Researchers race to make desalination eco-friendly while there’s still time

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 11:16 pm

From YubaNet.com:

There’s one way Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego researchers see the future of desalination in California going.

Before a regulatory structure can take shape to govern how seawater is treated and transported to a thirsty public, a gubernatorial order will be handed down that fast-tracks the construction of desalination plants during an episode of extreme drought when battles over water turn violent. Ecological casualties would be assured.

It’s decidedly not what coastal engineer Scott Jenkins and marine biologist Jeffrey Graham hope for. Since 2000, the two have served as consultants to two desalination projects in Southern California that have been proposed by the Connecticut technology firm Poseidon Resources. In the course of their inquiry, the two scientists have come to see widespread construction of desalination plants as inevitable for California but hope that when they debut, state regulators and nature itself are ready for them.

“Are these plants really going to be there when we need them?” said Jenkins, “Will they be there to drought-proof us?”

Read more from Yuba.net by clicking here.

July 31, 2008 · Filed Under Desalination

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How can Schwarzenegger campaign for his water bond while slashing salaries?

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 11:09 pm

From Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger must live in a parallel reality from the one that Californians actually live in.

The same Governor who is working relentlessly to pass a budget-busting $9.3 billlion water bond today, with absolutely no sense of irony, issued an executive order slashing the salaries of 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum wage of $ 6.55 per hour and immediately laying off 20,000 temporary workers until California passes a budget.

“Today I am exercising my executive authority to avoid a full-blown crisis and keep our state moving forward,” Governor Schwarzenegger said. “This is not an action I take lightly, but we do not have a budget, and as Governor, I have a responsibility to make sure our state has enough money to pay its bills.” …

On Schwarzenegger’s watch, Central Valley king salmon have collapsed to the lowest recorded population level, due to the Governor’s zeal in increasing water exports to his buddies in corporate agribusiness. The same increase in water exports is also the key factor in the collapse of three pelagic species – the delta smelt, longfin smelt, juvenile striped bass, and threadfin shad – as documented by a team of federal and state scientists.

The same Governor who is slashing Governor’s salaries last week spoke at a Capitol rally touting the “benefits” of a $9.3 billion “compromise” water bond sponsored by him and Senator Dianne Feinstein. The proposal, opposed by a coalition of fishing groups, Indian Tribes, conservationorganizations and Delta residents, includes two new dams and a peripheral canal. The bond would build the infrastructure to export more even more water out of the Delta, further imperiling collapsing salmon and other fish populations.

Read more from Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org by clicking here.

July 31, 2008 · Filed Under Water Legislation

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California water operations threaten survival of iconic salmon fishery; Fishermen, seafood restaurant and conservationists call for improved water management in the San Francisco Bay-Delta

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 11:00 pm

From the NRDC, this press release (hat tip to Joy – thank you!)

SAN FRANCISCO (July 24, 2008) – California salmon could soon disappear permanently from the state’s rivers, restaurant menus and supermarkets if massive water diversions from the San Francisco Bay-Delta continue unabated, according to a new report released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association (PCFFA) and Water 4 Fish.

The report, “Fish Out of Water: How Water Management in the Bay-Delta Threatens the Future of California’s Salmon Fishery,” describes how the State Water Project and Central Valley Project contribute to declining salmon populations, by reducing the availability of water necessary for migration and spawning, killing tens of thousands of juvenile salmon by sucking them into giant pumps used to export water, and blocking salmon’s migration route with their dams. The report comes on the heels of a federal court ruling that water project operations in the Central Valley jeopardize the survival of several salmon runs, and a few months after state and federal agencies closed California’s commercial salmon fishery for the first time ever due to record low numbers of fish returning to spawn.

“The future of California’s salmon fishery is completely dependent on how we manage water in the Bay-Delta ecosystem,” said Doug Obegi, NRDC staff attorney and lead author of the report. “California agencies must implement existing requirements to restore salmon, reform management of the water projects, and reduce water diversions. California can meet its water supply needs and restore salmon and the health of the Delta ecosystem by investing in fish friendly water supply alternatives, including water conservation and recycling. If we do so, Californians will once again be able to enjoy abundant local salmon in their rivers, on their lines, and on their plates.”

Read on for more information and a link to the post: Read more

July 31, 2008 · Filed Under Salmon

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Tap water has 1/100 impact of bottled water

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 10:50 pm

From AlterNet:

We have forgotten about our closest source of water at home – the tap. Yet one of the simplest ways to reduce our environmental impact, to save money (not a ton…yet!) and to free ourselves from shopping and storage hassle, is by saying goodbye to bottled water. A life cycle assessment commissioned by the Swiss Gas and Water Association traced the entire life cycle from water extraction to serving it up in a glass.

Their findings showed that tap water has less than one percent of the impacts of un-refrigerated bottled water. Even when the tap water is refrigerated its impact is only one quarter of that of bottled water. These astonishing figures show that tap water is hands-down the greenest and most responsible choice.

The biggest impacts for bottled water come from the refrigeration, packaging and transport. Refrigeration also substantially increased the impacts of the tap water scenarios thanks to the energy consumed to power the fridge. Returnable bottles and jugs had lesser overall impacts when the distances for their transport were short. But as the distances increase, the higher weight glass bottles resulted in an “on the whole” higher environmental impact as compared to the PET bottles.

Read more from AlterNet by clicking here.

July 31, 2008 · Filed Under Bottled water

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Blooming deserts turn Israeli water industry into money magnet

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 10:46 pm

From Bloomberg News (hat tip to JFleck at Inkstain):

At the end of a road winding through Israel’s Negev desert, the entrance to Kibbutz Hatzerim is flanked by jojoba shrubs jutting from the arid earth.

The grove is the result of drip irrigation developed by Israeli engineer Simcha Blass in the 1960s that enabled the kibbutzniks to farm the desert. The company they started, Netafim Ltd., has sold the product in 110 countries from Germany to Peru.

“The founders were living in the middle of the desert and saw one agricultural failure after the other,” Naty Barak, 64, a director at Netafim, said at the kibbutz visitors center. “Back then it was their problem, but now it’s a global necessity.”

Today, some 300 Israeli companies make equipment to deliver water or purify it with lasers or diffusion, putting them in a position to profit as climate change, population growth and food shortages strain supplies. With agriculture accounting for about two-thirds of global water use, the Israeli government predicts overseas sales of the technology will top $10 billion by 2017.

July 31, 2008 · Filed Under International Water Issues

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Turning the tide in the water crisis: Unless Sacramento acts soon, California’s future water security is in jeopardy

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 7:18 am

From the Los Angeles Times, this commentary, written by Governor Schwarzenegger & Senator Feinstein, which begins by discussing the challenges facing California’s water supply: drought, court rulings, low reservoir levels & the like:

Clearly, the state is in crisis. Yet, to this point, we’ve been unable to forge a common path forward.

For the last 18 months, the two of us have worked to develop a water infrastructure investment bond to put before California voters. We have listened carefully to legislative leaders and the many diverse stakeholders — environmental and agricultural leaders, business, labor and urban and rural communities. We built on the areas of general agreement, and the common goal is clear: a clean and reliable water supply and healthy environment for the future of California.

Our hope is that the plan we have put together will serve as a solid starting point for negotiations with the Legislature.

Our proposal includes modernization of our aging water systems, significant investment in healing and safeguarding the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and other important ecosystems, increased water storage in reservoirs and underground aquifers, improved conveyance and a strong focus on conservation programs.

We believe this is a balanced and comprehensive approach that will help meet the needs of a growing population — expected to reach 50 million in the next decade. It will help us bank more water in wet years for use in the dry years. And it will meet our common goal of a healthy environment and reliable water supply.

Although there are efforts each year to address one piece of the puzzle or another, none of them has yet solved our crisis. What is needed is a comprehensive, statewide plan — and we must move swiftly. The impact of even one more dry season could be devastating — we cannot afford to wait any longer.

Read the full text of Governor Schwarzenegger & Senator Feinstein’s commentary in the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.

July 31, 2008 · Filed Under Water Legislation

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Dropping Lake Oroville levels may require boat launch ramp extensions

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 7:11 am

From the Department of Water Resources, more bad news for Lake Oroville, the main reservoir on the State Water Project, in this press release:

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) reports that Lake Oroville’s boat launch ramps will soon be left high and dry by the rapidly dropping water level. The reservoir currently holds about 1,315,000 acre feet of water with a surface level of 707.85 feet. That’s only 37 percent of capacity and just 49 percent of average for this time of year.

When the level drops to 707 feet at Lime Saddle Marina (probably tomorrow or Friday), 705 at Bidwell, and 700 at the Spillway, normal boat launch operations will cease. At that point, DWR will use steel mat extensions to allow one-lane launching at Bidwell or Spillway, depending on conditions. Boaters are advised that conditions are subject to change due to weather, changing lake levels or other variables. Four wheel drive vehicles are recommended when using the temporary ramps.

Lake Oroville’s lowest historical level was 645 feet above sea level (when it held 882,000 acre-feet) on Sept. 7, 1977. DWR officials fear the lake may drop below this level before wet weather returns.

Specific information about the daily launch conditions can be obtained by calling the California Department of Parks and Recreation at: (530) 538-2200. Lake Oroville elevations can be obtained by calling the DWR Lake Conditions Recording at (530) 534-2307, or accessing the DWR Web site at http://www.lakeoroville.water.ca.gov/about/stats/levels.cfm

July 31, 2008 · Filed Under DWR & State Water Project

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State begins survey to determine possible peripheral canal routes

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 7:02 am

From Stockton’s Record, this article from the opinion section (which seems to be to be more of a news article than an opinion article):

About 1,000 property owners in the Delta are going to get a wake up call from state officials. Letters are going out from the state Department of Water Resources saying that surveyors may need access to private land to begin planning a canal to carry fresh water to Southern California.

California voters overwhelmingly rejected a similar project, known as the peripheral canal, in 1982. But it’s back as state officials and thirsty water consumers – and that would be all of us – try to balance the needs of the environmentally fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta against the growing demand for water, especially in the Bay Area and Southern California.

About 25 million Californians drink water from the Delta.

Water planners have identified four tentative canal routes on the east and west of the Delta. In addition, there is talk of a “through Delta” canal.

Read more from Stockton’s Record by clicking here.

July 31, 2008 · Filed Under Peripheral Canal

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New reports available on economic efficiency of water use & allocation, tribal communication, and financing Delta improvements and environmental mitigation

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 6:53 am

From the California Water Plan E-news:

Economic efficiency of water development & allocation:
A paper recently submitted to the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force examines the economic efficiency of water use and allocation in California. It was written by economist Roger Mann. The paper identifies key issues related to the economic efficiency of water development, allocation and use in California and discusses general policy changes that might improve economic efficiency. Click here to read the report.

Tribal Communication Plan:
A Tribal Communication Plan has been posted on the Water Plan Web site. It is intended to help everyone involved in the California Water Plan – including the Department of Water Resources and all
other state and federal agencies – to communicate appropriately and effectively with all California Native American Tribes about water issues that may affect them in their territories and ancestral
homelands. Click here to read the report.

And from my own wanderings, this report from the California Research Bureau, commissioned by the Delta Vision Task Force titled “Financing Delta Improvements and Environmental Mitigation”:

Resolution of the Delta’s water supply, water quality, and fish problems may involve
building various structures, possibly including gates, pumps, canals, levees, and dams, and undertaking landscaping rearrangements to improve habitat for several species of flora and fauna. Resolution also involves changing water flow regimes in ways that would make more or less water, but probably less, available for human uses. This work and these changes will cost serious money. Cost estimates for many of these actions have not yet been developed. This paper explores approaches to financing these “improvements” and “mitigations.” While a little abstract, this is abstraction that matters. It will determine from whose pockets a good deal of money will come.

California has a long history of financing water projects. The first section of this paper reviews this history, in hopes of identifying water-financing principles that might be adapted to Delta improvements and mitigation. Some deep-seated controversies about how Delta improvements should be financed have roots in this history, and it may be helpful to point them out.

A core idea in California’s approach to financing water projects is that beneficiaries should pay for them. Decades ago, this was a straightforward proposition – people or water districts should pay for the necessary dams, canals, and pumps and the costs of operating them in proportion to the amount of water they received. In the current age of rising environmental sensitivity, it is a little muddier. An alternative formulation that applies, at least crudely, to housing developments and highway projects, is that project proponents should pay to mitigate at least some of the environmental harm that their project is likely to cause. The second section of this paper explores this controversial subject. It seems unlikely that any consensus can be reached about how to finance facilities in the Delta without reaching some agreement about how to deal with this matter.

Read the full text of this report by clicking here.

July 31, 2008 · Filed Under Delta Vision Task Force, Indian Water Rights, Water Rights

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If you have turf, use it or lose it!

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 6:38 am

From the Petaluma Argus-Courier:

Let’s get something straight; I don’t hate turf. I love playing on it with my daughters, camping out on it in the summer, and feeling green grass under my bare feet. What bothers me is the turf that just lies there wastefully soaking up water, fertilizer and fossil fuels with the only footsteps it ever feels being those of the person mowing and fertilizing it.

A perfect example of what I am talking about is the narrow strip of turf between sidewalk and street that has no purpose other than to fill space. Talk about a waste of water and resources! If your landscape has turf and you don’t use it, lose it! If you want to do more than you already are doing to conserve water, consider removing your unused turf and replacing it with something a little less demanding on our natural resources. You may develop a greener thumb in the process!

When the city of Petaluma performs a Water-Wise House Call — a free service in which conservation technicians evaluate indoor and outdoor water use at your home, apartment or condo and give you free water saving devices and recommendations (call 1-800-548-1882 to schedule) — customers frequently tell our technicians that they take short showers, have high-efficiency toilets, and are doing everything possible to conserve water. But when the technician takes the customer to the front yard and asks how often they use their large expanse of thirsty lawn, the answer is very often, “Uh, well … never.”

Aqua Blog Maven totally agrees! I have a neighbor, two doors down, with a beautiful, thick green carpet of grass out in front of his house, which he waters at least twice a day. It’s the perfect lawn, no doubt. One of the reasons why it is so perfect is because no feet ever touch it. He’s a single man with no kids, works a zillion hours a week, comes home and puts his car in the garage. I’m not sure he even looks at it himself, let alone walk on it. What a waste!

Read more from the Petaluma Argus Courier by clicking here. Check out options for low water lawns & more from High Country Gardens by clicking here.

July 31, 2008 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Kings County extends its year-plus drought emergency

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 6:27 am

From the Hanford Sentinel:

In what has become a nearly automatic move, Kings County supervisors on Tuesday extended a drought emergency declaration that has been in effect continuously since June 2007. The declaration comes at a critical water time for local farmers, who have been dealing with a second consecutive year of low rainfall and snowfall and a federal court decision last year to cut the pumping of Sacramento River Delta water into the California Aqueduct. Aqueduct water supplies millions of city residents and hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland to the south, including thousands of acres on the west side of Kings County.

Local farmers are growing increasingly concerned that a third year of drought could send the economy into a tailspin. “If this thing continues, we’re going to be in deep doodoo,” said Brent Graham, former general manager of the Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District in southern Kings County.

Area growers and Kings County’s representative in Congress said that it makes sense to keep the emergency declaration going. “It’s been needed, because we’re still in jeopardy and we continue to be in jeopardy,” said Jim Verboon, a Kings County farmer with 100 acres of walnuts in the Kings River-Excelsior Avenue area.

Because the farm is near the Kings River, it has access to groundwater supplies that many growers in the Westside region of Kings County don’t, Verboon indicated. “Some are going to be a hit a lot harder than I am,” Verboon said.

“It’s probably accurate to maintain the (emergency resolution),” said Rus Waymire, who has 40 acres of wheat in Kings County. “Well, it’s having an impact on our economy, and I think it’s important for them to maintain that,” Waymire said. “It’s the lifeblood of our economy here.” Waymire said that farmers “have to keep the political pressure on or we’re going out of business.”

Jim Costa, whose 20th Congressional district includes all of Kings County, expressed support for the supervisors’ action. “We have to continue to press the magnitude of these impacts because it isn’t immediately felt in Sacramento and Los Angeles,” Costa said.

Read more from the Hanford Sentinel by clicking here.

July 31, 2008 · Filed Under Drought, Weather & Snowpack

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“An implementation strategy for the California Ocean Protection Council resolution to reduce and prevent ocean litter” named California Progress Report’s site of the day

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 6:22 am

From the California Progress Report:

California’s Ocean Protection Council (OPC) staff today released “An Implementation Strategy for the California Ocean Protection Council Resolution to Reduce and Prevent Ocean Litter”. This is a 23 page “final draft,” open for comments, that contains the strategy to reduce and eliminate ocean litter by banning plastic bags and containers statewide. Recommendations also call for plastic manufacturers to recover and dispose of their products and for product user fees to be assessed.

If you read this report, you will find out how serious the problems our ocean has from litter, how it affects fish and marine mammals, and why it is so important that California take bold action.

Action will not come without strong opposition from the plastics industry. This report sets the stage for action that will have far reaching benefit for ocean health—but only once it has been adopted by the OPC. Most of the recommendations will require legislation to be enacted.

The implementation strategy identifies three primary approaches that California should take to eliminate marine debris. California should: (1) establish a “take-back” program for many types of product packaging that would require plastic packaging manufacturers to take these products back and dispose of them properly; (2) institute a statewide prohibition on single-use plastic bags and polystyrene takeout containers; and (3) impose fees on other packaging.

OPC staff is seeking comments on the draft in writing by August 21. Staff will incorporate changes to the draft based on comments received. The OPC is also soliciting public comment during its meeting September 11 at 9 a.m. in Half Moon Bay.

Just take a look at how the report begins in describing the current situation off California’s coast and you will recognize what is at stake:

“Ocean litter – also commonly referred to as “marine debris” – is a persistent and growing problem worldwide. The general composition of ocean litter is 60-80% plastics, although it has reached 90-95% in some areas. Plastic debris in an area north of Hawaii known as the Northwest Pacific Gyre has increased 5-fold in the last 10 years. Similarly, off Japan’s coast, researchers found that floating particles of plastic debris increased 10-fold in 10 years from the 1970s through 1980s, and then 10-fold again every 2-3 years in the 1990s. In the Southern Ocean, the amount of plastic debris increased 100 times during the early 1990s. These are just a few examples of an expanding body of research that demonstrate that, despite the MARPOL international treaty prohibition on dumping plastics at sea, debris in the oceans is increasing at an alarming rate. This is due to the fact that 80% of the debris comes from land-based sources, particularly trash and plastic litter in urban runoff, and the generation of trash and waste is increasing.”

Read more from the California Progress Report by clicking here.

Read the final draft of the report by clicking here.

July 31, 2008 · Filed Under Other Oceans & Beaches Stories

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Federal agencies and Pacific Coast governors embark on ocean action plan

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 6:13 am

From the Environment News Service:

The governors of California, Oregon and Washington Tuesday announced the details of their plan to address ocean and coastal management issues such as polluted runoff, oil spills and marine garbage along the West Coast.

The West Coast Governors’ Ocean Action Plan is the result of a 2006 agreement signed by the three governors that established a long-term partnership to tackle obstacles facing the Pacific Ocean and its coastal communities.

The three states will work together on 26 actions. They promised to advocate for stricter ocean going vessel emission standards, prevent the introduction of invasive species, explore the feasibility of offshore alternative ocean energy development, improve ocean research, increase ocean education and prevent and respond to offshore oil spills, among other efforts. Each action within the plan contains benchmarks and a timeframe for action. The governors have formally committed to report on the status of actions at the end of two years.

“This agreement is another key step in our aggressive efforts to maintain clean water and beaches along our coast,” said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, speaking with his fellow governors via satellite. “I believe our commitment to working together and putting this plan into action will help effectively tackle critical issues up and down the West Coast,” he said, “ensuring a healthy ocean environment for current and future generations.”

More on this story from the Environment News Service by clicking here.

Multiple Federal agencies are also involved, according to this press release from the Department of the Interior:

Today, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency joined the governors of California, Oregon and Washington to launch an historic action plan addressing challenging ocean and coastal management issues along the West Coast.

The action plan implements the West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health, a 2006 agreement signed by the governors of the three states involved to forge a long-term partnership to tackle obstacles facing the Pacific Ocean and its coastal communities.

“Close collaboration on a regional basis between the states and the federal government is a critical piece of the President’s Ocean Action Plan,” said James L. Connaughton, Chairman, Council on Environmental Quality. “The new Action Plan for the West Coast is a testament to what we can accomplish when we align our efforts and work together for a better future for our oceans and coasts.”

“The federal partners are pleased to support this commitment of the West Coast governors to ocean health and conservation,” said Kameran Onley, Acting Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at the U.S. Department of the Interior. “The Department of the Interior provides ocean research and resource management experience to help the states achieve our mutual goal of providing a healthy ocean for future generations. Interior agencies including the U.S. Geological Survey, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service and Minerals Management Service share a long and close working partnership with all three states.”

The plan commits the three states to collaborate closely with federal agencies, as well as ocean users, academic institutions, the public, and other regional entities on 26 bold actions to meet seven priority goal areas related to ocean protection. The federal partners are providing the states with scientific expertise and other support from their programs that correspond to the goals of the action plan.

“This plan will work to focus everyone on common goals to protect the marine environment,” said Alexis Strauss, Water Division Director for the EPA Pacific Southwest. “We all share the same desire to address the many ocean and coastal management challenges and this effort will move everyone forward in facing those challenges.”

Read the rest of the press release from the Department of the Interior by clicking here.

To find out more and read the West Coast Governor’s Agreement & sign up for automatic updates, click here.

July 31, 2008 · Filed Under Other Oceans & Beaches Stories

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Irrigation projects (& senior water rights) portend well-supplied future for Patterson Irrigation District

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 5:58 am

From the Patterson Irrigator:

Drought conditions and pumping restrictions for state and federal water projects have severely limited allocations for farm water districts this year. The tough times mean many irrigation districts, including Patterson Irrigation District, have turned to groundwater pumping as an important supplement. But unlike some other districts, PID representatives say an arsenal of existing and future projects should help them survive the current crunch and also prepare for the future. “Really, what we’re doing is taking it to a different level,” said John Sweigard, the district’s general manager.

Patterson Irrigation District provides agricultural water to 770 customers on about 12,800 acres. Its boundaries, which previously included land within the approved Villages of Patterson development project in eastern Patterson, are roughly Del Puerto Creek to the north, Marshall Road to the south, Highway 33 to the west and the San Joaquin River to the east.

As part of the future planning, a new backup pump system along the San Joaquin River has already been put in place, and the district plans to start using a new reservoir off Fruit Avenue by mid-August.
District officials have also kept busy over the years with other projects, ranging from a reservoir and sediment basin off Marshall Road to an automated system that allows the district to control pump operations from its office.

The Patterson Irrigation District has benefited greatly from water rights it obtained from the state by virtue of pulling water from the San Joaquin River before 1914. The 98-year-old district, which started as Patterson Ranch Co. and Patterson Water Co., gets between 70 percent and 80 percent of its water supply from the river today, with its remaining supply coming from groundwater, recirculation projects and the Delta-Mendota Canal.

This year, the district sold water via a one-year transfer of its Central Valley Project supply before it was apparent that there would be a drought season, and groundwater pumping has been necessary, Sweigard said. But, he added, the district generally tries to use groundwater as a last resort.

Many other districts are forced to rely mostly on state allocations — via the California Aqueduct — or federal water — via the Delta-Mendota. Those sources have been severely restricted as a result of dry conditions and a court decision protecting the Delta smelt, an endangered fish native to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

By contrast, the Patterson Irrigation District has had an excess supply in past years, and it continues to transfer water elsewhere for a profit. That has provided a hefty chunk of change that has been used to create a slew of storage and pumping projects.

Read more from the Patterson Irrigator by clicking here.

July 31, 2008 · Filed Under Agriculture

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Toll road consultant: no effect on Trestles

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 5:49 am

From the O.C. Register:

Building the Foothill South toll road will have no effect whatever on surfing conditions at the famous Trestles beach, according a noted oceanographer, whose scathing criticism of assertions by environmental activists was released this week.

Richard Seymour, a research engineer at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and an oceanographic consultant, was hired by the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency to examine a series of studies of the road’s potential effects on surfing. The studies were conducted by the toll road agency and by the environmental group Surfrider Foundation.

Seymour, who was paid $6,000 for the review conducted in May, said he largely agreed with the toll road agency consultants who studied the matter – and found the Surfrider studies to be filled with scientific mistakes. “The reports commissioned by the Surfrider Foundation just contained a number of very, very serious erroneous assumptions – and incorrect theories, and incorrect interpretations of other documents,” Seymour said.

Surfrider assistant environmental director Mark Rauscher said Wednesday said he believes it is Seymour’s analysis that is flawed, not Surfrider’s, which was conducted by Philip Williams and Associates. “We disagree with the review and stand by the research conducted by PWA,” Rauscher said.

More on this story from the O.C. Register by clicking here.

July 31, 2008 · Filed Under San Onofre Toll Road

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CSPA protests State Board’s secret order allowing export pumping

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 31, 2008 at 5:43 am

From IndyBay.org, this press release from Bill Jennings and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance:

Today, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) submitted a formal petition to the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) asking it to reconsider its issuance of a “secret” Order allowing export pumping to be increased despite violation of Delta water quality standards. The Order was issued in response to a petition from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR). South Delta Water Agency has also asked the State Board to reconsider the decision.

“This despicable backroom deal undercuts one of the few remaining protections for water quality and fisheries in the Delta,” said CSPA Executive Director Bill Jennings. “It’s a clear message that the State cares more about sending water to grow cotton in the desert than it cares about protecting Delta agriculture and endangered species.”

The order, issued by one Member of the five-member State Board and without public notice or public hearing, authorizes DWR and USBR to use the Joint Point of Diversion (JPOD), even if water quality standards in the south Delta are being violated. The JPOD allows the DWR and USBR to use each other’s pumping plants interchangeably thus “maximizing” water exports from the Delta.

Not having to meet water quality standards in the Delta before using JPOD effectively eliminates one of the major protections of water quality and fisheries in the south Delta. High salinity levels severely impact the yield of Delta agriculture and measures that reduce salinity generally help fish by reducing water exports.

The Delta salinity standards, measured at three locations in the South Delta, coupled with the Vernalis instream flow and Delta Outflow requirements comprise virtually the only protection for water quality and fisheries mandated by the State of California. The salinity standards were originally included in the 1995 Water Quality Control Plan for the Bay-Delta and affirmed in State Board Decision 1641 in 2000, which implemented the 1995 Plan.

Read more of this press release from the CSPA posted on IndyBay.org by clicking here.

July 31, 2008 · Filed Under Other Delta Issues, Water Quality

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Aqua Blog Maven entering Internet-questionnable territory

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 30, 2008 at 7:43 am

Hello readers,

I have been on vacation this past week, and so far I have been blessed with Internet access where I have traveled. However, for the next two days, I am unsure if I will have access. So if the blog isn’t updated for a few days, do not worry; I haven’t dropped off the face of the earth! I’ll update on Friday.

I have traveled up through the Owens Valley, and those pictures have been uploaded onto flickr. I have pictures of the intake to the Los Angeles Aqueduct, Crowley Lake and Mono Lake. You can check them out by clicking here.

Saturday, I head for home through the Central Valley.

Thank you for your continued readership!

UPDATE: Thanks to (unknowing) neighbor Gina, I have internet access. Thank you to all who do not lock out their wireless networks!

July 30, 2008 · Filed Under Website News

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Beaches reopen as report slams water

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 30, 2008 at 7:32 am

From the Long Beach Press-Telegram:

Three of four polluted beaches were reopened in Long Beach on Tuesday, even as a national report ranked California’s water quality poorly. California had the nation’s 17 th most polluted beaches last year, and for the fifth straight year, the worst of those beaches were in Los Angeles County, the Natural Resources Defense Council reported Tuesday.

Among California beaches, those in Los Angeles County had the highest levels of fecal material in ocean water, according to the NRDC.

In Long Beach, the city Health Department reopened three of the four Alamitos Bay beaches that were closed Saturday.

Nelson Kerr from the Long Beach Health Department told the Press-Telegram that the water quality reports have allowed them to reopen Mother’s Beach, Marine Stadium, and Alamitos Bay. Colorado Lagoon will be reduced to an advisory with one test revealing slightly high levels that Kerr said are unrelated to the sewage spill. The beaches were closed after 12,000 gallons of sewage leaked into Spinnaker Bay near Marine Stadium on Saturday, caused by a grease blockage in a sewer pipe.

The NRDC said in its 18 th annual beach water quality report that last year saw the second-highest number of beach closings and beach advisory days around the nation.

Read more from the Long Beach Press-Telegram by clicking here.

July 30, 2008 · Filed Under Other Oceans & Beaches Stories

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Compact will keep Great Lakes water here; Shortages make passage necessary

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 30, 2008 at 7:26 am

From the Detroit Free Press, this editorial:

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., said last week that he was confident that the Great Lakes Compact, designed to prevent water diversions from the lakes, would be passed by Congress, although perhaps not this year.

I hope he’s right, because if Congress doesn’t act quickly, we’ll soon see panicked and politically powerful interests in the Southwest and Southeast do everything possible to stop the compact from passing — once enough people in those areas grasp just how dire their straits are.

They continue to water golf courses in Las Vegas even though Lake Meade, their only water supply, has dropped 100 feet in the past 50 years, and the Colorado River, which is the source of Lake Meade, has had so much water withdrawn from it that it no longer reaches the sea.

They continue to water lawns and fill swimming pools in southern California even though Long Beach has built an experimental facility to determine if it’s economically feasible to supply its needs with desalinated ocean water.

After surviving a true water crisis last year, Atlanta imposed some minimal water conservation measures. But it still is encouraging growth in a city that can’t guarantee water in the future for those new residents.

And people continue to move to those states in droves.

The Great Lakes Compact would give control of the water in the lakes to the states surrounding them and prevent other states or even foreign countries from taking water out through pipelines or on ships.

Read more from the Detroit Free Press by clicking here.

July 30, 2008 · Filed Under National water news

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Underwater, a disturbing new world: A Tribune team follows researchers to the bottom of Lake Michigan as they try to explain the rapidly shifting ecosystem

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 30, 2008 at 7:19 am

From the Chicago Tribune:

This place should be an underwater desert. But as the three researchers wearing scuba tanks and lead weights drop through the water, the landscape of rounded stones 30 feet below is disturbingly full of strange, new life. In just a few years, the gravel and white boulders that for centuries covered the bottom of Lake Michigan between Chicago and the Door County, Wis., peninsula have disappeared under a carpet of mussels and primitive plant life.

The change is not merely cosmetic. In the last three years or so, scientists say, invasive species have upended the ecology of the lakes, shifting distribution of species and starving familiar fish of their usual food supply.

Signs of the shift have been hard to ignore. Mats of dead, smelly algae wash ashore on Lake Michigan from Chicago to the Straits of Mackinac, castoffs of a vast underwater expanse seen from boat decks and from hilltops at Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan. Fishermen haul it up in their nets, dubbing it “lake moss.”

Multiple strains of E. coli bacteria and botulism spores thrive in the new underwater garden, leading scientists to suspect they are contributing to beach closings and the widespread deaths of migratory birds. Meanwhile, fishermen notice the lake trout, salmon and whitefish are getting skinnier each season.

The rapid shift has researchers scrambling to understand what is happening and how widely the impact will be felt. “The lake is changing faster than we can study it,” said University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee researcher Harvey Bootsma, whose small team of researchers hunts explanations from this new lake bottom in weekly dives off the Wisconsin shore.

Read more from the Chicago Tribune by clicking here.

July 30, 2008 · Filed Under Invasive Species

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Sediment behind Marmot Dam clears out faster than experts predicted

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 30, 2008 at 7:10 am

From the Oregonian:

As dams go, Marmot Dam on the Sandy River was small. Now that it’s gone, its impact is turning out to be enormous.

The removal of the nearly 50-foot-high dam by Portland General Electric in October gave scientists perhaps their best chance to watch as a river digested a vast amount of rocks, sand and gravel collected over many decades in a reservoir. Some had worried that sediment piled behind the dam would suffocate salmon and block tributaries downstream. In fact, the river has since digested the equivalent of about 150 Olympic swimming pools full of sediment — without a hiccup.

“Never has this much sediment been released at once into such an active and hungry river,” said Gordon Grant, a research hydrologist with the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station. He has studied the dam removal and given presentations on the results at conferences from Sacramento to Venice, Italy. He was just invited to give his Marmot Dam talk in China.

“There’s a global interest right now in river restoration,” Grant said. Marmot is certainly one of the best-documented and most spectacular examples of dam removal in the sense that the river was allowed to process the material itself.”

The river has so far removed about half the material backed up behind the dam. It’s difficult to tell that a dam once blocked the popular salmon stream. The river shoves and piles gravel and cuts into the shore the way a healthy river should.

Scientists were especially impressed with how rapidly the river scoured the sediment away. Some models predicted the river would need two to five years to carry off half the sediment pile, but it did so in months.

Though some officials had worried that the sediment would linger and represent an obstacle to fish, federally protected coho salmon were swimming upriver the day after the dam crumbled. Salmon spawned in the river as they always have.

“This was a grand experiment that came out just like people hoped it would,” said John Esler, project manager in PGE’s hydropower licensing division.

Read more from The Oregonian by clicking here.

July 30, 2008 · Filed Under Water & the Environment

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Measuring Tahoe’s blues: Sediment and pollution obscure lake and light

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 29, 2008 at 10:32 pm

From High Country News:

There is something ineffable about trying to measure a thing by the point at which it is no longer measurable. But that was exactly what we were doing, leaning over the side of a boat, watching a white plate sink into Lake Tahoe. We counted off the feet on the line attached to the Secchi dish, named for Angelo Secchi, a 19th-century scientist at the Vatican, who invented this method to measure water clarity in the Mediterranean.

“10, 20, 30.”

Sunlight reflected off the white surface and refracted through the blue water, casting a crystalline halo around the dish. Then the plate began to lose definition around the edge. Soon it was just a pale diffuse
light, getting smaller and smaller in the darkening depths.

“40, 50, 60.”

“I don’t see it anymore,” I called out. The plate had descended to a depth where, technically speaking, the difference between the wavelength of the light bouncing off of it and the wavelength of the light being reflected by microscopic particles of sediment in the water had become smaller than my eyes could detect. The Secchi dish was still down there, reflecting light back up to the surface. I just couldn’t swear to it.

But Brant Allen could. “I still see it,” said the crew-cut captain of the RV John LeConte, the research vessel that had brought us out on the lake this bright morning. I counted as he continued to slowly play out the line.

“64, 65, 66, 67.”

“Now I don’t see it either,” said Allen, a fisheries biologist who has recently taken over this tradition, carried out regularly for 39 years by scientists from the University of California at Davis. Allen began reeling the dish back in and soon it came back into focus, a tiny source of light now differentiated again from the scattering luminescence of the deep blue lake.

Technically, we were measuring the declining clarity of Lake Tahoe by the point at which clarity ceases. We saw things slightly differently, as everybody does. We could measure again in the same spot, and it would be different. The lake and the light are always changing. But we had a measurement we could agree on, within a few feet, for this particular time and place.

Read more from the High Country News by clicking here.

July 29, 2008 · Filed Under Lake Tahoe & the Sierra's

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Peripheral canal in state’s future, editorial says

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 29, 2008 at 10:27 pm

From the Contra Costa Times, this editorial:

A quarter century after it was soundly defeated by California voters, the Peripheral Canal is making a comeback. This time around it has the support of some environmentalists as well as the backing of the respected Public Policy Institute of California.

What has changed over the past 26 years since the defeat of the canal is the viability of the Delta ecosystem. Several species of fish are in sharp decline, salinity levels are higher and water pumped through the Delta to the Central Valley and Southern California has been substantially cut back. Also, parts of the Bay Area have become more reliant on water from the Delta.

The Delta environment is forecast to worsen as sea levels rise, islands continue to subside and levees weaken, not to mention the ever-present threats of an earthquake or flood. More than 23 million Californians and much of the state’s huge agriculture industry rely on water that flows into the Delta and then is pumped out.

The conclusion of the PPIC is that the Delta will become less and less reliable as a conveyance of fresh water from sources in Northern California to users in the Bay Area, Central Valley and Southern California.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the only way to assure long-term adequate supplies of fresh water for much of the state is to send it around the Delta.

The editorial notes that there are some issues with a peripheral canal that will need to be addressed:

But over the long term, if the sea level rises, there is no way to preserve the Delta as it is. Islands will have to be flooded and rising levels of salinity will be unavoidable. Then a canal would be the only way to move fresh water to users.

There are projects with voter-approved funds to protect fresh water supplies in case of an earthquake or flood that need to be completed now.

But some form of the Peripheral Canal will be needed in California’s future and should be seriously considered now.

Read the full text of this editorial from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.

July 29, 2008 · Filed Under Peripheral Canal

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25 painless ways you can reduce your water consumption

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 29, 2008 at 10:20 pm

From the Organicasm blog:

Water conservation is an important part of responsible living. Water is a precious resource which is not to be squandered. Fortunately, there are a number of really easy ways to save water without a whole lot of hassle, and we’ve compiled some of the best here.

In the Kitchen

Cut down on water usage in your kitchen using these methods.

1. Wash only on a full load: This is true for both washers and dishwashers. By washing in bulk, you’ll cut down on the number of cycles you need to run. Also important to keep in mind is the fact that most dishwashers on a full load can clean dishes more efficiently than a hand wash.
2. Cut down on your disposal: Instead of using your disposal, start a compost pile for food waste.
3. Buy foods close to their natural form: Water is needed to produce just about everything from Coke to boxed mashed potatoes. You can cut down on your water consumption by avoiding processed foods that require lots of water to make.
4. For large washing jobs, fill your sink: Instead of running water to wash dishes or produce, fill your sink to wash them all at the same time.
5. Cut back on rinsing: If you’ve got a fairly new dishwasher, it should be powerful enough to clean your dishes thoroughly without pre-rinsing.

Find out more easy water conservation tips from the Organicasm blog by clicking here.

July 29, 2008 · Filed Under Conservation

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Antelope Valley water firms clash over chloramines; could they be harmful?

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 29, 2008 at 9:49 pm

From the Antelope Valley Press:

Do chloramines, when used as a disinfectant to treat drinking water, pose a health risk? Some people say “no problem” and others shout, “beware.” Ever since the Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency began revamping its four water treatment plants last year to prepare for the conversion from chlorine to chloramines, the change has fueled some heated discussions.

AVEK supplies California Aqueduct water to farmers and to municipal and industrial customers, including Los Angeles County Waterworks District 40, the Quartz Hill Water District, Palm Ranch Irrigation District and Rosamond Community Services District.

AVEK planned the switch for its treatment plants in Quartz Hill, Acton, Pearblossom and Rosamond in order to comply with an Environmental Protection Agency order to lower levels of trihalomethanes in drinking water. THMs form when chlorine makes contact with decaying plant material in water, and some studies have indicated their formation with an increased risk for certain types of cancer. Use of chloramines has not been linked to those cancers.

But some people on a system that uses chloraminated water complained that they developed respiratory problems, skin rashes and irritation of the eyes and nose. “We don’t know how many people can be affected,” Kathy Spoor, vice president of the Rosamond Community Services District board, told AVEK administrators during a meeting in early June.

Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.

July 29, 2008 · Filed Under Drinking Water

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Transportation Corridor Agencies announces independent peer review affirms: 241 toll road will not alter surf

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 29, 2008 at 9:25 pm

From Market Watch & Business Wire:

An independent peer review of reports concerning the 241 Toll Road and surfing conditions in the vicinity of San Mateo Creek has concluded that the project will have no impact on surfing or wave formation. Richard J. Seymour, Ph.D., research engineer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and noted consultant in coastal oceanography, conducted the review. “No substantial change, either positive or negative, to surfing quality would result from the project,” Seymour stated in his report.

Seymour’s fields of research include wave mechanics, wave generation, near shore processes, sediment transport mechanisms and cross-shore transport. With summer 2008 surf events in the spotlight, it is important to note that contrary to claims from groups opposed to the project, the completion of the 241 will have no impact on the surf at Trestles. After review of 11 reports, Seymour’s key findings include:

– Sediment transport is a non-issue; changes to the beach will be dominated by the local wave climate and sediment supplies driven by alongshore currents.
– The creek inputs of sand will be negligible when compared to the volatility of the beach.
– Delivery of cobbles to the shoreline will not be altered to a degree that could be detected, especially given the highly episodic randomness of this phenomenon.
– The surfing reefs in the Trestles area are fossil deposits of predominantly boulder-size rocks and they are stable over time.
– Fine sediment transport does not impact cobble transport. Claims to the contrary by Philip Williams and Associates (PWA) are based on “erroneous assumptions,” were irrelevant and came to a conclusion that contradicts their theory.
– “Based upon a careful review of all the pertinent documents presented, I found that the Corridor would result in no detrimental effects to the surfing in the Trestles area,” Dr. Seymour concluded.

The 241 Toll Road will be constructed to ensure that the world-class surf conditions at Trestles Beach will be fully protected. The road, which has long been included in regional transportation plans, will join existing Interstate 5 more than a half mile from the shoreline. Among false and misleading statements made by project opponents are claims that the surf at Trestles will be “ruined.”

Even Surfer Magazine noted that the change in sediment discharge from the toll road would only be enough to fill up a public restroom at San Onofre. “Spread along the entire beach that is considered immeasurable,” according to the magazine. For details:http://surfermag.com/photos/flash/trestles-toll-road-08/

Expert analysis has found that the classic breaks at Trestles and other nearby surf spots are formed by the large cobble deposits in the delta of the San Mateo Creek. “These cobbles episodically delivered to the shoreline, every 20 years or so, are what form the surf break,” said Dave Skelly a coastal engineer who has made careful studies of that stretch of beach.

Skelly, a surfer himself, has analyzed the shoreline at Trestles and concluded that the project will not measurably impact the natural delivery of sand and cobbles to the shoreline from the creek and will have no impact on the surf break. Seymour’s peer review confirmed Skelly’s findings.

Extending the 241 will relieve traffic on Interstate 5 in South Orange County by providing an alternative route. With construction of the toll road, two miles of Interstate 5 will be retrofitted to collect and treat runoff, improving water quality in the Trestles area. Without the toll road, travel from the San Diego/Orange County border to Mission Viejo will take one hour in 2025. With the toll road constructed, the same drive on Interstate 5 will take 25 minutes and it will take 16 minutes on the toll road. The new road will provide an alternative to Interstate 5 for the hundreds of thousands of motorists a day who travel between San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles Counties.

SOURCE: Transportation Corridor Agencies

July 29, 2008 · Filed Under San Onofre Toll Road

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On one stretch of California coast, it’s sand, sea, and man vs. beast

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 29, 2008 at 9:19 pm

From the Christian Science Monitor:

It’s a sunny summer Tuesday, and in the waters off La Jolla Cove, kayakers paddle toward underwater caves and swimmers dot the surface. At Children’s Pool, a sliver of beach sheltered by a 300-foot-long crescent-shaped wall, the sand is white, the water is a shimmery blue-green, and the smell – well, the smell is terrible.

The air is thick with the stench of seal poop – a scent as sour as the years-long battle for this tiny piece of shoreline. For over a decade, it’s been the pinnipeds vs. the people in a fight for control, with activists on both sides using everything from heckling and restraining orders to lawsuits and a stun gun to draw and redraw their respective lines in the sand.

Seals have been gathering here since the 1990s, gradually making Children’s Pool – created as a place for families and children – a seal rookery, a place for the animals to have babies, rest, and relieve themselves. These days, given the water’s bacteria levels, it’s no longer considered safe for humans to swim.

Until very recently, the city was asking visitors to stay behind a rope barrier that protected seals lounging at the water’s edge. But in 2005, a California Superior Court ordered the city to take down the rope, remove the seals, and clean up the pool. Animal-rights activists appealed the decision, but last month, a US Appeals Court refused to hear their case. The California Supreme Court has also declined to hear it. The city has already begun the permitting process to clear the way for dredging, says Stacey LoMedico, San Diego’s Parks and Recreation director. But that process will probably take years, and in the meantime, the battle rages on.

Read more from the Christian Science Monitor by clicking here.

July 29, 2008 · Filed Under Water & the Environment

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Study: Southland must come up with a plan or face water shortages

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 29, 2008 at 7:05 am

From the Contra Costa County Times:

Local and regional water agencies and water companies must jointly develop a strategy to avoid water shortages now that the Southland’s traditional sources are drying up, according to a study released today.

The recommendation was among the preliminary findings of a study — “Where Will We Get The Water? Assessing Southern California’s Future Water Strategies” — carried out by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation for the Southern California Leadership Council, a business advocacy organization founded in 2005, and other sponsors.

The study was designed to identify and compare water supply and reliability options for the region in light of the declining supplies from traditional water import sources — the Colorado River, the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta, and the Owens River.

“Our local, regional water agencies and private water companies need to work together to devise and implement a regional water reliability strategy which uses southern California’s full array of water resources and infrastructure, including exchange programs, underground storage, and other shared services to meet our future water needs,” said Southern California Leadership Council Executive Director Lee Harrington.

Read more from the Contra Costa County Times by clicking here.

July 29, 2008 · Filed Under Water Supply

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Sewage spills are a summer bummer for beachgoers; The L.A. and San Gabriel rivers are like ‘big latrines’ that dump into Long Beach harbor, a city health official says

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 29, 2008 at 7:01 am

From the Los Angeles Times:

Long Beach is experiencing a beach buzz-kill this summer thanks to a series of sewage spills that have kept popular shoreline spots like Mother’s Beach off limits.

Long Beach has seen 31 sewage spills since January, four of them so severe that officials had to close the beaches. That’s about 10 fewer spills than this time last year, but three more beach closures. Officials say there have been more beach closures this year because of where the sewage spilled. “We just had a couple that were closer to the beach,” said Nelson Kerr, recreational water manager at the city’s Department of Health and Human Services.

On Saturday, a 12,000-gallon sewage spill near Spinnaker Bay closed Mother’s Beach, Marine Stadium, Colorado Lagoon and Alamitos Bay. The closures forced organizers to postpone the annual Naples Island Swim competition Sunday. Beaches were not expected to reopen until this morning at the soonest.

Some of the water quality issues are homegrown. Cleaning crews responsible for maintaining the city’s 760 miles of sewer lines traced Saturday’s spill to an 8-inch pipe below a gated community that was clogged with cooking grease. A 300-gallon spill July 13 that closed several beaches was caused by vandals stuffing toilet paper down public toilets near Mother’s Beach, city officials said.

Other water problems flow downstream from Los Angeles. Unlike other beach cities, Long Beach is inundated with polluted water from the San Gabriel and Los Angeles rivers, say environmental experts at groups like Heal the Bay.

The beach closures — three in less than two months — are particularly bitter for Long Beach because the city has been trying to improve the water quality of its beaches by staging cleanups, commissioning environmental studies and sending cleaning crews to scour problem sewer pipes.

“Despite Long Beach’s best efforts to minimize poor local water quality, they will continue to be at the mercy of the entire L.A. and San Gabriel River watershed’s runoff,” said Mike Grimmer, who manages Heal the Bay’s beach report card program.

Read more from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.

July 29, 2008 · Filed Under Other Oceans & Beaches Stories

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L.A. County beaches rank high in contamination; Testing by the Natural Resources Defense Council shows Avalon on Santa Catalina Island and Santa Monica Pier area had high levels of bacteria

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 29, 2008 at 6:54 am

From the Los Angeles Times:

For the fifth year in a row, Los Angeles County is home to the dirtiest beaches in the state, with repeat offenders Avalon on Santa Catalina Island and Santa Monica among those with the highest levels of fecal bacteria in ocean water, according to a Natural Resources Defense Council report to be released today. “The problem’s not going away,” said Michelle Mehta, an attorney with the nonprofit organization’s water program.

Also among the top 10 foulest shores were Doheny State Beach south of Dana Point Harbor, Ocean Beach at Vicente Street in San Francisco, Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro and Rincon Beach Creek mouth in Ventura County.

Coastlines in Laguna Beach, at Bolsa Chica State Beach and Huntington City Beach were singled out as particularly clean.

Samples were taken from nearly three-quarters of California’s public beaches from April through October 2007. Monitors collected most samples from ankle-deep water at least once a week at sites near storm drains or other contamination sources. Across California, these contained unhealthful levels of enterococcus, total coliform and fecal coliform bacteria — found in human and animal waste — 7% of the time, down from 12% the previous year.

Bathers in tainted water can contract gastroenteritis, ear infections, skin rashes or other symptoms, Mehta said. Dirty water can flow into the sea from storm drains and sewage systems, especially in rainstorms.

Read more from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.

July 29, 2008 · Filed Under Other Oceans & Beaches Stories

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Water conservation is voluntary, San Diego City Council says

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 29, 2008 at 6:50 am

From the San Diego Union Tribune:

The San Diego City Council yesterday sided with Mayor Jerry Sanders over City Attorney Michael Aguirre, formally calling for continued voluntary water conservation instead of mandatory curtailment.

A council committee in September will discuss Aguirre’s more stringent call to fight drought, rising water costs and dwindling supplies. Aguirre first called for mandatory cutbacks in September 2007, but Sanders continually has questioned the economic fallout of such an edict.

Sanders wants San Diego’s water use in 2008 to fall 10 percent from the average of the past two years but noted yesterday that is down only 3 percent to date. He said trends show that the city may use more water this year.

Water Department Director Jim Barrett said yesterday that the earliest he believes the city might be forced into a mandatory conservation declaration would be next spring, but he added that a lot will depend on how much California’s water supplies are bolstered by the rain and snow of winter.

July 29, 2008 · Filed Under Conservation, San Diego

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Freeman Diversion hinders steelhead; Water district must build new facility, officials decide

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 29, 2008 at 6:45 am

From the Ventura County Star:

Following years of debate, officials have ruled the Freeman Diversion on the Santa Clara River hampers the ability of steelhead trout to move up and down the river and a new structure needs to be built to protect the federally endangered species.

A fish ladder does exist on the 30-foot diversion. But it does not allow steelhead to move up the river, which is deemed one of the most important watersheds in Southern California for the fish that were once plentiful in local rivers, according to a biological opinion released Friday by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

While environmentalists applauded the decision, United Water Conservation District, which operates the diversion, was disappointed with the outcome that could cost the district tens of millions of dollars in the coming years. United Water had fought to counter an earlier draft opinion by the NMFS. The district found the final report “extremely disappointing,” and called the 2011 timetable to build a multimillion dollar facility “difficult if not unfeasible,” said General Manager Dana Wisehart.

While the opinion does not outline specifics of what needs to be built, officials at California Trout said the report is a step in the right direction. California Trout filed a suit against United Water more than five years ago claiming a violation of the Endangered Species Act. “This document is a good outcome that provides an outline for the best minds to work for a good solution for the fish,” said Nica Knite, Southern California project manager for the environmental nonprofit group.

Read more from the Ventura County Star by clicking here.

July 29, 2008 · Filed Under Water & Wildlife

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Feds pushing crackdown on wells tapping into Colorado River water

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 29, 2008 at 6:20 am

From the Arizona Republic:

Hundreds of people who illegally pump water from wells along the lower Colorado River could face a tough choice soon: Pay to acquire rights to the water or turn the spigot off.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees the river in Arizona, Nevada and California, has proposed new rules that target the well owners, who drain as much as 5 billion gallons of water a year from the Colorado. Most of the well owners are private citizens who have drilled their wells too close to the river. Instead of pumping groundwater, to which landowners have a right, they are drawing water from the river’s subsurface flow. Well owners must get approval to siphon water from the river’s surface or subsurface.

To comply with the new procedures, well owners can seek an individual water right, join an existing water district or become a customer of a city or other provider with rights to Colorado River water. They could continue to pump water from the well but only within the limits of the water right or provider. Well owners who can’t acquire water rights can’t continue to use their wells.

The bureau is trying to figure out how many wells have tapped the river or the exact amount of water pumped. Hydrologists estimate the annual losses at 9,000 to 15,000 acre-feet, enough water to serve Lake Havasu City for most of a year. More than half the wells identified are in Arizona.

The federal crackdown comes at a time when the bureau and the seven Colorado River states are trying to stretch water supplies to meet growing demand and avert drought-related shortages.

Read the rest of this story from the Arizona Republic by clicking here.

July 29, 2008 · Filed Under Colorado River Basin

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Officials: Look locally for water supply; Recycling proposed as one solution

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 28, 2008 at 11:33 pm

From the Antelope Valley Press:

California’s powerful economy and explosive population were built by bringing water from areas with abundant supplies to serve as a lifeline for drier regions. But as demand increases and as drought, environmental considerations and other factors make the water supply less reliable, state and local water experts think communities should look closer to home for new water supplies.

“It’s important that we raise awareness of how fragile our water system is because a lot of our water comes from long distances. And we could lose that supply from a natural disaster or a political disaster,” said Lancaster City Councilman Ed Sileo.

Court-ordered cutbacks restrict how much water can be pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta into the California Aqueduct. The restrictions are meant to protect the Delta smelt, a fish species threatened with extinction.

Those restrictions, along with drought conditions, mean the Antelope Valley will have access to less water from the aqueduct next year. About 80% of the Valley’s water supplies come from the California Aqueduct.

To date the water cutbacks have cost the state economy nearly $400 billion, according to Lester Snow, Department of Water Resources director.

“In the 20th century we got water by building dams and pulling it out of the natural environment. That is not how we’re going to get water in the 21st century. We’re going to get water from investing in local resources like recycling plants,” said Timothy Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies.

Recycled water is obtained by treating sewage to remove impurities and sediments for reuse. The level of treatment depends on the quality of the initial water and how it will be used. Recycled water is not potable – it cannot be used for drinking or bathing – but it can be used for irrigating landscape and crops that people don’t eat, such as alfalfa, as well as for industrial processes, recreational uses and flushing toilets.

“We need to double, triple and quadruple our efforts to recycle and reuse water, and agencies throughout California are ready to do so,” Quinn said. “More water reuse is absolutely critical to meeting water demands as the state’s economy grows in the future,” he said.

Local city and water officials agree.

Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.

July 28, 2008 · Filed Under Antelope Valley, Recycled Water

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San Diego’s Sanders, Aguirre differ over water

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 28, 2008 at 11:28 pm

From the San Diego Union Tribune Newsblog:

The San Diego City Council will consider a formal declaration Monday afternoon calling for voluntary water conservation citywide.

Mayor Jerry Sanders supports the step, which would move the city one formal declaration away from a mandatory conservation measure. But City Attorney Michael Aguirre is calling for more aggressive actions by the city that would immediately curtail some water use to combat drought.

Sanders, worried about the economic impact of curbing water use by edict, wants San Diegans to voluntarily use 10 percent less water in 2008 than they did in 2007. At a Monday morning news conference he said they are only using 3 percent less despite many calls for conservation.

Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.

July 28, 2008 · Filed Under San Diego

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