Monday’s top of the scroll: Legislature rejects study of peripheral canal alternative
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2010 at 8:10 am
From the Stockton Record:
“The Legislature will not consider the latest alternative to a peripheral canal: a proposal to build gates, barriers and fish screens to protect both the ecosystem and the reliability of the water supply for much of California.
Lawmakers on Friday declined to move forward a bill by Assemblyman Bill Berryhill, R-Ceres, requiring study and analysis of the so-called Delta Corridors Plan. The plan is supported by Delta farmers, San Joaquin County and some environmentalists.
“I don’t understand it,” Berryhill said Friday. “All we’re trying to do is a study. We’re really fighting big water interests in Southern California.”
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California – which relies on Delta water to serve cities as far south as San Diego – was opposed to the $750,000 Delta Corridors study, to be paid for with previously approved bond funds.
In a letter, Metropolitan and other water districts warned that Berryhill’s Assembly Bill 1797 “would divert attention and already limited resources … and result in delays better spent on more effective long-term solutions for the Delta.” … “
Continue reading from the Stockton Record by clicking here. (This article is behind the paywall at the Record. Login or registration required to read it. A free registration will give you ten article reads per month.)
RELATED: More on the Delta Corridors Plan here.
Water Wired blog’s Michael Campana on Glibert’s resignation
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2010 at 8:00 amFrom Michael Campana at the Water Wired blog:
“A few days ago Emily Green posted on the consolidated salmonid case and the recent decison by Federal District Court Judge Oilver Wanger regarding freshwater exports from the Bay-Delta system. Also check out an earlier post from her. Looks like good news for the proponents of freshwater exports from the Bay-Delta system.
Good reading from Ms. Green, as usual. I sure get a warm, fuzzy feeling whenever judges rule on scientific issues. God help us if hydrologists start judging First Amendment(RAPPS) cases,
That takes care of the ‘fish.’ Here comes the ‘foul’ (as in wastewater treatment plant).
By now, almost everyone interested in the Bay-Delta knows that Dr. Patricia Glibert, a member of the NAS Bay-Delta Committee, on which I serve, was asked to resign because of research she published indicating that discharge from the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District’s plant was a root cause of degradation of the Bay-Delta ecosystem. … “
More from Michael Campana about Dr. Glibert and the NAS panel by clicking here.
Clock is ticking on Central Valley flood-control plan
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2010 at 7:56 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
“State officials have about 18 months to complete a first-ever comprehensive flood-control plan for the Central Valley, and they’re seeking public input to help finish the job.
The California Department of Water Resources is required by 2007 state legislation to complete the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan by Jan. 1, 2012. It must be adopted six months later by the Central Valley Flood Protection Board.
The plan aims to identify weaknesses in the Valley’s network of levees, weirs and bypasses, and suggest ways to fix those problems.
It’s a tall order.
Generations of California flood experts have been foiled by the challenge of simply understanding flood risk in one of the world’s most complex watersheds, much less building effective improvements. There are also huge legal and financial risks to consider. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
Santa Clarita: The search for a solution to salty water
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2010 at 7:49 amFrom the Santa Clarita Signal:
“Who’s to blame for the proposed sewer rate hike? Most local residents are peeved, and fingers are pointing in all directions.
Santa Clarita Valley residents could pay 50 percent more for their sewer bills in four years if the Sanitation District’s proposed rate increases pass. About half the hefty increase would go toward building a salt-removal system for discharged local water.
However, area residents have already made sacrifices to remove the chemical chloride from the water – namely, by removing in-home water softeners that have salt byproducts.Salt limits for discharged water are set low because studies show they may at some levels be dangerous to crops like avocados and strawberries, which are grown downstream from Santa Clarita in Ventura County’s Santa Clara River Valley.
All told, three governmental agencies and innumerable interests have had their hand in the murky issue of salty water discharge into the Santa Clara River. … “
Continue reading from The Signal by clicking here.
Long Beach shores: The L.A. River’s dumping ground
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2010 at 7:47 am
From the Long Beach Post’s City Beat column:
“The previous CityBeat touched on how the outflow from the Los Angeles River impacts beaches in Long Beach. Based on comments from readers, it is clear that people wanted more information about why Long Beach suffers so singularly from the cumulative upstream pollution discharged in to the Los Angeles River.
The Los Angeles River runs for 51 miles from its headwaters in the Santa Monica Mountains to its mouth in Long Beach Harbor.
The river originally followed an at-times meandering course but after severe floods in 1914, 1934 and 1938, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Los Angeles County Flood Control District constructed the concrete-lined structure we see today.
The river currently crosses 13 municipal jurisdictions (which includes 16 cities), each of which has individual authority over their land adjacent to the river. Counting both sides of the Los Angeles River, the cities of Long Beach and Los Angeles have the two largest sections of riverfront. Long Beach has 17.5 miles of Los Angeles River frontage and Los Angeles has 59.5 miles. … “
Continue reading this column from the Long Beach Post by clicking here.
RELATED: Heal the Bay says Long Beach’s beaches are improving
Better late than never for the Salton Sea
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2010 at 7:40 am
From MyDesert.com, this commentary by Ira Lauffer:
“The inaugural Salton Sea Stakeholder’s Symposium Thursday would have been a huge success — if it was held five years ago.
That’s not the fault of the Valley Action Group, which staged the symposium. Their very existence as interested entities in the Coachella Valley represent a chilling reality that all the parties involved to date have confused the issue, confused the public and confused each other. Finally, local organizations involved as “stakeholders” have coalesced to discuss this problem openly.
Aside from trying to unravel this enigma known as the Salton Sea, this symposium had two other firsts. … “
Continue reading from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Photo of Salton Sea at dusk by the Department of Water Resources.
Suspicions, conspiracy theories: Imperial Irrigation District election about QSA and much more: “This makes ‘Chinatown’ look like high school.”
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2010 at 7:27 amFrom the Imperial Valley Press:
“In a community whose sole source of water is the distant Colorado River, the Imperial Irrigation District is a formidable public agency because it controls the spigot.
In June the majority of this powerful district’s five-member board is up for election, and the main issue is of course: water.
Just as it transformed the Imperial Valley from a desert into the ninth-largest producing agricultural county in California, water divides the Valley, fueling suspicions and conspiracy theories. People whose community roots run deep advocate, argue and litigate over how to make sure the water keeps flowing, a political undercurrent that surfaces during board elections.
“It’s very hard to get consensus in this Valley,” said John Pierre Menvielle, a longtime farmer who was elected to the Imperial Irrigation District board in 2004. “Even in the farm community you can’t get consensus.” … “
Continue reading from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.
Southern Nevada Water Authority eyes power for pipeline plan
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2010 at 7:15 amFrom the Las Vegas Sun:
“Southern Nevada Water Authority is on the verge of getting into the geothermal power business.
The water agency on May 11 purchased a lease on 4,473 acres south of Ely from the Bureau of Land Management for about $9,000. The agency hopes to build a geothermal energy plant there to power pumps for a planned groundwater pipeline that would siphon off up to 170,000 acre-feet of water from springs in Eastern Nevada for use in Las Vegas and the Coyote Springs development.
Moving all that water will take a huge amount of electricity, something the agency doesn’t have.
Owning power plants is nothing new to the Water Authority. It is the biggest electricity user in the area and owns most of its generators. … “
Continue reading from the Las Vegas Sun by clicking here.
Saturday’s top of the scroll: Westlands applauds rulings on Delta pumping, but agrees to work on compromise
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2010 at 8:07 amThese two stories on the Wanger smelt decision cover different aspects of the events of yesterday, and are both worthy of your click-through for a full read. Starting off with the Contra Costa Times:
“The head of the nation’s largest irrigation district said Friday that recent court decisions confirm his contention that federal regulators have overly focused on Delta pumping rates as the cause of the estuary’s decline. “These decisions are a complete vindication of the direction we’ve been headed, that the decisions concerning implementation of the Endangered Species Act have not been based on good science,” said Tom Birmingham, general manager of the Westlands Water District.
“The species are never going to recover until these agencies start to base their decisions on science “… as opposed to their preconceived beliefs,” Birmingham added.
In the past two weeks, a federal judge has issued blistering rulings that found two federal endangered species permits were based on sloppy science and were inadequately analyzed for their effect on the state’s water supplies.
U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger a week ago tossed out a pair of restrictions meant to protect out-migrating salmon by slowing export of Delta water through mid-June.
In a decision issued late Thursday, Wanger sharply criticized a second permit, which is supposed to protect Delta smelt. He raised the specter that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service might have engaged in “bad faith.” … “
Continue reading from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
From the Fresno Bee:
“The federal government and its environmental allies agreed Friday to try to reach a compromise with water users over the contentious issue of just how much water should be pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta through the end of June.
Tom Birmingham, general manager of the Westlands Water District, made the offer on behalf of urban and agricultural water users during a short hearing before U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger. The proposal to talk involves pumping restrictions that protect the threatened delta smelt.
But if talks fail, Birmingham said in an interview that he is prepared to convince Wanger that delta pumping restrictions designed to help endangered smelt should be temporarily lifted.
“We believe the evidence indicates an injunction would not put these species at risk,” he said.
Environmentalists are willing to seek compromise, but they, too, feel they can make a good case to Wanger that current pumping restrictions in place are necessary to protect the tiny fish. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
You can read the full text of Wanger’s smelt ruling by clicking here.
Mark Grossi/Fresno Bee News Blog: Sorry for the spin, but I’m still chilled about the delta research
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2010 at 7:56 amFrom Mark Grossi at the Fresno Bee’s News Blog:
“Biology professor Michael Kunz pointed out the spin in my blog item about the firing of Patricia Glibert from the National Academy of Science panel studying the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. He wasn’t the only one.
She was fired for publishing a paper taking a strong position that ammonia from Sacramento’s waste water was a primary villain in the decline of the delta. But the paper and her opinion have not been vetted by the NAS committee. In the blog item, I said I was chilled, making it seem that I was upset about her circumstances. And that got Kunz’s attention.
Kunz, biology program director at Fresno Pacific University, said it seemed appropriate for the NAS to dismiss Glibert.
The NAS is trying to determine what factors are damaging the delta’s ecosystem. At the moment, water pumping at the delta for farms and cities is considered the biggest problem. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee’s News Blog by clicking here.
Congressman Cardoza issues statements on NAS resignations and Wanger smelt decision
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2010 at 7:53 am
From Congressman Dennis Cardoza:
“Today, Congressmen Dennis Cardoza and Jim Costa and sent a strong letter to Dr. Stephen Parker, Director of the Water Science and Technology Board at the National Research Council, seeking answers on the dismissal of Dr. Patricia Glibert and the resignation of Dr. Michael McGuire from the Committee on Sustainable Water and Environmental Management in the California Bay-Delta.
The Committee is carrying out a study examining the factors degrading the health of the Bay-Delta and solutions to the region’s water challenges.
“This study is critical to farmers, fisherman and the overall health of the Bay Delta. I have been among its strongest supporters and believe it must be carried out in an object manner,” said Congressman Cardoza.
Glibert recently published a study that concludes that efforts to restore the threatened Delta smelt and other declining fish should focus more sharply on reducing nutrient pollution to the Delta rather than on agricultural pumping. The dismissal of Glibert following the release of the study, and McGuire’s subsequent resignation in protest, raise concerns regarding the future of the Committee. “
You can read the full text of the letter by clicking here.
Congressman Cardoza also issued this statement regarding the Wanger smelt decision:
“Congressman Dennis Cardoza today hailed the decision by Judge Oliver Wanger on Thursday as a significant win for San Joaquin Valley’s west side farmers – as well as for common sense. In a 126-page ruling, Judge Wanger said that the biological opinion on Delta smelt was flawed. He also said the opinion must take into account human considerations along with environmental concerns.
The biological opinion on the Delta Smelt, as well as one on salmon, has guided the management of the pumps that deliver water to Valley farmers from the Bay Delta. Federal water regulators have curtailed pumping of water to Valley farmers in recent years, focusing exclusively on the pumps for declines in salmon and Delta smelt populations. Congressman Cardoza has long argued that other environmental factors – such as urban runoff and invasive predatory fish – have been overlooked by the federal agencies.
In addition to the ruling on Delta smelt on Thursday, the judge made a similar ruling on the salmon biological opinion last week.
“As I have continued to say, the evidence is becoming overwhelming that our Valley farmers are not to blame for all of the problems in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta,” said Congressman Cardoza. “We know there are multiple factors affecting the health of the Delta ecosystem. We need sound science to prevail. There is absolutely no reason we cannot provide water to those who grow our nation’s food while also protecting the Delta. I am pleased to see the judge pulling back these opinions.”
Congressman Cardoza also noted that the two biological opinions on the smelt and salmon are at times in conflict with each other. He said that a biological opinion that is complimentary to both species needs to be considered. “
Congressman Costa responds to NAS resignations and Wanger smelt decision
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2010 at 7:46 am
From Congressman Jim Costa, this statement regarding the resignations from the National Academies of Science panel:
“Today, Congressmen Jim Costa and Dennis Cardoza demanded answers from the National Academy of Sciences to explain why a scientist whose findings question the validity of federal water policy was removed from the panel examining the factors degrading the health of the Bay-Delta and solutions to the region’s water challenges.
“The people of our Valley want answers, and so do I,” said Costa. “These resignations are a concern to those of us who have been fighting for solutions to California’s water crisis. The stakes are too high and our Valley cannot afford for the Committee’s credibility to be jeopardized. The economic viability and future of our region rely on sound science and the truth. Anything less is unacceptable.”
Costa and Cardoza voiced their concerns in a letter addressed to Dr. Stephen Parker, Director of the Water Science and Technology Board at the National Research Council. The letter seeks answers on the dismissal of Dr. Patricia Glibert and the resignation of Dr. Michael McGuire from the Committee on Sustainable Water and Environmental Management in the California Bay-Delta.
Glibert recently published a study that concludes that efforts to restore the threatened Delta smelt and other declining fish should focus more sharply on reducing nutrient pollution to the Delta rather than on agricultural pumping. The dismissal of Glibert following the release of the study, and McGuire’s subsequent resignation in protest, raise concerns regarding the future of the Committee. … “
You can read the full text of letter by clicking here.
Congressman Costa also issued this statement on the Wanger court decision:
“Congressman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) responded today to Judge Oliver Wanger’s decision on threatened Delta smelt, calling the ruling a win for Valley farmers and the economy. Wanger ruled that the scientific opinions regarding smelt were flawed and that water regulations must consider human factors along with fish concerns.
“Today’s ruling is another victory for our farmers, workers, and entire economy,” said Costa. “Commonsense has prevailed. Bureaucrats and extreme environmentalists can no longer claim that fish matter more than people. Time and again, we have taken on these flawed water regulations. We are winning and more water is flowing to our Valley.”
Today’s ruling comes on the heels of Wanger’s decision involving endangered salmon. Wanger ordered that limits on pumping water from the Bay Delta can be lifted to allow more water to flow to the Valley.
Costa called Wanger’s decision another indication that the fight for more water is producing results.
“The legislative and administrative strategy we have pursued is making a difference. We have initiated and supported scientific studies that have been critical to these judicial decisions,” said Costa. “We have secured four times the amount of water we received last year. We have brought home funding for critical water projects. We have also pushed the Administration to revise the water regulations punishing the Valley. Much work remains, and our fight for jobs and the Valley economy will continue.””
West-side farmers clear water hurdle; Irrigation cleanup deadline extended
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2010 at 7:32 amFrom the Fresno Bee:
“Despite activist opposition, west Valley farmers have cleared a key hurdle for a decadelong extension on the deadline to clean up tainted irrigation drainage going into the San Joaquin River.
The extension for the Grassland Bypass Project, which prevents the bad water from passing through 100 miles of sensitive wetlands channels, was approved Thursday by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.
The California Sport Fishing Alliance and the California Water Impact Network argued the contamination will jeopardize the revival of long-dead salmon runs in early 2013. Re-establishing the salmon is part of a San Joaquin River restoration program that began last year.
The farmers, who were supposed to have the drainage cleaned up by October after 14 years of effort, now must get the approval of the State Water Resources Control Board. A date for the hearing has not been scheduled, but it is expected this summer. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
Wave-powered desalination pump permitted in Gulf
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2010 at 7:31 am
From CNet’s Green Tech:
“The waters of the Gulf of Mexico will see a novel offshore platform later this year, one that will use wave power to desalinate water.
Independent Natural Resources, which makes the Seadog water pump, on Wednesday said that it has received a permit for a wave power generation facility off the coast of Freeport, Texas. The company says it’s the first to receive a “section 10 permit” from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to operate a wave generator in the U.S.
The facility, which the company hopes to put in the water by the end of the year, will be a platform with 18 wave pumps underneath it. Each pump, which is about seven feet in diameter, will send water up through three water wheels connected to a generator. The electricity from the generator will be used to power a standard reverse osmosis desalination machine.
The wave energy generator is larger than Independent Natural Resource’s prototype machines which it installed in 2007 but this new facility is sized to operate at commercial scale in Gulf waters. Rather than sell electricity or water, though, operators will be taking data to measure impact on sea life, the generator’s performance, and the cost of operation, said Douglas Sandberg, the vice president of the privately funded company. … “
Continue reading this article from CNet by clicking here.
US government funding desalination research
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2010 at 7:29 amFrom Desalination & Water Reuse:
“Funding for research and laboratory studies, pilot-scale projects and demonstration projects in desalination and water purification is to be made available by the US federal Bureau of Reclamation.
The bureau announced on 25 May 2010 that it anticipated awarding a total of up to US$ 1 million under this funding opportunity made available by the Desalination & Water Purification Research & Development Program.
Through this program, Reclamation is partnering with private industry, universities, water utilities and others to address a broad range of desalting and water purification needs.
The program’s first goal is to augment the supply of usable water in the USA. It is also aiming to understand the environmental impacts of desalination and develop approaches to minimize these impacts relative to other water supply alternatives. … “
Continue reading from Desalination & Water Reuse by clicking here.
A new water market: Think of it as liquid gold
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2010 at 7:28 amFrom CBS News:
“That, in a nutshell, is the idea behind resource recovery, an emerging, definable segment in the water market.
Resource recovery essentially revolves around developing filters, membranes and other systems to pluck solids out of various waste and industrial water streams and then sell them as commodities. A number of companies already participate in this market. What has evolved more recently is the term and, believe it or not, that’s significant. Once a seemingly disparate group of companies can get lumped under a shared conceptual umbrella, potential customers and Wall Street analysts start to listen.
A big part of the appeal, of course, is that these processes turn waste into gold, or at least into hefty sacks of nickels. Municipal water agencies, mining outfits, and oil companies now regularly spend billions a year to process their waste streams. Getting votes or CEOs to approve upgrades to waste systems is rarely easy because the money literally goes down the drain. By adding in a payback mechanism, waste upgrades become that much more palatable. … “
Continue reading from CBS News by clicking here.
New Zealand mudsnails the latest invasive species detected at Lake Tahoe Basin
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2010 at 7:26 amFrom the Tahoe Daily Tribune:
“A new aquatic invader reared its spiraled head at a Lake Tahoe Basin inspection station — the New Zea land mudsnail.
The mudsnail — a non-native aquatic invasive species — was discovered on a boat at an off-ramp inspection station in Meyers on May 25.
It has also been detected in the Owens River Valley, the Cosumnes River Valley and other wetland locations throughout the California Central Valley.
“The primary reason we are concerned is because of the mudsnails’ ability to outcompete the native benthic invertebrate population,” said Ted Thayer, manager of the Aquatic Invasive Species Program at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. “New Zealand mudsnails are not digestible by the native fish, so when they outcompete the native invertebrates, the fish have nothing to eat.” … “
Continue reading from the Tahoe Daily Tribune by clicking here.
West Kern Water District signs water purchase agreement
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2010 at 7:24 amFrom the Taft Midway Driller:
“The West Kern Water District has inked another water purchase agreement. This one is with the Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District for 2,000 acre feet of water a year for the next three years.
That water would come from the State Water Project (SWP) allocated to Tehachapi-Cummings. The cost is $270 per acre-foot.
“That’s a pretty good price for water,” said West Kern General Manager Harry O. Starkey. “It goes into our entire portfolio of water.”
The district has been on the hunt for additional water to replace the shortages from the State Water Project that have been worsened by the three-year drought. … “
Read more from the Taft Midway Driller by clicking here.
Metropolitan Water District offering rebates for water-saving appliances
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2010 at 7:21 amFrom the North County Times:
“Those who buy water-saving appliances can get money back, under a rebate program that begins June 1.
Metropolitan Water District, Southern California’s water wholesaler, says it’s offering the rebates for 13 different devices. Metropolitan’s service area includes San Diego and Riverside counties.
On the low end, Metropolitan will pay $3 to buyers of a rotating sprinkler nozzle. The rebates are greater for more expensive equipment.
Buyers of high-efficiency clothes washers with a water factor of 4.0 or less may be eligible to receive a $135 or greater rebate from the SoCal WaterSmart program. This is in addition to an existing $100 rebate through California’s Cash For Appliances program. … “
Continue reading from the North County Times by clicking here.
San Diego County faces second straight year of water shortages, water use restrictions
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2010 at 7:20 amFrom the Mission Times Courier:
“Taking into account continued cutbacks to the region’s imported water supplies, the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors voted today to continue current limits on water deliveries to its 24 member retail agencies through June 2011. The Board also approved remaining in a Level 2 “Drought Alert” condition for a second straight year, which enables member agencies to keep water use restrictions and other mandatory conservation measures in place.
“This winter’s above-average rain and snow prevented our current water shortage conditions from worsening, but we remain only one dry year away from potentially severe shortages,” said Claude A. “Bud” Lewis, Water Authority Board Chair. “We still face significant water supply challenges created by regulatory restrictions on water deliveries from the Bay-Delta and the lingering effects of the prior three years of drought. We must continue to use water wisely.” … “
Continue reading from the Mission Times Courier by clicking here.
Fact Check: San Diego’s billion-dollar sewage fine
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2010 at 7:15 amFrom the Voice of San Diego:
“Statement: “We are potentially facing billions of dollars of fines from the federal government if we fail to bring the (Point Loma sewage) plant up to standard,” City Council candidate Patrick Finucane’s campaign website stated as of May 26.
Determination: False
Analysis: The federal Clean Water Act requires sewage treatment plants to remove 85 percent of two pollutants before discharging treated waste into the ocean. San Diego’s plant doesn’t meet that standard, removing just 80 percent of one pollutant and 58 percent of another. But it has a waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to continue operating. … “
Continue reading from the Voice of San Diego by clicking here.
BLM, Colorado propose unique water flow regime for new wilderness
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2010 at 7:12 amFrom the New York Times:
” … In a decision hailed by environmental groups and supported by BLM, the Colorado Water Conservation Board last week advanced an unconventional plan that would be one of the first variable water rights ever granted in the state.
The plan — modeled after a proposal BLM pitched to the board earlier this year — would protect the seasonally changing flows in the canyon while balancing the needs of upstream landowners who depend on the same source of water to graze cattle.
While typical in-stream water rights in Colorado assign fixed flow rates for specific periods of time, the Dominguez proposal would allocate a fixed amount of water for upstream users and send all remaining water — regardless of volume — to Big Dominguez and Little Dominguez creeks.
“The board’s decision is great for Colorado,” said Bart Miller, water program director at Boulder-based Western Resource Advocates. “Declaring an intent to appropriate water is the first, most important step in protecting streams in the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness that sustain the area’s beauty, wildlife and recreational value. These streams are the lifeblood of this very special place.” … “
Continue reading from the New York Times by clicking here.
This just in from today’s Wanger court hearing… Delta water opponents agree to work on compromise
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 2:24 pmFrom the Fresno Bee:
“The federal government and its environmental allies agreed today to try to reach a compromise with urban and agriculture water users over the contentious issue of how much water should be pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Tom Birmingham, general manager of the Westlands Water District, made the offer during a short court hearing in Fresno before U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger. The proposal to sit and talk involves pumping restrictions in place to protect the threatened delta smelt. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
Pacific Legal Foundation: Favorable ruling in the Delta smelt case
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 2:22 pmFrom the Pacific Legal Foundation’s Liberty Blog:
“Yesterday evening, the court issued its ruling on the preliminary injunction motion filed in the Delta smelt consolidated cases. Below is a quick resume of the decision. Bottom line, however, is that the cutbacks are illegal, but the court is not yet prepared to order immediate relief.
1. The baseline issue. To determine whether a proposed action will jeopardize the continued existence of a listed species, the Fish and Wildlife Service must identify the environmental baseline, i.e., the way the world looks without the project. Once that’s been determined, the Service can then analyze the effects of the project. In the Delta smelt cases, the plaintiffs argued that the Service misused computer modelling programs to determine what the Sacramento Delta would look like without the water projects operating. On this argument, Judge Wanger sided in favor of the defendants.
“This highly technical dispute was not raised before the agency, and there were legitimate concerns about comparing Calsim modeling runs to other Calsim runs. This choice of competing methodologies is not sufficiently clear error to justify the court’s intervention.
2. Other stressors. … “
Read more from the Pacific Legal Foundation’s Liberty Blog by clicking here.
MLPA initiative violates American Indian Religious Freedom Act, UN declaration
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 2:20 pmFrom AlterNet:
“Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative has brazenly violated the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA) and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, passed by the UN General Assembly in September 2007.
Passed by both houses of Congress, AIRFA became law on August 11, 1978, spurred by the American Indian Movement’s Longest Walk from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. that year. The act recognized the “inherent right” of American citizens to religious freedom; admitted that in the past the U.S. government had not protected the religious freedom of American Indians; proclaimed the “indispensable and irreplaceable” role of religion “as an integral part of Indian life”; and called upon governmental agencies to “protect and preserve” for American Indians their inherent right to practice their traditional religions.
AIRFA states, “it shall be the policy of the United States to protect and preserve for American Indians their inherent right of freedom to believe, express, and exercise the traditional religions of the American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, and Native Hawaiians, including but not limited to access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonials and traditional rites.”
The MLPA process has violated this historic law by banning the Kashia Pomo Tribe from practicing their religion by gathering seaweed and shellfish and conducting ceremonies at their sacred site, Danaka, in northern Sonoma County. In the Kashia Pomo’s creation story, Danaka (Stewarts Point) is the place where the tribe first walked on land. … “
Continue reading Dan Bacher’s commentary at AlterNet by clicking here.
Frost control regulations still pending; State official says water storage measures are key to preventing future problems with river level
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 2:18 pmFrom the Ukiah Daily Journal:
“Growers can battle frost on their crops and help prevent future salmon kills in the Russian River by building water storage ponds on their property, said Sean White of the Russian River Flood Control and Water Conservation Improvement District.
“When it freezes, everybody needs water, and the only way to deal with that is to not have everybody on the same source at the same time,” White told a group gathered at a May 25 water rights workshop sponsored by the Mendocino Winegrape and Wine Commission, Mendocino Farm Bureau and the University of California Cooperative Extension.
Due to a sudden drop in the Russian River in April of 2008, White said “other than drought, frost is the only thing we’ve been talking about for two years.”
White referred to the incident as “D-Day,” explaining that frost and the corresponding water usage caused a two-inch drop in the water level of the Russian River, or “a 83-cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) drop in the stream flow” recorded at the Hopland Gage. … “
Continue reading from the Ukiah Daily Journal by clicking here.
Dan Bacher: Groups blast Farm Bureau for ‘scorched earth’ policy on Shasta, Scott Rivers
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 2:16 pm
From Dan Bacher at the Fish Sniffer:
“The water wars really heated up this week in both the Klamath River and Sacramento River watersheds as agribusiness interests continued their campaign to squeeze every drop of water they could out of two systems where native salmon populations are on the verge of extinction.
On Thursday, May 27, a broad coalition of conservationists, California Indian Tribes and commercial fishing groups slammed a California Farm Bureau attempt to block resource agency requests that irrigators report water use and potentially obtain permits to withdraw water from the Shasta and Scott rivers, two of the Klamath River’s major tributaries.
“The Farm Bureau seems to have adopted a scorched-earth policy here,” said Glen Spain of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA), representing commercial fishermen devastated by recent salmon fishing closures. “Water is a public resource that also supports California’s valuable salmon fisheries and all the jobs those salmon support. It only makes sense for a public agency to keep track of the public’s water, and to take steps to minimize the impacts of water diversions on fisheries and other public resources.” … “
Continue reading Dan Bacher’s commentary at the Fish Sniffer by clicking here.
Water, water, everywhere, but is it enough? The debate over how to meet Marin’s water needs
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 2:13 pmFrom Marin Magazine:
“Is a desalination plant the answer to Marin’s long-term water needs? The issue has been the center of a contentious debate for more than two decades. Last August, it finally seemed settled when the Marin Municipal Water District approved construction of a $105 million desalination plant near the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge.
But like a Hollywood script under constant rewrite, the story has yet another twist. In April, after a previous year in which residents cut water use by 8.5 percent and a winter of heavy rains overfilled local reservoirs, the district shelved the desalination project—at least for now.
The district, which provides water to 190,000 people in south and central Marin, wants to hold off until it completes a state-mandated assessment of local water supplies that will consider whether they are sufficient in normal, dry and multiple dry years. … “
Continue reading from Marin Magazine by clicking here.
Santa Cruz: Water officials address conservation concerns in public panel
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 2:11 pmFrom the Santa Cruz Sentinel:
“City, county and Soquel Creek water district officials addressed growing concerns Thursday that conservation alone won’t be enough to prepare for a major drought. “This is a supply problem not a demand problem,” said Toby Goddard, Santa Cruz water conservation manager.
In a packed room of more than 50 people at the Simpkins Swim Center Thursday night, Goddard reviewed tables and charts of average water use for the city over the past 20 years.
In that time span he said, “our annual water consumption went from about 4 billion gallons to 3.5 billion.” With the demand remaining at a relatively steady amount, the primary problem is that there is a lack of adequate water supply during a drought, he said. … “
Continue reading from the Santa Cruz Sentinel by clicking here.
San Benito: Leaders officially dispute proposed ag-water rules
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 2:09 pmFrom the Hollister Free Lance:
“Citing the potential for lost revenues as well as a reduction in productive farm land, the county Board of Supervisors is joining with the local farm bureau to speak out against a plan to require a buffer zone between ag land and water tributaries while adding stricter water-quality monitoring requirements.
Supervisors this week approved sending a letter to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board expressing concern about proposed rules that would require a 100-foot buffer between agricultural operations and rivers, streams and other waterways along with the more stringent monitoring rules. Specifically, they are asking for an extension of a five-year waiver that has allowed farmers and landowners to be a part of a coalition that does monitoring at points throughout a watershed, rather than on every farm through which water runs. … “
Continue reading from the Hollister Free Lance by clicking here.
Friday’s top of the scroll: Wanger issues similar ruling for Delta smelt
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 8:40 amFrom the Fresno Bee:
“For the second time in nine days, a federal judge in Fresno has handed a victory to urban and agricultural water users who are seeking to increase pumping levels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Released late Thursday, U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger’s 126-page decision involving the threatened delta smelt has many similarities to one issued last week on endangered salmon.
As in the salmon ruling, Wanger found that water officials must consider humans along with the delta smelt in limiting use of the delta for irrigation.
He also found that water users made convincing arguments that the federal government’s science didn’t prove that increased pumping from the delta imperiled the smelt.
Tom Birmingham, general manager of the Westlands Water District — which is deeply dependent on delta water — said that after the court’s finding related to the salmon management plan, he was “not surprised the court concluded the smelt [plan] suffers from the same defects.” … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
From the Silicon Valley Mercury News:
” … In particular, Wanger said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to take into account the size of the smelt population when it concluded how damaging pumping rates are to the fish.
Still, the judge expressed strong reservations about relaxing the pumping restrictions because of widespread agreement that pumping rates are harmful and because the Delta smelt are close to extinction.
A lawyer for an environmental group defending the restriction in court said he was disappointed.
“Ultimately, we believe that the science behind the biological opinions will be vindicated, and in the interim, we hope that the Court’s rulings won’t drive these species even closer to extinction,” said Doug Obegi, an attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. … “
Continue reading from the Silicon Valley Mercury News by clicking here.
The state accelerates Delta pumping after judge temporarily lifts environmental restrictions
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 8:34 amFrom the Riverside Press-Enterprise:
“The state will almost quadruple its take of water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta today after a judge temporarily lifted pumping limits, a move that could ease restrictions on Inland residents later this year, officials said.
The state Department of Water Resources is diverting 5,800 cubic feet per second, said Carl Torgersen, chief of operations and maintenance. That’s up from 1,500 cubic feet per second before the judge’s decision Tuesday; the increase is in effect for three weeks.
The additional water is enough to supply about 400,000 homes for a year, and will be that much less that has to be taken out of storage reservoirs, Torgersen said.
The water will flow into the State Water Project, the system of aqueducts that moves supplies from northern California to the south, and a federal canal network that serves farms and residents in the San Joaquin Valley.
“That is a big benefit, because it means that same amount of water will still be in storage in case we need it later this fall,” said Peter Odencrans, spokesman for Eastern Municipal Water District, which serves Moreno Valley southward to Temecula and east to Hemet and San Jacinto. … “
Continue reading from the Press-Enterprise by clicking here.
Doug Obegi: California (illegally?) weakens state law protections for endangered salmon
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 8:31 amFrom Doug Obegi at the NRDC Switchboard blog:
“As the Sacramento Bee reported today, the California Department of Fish and Game yesterday issued a determination under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) to allow the State Water Project to kill more threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead. The request came from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) on May 24th, even before DWR obtained a federal court injunction against Endangered Species Act protections for these fish through June 15, 2010. (That’s right – for those who were unaware, the State of California, through DWR, has joined Westlands Water District as plaintiffs suing to overturn environmental protections for salmon and steelhead in California.)
Until recently, DWR had never complied with CESA in its operation of the State Water Project (similarly, DFG has never required the Bureau of Reclamation, the operator of the CVP, to comply with CESA). In 2009, DWR settled and was dismissed from state court litigation in the Watershed Enforcers case, in which it agreed to obtain CESA take authority for the first time. Although DWR is no longer a party in the litigation, the case is presently on appeal, as some of the water contractors are making the audacious argument that CESA does not apply to the State of California – in other words, they argue that everyone else must protect endangered species, but the State need not comply with the law and can kill as many endangered fish as they want. … “
Continue reading from the NRDC Switchboard blog by clicking here.
Fishermen fear Delta pump ruling may decimate fall salmon run
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 8:29 amFrom Zeke Grader at the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations:
“San Francisco — West Coast fishermen, shut out of fishing for the past two years altogether and granted a 2010 commercial fishery so tiny that most will simply sit it out, fear that a Tuesday night ruling by Fresno-based judge Oliver Wanger could be a serious disaster for the Sacramento River’s fall-run chinook (‘king’) salmon resource.
Sacramento River fall run chinook are the backbone of California’s 150-year-old salmon fishery and a large contributor to Oregon and Washington ocean fisheries as well. Strong runs of Sacramento River fall-run chinooks returned to the Central Valley earlier in this decade – 768,000 adult fish up to 50 pounds each found their way back to Valley streams in 2002.
By 2009 that number had crashed to 39,530 fish, driven down in large part by heavy increases in State Water Project pumping in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
While the Sacramento River’s spring-run chinook juvenile fish have nearly finished their migration through the Delta, the fall-run salmon and endangered species act-listed steelhead will be migrating downstream through most of June, as will those hatchery salmon released upstream.
The California Department of Water Resources is already ramping up its Delta pumping, taking quick advantage of Wanger’s ruling, from 1,500 cubic feet per second to nearly 6,000 cubic feet per second. … “
Continue reading Zeke Grader’s commentary at IndyBay.org by clicking here.
Split environmental groups ready to rumble over $11B water bond
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 8:28 amFrom the New York Times:
“California environmental groups are split over whether to support an $11 billion water bond on the November ballot, setting up a family feud between activists who usually stand shoulder-to-shoulder against corporate interests.
The bond is backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D), the California Farm Bureau, construction companies and dozens of irrigation districts, to name its most prominent advocates. But also working for the initiative are the Nature Conservancy, Audubon California and the National Heritage Institute.
That deep-pocketed coalition will be opposed by Sierra Club California, the Planning and Conservation League, Friends of the River and Clean Water Action, among others. Also set to oppose the bond are a number of Democratic and Republican state legislators, mostly from the Bay area and the Sacramento region. … “
Continue reading from the New York Times by clicking here.
What is the solution to state’s water crisis?
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 8:23 amFrom the Fontana Herald News:
“Although water abounds in California, very little of it is drinkable. The Golden State’s main water artery, the Delta, is not a magical water source and in fact, it has been extensively abused due to the state’s ever-growing population — to the point of the brink of a disaster, according to state officials.
Ten years ago, legislators battled to solve the water crisis, including how to offer clean, usable water; how to better supply water reliably; how to protect the delta’s ecosystem; and how to reinforce the delta levee stability. Unfortunately, those problems were not resolved, and in fact are still important topics in the California Legislature today.
According to Kathleen Cole, the legislative representative for Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, conservation is not enough due to the high volume of water necessary to satisfy the needs of almost 37 million residents, which is why legislators approved a referendum to place a bond on the November ballot.
If the voters approve the Safe, Clean and Reliable Drinking water Supply Act of 2010 in the Nov. 2 election, Southern California would be eligible to compete for a total of $6.5 billion in grant funds, which could be leveraged with local dollars to invest in system improvements that might not otherwise be possible. … “
Continue reading from the Fontana News Herald by clicking here.
Bay Delta Conservation Plan: DC briefings held
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 8:21 amFrom ACWA’s Water News:
“On May 25 and 26, participants in the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) held briefings in Washington, D.C. to update Executive and Legislative branch officials on the latest developments regarding BDCP. The participants included John Cain, American Rivers; Dan Castleberry, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Campbell Ingram, The Nature Conservancy; Ann Hayden, Environmental Defense Fund; Laura King Moon, BDCP PRE Program Manager; Karla Namath, California Natural Resources Agency; David Nawi, Senior Advisor to the Secretary, Department of Interior; Roger Patterson, MWD of Southern California; and Jason Peltier, Westlands Water District; and Brent Walthall, Kern County Water Agency.
The Bay Delta Conservation Plan is a planning and environmental permitting process seeking to recover key aquatic and terrestrial species, and improve water supplies for 25 million Californians and several million acres of farmland. … “
Continue reading from ACWA’s Water News by clicking here.
Alex Breitler’s blog: The water lawyers are coming
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 8:16 amFrom Alex Breitler’s blog:
“More than 200 landowners have rejected the state’s attempt to access their land to survey for a possible peripheral canal, habitat restoration or other purposes, Department of Water Resources Chief Counsel David Sandino said Thursday.
Addressing the Delta Stewardship Council, Sandino said the state has filed 200 separate ”small lawsuits” to gain access. Those actions have been consolidated into one big proceeding which — as we’ve previously reported here — will be held in San Joaquin County Superior Court.
Just last week, Sandino said, a judge was assigned to the matter. He didn’t name the judge. When I find out who it is, I’ll post it on this blog. … “
Continue reading this post from Alex Breitler’s blog by clicking here.
Tougher E.P.A. action on factory farms
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 8:10 amFrom the New York Times Green blog:
“Bowing to pressure from advocacy groups, the Environmental Protection Agency will step up efforts to monitor the nation’s thousands of factory farms.
This week the E.P.A. reached a settlement of a lawsuit filed last year by environmental groups arguing that the agency needs to pay closer attention to the effects of the livestock industry on waterways.
Animal waste, bacteria and parasites from chickens, pigs and cows drain into streams and rivers, posing a threat to human health.
The E.P.A. has agreed to propose a rule that will require concentrated animal feeding operations to report detailed data to the agency every five years, including information on type and capacity of manure storage facilities, quantity of manure generated, available land acreage to apply manure and how excess manure is disposed of. … “
Continue reading from the New York Times by clicking here.
Federal legislation to eliminate lead in drinking water passes committee
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2010 at 8:09 amFrom Water World:
“The House Energy and Commerce Committee passed legislation today to eliminate the serious health threat and economic burden caused by lead exposure from household water sources. The legislation will update the national lead content standard to nearly eradicate lead in faucets and fixtures which currently contribute up to 20 percent of human lead exposure, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) wrote the legislation (H.R. 5289, the Get the Lead Out Act) and it was included in the Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2010 (AQUA), which the Committee passed today. AQUA will next move to the full House for a final vote.
“Clean water from the faucet is one of the most basic services we expect in our country. But millions of families are exposed to lead every time they use the kitchen sink,” Rep. Eshoo said. “In 21st century America, families have a right to clean water in their homes. Lead-free plumbing is an existing alternative, it’s affordable, and it’s time we adopt it across the nation.” … “
Aquafornia's Information Desk
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | |||
Click here for full-sized calendar
Aquafornia's Photos on Flickr
Aquafornia's Mission
Aquafornia's mission is to educate readers about the complex and often controversial issues surrounding water in California.
Aquafornia is affiliated with the Water Education Foundation, an impartial, nonprofit organization, whose mission is to create a better understanding of water resources and foster public understanding and resolution of water resource issues through facilitation, education and outreach.
E-mail Newsletter
To receive email announcements from the Water Education Foundation, sign up here.
Web Resources
Agriculture
Climate Change & Water
Conservation
Current Conditions
Delta & SF Bay Resources
- Bay Delta Developments
- Bay Institute
- Bay-Delta Conservation Plan
- Delta Atlas
- Delta Protection Commission
- Delta Stewardship Council
- Delta Vision Foundation
- Delta WaterMaster
- Discover the Delta Foundation
- Restore the Delta
- San Francisco Bay and Delta (Access USGS)
- San Francisco Baykeeper
- San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science website
- San Francisco Estuary Partnership
Employment & Water
Environmental Organizations
Fishing Blogs/Organizations
Investing & Water
Landscaping
Legal Blogs
Legislative Committees - State & Federal
- California State Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife
- California State Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Water
- House Natural Resource Committee, Water & Power Subcommittee
- New State Water Legislation Mandates (KMTG)
- Senate Commitee on Environment & Public Works, Water and Wildlife Subcommittee
- The California Channel
Los Angeles River
Maven's Other Websites
News
Public Policy Organizations
Regional Water Associations
Salton Sea
Stormwater & Flood Control
Water Agencies
- ACWA – Association of California Water Agencies
- Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency
- Contra Costa Water District
- East Bay Municipal Utility District
- Imperial Irrigation District
- Kern County Water Agency
- Long Beach Water Department
- Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
- Metropolitan Water District
- Municipal Water District of Orange County
- San Diego County Water Authority
- Santa Clara Valley Water District
- Sonoma County Water Agencies
- South San Joaquin Irrigation District
- State Water Contractors
- West Basin Municipal Water District
- Westlands Water District
Water Agencies - State & Federal
Water Blogs
- ACWA's Voices in Water blog
- Aguanomics
- Alex Breitler's Blog
- American Water Resources Assn. Blog
- Barry Nelson at the NRDC Switchboard
- Bay Delta Blog
- California Water Blog
- California Water Wars blog
- Chance of Rain
- Chronicles of the Hydraulic Brotherhood
- Delta National Park Blog
- EDF's On The Waterfront
- Greed, Green & Grains
- Green Roots Blog (PCL)
- GrokSurf's San Diego blog
- Inkstain – jfleck
- Klam Blog
- L. A. Creek Freak
- On the Public Record
- Peter Gleick’s City Brights blog
- Restore the Delta's blog
- Southern California Water Committee Blog
- Spouting Off – Mark Gold of Heal the Bay
- State of the Planet Blog
- The California Spigot
- Thirsty in Suburbia
- Tom Philp's Blog
- Valley Economy Blog
- Water Cooler Blog
- Water Librarian's Blog
- Water SISWEB
- Waterblogged (Shawn McKinnon)
- Watering the Desert
- WaterWired
Water Information
News Article Archives
- Agriculture
- Aquafornia News & Exclusives
- Central Valley Project
- Climate change & water supply
- Conservation
- Delta Issues
- Desalination
- Development & Population
- Drinking Water & Bottled Water
- Drought Tolerant Landscaping
- Drought, Weather & Snowpack
- Energy & Water
- Events
- Flood Control/Stormwater
- General Water Issues
- Groundwater
- History
- Indian Water Rights
- Infrastructure
- Innovative Ideas
- International Water Issues
- Invasive Plants & Species
- Investing in water
- Legislation – State & Federal
- Levees
- National water news
- Oceans & Beaches
- People in the News
- Politics of Water
- Recycled Water
- Regional Water Issues
- San Joaquin River Restoration
- State Water Project (DWR)
- Storage and supply
- Transfers
- Uncategorized
- Water Agency News
- Water Banking
- Water Quality
- Water Rights
- Weird & Wacky Water News
- Wildlife & Endangered Species