Sunday’s top of the scroll: Is California’s drought over?
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 8:32 amFrom The California Report:
“Recent winter storms filled California creeks and flooded streets, so the drought is pretty much over, right? Well, not quite. Experts say the state would need quite a few more weeks just like the last few to offset three years of relatively dry weather. “
Listen to the report by clicking here.
Dan Bacher: DWR promotes peripheral canal as snow survey results announced
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 8:30 amFrom Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org, this commentary:
“The water content in California’s mountain snowpack is 115 percent of normal for the date statewide, contrasting with snow water content only 61 percent of normal last year at the same time, according to the snow survey conducted Friday by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR).
Electronic sensor readings show northern Sierra snow water equivalents at 129 percent of normal for this date, central Sierra at 101 percent, and southern Sierra at 119 percent. The sensor readings are posted at http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/snow/DLYSWEQ.
You would think that the Schwarzenegger administration would be happy with this news, but DWR used the release of the data to perpetuate the myth that California is still in a “big drought” and to campaign for the construction of the peripheral canal and new dams.
“Today’s snow survey offers us some cautious optimism as we continue to play catch-up with our statewide water supplies,” claimed DWR chief deputy director Sue Sims. “We are still looking at the real possibility of a fourth dry year. Even if California is blessed with a healthy snowpack, we must learn to always conserve this finite resource so that we have enough water for homes, farms, and businesses in 2010 and in the future.” … “
Read more from Dan Bacher by clicking here.
California handing water wasters the bill
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 8:25 amFrom NPR, this story from Weekend Edition Sunday:
“Recent rainy weather notwithstanding, California is still reeling from the effects of a long-term drought and mandated water conservation. Many water districts are hiking up rates for water use. In southern California, one water district has come up with a system that rewards conservation and penalizes water waste. The system is a model for other water districts around the state and, increasingly, around the country.”
Listen to this story from Weekend Edition Sunday by clicking here.
Quest: Saving the Coho
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 8:22 amFrom KQED’s Quest:
“Coho salmon conservationists in Marin County are losing hope they’ll see large numbers of the fish return to spawn this year, even after our recent rains. Marine biologists say the future looks grim after a series of drought years, and they’re looking for ways to stop the fish from being sucked into what they call “the vortex of extinction.” Dan Brekke reports.”
More from KQED’s Quest by clicking here.
Garden designer John Greenlee’s love affair with grasses
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 8:19 am
From the San Diego Union Tribune:
“Plantsman, nursery owner and garden designer John Greenlee first fell in love with meadows as a youngster playing in a field of ear-tickling grass near his Orange County home.
Decades later, the allure of this iconic landscape remains irresistible, “like a seductive mistress,” he writes in his new Timber Press book, “The American Meadow Garden.” “Grasses are sensual. You can smell them and hear them and watch them move. Meadows are sexy, just like lovers — they never stop changing, never ceasing to surprise.”
Starting in the 1980s, Greenlee has spurred a horticultural revolution that has put a growing array of ornamental grasses into nurseries and gardens everywhere. Now he wants homeowners married to “time-consuming, synthetic chemical-sucking” lawns to abandon turf in favor of shimmering meadows alive with grasses and flowers, birds and butterflies. … “
Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune by clicking here.
Bottling plant appeal before Orland council
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 8:14 amFrom the Chico Enterprise-Record:
“A proposal to build a Crystal Geyser sparkling water bottling plant in Orland will be before the Orland City Council Monday. Plans for the facility have been on the table since summer, with the Orland Technical Advisory Committee casting votes of approval in December.
But two appeals to that decision were filed with the city.
The most vocal opposition has been from a group called Save Our Water Resources, which has hired Sacramento attorney Sabrina Teller. In the appeal document and at several public meetings, the group has repeatedly said an environmental impact report should be done under the California Environmental Quality Act. Other concerns are about traffic, noise, use of groundwater, air quality and a nearby plume of groundwater contamination. … “
Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record by clicking here.
Aging pipes force sewage into San Francisco Bay
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 8:12 amFrom the San Francisco Chronicle:
“Joan Petrosh and her friends were tossing fishing lines into the bay last week, hoping for bites from the striped bass and stingrays they usually catch.
The setting? On the Richmond-area shoreline – in front of one of the main outflow points for partially treated sewage in the Bay Area.
“There’s no way we would eat anything we catch,” Petrosh said, watching one of the lines buck with what looked like a bite. “Just think of the bay – it’s too contaminated. We just catch ‘em for fun and throw ‘em right back.”
Little did she know how contaminated the water really was.
During the storms that howled through the Bay Area a couple of weeks back, a total of 630,000 gallons of raw sewage spewed into the bay at 47 spots, according to environmental watchdog group San Francisco Baykeeper. … “
Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.
Congressman McClintock: The Agony of the Central Valley: “Congress has thus made clear its intention to sacrifice the people of the San Joaquin Valley on the altar of environmental extremism”
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 8:08 am
From the website of Senator Tom McClintock, this speech to the House Chamber on January 26 (Tuesday):
“For many months, the Republicans on the Water and Power Sub-Committee of the House Natural Resources Committee have implored the majority Democrats to hold a hearing in the Central Valley of California to see and hear for themselves the damage that the federal government has caused by diverting 200 billion gallons of water away from Central Valley farms in order to indulge the environmental Left’s pet cause, the Delta Smelt.
After our pleas were met with continued stonewalling, we decided to hold a forum under our own auspices and invite all members of the California Congressional Delegation, all members of the Natural Resources Committee and representatives of the Obama administration to see firsthand what their policies have wrought.
Instead, after we had announced the forum, the Water and Power Sub-Committee Chairwoman decided to meet on the same day in Southern California to extol the virtues of water conservation.
Congress has thus made clear its intention to sacrifice the people of the San Joaquin Valley on the altar of environmental extremism. … “
Read the full text of this speech from Congressman McClintock by clicking here.
R.J. Kelly: How Castaic Lake Water Agency navigated the water scene in 2009
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 8:04 amFrom the Santa Clarita Signal, this commentary by R. J. Kelley of the Castaic Lake Water Agency:
“With California’s water supply at a well-publicized crossroads, the past year has posed significant challenges to water professionals statewide, and the coming year promises a continuation of those challenges as well as a potential major turning point in the way our state manages this essential resource.
At the beginning of each year, we at the Castaic Lake Water Agency review the previous 12 months, assessing our efforts to achieve our goals and continue providing a safe, reliable water supply. We also look ahead to the coming year, anticipating and planning for issues we’ll face in the months ahead.
In this commentary, the first of two parts, we look at 2009 with an eye toward the major goals and objectives we laid out one year ago.
We are proud of the way our board and agency staff have confronted these and many other challenges as we strive, in collaboration with the local water retailers, to be good stewards of the Santa Clarita Valley’s water supply: … “
Read more from the Santa Clarita Signal by clicking here.
There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 8:01 amFrom the Huffington Post, this commentary by Andy Lipkis, Founder and President of TreePeople:
“The rains that have fallen in the past couple weeks have given Los Angeles a reprieve from the severe drought of the past three years. In a search for long-term solutions, last week Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (38th district) convened a hearing of the House Natural Resources Water and Power Subcommittee in L.A..
Those in attendance heard testimony about a diversity of approaches. But they didn’t hear much about a critical solution that could be scaled up quickly and cheaply, go far to meet our urgent water needs, and create jobs to jumpstart our economy. That solution is rainwater harvesting.
Despite L.A.’s recent abundant rainfall, experts agree that the drought is far from over. What’s more, these rains didn’t help L.A. as much as they could, because there’s a hole in our bucket. Every time it rains, the City leaks billions of gallons of rainwater, literally throwing it away, right out to sea. … “
Read more from the Huffington Post by clicking here.
Commentary: Salton Sea’s fate should concern all
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 7:58 amFrom the North County Times, this commentary/rebuttal by Marion Ashley and Gary Wyatt of the Salton Sea Authority to a recent editorial suggesting the Salton Sea be allowed to dry up:
” … the issues surrounding the Salton Sea require more thought and creativity that just wishing that the sea would go away. Along Highway 395 on the eastern slope of the Sierras, the Owens Lake nearly dried up after the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power diverted the Owens River for use by Los Angeles residents. The resulting exposure of the dry lake bed was catastrophic. Arsenic-infused dust blew up and down the valley, creating an environmental disaster that has still not been fully solved, and associated legal challenges, air quality fines and mitigation costs may approach $1 billion.
If allowed to dry up, the Salton Sea, a lake that is four times the size of Owens Lake, could create an air quality disaster for California, with legal and mitigation costs dwarfing what the Los Angeles water department must pay. By not preserving the sea, which is part of the Pacific Flyway, the state will be in violation of an international Migratory Bird Treaty. … “
Read more from the North County Times by clicking here.
Turning back the clock in south San Diego Bay: Restoring wetlands for habitat isn’t as easy as it may sound
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 7:53 amFrom the San Diego Union Tribune:
“A $7.7 million restoration project in south San Diego Bay highlights just how difficult it is to manipulate nature — even when the goal is to make the landscape look more like it did before development took over.
It’s part of a national debate about how to balance competing demands on highly altered terrain used by people and animals.
The federal dredging and grading process, which started last week, is the largest undertaking of its kind for the bay and marks the first step in a much bigger vision for turning back the clock on tideland development.
The setting is a sprawling network of shallow ponds that a company is using to draw bay water for making salt for road de-icing, cattle feed and other industrial purposes. The ponds have existed since the late 1800s and are an integral part of what’s widely recognized as one of the world’s most important shorebird areas. Tens of thousands of migratory birds visit the site each year. … “
Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune by clicking here.
Arsenic-tinged water plagues unincorporated communities
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 7:51 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“Thousands of eastern Coachella Valley residents live in areas that potentially contain hazardous levels of arsenic in their groundwater, a problem officials say could cost millions to remedy.
In Coachella and the unincorporated eastern valley communities of Mecca, Oasis and Thermal, Riverside County environmental health officials know of wells at 19 mobile home and RV parks that recently tested positive for dangerous levels of arsenic ranging from 12 to 91 parts per billion in their groundwater.
Studies have linked arsenic, a naturally occurring tasteless and odorless element, to risks of cancer when ingested over decades at levels of more than 10 parts per billion, according to state and federal health officials. Children are even more susceptible because of their low body weight. … “
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Las Vegas feels the fallout from the Supreme Court decision, and a profile of Pat Mulroy and her pipeline
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 7:49 amStunning news on Friday for Pat Mulroy and the Southern Nevada Water Authority. This morning’s Las Vegas Sun says the pipeline is not the only answer:
” … The Nevada Supreme Court’s ruling last week that upheaved multibillion-dollar plans to tap water from rural Nevada for the Las Vegas Valley has thrown into confusion the fate of a project that was once hailed as essential to the future of Las Vegas.
The ruling jeopardizes two decades of planning to draw water from the Great Basin to sate local needs, by concluding that the applications for water rights coveted by the Southern Nevada Water Authority had long ago expired.
This doesn’t spell the death of the pipeline project. The issue now returns to District Court. And for its part, the Water Authority reacted quickly to the court’s decision by immediately refiling its applications for water rights in eastern Nevada. The agency hopes to eventually have permission to draw water south to Las Vegas via a 300-mile pipeline.
Meanwhile, the door is open for hundreds of pipeline opponents who had been excluded from the process to finally protest the plan, a prospect that seems likely to throw more obstacles in its way. … “
Read more from the Las Vegas Sun by clicking here.
Meanwhile, back at the headquarters … Journalist Emily Green traces the history of Pat Mulroy and the pipeline project in this post from Chance of Rain (an abridged version of this story is in the Las Vegas Sun today):
“Few among us will become the face of a catastrophe, but Pat Mulroy will. In 1989 the general manager of the Las Vegas Valley Water District staked her career on her ability to drive a pipeline nearly 300 miles north in order to tap the Great Basin aquifer.
Only Pat, her employees and the wishful have ever denied the ultimate cost of the water needed to fill this pipe. Rather, for the last two decades, the question has been: Where will the suffering be felt?
If Pat got the rural water, disaster would befall the Nevadan basins whose groundwater she intended to tap. If she didn’t, it would strike Las Vegas, whose irrepressible growth for much of the last two decades banked on the pipeline to refresh its dwindling supply of Colorado River water.
Until recently, smart money was on Las Vegas getting the water and five rural valleys in central, eastern Nevada getting the disaster. Look at a map and there are the target basins, little populated places lined up like long narrow flagstones leading half way to Salt Lake City: Delamar, Dry Lake, Cave, Spring and Snake valleys.
But recently the odds have swung in sudden and stunning ways against Las Vegas. … “
Continue reading at the Chance of Rain blog by clicking here.
Water Wired: A new proposal for leaving Las Vegas
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 7:42 amMichael Campana at Water Wired continues the discussion from John Fleck’s post from yesterday, and proposes a solution for the water problems of the southwest:
” … instead of moving massive amounts of water around the continent, let me channel David Zetland and suggest that we provide financial incentives for people to depopulate places like Las Vegas, Phoenix, etc., and move to places like Detroit, Buffalo, Toledo, Akron, Pittsburgh, etc. … “
Read the full text of this post from Water Wired by clicking here.
Vilsack commentary: Vilsack: Rural America is in need of renewal
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 7:30 amFrom the Des Moines Register:
“After a year as the U.S. secretary of agriculture, I’ve reached two conclusions: Most Americans do not fully appreciate the work and sacrifice of the farmers and ranchers who produce the food and fiber that keeps all of us alive, and an overhaul of our approach to economic development in rural America is long overdue.
Last year, America lost one of its great heroes when Norman Borlaug passed away. I felt honored to be asked to give one of the eulogies for him at a remembrance held at Texas A&M. My remarks focused on his early life, and how the nature of farming in the early 20th century profoundly influenced him. Borlaug grew up with subsistence farming in America. If crops did not produce, families did not eat. That experience drove him to find ways to increase crop production so hunger could be eradicated.
Appreciate America’s farmers
Some do go hungry today in America, but not because farmers and ranchers fail to produce enough. During my lifetime we witnessed a historic increase in agricultural production in this country. Few of us fully appreciate the extent of productivity gains in agriculture, which outstripped the productivity gains in most other sectors of our economy. … “
Read more from the Des Moines Register by clicking here.
Snowpack numbers have officials optimistic, but one good snowpack can’t end drought yet
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 30, 2010 at 7:16 amFrom the San Francisco Chronicle:
“Meticulous measurements in the Sierra confirmed Friday what many skiers, driveway shovelers and road clearing crews already suspected – there is a whole heck of a lot of snow in the mountains.
The second of five monthly surveys by the California Department of Water Resources showed that the water content of the snow is 115 percent of average statewide. Last year at this time, it was just 61 percent of normal.
The recent spate of storms heaped the snow so high that California water officials are being forced to substitute their bold pronouncements about a fourth year of drought with soft murmurings about a lingering water shortage.
“It means we have a rosier outlook,” said David Rizzardo, the chief of snow surveys for the Department of Water Resources. “We have to use caution about where we are right now, but it’s looking better that we could come out of this and have an average year.” … “
Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.
From the San Jose Mercury News, DWR’s Susan Sims reminds us it’s too early to declare the drought over”
” … “We are still looking at the real possibility of a fourth dry year. Even if California is blessed with a healthy snowpack, we must learn to always conserve this finite resource so that we have enough water for homes, farms and businesses,” Sims said.
While major reservoirs’ water levels remain low, there’s room for optimism. Shasta is most bountiful — at 82 percent of normal for this time of year. Oroville came in at 50 percent and Folsom was 61 percent of normal.
Water managers realize that much more rain and snow are needed to bring reservoirs up to the average benchmark. They also remember that court-ordered environmental restrictions will still divert billions of gallons to fish and away from farms and cities. And there’s no guarantee the storm window won’t slam shut abruptly.
“We have a pretty big hole to fill after three years of dry weather,” said Tim Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies. “We’re still only average, or just a little bit better.”
What happens in February and March will be important, said David Rizzardo, snow survey chief for the state Department of Water Services.
“What really matters is where we’re at April 1,” he said. … “
Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune by clicking here.
MORE COVERAGE:
- Big California snowpack no panacea for water users, Silicon Valley Mercury News
- January storms a big boost for Sierra snowpack, Silicon Valley Mercury News
- Have we been saved by the snowpack? Much more precipitation is needed, water experts say, San Diego Union Tribune
- Storms trigger snowpack rebound, but key State Water Project reservoir is only 33 percent full, North County Times
Westlands asks to ease pumping limits
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 30, 2010 at 6:59 amFrom the Hanford Sentinel:
” Westlands Water District is asking a federal court to temporarily suspend pumping restrictions that have limited water deliveries from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River delta to protect endangered fish, the district announced Friday.
Westlands’ announcement comes on the heels of major winter storms last week that dumped inches of rain on the San Joaquin Valley and several feet of snow in the mountains, boosting reservoir levels and increasing flows into the delta.
Much of the inflow can be pumped out for delivery to Westside farmers without threatening the endangered delta smelt, according to the district.
“The relief we are seeking doesn’t threaten the delta smelt this time of year. The fish agencies’ own surveys show that the vast majority of the smelt are currently residing in northern and western parts of the delta,” said Thomas Birmingham, general manager of Westlands. … “
Read more from the Hanford Sentinel by clicking here.
Commentary: Gov. Schwarznegger’s water plan is a disaster for California
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 30, 2010 at 6:57 amFrom the Contra Costa Times, this commentary by Alex Hildebrand:
“The January storms have clarified that the water supply shortage is primarily because California has outgrown its developed water supply. Fiddling with water rights, endangered species laws and conveyance systems cannot substitute for increasing the developed water supply.
The state forecasts 15 million more Californians in 30 years. But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan makes no provision for the farm water that must be consumed to grow food for 15 million more people.
There is no plan to increase the developed water supply.
# The governor’s plan would continue to spill to the Bay many millions of acre feet of storm water from the Sacramento Valley.
# The governor’s BDCP Plan proposes to destroy many of the nonurban levees in the Delta and would convert the Delta to an open, salty Bay. … “
Read more from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
Blog commentary: On moving water & transbasin transfers
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 30, 2010 at 6:54 amJohn Fleck of the Inkstain blog pauses at the end of a week of remarkable water news to notice a common theme:
” … The more we engage in large scale movement of water out of its natural watersheds, the more trouble we seem to have.
That is certainly the case with this week’s biggest western water news, the decision by Nevada’s Supreme Court to invalidate the process of issuing permits for groundwater to fill Vegas’s big water pipe.
It also is at the heart of California’s debate over a new peripheral canal (or something like it), a conveyance to move water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. George Janczyn at GrokSurf explains the no-win dilemma at the heart of the issue: Southern California faces disaster if (when?) the delta collapses and the southland can no longer get the massive transbasin transfer of water it’s come to depend on: “When the breaking point for the delta is reached, it will be catastrophic for SoCal — and taking the long-term view, such a delta malfunction seems inevitable.” … “
Read the full text of this post from John Fleck at the Inkstain blog by clicking here.
Water heist: Corporations are targeting cash-strapped cities for control of their public water
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 30, 2010 at 6:50 amFrom AlterNet:
“Corporate interests having are eyeing our water. From wastewater to drinking water, big business is looking to cash in on public water systems and they’ve got a new tactic: They’re using desperate economic times to convince city officials that they should place a corporation between families and their ability to eat, drink, and clean.
Take Akron, Ohio, for example. In September 2008 I wrote an article for Alternet about a ballot measure in Akron where voters were asked whether to lease the city’s wastewater system to a corporation in return for an immediate, one-time payment. The plan was roundly defeated. But more importantly, as the article suggested, the lease signaled a new direction for water privatization in the U.S. This involved a collaboration between water companies and Wall Street to snatch up control of water infrastructure for the better part of a century.
Since that vote, similar lease plans have been floated in Milwaukee and Chicago, presenting a dangerous possibility: In the near future, a major U.S. city could sign over unprecedented control of its water system to a corporation for a generation or longer. The silver lining in this narrative is that the same communities being targeted by water corporations for these deals are now charting out new ways to ensure their water remains in public hands. And for the moment, advocates of public control are winning. … “
Read more from AlterNet by clicking here.
Aerial view of the Freeport Project
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 30, 2010 at 6:48 amCheck out photographer Adrain Mendoza’s picture of the Freeport Project by clicking here.
William Tweed: Playing the numbers game with Valley groundwater
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 30, 2010 at 6:45 amFrom the Visalia Times Delta, columnist William Tweed crunches the numbers on the Central Valley groundwater from the USGS data:
” …To measure larger amounts of water, we use other measurements. The most common is the acre-foot. This is the amount of water required to cover an acre of land (43,560 square feet) one foot deep. In other words, an acre-foot of water is 43,560 x 7.48 gallons, or 325,829 gallons. (No wonder the rest of the world has given up on our system of measurements.)
So, armed with this information, I went to work on the question of how many acre-feet there might be in 3.5 cubic kilometers. It took awhile, but the answer (rounding off a bit) is about 2,835,000 acre-feet. Put another way, that is enough water to cover about 4,400 square miles of land with a foot of water.
But here’s another more somber way to put it: The amount of water we are taking out of the ground annually in the San Joaquin Valley and not replacing is larger than the total average annual flow of both the San Joaquin and Kings rivers combined. … “
Read the full text of William Tweed’s column in the Visalia Times-Delta by clicking here.
Hilmar Cheese wastewater disposal plan OK’d by state
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 30, 2010 at 6:42 amFrom the Merced Sun-Star:
“SACRAMENTO — Hilmar Cheese Co. won state approval Friday for a change to its wastewater treatment process.
The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board voted unanimously to let the company test a new method for one of the final treatment steps at its Lander Avenue plant.
Wastewater from the plant, the world’s largest cheese producer, has drawn years of scrutiny from regulators and neighbors.
The change involves a part of the process that removes salts from the water. The current system uses reverse osmosis — forcing water through a membrane to trap the salts — for up to 1.4 million gallons a day. … “
Read more from the Merced Sun-Star by clicking here.
PG&E: We’ll sue to block CEQA: SSJID refuses to rubber stamp pipeline without review
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 30, 2010 at 6:40 amFrom the Manteca Bulletin:
“PG&E is threatening to sue the South San Joaquin Irrigation District over a 24-inch natural gas pipeline project in rural South Manteca that the SSJID board refused to rubber stamp.
The pipeline in question runs from Woodward Avenue to West Ripon Road about midway between Union Road and Oleander Avenue.
Issues that PG&E has not addressed publically that the California Environmental Quality Act process would include:
•Soil conditions. The sandy soil has an extremely high water table – in some places around Woodward Avenue three or so feet below the ground. PG&E’s solution is simply to dewater the area and dump the water into SSJID lines without identifying what they’d actually be dumping into the lines. State law is tough on cities and farmers that send water into drainage canals and ultimately out into the San Joaquin River and the Delta. Nestles in Ripon, for example, was prohibited from dewatering its site into either storm drains or the river due to issues with the quality of the water. … “
Read more from the Manteca Bulletin by clicking here.
A related editorial asks, didn’t PG&E learn anything from the Hinkley disaster?
“How can PG&E get a free pass from strict California water quality standards involving what can be discharged into the San Joaquin River and Delta when municipalities, farmers, and other businesses are held to significantly higher standards?
It can no longer be a defense that PG&E – and other California utilities – that already have lines in place in areas with water table issues can simply do as they please when they put in new pipelines on the argument they did it before and it was OK.
This is 2010, not 1955. The entire world has changed and is being required to march to higher environmental standards regardless of how inconsequential a proposed action may seem.
PG&E wants to place a new 24-inch natural gas pipeline in the ground south of Manteca. That in its self shouldn’t cause anyone to have a heart attack or to scream foul except for one small detail. The water table is high in the area and PG&E was planning to pump the water into the SSJID canals and pipelines to get rid of it. … “
Read more of this editorial from the Manteca Bulletin by clicking here.
Recent rains still making a splash: Succession of storms keeps regional waterfalls gurgling
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 30, 2010 at 6:36 am
From the San Diego Union Tribune:
“No one would confuse waterfalls in San Diego County with Niagara Falls, but more than a week of storms have made the region’s cascades of water run like they rarely do.
The show offers a reminder of the region’s natural diversity, said Rob Hutsel, executive director of the San Diego River Park Foundation. “From the ocean and the estuaries all the way to the deserts, our scenic vistas are just incredible,” he said.
While the local waterfalls don’t typically trump beaches on sightseeing lists, the recent rains offer a reason to go searching for ribbons of water splashing down the rocks.
“Probably the best opportunity to see waterfalls this year is in the next few days,” said Jerry Schad, author of the popular hiking guide “Afoot & Afield San Diego County.” It includes references to about three dozen waterfalls in the region. … “
Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune by clicking here.
Mexican wastewater officials tour treatment plant; Recycling facility chosen for efficiency
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 30, 2010 at 6:33 amFrom the San Diego Union Tribune:
“SANTEE — With the enthusiasm of a child talking about a new toy, Gary Canfield proudly showed off the Santee water treatment plant he manages.
“Now we’re going to my favorite place,” Canfield told a group of 38 Mexican wastewater officials as he led them to the maintenance shop for the Padre Dam Municipal Water District’s recycled water plant. “This is where we have fun.”
The tour held Thursday was the result of a recent agreement between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mexican President Felipe Calderón promising increased cooperation between the state and Mexico. … “
Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune by clicking here.
Brian Brady: Starting over is a bad choice
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 30, 2010 at 6:31 amFrom the Imperial Valley Press, this commentary by Brian Brady of the Imperial Irrigation District:
“There is a common misperception in the Imperial Valley that the Imperial Irrigation District is transferring water to urban Southern California because it isn’t needed here and there is money to be made in sending it elsewhere.
The reason this myth of “selling water” has taken hold at the local level, I believe, is because the internal debate over the Valley’s water rights has been raging for so long that fatigue has set in and only a few people are still around who can recall the chain of events leading up to the 2003 signing of the agreement, which, in turn, set into motion the nation’s largest agricultural-to-urban water transfer.
IID is transferring water to the San Diego County Water Authority and the Coachella Valley Water District because of a ruling in 1982 by the State Water Resources Control Board that the district was failing to put its water to reasonable and beneficial use. Even though the district has long maintained that its water use is as efficient as any purveyor’s in the West, a calculated determination was made that the costs of future legal fights were outweighed by the safety and certainty of a water transfer agreement that would pay for greater efficiency and shore up its exposure to reasonable and beneficial use challenges. … “
Read more from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.
DWR announces second snow survey results: 115% of normal
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 29, 2010 at 3:54 pm
From the Department of Water Resources:
Manual and electronic readings today indicate that water content in California’s mountain snowpack is 115 percent of normal for the date statewide. This time last year, snow water content was 61 percent of normal statewide.
“Today’s snow survey offers us some cautious optimism as we continue to play catch-up with our statewide water supplies,” said DWR chief deputy director Sue Sims. “We are still looking at the real possibility of a fourth dry year. Even if California is blessed with a healthy snowpack, we must learn to always conserve this finite resource so that we have enough water for homes, farms, and businesses in 2010 and in the future.”
Lake Oroville, the principal storage reservoir for the State Water Project (SWP) is at 33 percent of capacity, and 50 percent of average storage for this time of year. Lake Shasta, the principal storage reservoir for the federal Central Valley Project, is at 56 percent of capacity, and 82 percent of average for the date.
DWR’s early allocation estimate was that the agency would only be able to deliver 5 percent of requested SWP water this year, reflecting low storage levels, ongoing drought conditions, and environmental restrictions on water deliveries to protect fish species. The agency will recalculate the allocation after current snow survey results and other conditions are evaluated.
Results of today’s manual survey by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) off Highway 50 near Echo Summit are as follows:
Location Elevation
Snow Depth
Water Content
% of Long Term Average
Alpha 7,600 feet
69.3 inches
20.3 inches
96
Phillips Station 6,800 feet
62.6 inches
20.3 inches
106
Lyons Creek 6,700 feet
78.2 inches
22.9 inches
117
Tamarack Flat 6,500 feet
67.8 inches
20.2 inches
106
Electronic sensor readings show northern Sierra snow water equivalents at 129 percent of normal for this date, central Sierra at 101 percent, and southern Sierra at 119 percent. The sensor readings are posted at http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/snow/DLYSWEQ.
DWR estimates that fishery agency restrictions on Delta pumping adopted in the past year to protect Delta smelt, salmon, and other species could reduce annual deliveries of State Water Project water by 30 percent.
Governor Schwarzenegger has championed a comprehensive water plan that he recently signed into law. The package would safeguard the state’s water supply through conservation, more surface and groundwater storage, new investments in the state’s aging water infrastructure, and improved water conveyance to protect the environment and provide a reliable water supply.
Importance of Snow Surveying
Snow water content is important in determining the coming year’s water supply. The measurements help hydrologists prepare water supply forecasts as well as provide others, such as hydroelectric power companies and the recreation industry, with needed data.
Monitoring is coordinated by the Department of Water Resources as part of the multi-agency California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program. Surveyors from more than 50 agencies and utilities visit hundreds of snow measurement courses in California’s mountains to gauge the amount of water in the snowpack.
The Department of Water Resources operates and maintains the State Water Project, provides dam safety and flood control and inspection services, assists local water districts in water management and water conservation planning, and plans for future statewide water needs.
YouTube Video: Sierra snow survey
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 29, 2010 at 3:49 pmFrom KQED’s Climate Watch Blog:
“Ever wonder how they measure the snow pack and its water content in the Sierra Nevada? Some of it is done with remote telemetry now but the final measurements still rely on century-old technology–and a pair of skis (or snowshoes). Climate Watch Senior Editor Craig Miller joins veteran surveyor Frank Gehrke at a Sierra survey site.”
More on today’s snow survey from the KQED Climate Watch Blog by clicking here.
Western Weather Blog: Stormy weather to return later next week
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 29, 2010 at 3:46 pmSo what’s in store for the future? Will the stormy pattern return? Meteorologist Ken Clarke fills us in:
” … There will be two weak storms that bring cold fronts through California before this will happen. The first tonight into tomorrow, the second later Monday and Monday night. The first storm will not bring any precipitation from the south-central coast through southern California. The second could bring a couple of showers somewhat farther south, but it still is up in the air whether anything gets south of Pt. Conception. Even if it does we are talking very light amounts.
Two bigger storms are likely later next week. … “
Holdup on Delta water rules sought
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 29, 2010 at 3:43 pmFrom the Fresno Bee:
“Westlands Water District, along with other public water agencies, is asking a federal judge in Fresno to issue a temporary restraining order against rules protecting the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta smelt and salmon fisheries.
The request is expected to be heard in U.S. District Court on Tuesday. … “
Read more from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
ACWA endorses water bond on November 2010 ballot
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 29, 2010 at 3:42 pmFrom ACWA:
“Citing a critical need to reinvest in the state’s water infrastructure, the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) today endorsed an $11.14 billion water bond measure slated for the November 2010 ballot.
The statewide organization’s Board of Directors voted to formally support the Safe, Clean and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2010, saying it would provide much-needed funding for water supply reliability, Delta sustainability, water recycling, conservation, surface and groundwater storage, groundwater protection and cleanup, and drought relief.
“With passage of the legislative package last November, we have a framework for moving ahead with solutions. Now it is essential that we pass this water bond to provide funding for the projects and strategies that are central to solving our extreme water supply challenges,” said ACWA President Paul Kelley. “We can’t afford not to make this overdue investment in our water system.”
The Safe, Clean and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2010 was part of a comprehensive water package approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in November. If approved by voters, it will fund projects and programs to improve water supply reliability, sustain and restore the Delta, improve the operation of the state’s water infrastructure, expand water conservation and recycling, and protect groundwater and watersheds. It includes funding for all regions of California.
Kelley noted the measure would fund the kinds of programs and projects ACWA has advocated since release of its 2005 water policy document, “No Time to Waste: A Blueprint for California Water.” The document recommended a comprehensive suite of actions and investments to ensure California has the water supply system it will need in the coming decades.
ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 450 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com.
Column: Rain and controlling runoff is big part of state’s history
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 29, 2010 at 3:40 pmFrom Redding’s Record Searchlight, this column by Tom Dunlap:
“Ah, yes, I love the sound of rainfall in the night. Whether it was last night or last week, it’s as good as money in the bank for our future. It’s the end of January and we’re still hoping for more moisture to see us through to the first of May when summer heat awakens from hibernation.
Recent rainfall has raised the level of Lake Shasta a dozen feet or more. We’ve been tracking all the action on a rain gauge in our backyard. It has been exhaustive, like observing a yo-yo stoked with steroids. We call it indoor sports for the weather-minded. We’ve been blessed by several storms this past month, leaving us with writer’s cramps, but happy as ducks in a downpour.
We live a stone’s throw from the now-surging water of Churn Creek at the north end of Churn Creek Road. It is amazing what a difference precious rainfall can make. During the summer, even the deepest holes have trouble finding water enough to float a frog. Lately, however, that tributary is a raging torrent, often straying from its banks. … “
Commonwealth Club: Keeping Katrina out of California
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 29, 2010 at 3:38 pmFrom the Commonwealth Club:
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