta plan and will not preclude future restoration options.

The Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force will present its findings and recommendations by the beginning of 2008, and its Strategic Plan by October 31, 2008. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan is also being developed by water agencies, environmental organizations, and local representatives; the Governor’s plan includes $1 billion for implementing their recommendations.

To read the full text of the Governor’s press release, click here.

What is the “eco crescent”?

Posted by: Maven on July 18, 2007 at 2:38 pm

For the curious souls who read the Aquafornia article and/or listened to the radio show, Which Way LA, here’s some more information, or should I say the only information I could find on the internet regarding the “eco-crescent” idea for the Delta, mentioned by Barry Nelson during the interview.

This excerpt was taken from the written testimony of James A. Crettol, a farmer from Wasco, California, and member of the Board of the Semitropic Water Storage District, at the congressional hearing in Vallejo on July 2:

Regarding interim actions needed in the Delta:
The State must develop a long-term solution to the conflict between water supply and the Delta ecosystem. But it is likely that such a solution will require ten or more years to implement. In the interim, the State must develop a strategy for maintaining California’s water supply while helping to recover the Delta smelt. A variety of options are possible but developing these actions must start now.

One of these ideas being discussed is the construction of a small siphon under Old River at Clifton Court Forebay that would connect the Forebay to Middle River. When paired with rock barriers at strategic locations in the Delta, the siphon allows the State and federal pumps to draw water from the Sacramento River more efficiently without drawing in smelt located at the western edge of the Delta. … It is estimated that this idea, sometimes referred to as the eco-crescent, could be designed and constructed in a relatively short period of time, perhaps as quickly as two years, at a relatively modest cost estimated to be between $20 million to $40 million. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done to analyze this idea, but that work must begin now and must be a priority for all of the State and federal agencies that would be involved.

To read the full text of Crettol’s remarks, as well as others who testified, click here.

“Which Way LA” radio show discusses water issues

Posted by: Maven on July 18, 2007 at 8:57 am

KCRW’s “Which Way LA” radio broadcast last night featured State Department of Water Resources Director Lester Snow, Democratic State Senator Don Perata, and Natural Resources Defense Council Co-Director Barry Nelson talking about the new proposals for water projects.

You can listen to the radio program by following this link: Is California Ready for more Water Wars? radio program. The program lasts about 15 minutes, and is the first segment on KCRW’s radio show, Which Way LA.

The first part of the show is a moderated discussion between Lester Snow and Don Perata, discussing both the Governor’s proposal and Don Perata’s proposal. Perata noted that there is much overlap between the two proposals, and a bi-partisan agreement by the end of the year is likely.

Snow cited drought concerns and global warming as climate changes occur, and pointed out that we are dealing with ‘decades of deferred investment’ in the water system. If we do not make changes to the system, there will be increasing conflict with the ecosystem, endangered species, and we will have a less reliable water supply.

Perata agreed with the problems but feels that a more regional approach is needed. Although only one of several long neglected problems, of the water issue, he said: “This one is very serious. [if there is] no water, nothing else matters. That’s the beginning and the end of the conversation.” He said it is time to take action quickly, push to conclusions and get some action.

Barry Nelson was interviewed next. Nelson started by outlining the existing problems in the Delta. The levees are old and crumbling, and if they collapse, it would be not only an environmental disaster, but a human disaster as well, plus it would affect water deliveries to the Central Valley and Southern California.

He talked about the history of the peripheral canal debate, and noted that those who were strongly opposed in 1982 have not really changed their positions much. He stated that, although it’s tempting to bring up old issues, we “need to look for new ideas and not just refight old battles”. He mentioned a brand new idea for the Delta called the “Eco-Crescent”, which could potentially have ecological and conveyance benefits.

Nelson said the biggest new source of water for the future lies in conservation, water recycling, and groundwater clean up. Nelson said the agricultural users want the new dams; the urban water agencies aren’t that interested in them because they are not designed to deliver water to urban users.

I’ve only highlighted some of the things that were said. It’s a good listen, so grab a cup a coffee and check it out!

UPDATE: Wondering what the “eco-crescent” is? Click here to find out.

The Blogosphere: Best blogs on the Salton Sea

Posted by: Maven on July 15, 2007 at 10:58 pm

Here’s a series of blogs about traveling through the Salton Sea area. These guys traveled through the Salton Sea about a week after I did, and saw pretty much the same things. Wockner got around to actually writing his blog; so I decided that, instead of writing my own, I would just link to his.

He’s got a lot of great pictures and commentary in a 5-part series: part 1 – Salton Sea, the west shore; part 2 – the east shore; part 3 – Salton Sea recreation area, part 4 – Mud Volcanoes; and part 5 – Salvation Mountain.

Cajun’s Salton Sea blogs: Slab City, Mud Volcanoes, Salvation Mountain, can hell be much worse?, and redemption.

These guys covered just about everything we saw, with the exception of a few things. We stopped at the Sonny Bono Bird Watching Refuge – a good stop to make if you are in the area. They have an air-conditioned visitors center there, plus a platform you can climb up to look for birds. We did see plenty of birds around – different types I had never seen before. I highly recommend stopping there as well if you choose to travel to the Salton Sea. Also recommended are the mud volcanoes and Salvation Mountain.

If you travel to see the mud volcanoes and Salvation Mountain, you will go through the town of Niland. This town is small, and doesn’t have many commercial enterprises. It was lunch time when we went through, and there were two restaurants in town, I think. We stopped at Ballesteros Restaurant – a Mexican restaurant – and the food was yummy and very reasonably priced. The staff took great care of us and even entertained our kids for us while Aqua Blog Maven & spouse could actually enjoy a peaceful meal. I highly recommend this place!

Another place we drove through was the community of Bombay Beach. My research determined that the pictures of the rotting trailers in the sea came from this area; if this is true, they have since been cleaned up. What is left of Bombay Beach is a small community of mobile homes, some taken care of, others, well, not. Looking for a piece of the California Dream? Look no further than this (be sure to click on the picture to see a larger view):

Check out the expanded Aquafornia Blogroll!

Posted by: Maven on July 12, 2007 at 8:21 am

Aqua Blog Maven has found many interesting new links, and put them up in the blogroll. Here’s what’s been added:

DeltaSmelt.com – a website dedicated just to the smelt!
High Country News – a great online/print magazine dedicated to news of the west.
Marine Conservation Blog – blog about ocean issues.
Nature Trumps: An LA River Blog – features pictures and stories regarding the LA River.
Peripheral Canal Website – news and information about the peripheral canal.
Restore the Delta – environmental website about the Delta.

More blogs on a variety of water-related issues:
Urban Watershed Perspectives
Water and Energy Blog
Water and Wastewater Blog
Water Conservation Blog
Water is Life
Water Research and News
Water Words That Work
WaterCrunch

Also, WaterWired & Trout Underground, added recently.

Check ‘em out!!

The Blogosphere: A Smorgasboard of Great Blogs

Posted by: Maven on July 11, 2007 at 8:26 am

Aqua Blog Maven has been out traveling the blogosphere, and has found some great websites for you to check out:

Here’s a website written by Micheal Campana, a hydrologist and self-confessed “water wonk”, who covers water issues: WaterWired Blog. There’s a lot of great reads over there on regional & world water issues like this one on bottled water.

I stumbled across Tom Chandler’s website the other day: Trout Underground. This is a great website, and hey, I don’t even fish! He covers much more than fishing, and it’s well written. He gets witty and entertaining reader comments, so be sure to read the whole page. Here’s his story on the Delta smelt. Also recommended: the Trout Underground wall paper – a beautiful picture of Mossbrae Waterfall – here’s the link: Trout Underground Wallpaper.

Maybe this blog has the solution to our water problems – this blogger tells us how to make water from air. Seriously. Check it out. This device is being developed in Australia, which is in the grip of an extreme drought. (You know its bad when your leaders are asking you to pray for rain, and are contemplating ‘moving’ an entire agricultural region to the north. Click here for more on Australia’s water shortage.)

Next time I travel the blogosphere, I will have some great blogs on the Salton Sea area!

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