Metropolitan Water District: ruling does not fix the Delta
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 31, 2007 at 10:36 pmMetropolitan Water District has a press release posted on Marketwatch repsonding to Judge Wanger’s decision. MWD stands to lose about 30% of its water supply as a result of this ruling. From the press release:
“California simply cannot lose important water supplies without real consequences throughout the state,” said Metropolitan General Manager Jeff Kightlinger.
“This historic court decision affirms what the water community has realized for some time, but the general public may not fully appreciate–the Delta, both as a valuable ecosystem and essential water supply, is broken. This court ruling did not fix it,” Kightlinger said.
The actual water available to MWD will be dependent on a number of factors – fish, weather, flow conditions in the Delta, and how the curtailments are divided between state and federal projects.
“Judge Wanger’s decision to cut back water supplies doesn’t address various other Delta problems and issues. Invasive species will continue to deplete food supplies for Delta smelt, pesticide runoff that can harm the estuary will persist, and the levee system will remain vulnerable to earthquakes and rising sea levels caused by climate change,” said Kightlinger.
“The Delta needs a comprehensive solution that addresses all of its problems. Part of that solution must include new ways to isolate the impacts of water diversions from the estuary,” Kightlinger said.
To read the full text of the press release from Marketwatch, click here.
Central Valley Business Times: Wanger’s ruling a ‘devastating blow’
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 31, 2007 at 9:55 pmFrom the Central Valley Business Times tonight:
A U.S. District court judge late Friday agreed with environmentalists’ claims that the tiny Delta smelt is endangered by current pumping levels of the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project, the vast water systems that serve about 25 million Californians.
If it survives expected appeals, the ruling would restrict water deliveries from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the Bay Area, the Central Valley and Southern California.
“Judge Oliver Wanger’s decision is a devastating blow to our water supply system and state economy,” says Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in a written statement Friday night. “This decision is also going to have a devastating impact on the state’s economy and the 25 million Californians who depend on Delta water.”
Water agencies maintain that the decline of the Delta smelt could be for a myriad of reasons, but apparently, Judge Wanger was unconvinced. The ruling will likely bolster Governor Schwarzenegger’s case for more water storage and conveyance projects:
Mr. Schwarzenegger says the latest opinion underscores the need to invest in more water storage projects:
“Following today’s ruling, there can be no doubt, we need more water storage and greater conservation efforts to meet the needs of our growing population, respond to the challenge climate change presents and meet the requirements of what the court has imposed,” the governor says.
To read the full text of the story from the Central Valley Business Times, click here.
AP Story on the today’s Wanger court ruling
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 31, 2007 at 9:42 pmFrom the Associated Press tonight:
A federal judge on Friday imposed limits on water flows caused by huge pumps sending water from the San Joaquin-Sacramento River delta to users around the state, saying the pumps were drawing in and destroying a threatened fish.
U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger said pressure from the pumps helped reverse the natural direction of water within the estuary, damaging habitat and killing delta smelt, a fish experts say might be on the brink of extinction.
“The evidence is uncontradicted that these project operations move the fish,” Wanger said after hearing objections from defendants, who had argued that other factors led to the fish’s decline. “It happens, and the law says something has to be done about it.”
Under the ruling, limits would be put in place from the end of December, when the fish are about to spawn, until June, when young fish can move into areas with better habitat and more food.
Wanger also prescribed other measures, such as increased monitoring of the fish’s presence in its adult and juvenile stages at several points in the delta.
State officials are still determining the effect of the ruling on pumping operations, which could mean anywhere from 6% to 33% less water for agricultural users and Southern Californians.
Tim Quinn, who heads the Association of California Water Agencies, said the ruling would have a serious impact in a state already coming off a dry winter and spring. Some districts have already ordered conservation measures and tapped into their water reserves, he said. “A sober assessment of this says it’s a very large deal,” Quinn said. “We are not only losing supply here; you are greatly compromising the tools we have developed to deal with water shortages.”
Environmental groups were generally happy with the decision, saying it is an improvement over current conditions.
To read the full text of the article from the Associated Press, click here.
More on the Wanger ruling ….
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 31, 2007 at 9:00 pmThe news is that Judge Wanger felt it was ‘uncontradicted’ that the water project operations are having a detrimental effect on the Delta smelt, stating that “the law says something has to be done about it.”
Pumping is to be restricted from December to June, which is the time when the smelt are spawning, and also when most of the snowmelt is coming down the mountains, and when most of the rain occurs. According to DWR’s analysis, this means a cutback of between 6% and 33%. The judge has also ordered more monitoring.
There will be much more on this to come, and I’ll keep posting it as I find it!
The ruling is in – Judge Wanger cuts exports cut up to 1/3rd
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 31, 2007 at 7:52 pmPress Release from the Association of California Water Contractors:
The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) today said court-ordered reductions in deliveries by the State Water Project and federal Central Valley Project would have sweeping impacts across the state. “The scope of this decision will be felt in nearly every region of California, in some cases within a few weeks,” ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn said. “These reductions represent the single largest court-ordered redirection of water in state history. It truly hammers home the serious challenges facing our statewide water system.”
In a highly anticipated ruling today, U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger ordered the two projects to reduce pumping in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to protect a threatened fish species, the Delta smelt. The reduced pumping translates into a loss of as much as one-third or more of previously available water supplies – or a cut of up to two million acre-feet.
Quinn said the cuts would affect jobs and productivity, especially in the hard-hit agricultural areas from San Joaquin Valley to San Diego. New development in urban areas also could feel the effects in the near term.
“This puts in vivid and real terms the deepening crisis we are seeing in the Delta. It’s an ecological crisis and it’s a water supply crisis. While many factors are affecting the ecosystem, this reinforces the fact that our Delta water infrastructure doesn’t work for the environment or for the state’s economy,” Quinn said.
Wanger’s decision compounds challenges already facing water suppliers this year due to dry conditions. Many agencies have been drawing on emergency or reserve supplies and asking their customers to voluntarily reduce water use. More stringent restrictions – including rationing – are expected as a result of the ruling, and the situation could be dire if dry conditions continue.
“If anyone needed a wake-up call, this is it,” Quinn said. “We need to address fundamental problems in the Delta so we can better protect the environment and the water supplies so critical to our state.”
There will be much more to come on this, later tonight and through the weekend. I’ll keep posting what I find as I find it!
Judge Wanger has issued his ruling, or at least I think he has ….
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 31, 2007 at 6:47 pmJudge Wanger has issued his ruling (apparently), and the Office of the Governor has this press release posted, but it is remarkably short on details and so far, nothing else has come out across the wires:
“Today’s federal court ruling to drastically cut Delta water exports is further proof that our water system is broken, unreliable and in crisis. Judge Oliver Wanger’s decision is a devastating blow to our water supply system and state economy. We must act now to ensure the safety and reliability of California’s water system while we work to protect the environment.
“This decision is also going to have a devastating impact on the state’s economy and the 25 million Californians who depend on Delta water.
The press release does not say what the ruling is, just that exports are going to be reduced (did anyone think otherwise?) … or maybe the Governor’s press guy wanted to go home for the long weekend. I’m sure this is only the first of a flood of press releases and news stories – I’ll keep looking for more information and post it as I find it!
You can read the full text of Schwarzenegger’s press release by clicking here.
AP is reporting Judge Wanger will rule later today …
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 31, 2007 at 4:44 pm4:40 pm The Associated Press is reporting at this time that Judge Wanger will rule later today, but no news other than that.
6:00 pm – Alex Breitler of Stockton’s RecordNet on his blog is waiting for the decision to be handed down.
I’ll post the news as soon as I get it!
Excellent NPR coverage of water issues – well worth a listen!
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 31, 2007 at 9:24 amNPR has an excellent series of radio shows and information on Southwest water issues available over the internet. The series aired in June of this year, and discusses Las Vegas and its rural pipeline projects (crops vs. craps), as well as the drought’s toll on Lake Powell and the Southwest. There are also stories on how drought is affecting Tennessee and Florida. The drought in the Southeastern US is even worse and has been categorized as “exceptional” – the most extreme category.
Each segment is between three to seven minutes long – recommended listening for your holiday weekend. Click here to go to NPR website.
Trial in Judge Wanger’s court might finish up today …
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 31, 2007 at 8:28 amThe trial in Fresno might be wrapping up today, and news is that Judge Wanger has signaled that he might very likely make a ruling at the end of the trial. The Aqua Blog Maven will be watching the news wires and will promptly post any news!
Coming up on Tuesday, the Aqua Blog Maven will tell you all about the Delta – where it is, what the issues are facing this critical region, and why everyone in Southern California – and indeed, the entire state – should care.
Here at Aquafornia, the water news never stops flowing, so check back here for the latest.
Have a safe, happy holiday weekend!
Proposed plan for Delta shows great promise
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 31, 2007 at 8:09 amFrom the Contra Costa County Times, news that the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Taskforce has been presented a new plan for the Delta that is impressive in its potential:
The breakthrough proposal, developed by representatives of more than 40 divergent interest groups, calls for an immediate experiment to build temporary dams in Delta rivers and study whether a highly controversial aqueduct should be built. It appears to address immediate problems facing the Delta’s declining environmental health and the state’s water supply while setting out a course for reaching long-term solutions. “This is absolutely a stunning accomplishment,” said Ray Seed, a member of the panel and a levee expert at UC Berkeley.
Here’s what the plan calls for:
It first would implement a series of noncontroversial steps, such as developing an emergency response plan in the Delta in case of levee failures. It then calls for installing rock barriers in the Delta to separate water supply channels from environmentally sensitive habitat. Finally, it would sanction an aggressive study to determine the cost, feasibility and operations of a highly controversial aqueduct that would carry water around the Delta toward the massive pumps near Tracy that send water to 25 million Californians and millions of acres of farmland.
Some supporters of the group’s plan say that if the experimental channel modifications and aqueduct studies both pan out, then water could be delivered in both ways. Others are set against the aqueduct because of the threat to Delta landowners, water quality and fisheries.
To read the full text of this article from the Contra Costa County Times, click here.
Environmental groups say Delta longfin smelt also on the brink of extinction
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 31, 2007 at 7:59 amFrom Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org:
In the latest development in the battle to save the California Delta, three conservation groups on August 8 petitioned the state and federal governments for endangered species protection for the longfin smelt.
A cousin to the Delta smelt, the longfin smelt has dropped to record low numbers in the San Francisco Bay-Delta and is nearing extinction in other northern California estuaries. Unlike the Delta smelt that lives only in the Bay-Delta Estuary, the longfin is historically found from Monterey Bay to Prince William Sound in Alaska.
The Bay Institute, Center for Biological Diversity, and Natural Resources Defense Council simultaneously asked the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the Bay-Delta population of longfin smelt under the federal Endangered Species Act and the California Fish and Game Commission to list the species statewide under the California Endangered Species Act.
The longfin smelt is one of four pelagic species, including Delta smelt, juvenile striped bass and threadfin shad, that have dropped to record levels in the past several years, as documented through ongoing monitoring and analysis by a team of federal and state scientists. The fish grow to about 4 inches long and typically live two years.
The ecosystem collapse has occurred during a period of massive increases of federal and state water exports out of the Delta exceeding 1,000,000 acre feet of water of water per year. Rather than reducing exports as fishing and environmental groups have requested, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is promoting a plan to build the peripheral canal and more dams as the “solution” to the Delta’s problems.
To read the rest of this article on IndyBay.org, click here.
Las Vegas-Snake Valley pipeline: Las Vegas may actually be after twice as much water than what they have been saying
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 31, 2007 at 6:37 amFrom the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, a story on the proposed pipeline from the Snake Valley to Las Vegas:
Nevada water chief Pat Mulroy and newspaper stories are saying that Las Vegas is looking for 25,000 acre-feet from the Snake Valley. But, the pipeline capacity is for double that, and the amount that Las Vegas is looking for could actually be 50,679 acre-feet. From the article:
… in a “Draft Conceptual Plan of Development” that was prepared by the water authority for the Bureau of Land Management and issued in July, the amount sought is listed as 50,679 acre-feet per year from Snake Valley. Scott Huntley, spokesman for the authority, said Thursday that an environmental analysis being prepared “is taking into account the full amount of our water application estimates.”
About 20 years ago, the authority filed water-right applications seeking 50,679 acre-feet per year from Snake Valley. This remains the amount the water authority wants, Huntley said. However, he said, a few years ago, when the authority began working with the BLM regarding water rights and rights-of-way applications, the agency asked the authority for a reasonable estimate of what it thought would be conveyed from Snake Valley. “At that time, we told BLM, giving them a reasonable estimate, that we thought about 25,000 acre-feet,” Huntley said. That was “just kind of an educated guess” of the amount of water that actually would be piped out of the valley.
But when the BLM began writing an environmental impact statement, the agency asked the water authority to work on the environmental impact statement “on the basis of the full amount of water that could possibly be convened in the pipeline,” which is 50,679 acre-feet, Huntley said. The amount granted would depend on decisions by the Nevada state engineer and negotiations between the two states.
Concerned residents and environmentalists are crying foul about the plan calling for 50,679 acre-feet. This is “another example of the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s propensity to pull the bait-and-switch on the populace,” said Steve Erickson, who is with the Citizens Education Project, a Salt Lake-based group. Earlier in the decisionmaking process, he said, “people commented based upon 25,000 acre-feet per year.” Whatever the environmental impacts would be from that now could be doubled with the expanded amount, he added.
To read the full text of the story from the Deseret Morning News, click here.
Whittier Daily News: water supply could be cut
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 31, 2007 at 6:26 amFrom the Whittier Daily News:
Southern California officials are bracing for a federal judge’s ruling that could cut back the local water supply from Northern California by up to 50 percent. U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger could rule as early as today after hearing evidence this week in a case brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council that, to protect the endangered smelt fish, could force the state to temporarily shut down pumps in the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta.
Local water officials have not ruled out the possibility of rationing if the judge orders drastic cutbacks. “Conservation, rationing – those are the types of things that are always on the table to look at,” said Jeff Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies water to Los Angeles and other cities and water districts serving about 18 million residents.
To read the full text of the story from the Whittier Daily News, click here.
This story also appears in the Los Angeles Daily News, and other local papers.
San Diego officials brainstorm ways to combat invasive mussels
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 31, 2007 at 6:22 amFrom the San Diego Union Tribune:
To kill a quagga, you’ve got to think like one. So says Gary Eaton, head of the San Diego County Water Authority, which hosted a meeting of local water officials yesterday. The subject of discussion was how best to address the recent quagga mussel invasion of San Diego lakes.
Officials are analyzing where the county’s water systems are most vulnerable “and then saying, ‘If I’m a quagga, where would I be,’ ” Eaton said. Then, he said, go to those places and kill the tiny, invasive creatures. How? All sorts of ways, Eaton said.
In some cases, reservoir levels could be lowered to expose the tiny mussels to the air, thereby drying and killing them. They also could be physically pulled off things such as piers and cables. Even dredging the bottom of the lakes is possible, although that creates its own problems.
Quagga mussels multiply very quickly, and can clog pumps, pipes and intakes, creating the need for costly repairs and maintenance. They can also alter ecosystems by eating up other species food. They are spread oftentimes unwittingly by boat owners from one lake to another.
For the full text of the story from the San Diego Union-Tribune, click here.
Quagga mussels are spread most often by boaters from one body of water to another. Need to know what you can do to combat the spread of the invasive Quagga mussel? Click here to read the previous post, Department of Fish & Game asks boaters help in controlling invasive mussels. You can also visit the 100th Meridian Initiative website, which is dedicated to prevention of aquatic invasive species, including the Quagga mussel, and offers more advice and a free, online training course to teach you what you need to know to help combat this problem.
Salton Sea SB 187 dead for this year
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 30, 2007 at 5:21 pmFrom the Desert Sun:
A bill laying the groundwork for an ambitious $8.9 billion restoration effort at the Salton Sea died Thursday for this year in a powerful Assembly committee — but there still is money in the budget to begin some work this year.
Rick Daniels, executive director of the Salton Sea Authority, also said he is ready to give up on Senate Bill 187 this year. `We will provide information to try to change the good Assembly members’ minds,” Daniels said, promising to get on the phone to supporters this afternoon. …
Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, chairman of the Assembly Appropriations Committee, said the bill was “held” in committee for possible further action in 2008 because it didn’t include a permanent agency to oversee the 75-year restoration plan.“One of the yet-to-be-resolved issues is the governance,” Leno said. “It’s sort of a work in progress.” Leno stressed the governing structure is “part of the same” issue and should be addressed so proponents “get it right.”
To read the full text of the article from the Desert Sun, click here.
QSA lawsuit to return to court in September; water rights also at issue
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 30, 2007 at 2:10 pm
From the Imperial Valley Press Online: A lawsuit regarding the controversial QSA pact is set to return to court soon. The QSA is not the only issue; what is at stake is whether water in the Imperial Valley will remain a public resource. From the article:
“What it comes down to is whether IID is the trustee of Imperial Valley’s water rights,” district spokesman Kevin Kelley said.
To some farmers who are part of a local organization called the Imperial Group, it’s a question of whether the IID board in signing the 2003 QSA negotiated a pact that best serves the interest of both landowners and the Valley as a whole. “Our fight is to keep the water rights pertinent to the land,” said Mike Morgan, a local farmer and a leading member of the Imperial Group.
Come Sept. 14 all parties involved in QSA litigation will be back in the Sacramento Superior Court to discuss how to move forward with the legal battle.
The controversial QSA pact was signed in 2003, and was designed to work out water issues so that water wars between agencies could be avoided. Some have questioned whether IID was acting in the best interest of the valley residents.
Morgan said the litigation is not meant to remove the district as the governing entity that holds the water rights in trust. What the litigation does seek, he said, is to have those water rights tied to the land rather than to the public. He acknowledges that would equate to water privatization. “People shouldn’t fear privatization,” Morgan said, adding if water rights were tied to the land that would serve as better protection of the Valley’s water rights. “It secures the water staying in the Valley,” Morgan said, adding the farming community would look to build up local communities rather than sell the water as some IID officials have alleged.
IID Director John Pierre Menvielle disagrees. He said there are those farmers, in particular those with the Imperial Group, who want to control the water supply so they can sell it.
The Imperial Irrigation District holds ‘present perfected’ rights to 3.1 million acre-feet of Colorado River water, more than any other state depending on the river. The water rights for the Imperial Valley predate later legislation, and in times of shortages, Imperial Valley would receive its water before other water right holders, including Metropolitan Water District.
To read the full text of the story from the Imperial Valley Press Online, click here.
Environmentalists take issue with proposed state standard for perchlorate
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 30, 2007 at 1:37 pmFrom the Ontario Daily Bulletin:
The state is in the final stages of setting a standard dictating how much perchlorate can be in your drinking water. The cap on the amount of the widespread contaminant that can be in the drinking water could be in place within weeks. But the proposal of 6 parts per billion is not one that will sit well with the environmental community. It could also lead to hikes in water rates, as water purveyors are forced to begin cleaning perchlorate from the water they serve.
“We’re disappointed that in light of all the accumulating evidence that perchlorate is harmful at levels well below this that California decided to stick with 6 ppb,” said Bill Walker, vice president for the Environmental Working Group’s West Coast office.
The Center for Disease Control recently released a report that determined that even low levels of perchlorate can affect hormone levels in women, and can also affect the functioning of the thyroid gland.
To read the rest of this extensive story on perchlorate from the Ontario Daily Bulletin, click here.
Palmdale avoids mandatory water rationing, at least for now
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 30, 2007 at 1:16 pm
From the Los Angeles Times, news that the Palmdale water board voted yesterday to ‘clamp down’ on residents wasting water, but decided against imposting rationing at this time. From the article:
Under the plan, Palmdale Water District customers will have to adhere to such measures as watering no more than three days a week, on alternate days, and before 6 a.m. or after 6 p.m.; not allowing water to run off landscape areas; and not using water to water to wash down sidewalks.
Commercial nurseries, golf courses, parks, schoolyards and other open public spaces will not be allowed to water landscaping more than five days a week. Hand-held nozzles must be used for rinsing cars and other equipment, unless reclaimed wastewater is used.
Restaurants, hotels and other public places where food is sold will not be allowed to serve drinking water unless customers request it. Hotel, motels and short-term lodging venues will be required to post a notice stating that there is a shortage and list any compliance measures.
Officials had asked for a voluntary 15% cutback in water use, but residents only managed 5%. In an earlier report, officials had said they needed now at least a 30% cutback to make it through the year.
To read the rest of this story from the Los Angeles Times, click here.
EPA Memo states Westlands deal packed full of problems
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 30, 2007 at 8:06 amHere’s an article written by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility that is posted on Yuba.Net:
A multi-billion dollar Bureau of Reclamation plan to address mounting irrigation-induced pollution in California’s Central Valley is packed with economic, environmental and technical problems, according to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency memo released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Rather than retire the land producing the drainage contamination, Reclamation is pushing an expensive scheme for agribusiness to assume control and continue irrigation.
One danger is a repeat of an ecological disaster from the early 1980s that went by the name Kesterson. Tens of thousands of grotesquely deformed and dead birds littered the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge, poisoned by selenium and other toxics that accumulated in irrigation drainage water from the Westlands Water District, the nation’s largest and most influential irrigator. In 1985, the Bureau of Reclamation closed the drainage conduits to Kesterson, and Westlands pledged to solve the drainage problem. Twenty years later, that solution still appears elusive.
Reclamation’s latest plan relies upon untested technology and an unprecedented privatization of federal water power. In exchange for the San Luis Contractors (which includes Westlands) finally addressing drainage problems, Reclamation proposes increasing water deliveries, forgiving Central Valley debt repayment worth tens of billions of dollars over the next 60 years, and ceding the contractors control of public water facilities.
To read the full text of the story from Yuba.Net, which includes a link to the EPA memo, click here.
The same story is also in today’s San Francisco Chronicle, and adds this:
The Aug. 21 memo written by EPA Regional Administrator Carolyn Yale, expresses reservations about the feasibility of management, treatment and disposal of the contaminants by agricultural interests without government assistance and oversight. “We are concerned about the possibility of implementing a drainage plan which allows continued generation of high volumes of contaminated drainage without the assurance of effective and economic treatment and disposal,” states the memo, which was addressed to Frederico Barajas, the regional director for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. It urges the bureau to implement extensive monitoring of the cleanup program and testing of drainage water.
The U.S. government has calculated it would cost $2.6 billion to clean up the mess. Westlands officials believe they can do it for less than $1 billion, according to government sources.
To read the full text of the story from the San Francisco Chronicle, click here.
Impact of peripheral canal is not really known
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 30, 2007 at 8:02 amFrom Stockton’s RecordNet.com, this morning a story about how the effect of a peripheral canal on the sensitive Delta region is simply not known. From the article:
A canal may allow natural flows to return to the Delta, aiding declining fish, such as striped bass. On the other hand, taking half of the Sacramento River’s flows during drought years could cause that river to run backward – the same phenomenon that has imperiled Delta smelt in the southern estuary, said Bennett, the fisheries biologist. “It’s quite likely that if we’re not really careful about how we operate this thing, then the impacts on Delta smelt, particularly in a drought year, could be larger than they are now,” Bennett said.
Dennis Majors, an engineer with the Metropolitan Water District in Southern California, said parts of the canal may be below sea level and thus subject to floods. Pockets of peat would have to be removed to keep the canal safe from earthquakes.
There are water quality concerns, too. Taking Sacramento River water around the Delta means the more contaminated San Joaquin River would contribute much of the flow into the estuary. That could harm Delta farms that draw their irrigation water from the Delta’s many rivers and sloughs.
To read the full text of the story from Stockton’s RecordNet.com, click here.
Senator Harry Reid (Nevada): Utah is trying to steal our water
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 30, 2007 at 7:58 amFrom the Ely Times:
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told the Ely Times Aug. 22 that there are ulterior motives behind Utah’s drive for a second Basin and Range Carbonate Aquifer System (BARCAS) study. “The second study is being pushed by the State of Utah because they want the water,” Reid said. Reid’s statement echoed earlier comments made by Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager Pat Mulroy.
Mulroy, whose agency is seeking to develop about 25,000 acre-feet of groundwater annually from the Snake Valley aquifer, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal earlier this month that Utah wants the water for future development along the Interstate 15 corridor around Cedar City and St. George. Moreover, she charged that Utah was interfering with Nevada’s “sovereign right” to develop its groundwater resources. Reid, D-Nev., went one step further last week, referring at one point to the difficulties caused by Utah’s attempts to steal “our” water.
Perea, a former White Pine County [Nevada] Commissioner who remains actively involved with county water issues, said that Reid’s attempt to paint Utah in a bad light was a smokescreen. “I get quite frustrated when I hear a comment like that,” Perea said. “The whole purpose of the second BARCAS study is to find out what effects groundwater pumping may have.”
Perea praised Utah officials for taking an active role in further groundwater studies. He noted that Utah has hired the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to drill between 12 and 15 test wells on the Utah side of Snake Valley. USGS crews are currently working east of Baker and are expected to drill additional wells around Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge some time next year. Perea said the test pumping would help determine whether the conclusions from the first BARCAS report are indeed accurate.
He noted that Nevada officials have not undertaken similar studies. “The State of Nevada has not pumped any wells or gathered any information for itself,” he said. “It’s all been done by the Southern Nevada Water Authority … and they’re controlling the information. They are not releasing the test results.”
To read the full text of the story from the Ely Times, click here.
Mammoth Ski Area does a good deed for Mono Lake
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 30, 2007 at 5:56 amMammoth executives have purchased a piece of land at Mono Lake that was being considered for development. Mammoth executives do not want to develop the land themselves, but instead want to trade the property for 20 acres of forest land adjacent to the ski area so the ski area can expand. The purchase was applauded by the Mono Lake Committee, who had been fighting the proposed development for five years.
From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
“We’re trying to do a good deed, and turn that good deed into something that will assist us in refurbishing our facilities,” said Rusty Gregory, Mammoth’s chief executive officer. “We feel very strongly that the scenic (highway) corridor should be preserved.”
Acquiring Cunningham’s land to block construction of up to 30 luxury homes had been a top priority for the Inyo National Forest. Aspen groves, springs and a stream are on the property located along the line where the Sierra Nevada range drops into the Great Basin that stretches through Nevada into Utah.
To read the full text of the article from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, click here.
Quagga mussels keep turning up throughout San Diego
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 29, 2007 at 9:43 amFrom the San Diego Union Tribune, more invasive Quagga mussels have been found in San Diego area reservoirs:
The invasive species was confirmed in the Lower Otay Reservoir yesterday, which probably means it has a foothold in all 12 of the region’s reservoirs that are connected to the imported water supply system. It easily could have been carried to other lakes by boaters.
The results eventually may include clogged waterlines, altered ecosystems and expensive efforts to contain the tiny shellfish, which water experts say typically can’t be eradicated. It probably will be years before the costs of quagga-control measures are known.
Local water officials were caught off guard by the rapid dispersion of quagga mussels across the region. They will meet tomorrow morning with regional and state leaders to create a plan for identifying and isolating the economically and environmentally dangerous invaders, which hadn’t been detected west of the Continental Divide until this year.
To read the full text of the article from the San Diego Union-Tribune, click here.
Quagga mussels are spread most often by boaters. Need to know what you can do to combat the spread of the invasive Quagga mussel? Click here to read the previous post, Department of Fish & Game asks boaters help in controlling invasive mussels. You can also visit the 100th Meridian Initiative website, which is dedicated to prevention of aquatic invasive species, including the Quagga mussel, and offers more advice and a free, online training course to teach you what you need to know to help combat this problem.
Army Corps hears debate over trees growing on levees
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 29, 2007 at 9:36 amAt a symposium in Sacramento yesterday, scientists debated the issue of vegetation growing on levees. The Corps is current national levee maintenance policy is that no vegetation more than two inches in diameter should be growing in a levee, but this has not been enforced in California, where vegetation on the levees provides the only remaining riverside wildlife habitat. In fact, the local corps policy has been to plant more trees on California’s levees.
From the Sacramento Bee:
“When trees grow, they tend to corkscrew their way into an embankment and that tends to loosen the soil,” said Bill Bouley of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, co-author of the FEMA document. “Tree roots do not stabilize soil mass. On the contrary, tree root penetration loosens the soil.”
Other scientists at Tuesday’s symposium contradicted that. Douglas Shields, a hydraulic engineer at a U.S. Department of Agriculture lab in Mississippi, has studied levees on the Sacramento River and elsewhere. He said tree roots improve the shear strength — the point at which soil yields under stress — of the soil they grow in. “You see a major increase in factor of safety as we move from a minimal root area ratio to a higher level,” he said. “We concluded that maintenance standards should favor shrubs and woody trees.”
To read the full text of this article from the Sacramento Bee, click here.
Las Vegas pipeline: plan set for February’s hearing
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 29, 2007 at 6:29 amNevada State Engineer Tracy Taylor has made some decisions regarding what issues will be heard when the hearings for the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s plan to pipe groundwater from Lincoln County get underway in February of next year. A hearing planning conference was held on Tuesday. From the Las Vegas Sun:
State Engineer Tracy Taylor dropped other issues from the proceedings because they had been discussed in detail in previous applications by SNWA for water from other rural Nevada valleys.
The no-debate items include SNWA’s justifying of the need to import water and its argument that it has implemented adequate conservation plans in the Las Vegas area. Taylor also won’t allow any arguments that Las Vegas is big enough and that growth controls should be established. …
Taylor wanted to limit the February hearing to one week. But Interior Department attorney Steve Palmer said his arguments against the pumping could take nearly a week. Palmer represents four federal agencies – Bureau of Land Management, Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Fish and Wildlife Service – opposed to the project.
The application, part of a $2 billion-plus project to pipe water across the desert to Las Vegas, also is being fought by farmers and ranchers who fear they could lose their groundwater supplies – and their way of life.
The project’s supporters – casinos, developers, and union representatives – warn of an economic downturn if Las Vegas is not allowed to continue to grow.
To read the full text of the story from the Las Vegas Sun, click here.
News from Fresno smelt hearings as reported by the California Farm Bureau Federation
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 28, 2007 at 7:54 pmThis is the news on the Fresno trial, as reported by the California Farm Bureau Federation:
A trial that is currently under way in federal district court in Fresno could have a major impact on what crops are produced in California next year and how much drinking water is available for 25 million Californians. The trial aims to find interim measures for protecting threatened delta smelt, with environmentalists urging curtailment of pumps that supply water to federal and state delivery systems.
Because of the importance of this trial to farms throughout the San Joaquin Valley, farmers pulled off during harvest and took turns sitting in the courtroom so there would be continuous monitoring of the proceeding. Frank Coelho, who grows a variety of crops on the West side in Fresno and Kings counties, said, “It’s important to be here because depending on the court’s ruling we could be facing a catastrophe. If water deliveries are curtailed, farms will have to shut down and so will the surrounding towns.”
Court proceedings were halted last Friday due to a participating attorney’s personal emergency. The trial resumes this week before U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger and is expected to last several days. Wanger has indicated that he may rule from the bench at the conclusion of the trial, rather than waiting to issue a written opinion some weeks later, contrary to what experts had predicted. Read more
Salton Sea Restoration Bill might be moving forward after all …
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 28, 2007 at 12:37 pmThis today from KXO Radio in the Imperial Valley, SB 187, authored by Senator Denise Ducheny, has had a hold placed on it in the Senate Appropriations Committee. It was reported earlier this morning in the Imperial Valley Press that there was great concern about the bill not being passed before the legislative session ends on Friday. KXO adds more information to the story:
A spokesman in her [Ducheny's] Sacramento office said Tuesday all bills over $100,000 are placed in what is called “suspense.” A vote Thursday will determine if the bill is taken out of “suspense” and move forward. If the appropriations committee casts a favorable vote, the bill, SB 187, will be presented for a floor vote Friday. If the committee decides to keep the bill in “suspense” it will remain there until early next year.
The legislature will not reconvene until January. Proponents of the restoration program are very concerned that time is running out, and restoration efforts must begin as soon as possible.
To read the full text from KXO Radio, click here.
Westlands Water District: the “bad boys” of federal irrigation projects
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 28, 2007 at 8:18 amHere’s an article posted on the Badlands Journal blog regarding the proposed Westlands Irrigation District deal. It is written by Lloyd Carter, a veteran journalist for United Press International and the Fresno Bee. From the article:
For more than half a century, growers in the fabled Westlands Water District have been the “bad boys” of federal irrigation projects in the American West, ignoring residency and acreage requirements for taxpayer-subsidized water, getting Congress to change laws they didn’t like, seducing both Republicans and Democrat politicians with a river of campaign contributions, and reaping more crop, water and power subsidies, tax breaks, and debt forgiveness than any other group of farmers in America.
Now they are poised to pull off the biggest coup in their controversial history. If they get what they are asking for, 260 billion gallons of publicly-owned water a year for 60 years, they will capture water worth anywhere from $20 to $40 billion – that’s billion with a B – with which they are free to farm tainted soils with, OR resell to urban interests at fantastic profit margins. At the current retail market price of $500-600 an acre-foot in Southern California, the Westlands water, purchased at a fraction of its true value could be worth $2,000 an acre-foot by 2050, when there could be 60 million Californians. The potential value of 15.6 trillion gallons of water in a drought-stricken climate staggers the imagination.
The catch? Westlands says it will solve a problem being caused by irrigation of its drainage-impaired, highly saline soils, contaminated with the toxic trace element selenium. Westlands makes this promise despite 52 years of federal research and hundreds of millions of dollars in studies that have failed to come up with a wildlife-safe, effective and affordable solution. It gets better. Westlands also wants forgiveness on an already interest free $489 million capital debt for taxpayer construction of its water delivery system it should have already paid off.
To read the rest of this article posted on the Badlands Journal, which includes a lot of history on the Westlands Irrigation District, click here.
Demonizing farmers is wrong approach, says Tracy Press
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 28, 2007 at 8:13 amHere’s an opinion article that appears in the Tracy Press this morning, that says that painting the farmers as polluters & resource abusers is the wrong approach. Citing several pending court cases with the potential to cutback water deliveries to Central Valley farmers, the article says:
How can farming manage if farmers lose half of their water? And if that is what will happen, how will it happen and for how long? In the meantime, the need to provide food at a reasonable price and the impact on a huge economic engine might be ignored in deference to a perceived environmental issue. …
This is not to suggest that when it comes to the environment, the agricultural industry should get a free pass. Some of its practices should be carefully examined, evaluated and changed. But a legitimate question needs to be asked as to whether the model for that examination — the creation and enforcement of environmental requirements used for manufacturing-based resolutions — fits agriculture.
Food, unlike manufactured goods, is a requirement for existence, one that needs to be available at a reasonable price. Yet agriculture is a risk-intensive business. Profit margins are often thin and subject to market and weather fluctuations, an impact other industries are not as sensitive to.
Agriculture is also a strong part of California’s economy — and, because growing plants aids in offsetting carbon emissions, it’s an increasingly “green” industry.
To read the full text of this opinion article from the Tracy Press, click here.
Inland Empire Utilities Agency: Time for saving water is now
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 28, 2007 at 8:04 amHere’s an article written by the president of the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, which discusses the need for saving water and detailing some of the programs the IEUA has or is putting in place:
Over the past 10 years, the Inland Empire Utilities Agency has been shifting its vision and programs to better meet the needs of our communities to sustain our lifestyle and economic growth through better and more efficient management of our local water resources. Water conservation, capturing stormwater when it rains, and using recycled water for irrigation and other industrial uses will be key to drought-proofing our region.
When it rains, we need to capture the water and encourage it to infiltrate into the ground. We need to use recycled water whenever possible – you’ll recognize where it is being used by its purple pipe. We need to develop our groundwater supplies, storing as much water as we can for future dry years. And overall, we need to do a better job of conserving the water we have.
To read the rest of this article in the Ontario Daily Bulletin, click here.
The IEUA has had a history of being innovative in delivering the services to its customers. Here’s an article posted on Aquafornia which details how the IEUA is using dairy cow manure in some very innovative ways: click here for cow power article.
USA Today: Bottled water creates opportunities for alternatives
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 28, 2007 at 6:03 amFrom the USA Today:
Bottled water is in hot water, and marketers of alternatives are trying to seize the opportunity.
Some of the same health-conscious consumers who helped make bottled water a $15 billion business now are among those worried about its environmental impact — its 38 million plastic bottles a year made with 1.5 million barrels of oil.
Questions also have been raised about the need for a relatively costly convenience product that in many cases is purified municipal tap water. Top-selling Aquafina recently was the latest brand to put that origin on its label, after prodding by consumer group Corporate Accountability. The PepsiCo (PEP) brand saw a sales dip from the negative publicity and has replaced scheduled ads for the next few weeks with one about its seven-step purification process.
“It’s a tough time to be in bottled water,” says Joseph Doss, CEO of the International Bottled Water Association. “We’re facing a great deal of controversy.”
Alternatives, such as water filters and stylish refillable bottles, are getting more attention these days as consumers start to reconsider their bottled water habit.
To read the full text of this story from the USA Today, click here.
Concern for Salton Sea Restoration Bill as legislative session draws to a close
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 28, 2007 at 5:55 amLast week, the Senate Appropriations Committee put a hold on SB 187, which would fund the initial work for the larger restoration plan. With the legislative session set to close on Friday, Salton Sea Authority Rick Daniels is in Sacramento, trying to get the Salton Sea restoration plan back to the floor.
From the Imperial Valley Press Online:
Daniels was in Sacramento on Monday to lobby lawmakers to get Ducheny’s bill back onto the floor and get it passed. If not, then it might be another 12 months before lawmakers approve it and that could further delay an already delayed effort to restore the sea.
Although Ducheny’s bill comes with a hefty price tag, the estimated cost to fully restore the sea is $8.9 billion and would take 75 years to fully implement. And those figures are raising some concerns. “There are a lot of people concerned about the big expenditures,” Daniels said.
Among stakeholders in Imperial and Riverside counties, where the sea is located, restoration is a priority but that’s not the commonly held view in other California counties, he said. “Everywhere else it seems to be seen as just another big expenditure,” he said.
To read the full text of the story from the Imperial Valley Press Online, click here.
Palmdale residents could face mandatory rationing
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 27, 2007 at 11:05 amFrom Los Angeles Daily News, bad news for Palmdale:
Residents could face mandatory water rationing after a voluntary conservation plan failed to result in cutbacks that Palmdale Water District officials said were needed. Because a record dry year and a water shortage, the district had asked its 115,000 customers in May to voluntarily cut water use by 15 percent. Consumption has dipped only 5 percent, prompting discussion of more drastic steps.
“At the time when we came out asking people to voluntarily cut back, we were 4,000 acre-feet short of meeting projected demand,” General Manager Dennis LaMoreaux said. “That hasn’t happened as far as customers responding. We are going to have to go to stricter measures to make sure demand meets what’s available.”
The water district now needs a 30% cutback in water use in order to make it through the year. The board will hold a special meeting on Wednesday to consider a resolution declaring a water shortage emergency, which paves the way for the district to impose mandatory water rationing and penalties for overuse.
To read the full text of this article from the Daily News, click here.
Quagga mussels found in Inland reservoirs
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 27, 2007 at 10:55 amFrom Riverside’s Press-Enterprise:
A tiny but destructive mollusk found in two Inland lakes raises fears of a potential costly environmental catastrophe for the drinking supply for 18 million Southern Californians.
Despite efforts to stop the quagga mussels’ march westward since they were discovered in January along the Colorado River, divers found about 40 adult quaggas earlier this month in Lake Skinner near Temecula and Lake Mathews near Riverside, said Ric De Leon, microbiology manager for Metropolitan Water District.
None has been discovered in Diamond Valley Lake, MWD’s flagship reservoir near Hemet, or in state-run Lake Perris, the region’s most popular boating lake, said Pete Weisser, a spokesman for the California Department of Water Resources.
The mussels pose no public health threat, but can create a taste and odor problem if left unchecked. They also can clog delivery systems, increasing maintenance costs of water system infrastructure, and alter the ecosystem, affecting native fisheries.
Boaters and other watercraft users can help combat the spread of the Quagga mussel. Need to know what you can do to combat the spread of the invasive Quagga mussel? Click here to read the previous post, Department of Fish & Game asks boaters help in controlling invasive mussels. You can also visit the 100th Meridian Initiative website, which is dedicated to prevention of aquatic invasive species, including the Quagga mussel, and offers more advice and a free, online training course to teach you what you need to know to help combat this problem.
Appropriations committee puts Salton Sea funding on hold
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 27, 2007 at 10:49 amFrom the Riverside Press-Enterprise, news that the Salton Sea funding has been placed on hold, with some lawmakers concerned about the nearly $9 billion price tag for restoration of the sea:
The Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday placed a hold on SB 187 by Denise Moreno Ducheny, D-San Diego. The bill would allocate $47 million to pay for air- and water-quality and habitat tests and geological surveys to precede the $8.6 billion restoration that state officials propose for the sea.
Failing to allocate this money now is a step toward environmental catastrophe. The Salton Sea has just 10 years of water left to sustain its fragile ecosystem. After that, as the state diverts water from the Imperial Valley Irrigation District to homes in San Diego County, the sea’s water level will plunge, the salt content will rise and the sea will die. The salt and mineral dust from the dry sea bed will foul the Coachella Valley’s air and much of the surrounding area will be unlivable.
To read the rest of this article from Riverside’s Press-Enterprise, click here.
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