Saturday’s top of the scroll: JPL takes on Western water issues
Posted by: Maven on October 30, 2010 at 8:43 amFrom the Jet Propulsion Laboratory blog (JPL):
“Worldwide today, it is estimated that nearly 1.1 billion people live without access to adequate water supplies and about 2.6 billion people lack adequate water sanitation. Improved understanding of water processes at global and regional scales is essential for sustainability.
Researchers at JPL recently launched the Western Water Resource Solutions website to highlight activities that apply NASA expertise and data to water resource issues in the western United States.
One focus area for this new site is the hydrologic cycle and using global satellite observations of the Earth to improve our understanding of water processes on a regional and local level. The western United States is expected to bear the brunt of impacts to water resource availability because of changing precipitation patterns, increasing temperatures, and a growing population. California is already starting to feel the impacts and is taking action to develop new adaptive management practices to ensure a safe and reliable water supply, while maintaining healthy ecosystems throughout the state. … “
Read more from the JPL blog by clicking here. And be sure to check out JPL’s website, Western Water Resource Solutions.
Thank you, Danny!
Water agencies say estimated cost for Sacramento system upgrade too high
Posted by: Maven on October 30, 2010 at 8:39 amFrom the Sacramento Business Journal:
“An association of public water agencies is challenging an estimate that upgrades to Sacramento’s water treatment system will cost more than $2 billion, as claimed by the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District earlier this year.
The water agencies said Friday the $2 billion estimate is 53 percent higher than an independent cost estimate commissioned by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. The board has proposed a more stringent discharge requirement for the Sacramento district, which serves more than 1 million users. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Business Journal by clicking here.
State Water Contractors press release: Sacramento Sanitation’s cost estimate to upgrade wastewater facility revealed to be 53% higher than independent estimate; Stakeholders throughout California support upgrades as essential to improving health of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Posted by: Maven on October 30, 2010 at 8:37 amFrom the State Water Contractors, this press release:
“Raising questions of credibility, the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District’s (“Sacramento Sanitation”) estimated and widely-publicized costs to upgrade its wastewater facility have been revealed to be 53 percent higher than an independent cost estimate commissioned by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (“Water Quality Board”), according to public records.
“It appears as if Sacramento Sanitation is deliberately exaggerating costs to drum up opposition to its much-needed facility upgrade,” said Laura King Moon, assistant general manager for the State Water Contractors. “This issue deserves an informed public discussion based on the real issues of Delta health and realistic estimates of sewage treatment upgrades that communities throughout the state are already paying.”Sacramento Sanitation is one of the few remaining wastewater plants in the region that isn’t utilizing modern treatment methods. In fact, Sacramento Sanitation has not upgraded its sewage plant since first constructed in 1982 and is currently operating under an expired permit. The Water Quality Board, which is charged with enforcing state and federal water quality and human safety regulations, is currently considering a new permit that would require Sacramento Sanitation to upgrade its system. Sacramento Sanitation is the largest discharger of wastewater into the Delta. Currently, about 14 tons of ammonium per day enters the Sacramento River. The Water Quality Board’s recommended conditions for the new permit would require the removal of human pathogens from the wastewater stream as well as the removal of ammonia and all forms of nitrogen. A growing body of scientific research suggests that discharging ammonia, a byproduct of human waste, is altering the production of food downstream in the Delta in ways that harm endangered species such as Delta smelt.
A cut-and dry forecast: U.S. Southwest’s dry spell may become long-lasting and intensify as climate change takes hold
Posted by: Maven on October 30, 2010 at 8:31 am
From Scientific American:
“Lake Mead, the massive reservoir created in the late 1930s by Hoover Dam on the Arizona–Nevada border, has dropped to its lowest level ever, it was reported earlier this month. The lake has been steadily growing shallower since drought began reducing the flow of its source, the Colorado River, starting in 2000 due to below-average snowfall in the Rockies.
It is still too early to know whether the situation at Lake Mead and recent droughts throughout the U.S. Southwest are due to anthropogenic global warming, says Aiguo Dai, an atmospheric scientist in the Climate and Global Dynamics Division of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. There is not enough data to rule out natural variability as the fundamental cause. But the decadelong dry spell is consistent with the predictions of models used in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) in 2007, which projected that warming of the planet would lead to long-term drying over the subtropics—the climatic regions adjacent to the tropics, ranging between about 20 and 40 degrees north and south latitude, which includes the Southwest. … “
Continue reading from Scientific American by clicking here.
Kate Poole’s blog: Science or scienciness?
Posted by: Maven on October 30, 2010 at 8:23 amFrom Kate Poole at the NRDC Switchboard blog:
“In the endless debates and warring proposals about how best to manage the imperiled Bay-Delta ecosystem, it seems that all sides agree on at least one principle: management decisions must be rooted in science. NRDC certainly considers that tenet a core building block for just about any natural resource management decision, including ones involving the Bay-Delta.
But underneath this veneer of consensus, different players in the Bay-Delta debates actually mean wildly different things when they refer to “sound science,” some of which bear no relation at all to objective scientific principles or practices. Dr. Jeff Mount from UC Davis recently described these alternatives to real science as crisis science, combat science, science by powerpoint, blog science, and even “science that sounds good” (quite a spin on “sound science”). As “truthiness” is to truth, these brands of “scienciness” are to real science. … “
Continue reading from Kate Poole at the NRDC Switchboard blog by clicking here.
Commentary: Ocean protection and political intrigue
Posted by: Maven on October 30, 2010 at 8:18 amFrom the San Diego Union-Tribune, this commentary by Cindy Gustafson, chair of the Marine Life Protection Act Blue Ribbon Task Force:
“Along California’s 1,100 miles of coastline, the Marine Life Protection Act is being implemented to help ensure long-term protection of the state’s marine resources and improve the ocean’s declining health. Unfortunately, efforts to design a scientifically and community-based plan to enhance ocean protection have been unfairly tainted by those who prefer political intrigue.
Approved by the Legislature more than a decade ago, the MLPA directs that California’s marine protected areas (MPAs) be redesigned. Protected areas that are designed as a cohesive network and are based on sound science effectively restore marine ecosystems by helping to preserve biodiversity and protect habitats. Yet, while the law focuses on protecting the entire ecosystem, the most ardent and vocal opponents are those who make money from fishing.
Within five years of being established, MPAs in the Channel Islands have shown evidence of enhanced habitat and ecosystem protection that result in improved fisheries. Detractors made gloomy forecasts of dramatic economic decline, but that has not happened. … “
Continue reading this commentary by clicking here.
Commentary: The right conditions for considering water conservation (and more)
Posted by: Maven on October 30, 2010 at 8:16 amI really enjoyed this commentary, which takes a look at conservation from a completely different – and personal angle. From the Long Beach Post:
“Every time it rains I’m afraid that a large percentage of Californians believe it means we can stop being vigilant about water use. But more than knowledge, analysis, or even ethos, the deciding factor in what kind of consumers we are is how we have been conditioned.
*My freshman year in college I lived in the dorms at San Diego State. One of our floor’s resident advisors was sophomore Randy, a surfer-hippie from the Bay Area. And Randy did not always flush the toilet after he peed.
Many of us found this disgusting, and we told him so. Randy was unfazed, claiming that we Californians need to be careful with our water usage, that we waste a lot of water flushing toilets unnecessarily, that in some cases the issue really isn’t hygiene but daintiness, etc.
He was right, of course. That’s easy to see now, being less dainty and more of a hippie than I was half a lifetime ago; and it was hard to argue against the logic of any of these points. But the rest of us had been conditioned as late-20th-century suburbanites, and it just seemed gross. … “
Continue reading this commentary at the Long Beach Post by clicking here.
Nevada Irrigation District hears update on FERC license for Yuba-Bear River Project; New proposal to construct a second hydroelectric power station at base of the dam at Rollins Reservoir
Posted by: Maven on October 30, 2010 at 8:05 amFrom YubaNet.com:
“Directors of the Nevada Irrigation District on Wednesday (Oct. 27) heard an update on the district’s ongoing project to obtain a new federal license for operation of the Yuba-Bear River Project.
NID built and continues to operate the project under a federal license issued in 1963. The original license expires in April 2013 and NID is working to obtain a new 50-year license.
General Manager Ron Nelson and relicensing consultant James Lynch of HDR/DTA in Sacramento briefed the board on the district’s progress and plan to submit its Draft License Application on Nov. 1 to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Lynch said planning for the new license has included three years of studies and more than 150 meetings with governmental agencies, stakeholders and the general public. … “
Continue reading from YubaNet.com by clicking here.
Salmon on Mokelumne up sharply: Chinook counts at Woodbridge Dam positive
Posted by: Maven on October 30, 2010 at 8:01 amFrom the Stockton Record:
“More salmon are swimming over the weir at Woodbridge Dam to spawn in the Mokelumne River this year, part of an uptick in fall chinook runs for most of the West Coast.
Although the fall salmon run season is only about half over, the 4,070 fish counted through Tuesday at Woodbridge are already about twice as many as were counted last year and a vast improvement over the 412 fall-run chinooks who made it back to spawn on the Mokelumne in 2008.
“It is going to be a good year,” said Alex Coate, director of water and natural resources for East Bay Municipal Utility District, which operates Camanche and Pardee dams on the Mokelumne. … “
Continue reading from the Stockton Record by clicking here.
Marin County: Last-minute dollars flow into desalination measures
Posted by: Maven on October 30, 2010 at 7:57 amFrom the Marin Independent Journal:
“Last-minute donations pumped into the campaign to support Measure S have almost doubled its coffers, while rival Measure T also received an influx of cash as Marin voters weigh the future of desalination.
Until the middle of the month, both campaigns had raised roughly the same amount. The Measure S campaign had raised $22,350 and spent $34,964, while the Measure T campaign raised $19,870 and spent $30,759.
Measure S — placed on the ballot by the Marin Municipal Water District Board — would require a vote of the public before the district could proceed with construction of a desalination plant, but it still allows the water district to plan for the technology. Measure T — an initiative placed on the ballot by desalination critics — is similar to Measure S in that it also would require a vote of the public to proceed with construction of desalination, but it differs in that it would prohibit the district from approving any contracts related to planning or building a plant. … “
Continue reading from the Marin Independent Journal by clicking here.
Buffers against rising sea may protect Bay shoreline
Posted by: Maven on October 30, 2010 at 7:56 amFrom the Bay Citizen:
“Bay Area governments could be required to demolish neighborhoods and take other measures to create shoreline buffer areas to allow the Bay to adapt to 14 inches of anticipated sea level rise over 50 years.
A state task force on Friday issued interim sea level rise projections that will guide planning efforts for all California agencies, including the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), which governs construction and habitat management in the Bay and within 100 feet of its highest tides. … “
Continue reading from the Bay Citizen by clicking here.
Border tale swapping: Redondo Beach hosts the 6th Bi-national Mayors Summit
Posted by: Maven on October 30, 2010 at 7:52 amFrom the Redondo Beach Patch:
“Mayors from both sides of the border shared their concerns about water, public safety and the environment during a cross cultural exchange Friday in Redondo Beach.
The mayors, from Southern California and Baja California, discussed expanded relationships with China, increased tourism and social networking. But a big focus was water.
West Basin Municipal Water District was one of the main sponsors of the 6th annual Bi-national Mayors Summit, and its desalination project at the SEA Lab was toured during the event. … “
Continue reading from the Redondo Beach Patch by clicking here.
Friday’s top of the scroll: Delta Stewardship Council supports improved treatment of Sacramento wastewater
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 8:34 amFrom ACWA’s Water News:
“Saying there is sufficient evidence that nutrient loading is affecting the ecosystem, the Delta Stewardship Council voted today to support more stringent discharge requirements for the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Council members affirmed their support for the conclusion reached by Cliff Dahm, the council’s lead scientist, after reviewing changes proposed by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board to limit the amount of ammonia discharged into the Sacramento River and the Delta by the wastewater treatment plant. Dahm told council members the ammonia limits proposed by the regional board are “justified based on the available science.” … “
Continue reading from ACWA’s Water News by clicking here.
MORE INFO: DSC Backs Drive for Improved Sacramento-Area Wastewater Treatment
Money earmarked for Delta restoration
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 8:29 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
“State officials have reached an agreement that will provide an estimated $188 million over 10 years to restore habitat for imperiled fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
The deal between the state Water Resources and Fish and Game departments binds the water agency to certain restoration activities to satisfy state and federal environmental laws. State water contractors, who buy Delta water from DWR, will pay for those projects. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
Who owns water? Experts debate pricing, infrastructure investment
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 8:27 amFrom the Smart Planet blog:
“WASHINGTON, D.C. — Who owns water?
Does the public own it? Does the federal government? How about private entities, such as farmers and manufacturers? Who gets to foot the bill when something goes wrong — or when it’s all gone?
Those were the questions debated this morning at The Atlantic’s Green Intelligence Forum 2010, where water experts weighed in on the difficulties in framing a global water crisis.
According to the experts, water is certainly not free — but establishing ownership gets tricky once you try to price it to curb excessive usage. … “
Continue reading from Smart Planet by clicking here.
US government approves world’s largest solar project
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 8:24 amFrom the Circle of Blue Water News:
“The U.S. Department of the Interior approved California’s Blythe Solar Power Project on Tuesday, giving the final clearance before construction can begin on what will be the world’s largest solar power station.
The department offered Solar Trust of America, the project developer, a 30-year right-of-way grant to use public lands for the plant’s solar-thermal installation and transmission lines.
The 1,000-megawatt facility, which will cover 7,025 acres of federal Bureau of Land Management property in the Mojave Desert near the California-Arizona border, will use parabolic mirrors to focus the sun’s energy to generate steam for turning the turbines that generate electricity. … “
Continue reading from the Circle of Blue Water News by clicking here.
Wet winter reduces pressure on alfalfa
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 8:22 amFrom the Western Farm Press, this commentary by Aaron Keiss, Executive Director, California Alfalfa & Forage Association:
” Thinking back to 2009 at this time brought up the old saying, “What a difference a day makes.” In this case it’s what a difference a year makes when you have water — perhaps not as much as you need, but a lot more than 2009. Unfortunately, not all areas of California got the rainfall and/or snowmelt that was needed and the Klamath Basin took another hit.
The difference a year made in areas of the state where rainfall and snowmelt broke the drought came to mind as we put together materials for an environmental group that was invited for a two-day meeting held by the California Farm Bureau.
As mentioned last month the enviros who were invited to the program this October took their pot shots at alfalfa at a meeting late last year, and this year alfalfa was part of the October meeting. … “
Continue reading this commentary at the Western Farm Press website by clicking here.
Scotts Valley water users want DFG’s answers
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 8:20 amFrom the Siskiyou Daily News:
“Landowners and agricultural water users in the Scott Valley are looking for answers, and have sent a letter across the north state to find them.
The letter, signed by Preston Harris, Jim Harris and Jeff Fowle, all water diverters in the Scott Valley, argues that the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) removed fish screens and closed the headgates at two diversions – identified as 43 and 47A – without contacting the landowners who would be affected by the actions. … “
Continue reading from the Siskiyou Daily News by clicking here.
Will Klamath dam removal be cheaper or more expensive than relicensing?
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 8:17 am
From the Sisikiyou Daily News:
“There are a number of questions, assertions and assumptions concerning the proposed removal of four dams along the Klamath River under the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement. This research series will look at these individual issues and how they fit into the larger picture.
The KHSA lays out a framework for the potential removal of utility company PacifiCorp’s JC Boyle, Iron Gate, Copco 1 and Copco 2 dams in order to increase access to fish habitat above where the dams now sit.
In 2000, all of those dams were due for relicensing along with the rest of the Klamath River Hydroelectric Project by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which is tasked with giving “equal consideration” to the needs for power, development, energy conservation, environmental protection and other issues, according to FERC’s final environmental impact statement (EIS) issued during the relicensing process. … “
Continue reading from the Siskiyou Daily News by clicking here.
Lawsuit filed against privatization of West Coast fisheries
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 8:14 amFrom IndyBay.org:
“A regional fishing organization and two locally-based port organizations – in California and Oregon, announced today they have filed suit against the Department of Commerce to halt a plan that will consolidate much of the fishing fleet, privatize public fish resources, deny many fishing ports access to fish in adjacent waters and cause massive job losses.
“We had no option left us,” said Larry Collins, a San Francisco fisherman and President of the Crab Boat Owners Association, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. “If we didn’t act to stop this travesty, ownership of the resource will consolidate into the hands of a few operators in a few ports along the coast, leaving many coastal fishing communities, including our own Fisherman’s Wharf, with no access to our own local fish.”
The suit, filed last Friday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, seeks to stop the implementation of a plan by the Pacific Fishery Management Council – and approved by Commerce – to “rationalize” the fishery, giving control of individual fishing quotas for groundfish to owners of trawl fishing vessels. The quotas can then be freely leased or sold to anyone holding or purchasing a trawl fishing permit, including non-fishermen. … “
Continue reading at IndyBay.org by clicking here.
Task force approves recommendations to complete California’s open coast Marine Protected Areas
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 8:12 amFrom the California Department of Fish & Game:
“Fortuna – The Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) unanimously voted this week to forward a community-based marine protected area (MPA) proposal for the north coast. The MPA proposal, developed by the 33-member north coast regional stakeholder group (NCRSG), will be presented to the California Fish and Game Commission (FGC) together with a modified enhanced compliance alternative MPA proposal and other recommendations on February 2, 2011 in Sacramento.
“The task force decision honors the hard work and compromises made by the regional stakeholder group,” said Cindy Gustafson, chair of the BRTF. “We also adopted an alternative proposal that does not alter the placement of MPAs developed by the stakeholders, but strengthens the level of ocean protection to be consistent with other regions in the state while considering the unique environmental conditions and important cultural and socioeconomic interests specific to the north coast.” … “
Continue reading this press release from the California Department of Fish & Game by clicking here.
Discover the Delta Foundation: Historic Dutra Tower is on the move!
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 8:10 am
From the Discover the Delta Foundation:
“Mark your calendar for November 2nd. The Rio Vista Tower, now known as the Dutra Tower, will be making the second phase of its journey across the Sacramento River on November 2nd.
The Dutra Tower dates back to 1904 when it was used by The Rio Vista Canning and Packing Company. The tower was connected to a well that pumped water into the upper and lower tanks. The top tank of the Tower was used to flow the asparagus through the canary on a flume. The bottom tank was used for drinking water and other water needs. In the mid-1960′s, the tower sprang a considerable number of leaks that were too expensive to fix. In 1990 the Dutra Family took over the property where the Rio Vista Tower stood. In 2008, with the approval of the City of Rio Vista, the family donated the tower to the Discover the Delta Foundation to use as a future Delta landmark. … “
Continue reading from the Discover the Delta Foundation by clicking here.
Francesca Vietor, renowned environmentalist, elected as president of S.F. Public Utilities Commission
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 8:07 am
From the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, this press release:
“Francesca Vietor, a respected voice in the San Francisco environmental community, was elected yesterday as President of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC). Vietor will lead the five member commission that sets policy for the City’s water, power and sewer department. Vietor, previously serving as Vice-President of the Commission, has served on the Commission since September 2008.
“I want to acknowledge the outstanding work of outgoing Commission President F.X. Crowley and congratulate Francesca on her new appointment,” said Mayor Gavin Newsom. “Francesca’s years of civic and environmental leadership will help further San Francisco and the SFPUC’s tradition of environmental stewardship and innovation.”
Vietor, a native San Franciscan, has been a dedicated voice and advocate for environmental protection programs for more than two decades. Previous positions include serving as President of the Urban Forest Council (2003-2005), Chair of the Mayor’s Environmental Transition Team (2003), President of the S.F. Commission on the Environment (1997-1999) and Director of the S.F. Department of the Environment (1999-2001). Vietor has served as the principal consultant to Ecoworks (2005-2010) and on both the staff and board of the Rainforest Action Network. She is co-founder and co-director of 1000 Flowers, a national woman’s voter registration and mobilization effort, which registered and activated over 20,000 women in 47 states.
Inyo concerned about LADWP land values
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 8:03 amFrom the Inyo Register:
“Inyo County has an opportunity to have a third-party appraiser take a look at property the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is preparing to auction off to be sure the starting bids are not higher than the market value.
The Board of Supervisors had a split vote Tuesday because members could not decide if the board was willing to invest the $15,800 for the appraisals without any guarantee that the LADWP would use it or reimburse the county for the contract. … “
Continue reading from the Inyo Register by clicking here.
Shore Patrol: Army Corps is attacking graffiti on L.A. River
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 8:02 amFrom the Long Beach Press Telegram:
“Generally, Army Corps of Engineers members are pictured with landscape maps and structural charts.
But one quiet mission is designed to cut back on pollutants reaching Long Beach shoreline water: the hazardous materials contained in graffiti paints, which could get into channel waters when being cleaned off from the mammoth cemented flood barriers.
“We are actively cooperating with local law enforcement in the apprehension and prosecution of graffiti vandals,” said Army Corps spokeswoman Heather Hagan said Thursday. … “
Continue reading from the Long Beach Press Telegram by clicking here.
Pacific Swell: North Cost MLPA a very different tale
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 8:00 amFrom the Pacific Swell blog:
“I’m interested in the completion of the Marine Protected Areas process – under the state’s MLPA law – so I’ve been reading up on that lately. Here in Southern California, we’ve got protected areas proposed and under final consideration at the state’s Fish and Game Commission. Further up the coast – the North Coast region is still hashing out where protections might go. It’s kind of interesting to check in on their process.
As in southern California, the negotiated process has achieved a measure of local consensus. Trouble is, according to a report a few days ago in the Eureka Times-Standard, state biologists aren’t impressed with what they’ve come up with: … “
Continue reading from the Pacific Swell blog by clicking here.
Water treatment center finished for Loma Linda
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 7:54 amFrom the Contra Costa Times:
“A new water-treatment plant will give Loma Linda residents an additional source of water, as Lockheed Martin begins to treat an aquifer that it contaminated years ago.
The aerospace and technology company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday for the plant, which is on an island of Loma Linda-owned land in the city of San Bernardino.
Loma Linda’s 22,000 water customers now use other, uncontaminated wells, but the site will become the city’s primary source, according to Brian Thorne, remediation project lead with Lockheed Martin. … “
Continue reading from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
State panel to vote on Huntingon Beach desalination facility Friday
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 7:52 am
From the O. C. Register:
“HUNTINGTON BEACH – Poseidon Resources Inc. is scheduled to ask Friday for one of its two final approvals before it can start construction on its $350 million desalination facility.
Company officials will go before the State Lands Commission at Culver City Hall at 10 a.m. If the project receives the green light, Poseidon would next go to the California Coastal Commission for final approvals.
Poseidon officials are expected to present a letter signed by all of Orange County’s legislators voicing support for the project. … “
Continue reading from the O. C. Register by clicking here.
Let the freshwater flow in Huntington Beach, says editorial
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 7:50 amFrom the O. C. Register, this editorial:
“The proposed Huntington Beach Seawater Desalination Project, which has spent 10 years in the permitting process, is a perfectly glaring example of how slowly the wheels of government can turn. Poseidon Resources, the private company specializing in water infrastructure development that’s behind the Surf City plant, has a similar facility in San Diego County.
The California State Lands Commission was scheduled to hold a hearing on the project’s lease application today, weighing whether to grant one of the two final required permits.
Article Tab : Jim Locey gives a tour of the AES power plant in Huntington Beach.
Jim Locey gives a tour of the AES power plant in Huntington Beach.The plant, which will convert seawater to freshwater, is not a silver bullet for Orange County’s water needs, but it is an innovative and promising partial answer. The commission should grant the permit and let the project move forward to the next phase. … “
Continue reading this editorial from the O. C. Register by clicking here.
GrokSurf’s San Diego blog: Groundwater is scarce and coveted in San Diego
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 7:47 amFrom GrokSurf’s San Diego blog:
“Is the City of San Diego’s environmental lawsuit against Sweetwater Authority actually more about asserting water rights in the San Diego Formation aquifer? The lawsuit alleges defects and procedural errors with the Environmental Impact Report (EIR), but a Sweetwater Authority representative told me San Diego is positioning itself to assert its pueblo water rights over the aquifer and perhaps lay claim to work already done by Sweetwater. The staffer made the remark in response to a question I asked during a recent open house at the Reynolds Groundwater Desalination Facility.
If you look at the City’s lawsuit, it does focus attention on the EIR and procedural issues — there’s no mention of pueblo water rights. However, there are definite allusions to claims on the water such as: “The City of San Diego is committed to managing its water rights and the groundwater resources within its jurisdiction…” and “…as an entity with water rights in the Formation, the City has a special interest in managing this important resource…” (page 2 of the lawsuit). … “
Continue reading from GrokSurf’s San Diego blog by clicking here.
Sweetwater Authority delays approval of expansion plans
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2010 at 7:37 amFrom the San Diego Union Tribune:
“The Sweetwater Authority’s governing board has put off the re-approval of plans to expand the agency’s desalination plant and the project’s supporting documents after San Diego city officials shared concerns of the move in a last-minute letter and other documents.
The Chula Vista-based water agency and city officials are in the midst of a legal dispute over groundwater access from an important regional aquifer.
Sweetwater’s board had planned on Wednesday to formally approve the expansion of its desalination facility, which hadn’t happened because of an inadvertent administrative error, said Peggy Strand, Sweetwater’s assistant general manager. … “
Continue reading from the San Diego Union Tribune by clicking here.
Thursday’s top of the scroll: Array of comments posted on draft discharge permit for Sacramento sewage treatment plant
Posted by: Maven on October 28, 2010 at 8:20 amWell folks, it’s going to be a little slow around here until elections are over, I predict, because covering the election (or other big stories) tends to put reporters on different tasks. So this is the best thing I got for the top today, which should not be considered an endorsement for ACWA’s position on this issue, but just a blogger who is desperate for something to put at the top, and at the time of this posting, this is the most interesting California water news story I could find. From ACWA’s Water News:
“Public comments on proposed new discharge requirements for the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant are available on the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board’s website.
More than 85 comment letters from local businesses, individuals, state and federal agencies, elected officials, water agencies, agricultural organizations and other groups around the state have been posted in advance of a public hearing set for Dec. 8-10. … “
Continue reading at the ACWA Water News website by clicking here.
Crumbling water infrastructure needs a surge of investment
Posted by: Maven on October 28, 2010 at 8:14 amFrom GreenBiz.com:
“Water pipes and treatment systems in the U.S. are in a sorry state, but nearly two-thirds of voters and just over half of businesses would be willing to pay more for their water to ensure its quality and availability, according to a new study by the ITT Corporation.
ITT surveyed about 1,000 voters and 500 facilities and operations managers at industrial and agricultural businesses in the U.S. this past summer to see what Americans think should be done about the problem with water infrastructure and who they believe should pay for it. The firm released its report on the results of its “Value of Water Survey: Americans on the U.S. Water Crisis” today. … “
Read more from GreenBiz.com by clicking here.
Commentary: Doing more with less in California
Posted by: Maven on October 28, 2010 at 8:12 amSubmitted via email, this commentary from Cameron Brooks, director of smarter water management at IBM:
“Water is expensive in California. The state has borrowed more than $20 billion over the last decade to improve its water system, and water-related debt is only expected to grow, assuming the $11 billion California Water Bond proposition passes in 2012. While opponents of the bond dispute its merits, one thing is certain: California is not in a financial position to spend frivolously and the state needs to do something about its water supply, which is shrinking as the population is growing. By most accounts, shortages are a likely scenario in the not-too-distant future.
Regardless of how the state plans to revamp its system, conservation is an important piece of the puzzle. Asking residents to just take shorter showers isn’t going to cut it, though. The state also needs to repair the gaping inefficiencies in the system now, and one way to do that is through information technology. By gathering and analyzing data, we can better understand where water losses occur and how to stop them. We can get a precise picture of who is using water, how much they are using, and how they’re using water. When consumers are armed with this information, they can modify their behavior.
A monthly bill that just shows water consumption has increased or decreased is fairly useless, but with a monthly bill that specifically indicates that the bulk of water use occurs, for example, between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on weekday evenings, residents will have a better idea of where they can conserve. Conservation isn’t going to solve all of California’s problems, but it will better balance supply with demand. Best case scenario, by 2030 water use could fall 20% below 2000 levels, according to a Pacific Institute study. “
On the Public Record blog: Clearly I made the wrong choice.
Posted by: Maven on October 28, 2010 at 8:09 amThe On the Public Record blog responds to yesterday’s article from the Ridgecrest Independent:
” … I like this article for illuminating how a water district and a city planning commission are interacting. The water district is considerably further along in the process of adjusting to water scarcity. They’ve probably gone through an attempt at securing a next supply of water, and realized that finding the next chunk is more daunting than asking people to stop growing lawns (and it comes with its own political challenge of raising rates). Further, they are aware that last year, the California legislature required that cities pass ordinances this year about new landscapes that are at least as stringent as DWR’s Model Ordinance. They’ve had a year to sulk and adjust to it.
The planning commission doesn’t seem to have that same familiarity with the concepts of water scarcity. … “
Continue reading this post from On the Public Record by clicking here.
What constitutes overpopulation in America? Lack of water, says commentary
Posted by: Maven on October 28, 2010 at 8:03 amFrom Frosty Wooldridge at OpEdNews, this commentary:
“Ironically, everyone demands cleaner air, but don’t stop economic and human growth. Stop gridlock traffic, but don’t touch growth. Stop species extinction, but never end growth. Let’s stop climate change, but leave growth alone. Stop acid rain, but don’t stop growth. Work on alternative energy, but don’t stop growth. We insist on lower energy and water prices, but don’t stop growth and demand. Let’s conceive of every “green solution’, but don’t ever stop growth!
In other words, let’s attempt to solve our energy, water and climate change predicament by dealing with a pyramid of effects, but doing nothing to address the root cause. That’s like a three pack a day smoker that wants his lung cancer cured, but he said, “I am willing to try any solution to cure my lung cancer as long as you don’t tell me to stop smoking.” … “
Continue reading this commentary from OpEdNews by clicking here.
The KlamBlog: Implementing the Klamath Agreements – a new series
Posted by: Maven on October 28, 2010 at 7:43 am
From Felice Pace at the KlamBlog:
“The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA or Water Deal) and the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA or Dam Deal) are done. Those who were going to sign have signed and those who were not going to sign have not signed. In the Klamath River Basin there has been a rearrangement of the “sides” in what has always been a zero sum water game with winners and losers.
Two streams now diverge. On the one hand promoters are pursuing federal legislation; on the other hand they are moving aggressively to implement those portions of the Deals which do not require legislation.
The Deals’ promoters want federal legislation to provide liability protection and other benefits to PacifiCorp during dam removal, to bless the KBRA’s scheme for managing water and restoration, and to provide taxpayer funding for irrigator and other subsidies. Prospects for federal legislation are almost always uncertain – especially when it includes costly and controversial Deals which require new spending in an era of record deficits. … “
Continue reading from the KlamBlog by clicking here.
Photo of the Klamath River by flickr photographer Clinton Steeds.
Russian River gravel mining approved
Posted by: Maven on October 28, 2010 at 7:31 amFrom the Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
“The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors gave its unanimous blessing Tuesday to a mining operation that will extract up to 350,000 tons of gravel a year from a 6.5 mile stretch of the Russian River.
The move delighted supporters who see the project in the Alexander Valley as a boon to jobs and as a way to manage the river’s erosive power.
But it infuriated environmentalists who questioned the validity of the science supporting the project as well as the county’s rush to approve it six months after the release of a hefty environmental impact report. … “
Continue reading from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat by clicking here.
Sonoma County: Final fix for water line
Posted by: Maven on October 28, 2010 at 7:28 am
From the Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
“A major water transmission pipeline serving most of Sonoma County was shut down Tuesday to repair a break that occurred in April, sending a gusher of water 30 feet into the air.
By using water stored in Spring Lake and water tanks and a secondary transmission line that runs from the Russian River to Cotati, the Sonoma County Water Agency repairs were made without any interruption in service.
“This is one of the main lifelines to Santa Rosa, it is one of the most critical,” said Mike Thompson, the water agency’s assistant general manager. … “
Continue reading from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat by clicking here.
Santa Rosa Aqueduct gets major check-up, receives $1.3 million FEMA grant
Posted by: Maven on October 28, 2010 at 7:26 amFrom the Sonoma County Water District, this press release:
“Today the Sonoma County Water Agency held a media availability to announce two major developments to ensure its water transmission system remains reliable and secure for more than 600,000 residents in portions of Sonoma and Marin counties: The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved more than $1.3 million for a back-up aqueduct to withstand natural disasters; and the Water Agency began intensive maintenance efforts on six-miles of the Santa Rosa Aqueduct.
At 2.a.m. this morning the Water Agency began performing one of the most intensive one-day maintenance efforts in its history. Water Agency staff shut down a six-mile portion of the Santa Rosa Aqueduct between Fulton Road and its Wohler water supply facilities near the Russian River as a part of a multi-year project to replace air valves with new models that comply with current standards. … “
Continue reading this press release from the Sonoma County Water Agency by clicking here.
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