Thursday’s top of the scroll: Fewer job losses linked to Delta, drought
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 9:14 amFrom the Contra Costa Times:
“A jobs plan that is part of Meg Whitman’s gubernatorial campaign suggests that drought and Delta pumping restrictions might have cost California 95,000 jobs. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina puts the number at 40,000.
Both are relying on early and outdated economic forecasts of what might have happened in 2009.
Now, the economist who developed those numbers and his toughest academic critic have joined together in a report that tries to determine what actually transpired. Their conclusions: Those estimates of lost jobs are far too high. … “
Continue reading from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
Water commission holds first meeting
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 9:09 amFrom ACWA’s Water News:
“Members of the newly reconstituted California Water Commission got a glimpse of the issues awaiting them during an inaugural meeting Tuesday in Sacramento.
Under the comprehensive water legislation enacted in 2009, the commission will be charged with allocating $3 billion in funding designated for new water storage projects in the 2012 water bond. If the bond measure is approved by voters, the commission would allocate funds for the public benefit portion of storage projects. … “
Continue reading from ACWA’s Water News by clicking here.
Bay-Delta Science Conference brings key Delta topics in focus
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 9:07 amFrom ACWA’s Water News:
“Invasive species, food web changes and ecosystem restoration opportunities were key topics at the 6th Biennial Bay-Delta Science Conference this week in Sacramento.
More than 1,000 scientists and others from state, federal and local agencies as well as academia and non-profit organizations heard the latest on Delta-related topics over the course of the three-day conference.
Clifford Dahm, interim lead scientist for the Delta Stewardship Council, said the growing body of Bay-Delta science is providing important information for decision makers at a critical time in California water policy. … “
Continue reading from ACWA’s Water News by clicking here.
Jerry Brown supports construction of peripheral canal
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 9:05 amFrom Dan Bacher at the Calitics blog:
“Jerry Brown, the Democratic candidate for Governor, said he supports building a peripheral canal/tunnel to ship water to southern California and corporate agribusiness during the debate with Meg Whitman in Davis Tuesday night.
Up until the debate, Brown had refused to take a position on the controversial canal and water bond. However, political pressure by agribusiness, southern California water agencies and corporate environmental NGOs including the Nature Conservancy has apparently forced him to adopt a pro-canal stand. … “
Continue reading at the Calitics blog by clicking here.
Boxer-Fiorina debate: Fish, flies & frogs: also, farms, Fiorina, and (California’s) future
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 9:01 amFrom Molly Peterson’s blog at KPCC, Southern California Public Radio:
“I was interested and surprised when Carly Fiorina started her discussion of issues with a reference to the Delta smelt. Water politics are astoundingly complicated in California; a shorthand reference to them can be difficult – people just don’t know what you’re talking about, even though the complex circulatory system that keeps water moving through this state is almost literally the heart of the state’s environment AND economy. (Not to prove my own point by example.)
Her answers suggest to me that she’s going to rely very heavily on Central Valley farmers – her putative base – to come out for her. But can she trust that her potential supporters in big cities – particularly in southern California – get her drift? (and that nobody else will?) … “
Continue reading from Molly Peterson at KPCC by clicking here.
A new way of thinking…Water resource recovery
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 8:59 amFrom Water World:
“The challenge is not new – across the US and the world, communities continue to face water supply challenges due to increasing demand, drought, depletion and contamination of groundwater, and the dependence on a single source of water. What is new is the most forward-thinking believe it is time for a paradigm shift, from treating wastewater for discharge into watersheds, to treating wastewater to use as a renewable resource, through recovery and re-use.
This shift in thinking will supplement our potable water supply through ground water recharge, irrigation of crops and other public land uses as well as supporting our industrial water needs. Many believe that future trends will focus on beneficial uses through resource recovery in the areas of energy, heat and nutrient harvesting. In addition, trends directed toward decentralized wastewater treatment coupled with local or on-site use are becoming more apparent. … “
Continue reading from Water World by clicking here.
SEE ALSO: Roundtable Series Examines Challenges, Benefits of Water Reuse
Top U.S. desalination experts tackle issues behind lack of U.S. traction
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 8:56 amFrom Business Wire, this press release from NanoH2O:
“NanoH2O, a global provider of reverse osmosis membranes for desalination, hosted five of the top U.S. experts in desalination at its manufacturing facility in El Segundo, California, for a timely discussion on the global water crisis, issues behind the lack of desalination plants in the U.S. and the role innovation, technology and renewable energy are playing in accelerating the adoption of desalination as an important source of freshwater supply.
Consensus among the panel of experts was that the biggest driver for widespread adoption is reducing the cost of desalinating water by lowering energy consumption. Key topics addressed throughout the discussion included innovative financing methods, the environmental impact of desalination and the future of dwindling water resources. … “
Continue reading from Business Wire by clicking here.
Water map shows billions at risk of ‘water insecurity’
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 8:52 amFrom BBC News:
“About 80% of the world’s population lives in areas where the fresh water supply is not secure, according to a new global analysis. Researchers compiled a composite index of “water threats” that includes issues such as scarcity and pollution.
The most severe threat category encompasses 3.4 billion people.
Writing in the journal Nature, they say that in western countries, conserving water for people through reservoirs and dams works for people, but not nature. They urge developing countries not to follow the same path. … “
Continue reading from BBC News by clicking here.
MORE COVERAGE:
- Scientists Sound Alarm on State of the World’s Rivers. from YubaNet.com
- Report Casts World’s Rivers In ‘Crisis State’, from Water Online
Klamath dam removal analysis progressing; vulnerability of agreements to lawsuits raises concerns
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 8:47 amFrom the Eureka Times-Standard:
“The federal team charged with generating information for the U.S. Interior Secretary about removing dams on the Klamath River expects to churn out key reports within months.
At a meeting in Eureka on Wednesday, leaders of that team said that a detailed plan on how the dams would be removed and how much it should cost could be forthcoming within two months.
Reports on hydrology, water quality, sediment transport and temperature if the dams are removed versus if they are left in are also being developed, said U.S. Geological Survey Program Manager Dennis Lynch, who is heading up the effort. Another report on chinook salmon production with or without the dams is also in motion, and expert panels on how other species of fish will fare in either case are being convened, Lynch said. … “
Continue reading from the Eureka Times-Standard by clicking here.
Check out the sandhill cranes and winter swans in these tours offered by Department of Fish & Game
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 8:40 am
From the Department of Fish & Game:
“The Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) greater sandhill crane viewing tours will begin Oct. 2 at Woodbridge Ecological Reserve near Lodi. The popular tours will be even better this year than in past years, as DFG has recently completed multiple habitat enhancements and structural improvement projects on the Reserve.
“The greater sandhill cranes are a threatened but stable bird population in the state,” said DFG Tour Program Supervisor David Moore. “Wetland tour visitors often comment on their large size and red crown, their beauty in flight, their trumpeting calls and interesting interactive behaviors.” … “
Find out more about the sandhill crane tours from DFG by clicking here.
Also from the Department of Fish & Game:
“Join a Department of Fish and Game (DFG) naturalist-led swan tour of Marysville’s Rice and Waterfowl area this November through February. Co-hosted by local rice farmers and land owners, these tours will focus on finding Tundra Swans, as this tract is one of the best locations for seeing swans in California. Ducks, geese, cranes, shorebirds, white pelicans, herons, egrets and raptors including bald eagles are also commonly seen in this area, known as District 10. The area contains 23,000 acres of rice fields and restored habit not normally open to the public. This is an excellent example of rice farming for wildlife habitat. … “
Find out more about winter swan tours by clicking here.
Photo of sandhill cranes by flickr photographer Jack Wolf.
Environmentalists remove aquatic weeds from Emerald Bay
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 8:34 am
From the Tahoe Daily Tribune:
“Environmentalists are declaring victory after a population-growth control technique successfully eradicated most, if not all, remnants of an invasive aquatic plant from part of the floor of Emerald Bay near Swim Beach.
Using a similar technique to kill invasive Asian clams, a partnership of local environmental agencies installed large swathes of bottom barriers to curtail the growth of Eurasian watermilfoil in Lake Tahoe.
In June, a partnership including Tahoe Resource Conservation District, California Department of Parks and Recreation and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency placed more than 8,500 square feet of bottom barriers, according to Kim Boyd, Invasive Species manager at the conservation district. … “
Continue reading from the Tahoe Daily Tribune by clicking here.
Photo of Emerald Bay by flickr photographer The Tahoe Guy.
Senators Boxer, Feinstein introduce legislation to establish Sacramento River National Recreation Area
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 8:30 amFrom the website of Senator Barbara Boxer:
“U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein (both D-CA) today introduced legislation that would establish the Sacramento River National Recreation Area on 17,869 acres of public land next to the Sacramento River, lower Battle Creek, and lower Paynes Creek in Tehama and Shasta counties.
Senator Boxer said, “Creating a Sacramento River National Recreation Area would give this spectacular area the recognition it deserves. The designation would help create jobs in Tehama and Shasta counties by promoting tourism, hiking, fishing and other outdoor recreation in the area.”
Senator Feinstein said, “This bill recognizes the fact that the Sacramento River landscape is a national treasure of ecological, recreational and historical importance. By establishing the Sacramento River National Recreation Area, we can ensure that current and future generations of Californians will be able to enjoy it.” … “
Continue reading from Senator Barbara Boxer’s website by clicking here.
Marin County spends $5.3 million on salmon plan
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 8:28 amFrom the Marin Independent Journal:
“Marin County officials are spending more than $1 million a year to protect endangered coho salmon.
An audit of county spending on fishery restoration projects indicates that at least $5.3 million has been devoted to fish habitat and improvement initiatives since 2005, including $3.2 million for eight public works fish passage projects in the San Geronimo Valley. About half the money is from state and federal grants.
The tally of county spending was issued by the county administration after the Independent Journal requested details backing county assertions that officials have worked diligently to restore the troubled coho salmon fishery. … “
Continue reading from the Marin Independent Journal by clicking here.
Monterey County’s growth plan one step away from being approved
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 8:26 amFrom the Salinas Californian:
“After 11 years of debate, lawsuits and protest, Monterey County tentatively has a plan for what can be built where over the next 20 years.
The Board of Supervisors tentatively signed off on the framework Tuesday night in a unanimous vote. The board must still formally approve the plan in an October meeting and write the rules to support the framework.
A disagreement over how to define a water supply slowed the most recent process, dominating discussion for three meetings. … “
Continue reading from the Salinas Californian by clicking here.
Got water? Banning new North San Luis Obispo County subdivisions is one recommendation to halt groundwater’s dangerous decline
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 8:24 amFrom New Times SLO:
” … As many North County water users are seeing their well-water levels continue to slide downward, county officials are wrestling with the slippery problem of how to stop the decline from growing worse—before the issue ends up in court.
The county has no legal authority to force wine-grape growers—or anyone else, as it turns out—to use less of the water deep under their feet, under California’s antiquated water laws. But county officials can regulate land use, and one recent staff recommendation is to limit the number of straws sucking up the underground water by restricting new subdivisions over the vast Paso Robles Groundwater Basin, stretching to Santa Margarita in the south and Shandon in the east. … “
Continue reading from New Times SLO by clicking here.
Lois Henry: Rough road for Kern’s infrastructure
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 8:19 amFrom columnist Lois Henry at the Bakersfield Californian:
“OK, I’ll say it right up front, infrastructure is BOOOOORING. It’s so dull that if I hadn’t written that last word in all caps, you’d have checked out before finishing the word infrastruc… hey! Pay attention.
No one really wants to ponder things like roads and sewers.
But when they go bad they go really, really bad. (Remember the sink hole downtown that swallowed whole cars a few years ago?) And, frankly, we have only ourselves to blame.
“If we continue to ignore our infrastructure, we can expect to enjoy the effects of its revenge,” Robert Bea told me. … “
Continue reading Lois Henry’s column by clicking here.
At the Chino Prison, inmates dive in to save money
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 8:16 amFrom the Inland Daily Bulletin:
“As Sacramento politicians argue over how to patch up the $19 billion budget hole, the cash-strapped California Institution for Men has been relying on inmate labor to plug a few leaks of its own.
In lieu of hiring a private contractor, a half-dozen inmates from the prison’s commercial diving program on Tuesday inspected a 3million-gallon water tank that sprung a leak several months ago.
Their efforts have saved the state $5,000 so far, said a CIM spokesman, Lt. Mark Hargrove. A private contractor told prison officials it would cost that much just to look at the problem. … “
Continue reading from the Inland Daily Bulletin by clicking here.
Water quality improving at California’s beaches
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 8:14 am
From the Los Angeles Times:
“Water quality at California beaches has continued to show improvement, even as the future of monitoring programs remains uncertain because of state budget shortfalls, according to a report released Wednesday by Heal the Bay.
This summer was one of the cleanest on record for California beaches and the fourth straight summer of excellent water quality grades statewide. Of the beaches tested, 92% received A or B grades during the high-traffic beachgoing season, according to the environmental group’s End of Summer Beach Report Card. … “
Continue reading from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
Arrogance is in Metropolitan’s DNA, says the San Diego Union-Tribune
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 8:06 amSeems tempers are flaring down in San Diego at Metropolitan Water District. Check out the editorial from the Union-Tribune:
“The Union-Tribune report Tuesday about the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s dismissal of calls to rein in unnecessary spending is par for the course for the giant water agency. MWD has long shown contempt for the millions of ratepayers who use the water it supplies to 26 local districts in the counties of San Diego, Los Angeles , Orange, Ventura, Riverside and Santa Barbara.
San Diego-area water customers have seen their bills soar as much as 65 percent over the past four years. MWD, meanwhile, has already approved 7.5 percent rate hikes for both 2011 and 2012. But when the San Diego County Water Authority and three other MWD clients questioned plans to spend more than $1 billion on capital projects that may not be essential, a top MWD official blithely said they were all prudent.
Really? $8.8 million for landscaping at a La Verne treatment plant is prudent when MWD is constantly raising water rates on customers rocked by the sharp economic downturn? Spending $7.9 million for a marina, visitor center and RV park at a Riverside County lake is prudent for a water wholesaler? … “
Continue reading this editorial from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.
Chollas Creek supporters get residents into the flow
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 8:03 amFrom the San Diego Union-Tribune:
“It’s been a rocky ride for the nonprofit that encourages residents near Chollas Creek to help restore the watershed.
Groundwork San Diego-Chollas Creek, a 3-year-old group that serves as the main planner and fundraiser for the area’s rehabilitation, has seen its share of funding struggles and other setbacks. Still, organizers continue to seek out residents willing to take ownership of a place that for too long was associated with junked appliances and other garbage. … “
Continue reading from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.
GrokSurf’s San Diego blog: Lake Murray’s ebbs and flows
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 8:00 amFrom GrokSurf’s San Diego blog:
“Regular visitors to San Diego’s Lake Murray Reservoir are probably accustomed to seeing the water level rise and fall somewhat. Indeed, the city changes the elevations on all its reservoirs frequently depending on the demands on the system or other circumstances.
One of those “other circumstances” made itself visible recently when the water level dropped much lower than usual, but warm weather and high demand were not the reason, nor was it because of the trunk sewer project underway nearby. This drawdown was actually related to the big rainstorm we had last January. … “
Continue reading from GrokSurf’s San Diego blog by clicking here.
Metropolitan Water District sends letter to Reclamation against IID’s proposed water release into Salton Sea
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 7:54 amFrom the Imperial Valley Press:
“The general manager of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Jeffrey Kightlinger, sent a letter Monday to the Bureau of Reclamation contesting Imperial Irrigation District’s proposal to release underrun water into the Salton Sea.
“This is not one of the uses they’re entitled to use water for,” Kight-linger said via phone on Wednesday.
He wrote the letter to Lorri Gray-Lee, Boulder City, Nev.-based Reclamation regional director. IID General Manager Brian Brady sent a letter to her Sept. 20 announcing IID’s intention to release the water. … “
Continue reading from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.
Imperial Irrigation District responds to apparent fungicide spill in canal
Posted by: Maven on September 30, 2010 at 7:49 amFrom the Imperial Valley Press:
“Imperial Irrigation District employees have been replenishing the cisterns of some Holtville-area residents who live near a canal allegedly contaminated with a toxic fungicide.
IID employees are providing Holtville residents who live near a stretch of the South Alamo Canal with fresh water. Henry Dollente, IID assistant manager of the water department, said a zanjero noticed a high concentration of dead fish near a canal gate and suspected a spill. … “
Continue reading from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.
Wednesday’s top of the scroll: Habitat and ag clash in Bay Delta Conservation Plan before Yolo supervisors
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 8:43 am
From the Woodland Daily Democrat:
“The balance between preserving habitat and benefiting agriculture was addressed during an update on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan at the Tuesday meeting of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors.
Philip Pogledich, senior deputy county counsel, said the public review on the plan was supposed to be at the end of the year, but there is some “uncertainty” on what will be coming out of the plan.
There are many properties and projects that are part of the plan, Pogledich said. The Fremont Weir Conservation Measure, which is at the north end of the proposed plan, could be anywhere from 13,000 to 23,000 acres.
Pogledich said the Bay Delta Conservation Plan is “trying to reconcile” the difference. … “
Continue reading from the Woodland Daily Democrat by clicking here.
Photo of Yolo Bypass by flickr photographer Bruce Barnett. If you like that picture, you’ve got to check out his other pictures of the Yolo Bypass.
DWR releases final 2009 SWP Delivery Reliability Report
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 8:37 am
From the Department of Water Resources:
“SACRAMENTO –The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has released for public review the Final State Water Project Delivery Reliability Report 2009.
The report updates estimates of current (2009) and future (through 2029) State Water Project (SWP) delivery reliability and incorporates federal biological opinions for smelt and salmon and potential impacts of future climate changes. The 2009 report shows current SWP annual Table A deliveries averaging 60 percent (2,595 taf) of the maximum contract amount of 4,133 thousand acre-feet (taf) per year.
Produced every two years as part of a settlement agreement signed in 2003, the report contains estimates that are used by water agencies within the SWP service area in developing their water management plans.
The 2009 report shows that future SWP deliveries will be impacted by two significant factors:
• Restrictions on SWP and Central Valley Project (CVP) Delta pumping required under biological opinions issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (December 2008) and National Marine Fisheries Service (June 2009).• Climate change, which is altering State hydrologic conditions.
This report represents the state of water affairs if no actions for improvement are taken. It shows continued erosion of SWP water delivery reliability under the current method of moving water through the Delta.
The State Water Project Delivery Reliability Report 2009 is available for public review at http://baydeltaoffice.water.ca.gov.”
Great Lakes battle of the invasive species: Mussels may leave carp nothing to eat
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 8:31 amFrom the Los Angeles Daily News:
“If huge, hungry Asian carp reach Lake Michigan, their long-dreaded invasion may turn out to be less ferocious than once expected because a tiny competitor is gobbling up their primary food source, some Great Lakes researchers say.
The quagga mussel, a thumbnail-sized foreign mullosk first spotted in the lakes two decades ago, has devoured so much plankton in southern Lake Michigan that the entire food web is being altered, federal and university scientists reported in a series of newly published articles.
Mussels have “beaten the Asian carp to the buffet table,” Gary Fahnenstiel, senior ecologist with NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, said Tuesday. … “
Continue reading from the Los Angeles Daily News by clicking here.
High concentrations of arsenic found in 9 percent of groundwater in the northern San Joaquin Valley
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 8:29 am
From the USGS California Water Science News Room:
“High concentrations of naturally occurring inorganic constituents – including arsenic and boron – are found in about 13 percent of the primary aquifers in the northern San Joaquin Valley, according to a U.S. Geological Survey report prepared in cooperation with the California Water Resources Control Board. Primary aquifers are those that supply public-drinking water.
“High concentration” means above a health-based benchmark. Some benchmarks are enforced through state or federal regulations, and some are merely advisory. The USGS assessment analyzed untreated groundwater from wells, not water delivered to consumers through the tap. Enforceable benchmarks apply only to tap water.
Arsenic was detected above the U.S. Maximum Contaminant Level of 10 parts per billion in about 9 percent of the primary aquifers. Boron was detected above the California Notification Level, a non-regulatory benchmark of 1 part per million, in about 8 percent of the primary aquifers. … “
Continue reading at the USGS website by clicking here.
RELATED: Coverage of this story from the Lodi News-Sentinel by clicking here.
Michael Fitzerald: Water district crying wolf
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 8:23 amFrom Michael Fitzgerald at the Stockton Record:
“Drought-stricken” Westlands has water surplus. That poor, poor Dust Bowl victim, the Westlands Water District, which cried that water cutbacks necessary to save the Delta were parching them into ruin, has announced it has more water in San Luis Reservoir than it can use this year.
Delta water, of course.
This announcement of “extra” federal water delivered to Westlands will come as a surprise to anyone who has seen Westlands’ political advocacy, press releases, and court filings over the course of this year,” acerbically wrote Congress members George Miller, John Garamendi, Grace F. Napolitano and Mike Thompson in a Sept. 15 letter to Westlands’ management. … “
Tom Philp on Delta watershed supplies: How much we all divert
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 8:22 amFrom Tom Philp at the City Brights blog:
“So here’s a question that may spark some thinking: What percentage of Northern California water on average goes to Southern California? By Northern California, I mean the rain and snow captured by the Sierra Nevada that flows toward San Francisco Bay. Does 50 percent head south? Ten percent? Five?
A few years ago, a blue ribbon task force set up by the governor wanted the answer in order to begin understanding the demands on the Delta, the West Coast’s most important estuary and the site of two very large water diversion facilities that provide supplies to Southern California, San Joaquin Valley agriculture and the Bay Area. … “
Continue reading Tom Philp’s post at the City Brights blog by clicking here.
Zeke Grader: Stealth state plan would end salmon fishing in California
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 8:15 amFrom Zeke Grader at the City Brights blog:
“At the end of any State Administration, agencies try to ram through plans and projects they have been working on for years. That’s understandable. But I’m shocked and outraged that the Resources Agency is trying to sneak through a plan that would kill California’s salmon fishing industry, eliminate thousands of jobs and devastate coastal communities. That’s not how they’re framing it, of course: they’re dressing it up as a plan to “save” the Delta and distribute water equitably. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In reality, it’s a plan to destroy the Delta and keep corporate farms in the San Joaquin Valley awash in cheap, taxpayer-subsidized water.
A week ago, the State Resources Agency released a curious document. The state insists that it is not a draft plan for the Delta, but it sure looks like one. As it stands now, this proposal would gut federal protections for salmon and other fish covered by the Endangered Species Acts. It proposes to revive a version of the Environmental Water Account, an utterly failed and now-abandoned scheme to cap the ability of fisheries agencies to limit the transport of fresh water from the Delta. And finally, the plan promotes a huge new canal and still weaker rules to allow for even more pumping. This is all driven by the desire of Central Valley agribusiness to seize more taxpayer-subsidized water, the salmon and our Bay-Delta ecosystem be damned. … “
Continue reading this post from Zeke Grader at the City Brights blog by clicking here.
Commentary: To restore salmon, follow the creator’s plan, not ‘Frankenfish’
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 8:11 amFrom the California Progress Report, this commentary by Caleen Sisk-Franco, the chief and spiritual leader of the Winnemem Wintu:
“One day coyote noticed fox was smoothing sticks and fashioning them into children who would help him find food. Coyote was filled with envy and soon started to build his own family.
Impatient and greedy, coyote made his children with rugged, knobby sticks and built them much larger than him, thinking they would hunt more food this way.
When he finished, however, his roughly-hewn children disobeyed his orders, turned against him and beat him up.
My tribe, the Winnemem Wintu, is a traditional salmon people that come from Mount Shasta in California, and we learned long ago from coyote it’s dangerous to mimic the Creator. It’s a lesson yet to be learned by AquaBounty, the Massachusetts company behind the genetically engineered salmon likely to be approved by the FDA this month. … “
Continue reading from the California Progress Report by clicking here.
Valley Economy blog: New estimates of the economic impacts of reduced water supplies
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 8:08 amFrom the Valley Economy blog:
“Richard Howitt and I (with the assistance of his UC-Davis collaborators who worked very quickly and professionally) have completed a joint retrospective assessment of the economic impacts of reduced water supplies to San Joaquin Valley agriculture. Those of you who followed these estimates last year may find this an unlikely collaboration.
Although we don’t agree on all the details, we do agree that the revised estimates are close enough together that the public discussion around these contentious issues is best served through this joint report that emphasizes similarities rather than differences and criticism. Both of our estimates have been improved by the collaboration and feedback. … “
Continue reading from the Valley Economy blog by clicking here.
Commentary: AB 301: Schwarzenegger’s last chance to have a positive impact on California’s water future
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 7:52 amFrom the California Progress Report, this commentary by Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes and Mark Schlosberg:
“For the past two years, water issues have dominated political debate in Sacramento and throughout the state, however there is one water bill on the Governor’s desk that we should all be able to agree on – AB 301 (Fuentes).
AB 301 would give Californians the right to know how much of their communities’ water is being bottled for sale and where that bottled water comes from. With water scarcity being a top concern, this modest bill is an important step towards better managing our water. … “
Continue reading from the California Progress Report by clicking here.
Rash on Alameda beachgoers blamed on invading snail
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 7:34 amFrom the Contra Costa Times:
“A nasty rash that has been affecting swimmers and waders off Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda for the past several years is the result of the Bay’s ongoing problems with invasive species, researchers have reported.
The culprit is a previously unknown parasite carried by the Japanese bubble snail, a ¾-inch snail first discovered in the Bay in 1999 and in Alameda by 2003.
The snail is now abundant on Alameda’s beach, according to the report, published in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. … “
Continue reading from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
Water & Climate Change Symposium: From the Sierra to the Ocean – October 19-20
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 7:33 am
From the Water Education Foundation:
“Learn the latest on climate change adaptation planning and emerging science issues and trends at the 2010 Water and Climate Change Adaptation Symposium, October 19-20 at the Hyatt Regency in Long Beach, CA.
Especially intended for water agency board members and staff and city and county representatives, this symposium will feature a wide range of speakers from organizations including NASA/Jet Propulsion Lab, California Department of Water Resources, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and University of California, Davis. Following a “View from the Watershed” presentation, panel discussions will include:
• Adaptation Planning Actions
• State of the Climate & Breaking Science News
• Extreme Events/Severe Weather: What Can We Predict?
• Green Adaptation OpportunitiesThe registration fee is $275 and includes a special reception at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, Tuesday, October 19. The Aquarium of the Pacific is the fourth largest aquarium in the nation. It displays over 11,000 animals in more than 50 exhibits that represent the diversity of the Pacific Ocean – participants will be able to tour some of these exhibits during the reception.
The registration fee also includes lunch October 19, coffee breaks October 19 and 20, and background materials. Scholarships are available – contact the Foundation for details on qualifications.
The event is co-sponsored by the California Department of Water Resources and the Water Education Foundation, and held in coordination with the Ocean Protection Council.
Register securely online through the Foundation’s website at http://www.watereducation.org/doc.asp?id=1072 or contact the Foundation’s office at (916) 444-6240.
Congresswoman Napolitano commemorates 75th anniversary of the Hoover Dam
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 7:32 am
From Congresswoman Grace Napolitano:
“Today, the House of Representatives passed a resolution authored by Rep. Grace F. Napolitano commemorating the 75th anniversary of the dedication of the Hoover Dam.
“Much of the prosperity and development we enjoy in California and the Southwest today would not have been possible without the water and electricity supplied by the Hoover Dam,” Napolitano said. “What began as an agricultural reservoir has become an economic resource critical to our way of life. Today, we recognize 75 successful years of service and honor those who built, maintained, and protected the Hoover Dam to the benefit of millions of Americans. ”
18 million people depend on the dam for water and 29 million for inexpensive electricity.
Continue reading “Congresswoman Napolitano commemorates 75th anniversary of the Hoover Dam” »
Commentary: It’s official: Klamath Dam removal saves you money
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 7:29 amFrom the Siskiyou Daily News, this commentary by S. Craig Tucker, Ph.D., the Klamath Coordinator for the Karuk Tribe:
“For years advocates of dam removal have argued that dam removal is not only a good deal for fish but for PacifiCorp customers too. Those arguments were recently justified by the conclusion of the Oregon Public Utility Commission’s ruling on the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA).
Whenever a power company wants to change your power rate for any reason the Public Utility Commission has to judge whether or not the rate change is fair to customers. In this case, the commission was evaluating whether or not dam removal under the terms of the KHSA would be cheaper than relicensing and continued operation of the dams. … “
Continue reading this commentary by clicking here.
Salmon begin their run
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 7:25 amFrom the Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
“The first chinook have passed through the Sonoma County Water Agency fish ladder in the Russian River at Forestville, the beginning of a fall spawning run that biologists expect to be the best in five years.
“This year it should be better, I would say in the range of 3,000 by the end of the season, maybe more,” said Bill Sydeman of Petaluma, president of the Farallon Institute for Ecosystem Research.
“The conditions that determine their ocean survival in 2008 and 2009 were good, that means their survival should be pretty good.” … “
Continue reading from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat by clicking here.
Latest work complete on bay restoration project; Arcata will embark on rehabilitating Jacoby Creek estuary in 2011
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 7:23 amFrom the Eureka Times-Standard:
“Contractors for the city of Arcata on Monday put the finishing touches on a project meant to help salmon once again access intertidal areas around Humboldt Bay.
As part of the ongoing Arcata Baylands project, Nahalem Marine Manufacturing installed a new tide gate to the south branch of Gannon Slough, which leads to the bay just north of the mouth of Jacoby Creek.
The style of tide gate patented by Nahalem has replaced many old tide gates around the bay that hinder young salmon from swimming into intertidal areas before migrating to sea. … “
Continue reading from the Eureka Times-Standard by clicking here.
Congressman McClintock’s opening statement at Auburn Wastewater Forum
Posted by: Maven on September 29, 2010 at 7:19 am
From the website of Congressman Tom McClintock, this opening statement at the Wastewater Forum held in Auburn to examine regulatory and litigatory issues and their related costs:
“Thank you all for coming today. The purpose of today’s hearing is to air this community’s concerns over regulatory and litigatory excesses that are imposing increasingly oppressive costs on our families and businesses for the operation of local water and sewer systems.
Colfax has been a flashpoint for this revolt – its residents are being eaten alive by litigation filed by predatory law firms who party while residents pay. But as we will hear, Colfax is hardly alone – small communities across Northern California face the same outrages – and are now demanding relief.
Like all movements, the impetus for stronger environmental protection of our air and water was firmly rooted in legitimate concerns to protect these vital resources. But like many movements, as it succeeded in its legitimate ends, it also attracted a self-interested constituency that has driven far past the borders of commonsense and into the realms of political extremism and outright plunder.
Continue reading “Congressman McClintock’s opening statement at Auburn Wastewater Forum” »
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