Monday’s top of the scroll: Water managers brace for more dry times
Posted by: Maven on February 28, 2011 at 5:51 amFrom the San Diego Union-Tribune:
“His boots dusty from walking along the banks of the Rio Grande, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Michael Connor scanned the water’s edge and watched a flush of ducks pass before listening to a detailed explanation of the recent work that went into revitalizing this stretch of river in central New Mexico.
The ground remained bare where earth was moved to lower the banks to a more natural state. The dry skeletons of cottonwood trees were place in the river to provide cover for endangered fish. And behind Connor, the thinned forest of cottonwoods and willows showed signs of recovery after a few years of not having to compete with invasive nonnative vegetation.
The restoration work along Sandia Pueblo’s section of the Rio Grande is just the latest effort by tribal, state and federal water managers as they grapple with persistent drought across the West, the uncertainties of climate change, endangered species concerns and growing demand for a limited resource. … “
Continue reading from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.
Time for a new era of governing water statewide, says SacBee editorial
Posted by: Maven on February 28, 2011 at 5:48 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
“Water is California’s most precious resource. Yet in lean years and wet ones, California manages to mismanage this precious resource in spectacular fashion.
That is the take-home message from a monumental report released last week by the Public Policy Institute of California, titled “Managing California Water.” The 482-page report issues both a clarion call and a road map for lawmakers and water interests to move beyond conflict and toward a new era of “reconciliation.”
One clear message of the report is the need to modernize and consolidate the various institutions that govern how water is used. On the state level, decisions about water are now bifurcated between the Department of Water Resources and the State Water Resources Control Board. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
Mono-Logue blog: Los Angeles exceeds water conservation expectations
Posted by: Maven on February 28, 2011 at 5:44 amFrom the Mono-Logue blog:
“In 1994, the State Water Resources Control Board issued Decision 1631, restoring Mono Lake and its tributary streams through a plan of reduced water diversions to Los Angeles. At that time, the decision considered LA’s water supply projections:
The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) projects that the city will use approximately 700 thousand acre-feet per year by 1995, increasing to 756.5 thousand acre-feet by 2010 due to population growth. DWP cautions, however, that large uncertainties exist regarding future projections.The decision went on to commend LA for its conservation efforts:
Although Los Angeles water use exceeded 700 thousand acre-feet during 1987, the City’s vigorous water conservation programs during successive drought years reduced water use by more than 20 percent between March 1991 and April 1992. Reduction in water use due to water conservation remained above 15 percent after drought conditions ended, which suggests that a permanent change in water use patterns has been achieved.
So how do things look in 2010? Has a permanent change in water use been achieved, or is the city using 756.5 thousand acre-feet (taf) of water, as was projected in 1994? … “
Continue reading from the Mono-Logue by clicking here.
El Centro water tank work begins
Posted by: Maven on February 28, 2011 at 5:39 amFrom the Imperial Valley Press:
“Metal clanged as hooks were attached to a large chunk of steel, tearing down earthquake-damaged portions of an El Centro water tank.
They’re taking off the whole roof, said Francisco Olmedo with The Holt Group, the construction management company. They’re removing supports damaged in the earthquake and the top rink of the tank, too. … “
Continue reading from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.
Sunday’s top of the scroll: Sierra snowpack in good shape
Posted by: Maven on February 27, 2011 at 8:57 amFrom the Reno Gazette Journal:
“Friday’s hefty snowstorm, which brought feet of fresh, powdery snow to the Sierra, will further build on a mountain snowpack vital to summer water supplies in the Reno-Sparks area.
The storm follows wintry weather last week, which brought bountiful snowfall, ending a lengthy dry period in January and early February that diminished a snowpack measured at twice normal levels the first of the year.
Early Friday morning — before the numbers were boosted by heavy snow throughout the day — the Lake Tahoe Basin’s snowpack measured 138 percent of normal for the date. … “
Continue reading from the Reno Gazette Journal by clicking here.
State Water Plan is a done deal long before 2012 vote, says commentary
Posted by: Maven on February 27, 2011 at 8:55 amFrom the Sacramento Bee, this commentary by Burt Wilson, member of the forum subcommittee for the 2013 State Water Plan:
” “Fait accompli” is French for an “accomplished fact.” It means something already done. For example, when a bill is voted on in a legislative committee, spectators may believe the vote might go either way, but what they don’t know is that the bill might be “greased” – already approved in secret before the vote. Thus the vote is a sham, and the outcome is a fait accompli.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt was fond of saying, “Nothing happens in politics unless it is supposed to happen” – meaning everything in politics is a fait accompli.
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger yanked Proposition 18, the State Water Plan Bill, from the November 2010 ballot – supposedly because of its $11 billion cost – and set it for a vote in November 2012, when Californians may find they’re voting on a huge fait accompli, because the basic elements of the water plan will already be in place by then. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
Food & Water Watch: Out of sight, California’s groundwater disaster is also out of mind
Posted by: Maven on February 27, 2011 at 8:51 am
From Food & Water Watch, this press release:
“Today the consumer advocacy organization Food & Water Watch released a report showing serious contamination of groundwater around large-scale dairies in California’s Central Valley. The report details how the agency charged with protecting groundwater in the Central Valley has been negligent despite knowing there are serious problems and calls on the Governor to nominate strong appointees to the Water Board.
The Report, What’s in the Water? Industrial Dairies, Groundwater Pollution and Regulatory Failure in California’s Central Valley, was jointly written by Food & Water Watch and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance. Using new data that had not been previously analyzed, it demonstrates that public and environmental health may be at serious risk due to groundwater contamination near dairies in the Central Valley, and finds evidence that the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (CVRWQCB) has not effectively enforced regulations. … “
Continue reading from the Food & Water Watch by clicking here.
Green Roots blog: Northern California rejects long-term water transfer agreement
Posted by: Maven on February 27, 2011 at 8:46 amFrom the Planning & Conservation League’s Green Roots blog:
“Just days away from a program scoping process comment deadline, northern California water irrigation districts stand firm behind their February 2nd letter, which states they will not agree to sell their water to Central Valley water contractors.
The proposed U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s 10-year “Long-Term North to South Water Transfers” program, would ship up to thousands of acre-feet of water from northern California to the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority; which represents agricultural water districts in the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California. The realization of this program is contingent on the willingness of northern California sellers, and that willingness has yet to be seen. … “
Continue reading from the Green Roots blog by clicking here.
Some wary of Antelope sewer
Posted by: Maven on February 27, 2011 at 8:32 amFrom the Contra Costa Times:
“Property owners in the Antelope area gathered Thursday evening to learn more about a proposed sewer system project that would, as several residents put it, ultimately affect their pocket books.
The meeting was organized by resident Robert Harvey who wanted to get people informed about the project.
Get out and get involved in this thing because it’s going to affect your pocket book down the road, Harvey said.
There was a resounding resistance to the project as residents who walked into the meeting with their minds already made up to vote down the project encouraged their neighbors to do the same. … “
Continue reading from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
Legal issues halt test well work on Monterey County desalination project
Posted by: Maven on February 27, 2011 at 8:27 amFrom the Monterey County Herald:
“Work on test wells for the proposed seawater desalination project has been stopped until key issues raised by a lawsuit against Monterey County are resolved.
The suit could drive up the costs for the estimated $400 million project, including the cost of litigation, and raise questions about the project’s viability.
Filed in Superior Court last week by the Ag Land Trust, the suit challenges the county’s ability to secure water rights for the project’s brackish-water feeder wells because of the potential for violating a ban on exporting water from the Salinas Valley groundwater basin. … “
Continue reading from the Monterey County Herald by clicking here.
Storm of 1862 made an inland sea
Posted by: Maven on February 27, 2011 at 8:24 amFrom the San Luis Obispo Tribune:
“My mother’s ancestors came to California by covered wagon over the Sierra Nevada in the summer of 1847, a few months after the Donner Party tragedy. They settled in the vast Sacramento Valley in what is now Colusa County and tried to build a future along the fertile banks of the Sacramento River.
About 13 years later, they took refuge on the nearby Sutter Buttes because of one of the worst floods ever to hit California.
Many years ago, my grandmother, Frances Graham, passed along this bit of family folklore to me from her mother about a deluge of biblical proportions that occurred in 1862. … “
Continue reading from the San Luis Obispo Tribune by clicking here.
Hey, LA! If you want help to control DWP, give Owens Valley residents the right to vote in city elections, says commentary
Posted by: Maven on February 27, 2011 at 8:01 amFrom the Sierra Wave, this column:
“Wow. We in the Bureaucrat Beat Newsroom really wished this week that people in the Eastern Sierra could vote in the City of Los Angeles. Hey, maybe we should since we live amidst LA land and they take our water. Anyway, seems that the LA power brokers will try to put the screws to DWP. Good luck. Two ballot measures would alter the City Charter (something they always tell us they can’t do when it comes the Owens Valley).
So, Charter Amendment I would create an Office of Public Accountability at DWP. Do they carry concealed weapons? The office will cost about a million bucks. Critics say the LA City Council can do the job of holding DWP’s feet to the fire on rate increases, etc. … “
Continue reading from the Sierra Wave by clicking here.
Santa Clarita: Cleanup continues at toxic property; End in sight for soil restoration; water cleanup could take decades
Posted by: Maven on February 27, 2011 at 7:50 amFrom the Santa Clarita Signal:
“State officials will likely review the details of how engineers plan to complete Whittaker-Bermite’s surface cleanup this spring, as another potential developer has come along showing interest in the beleaguered, 996-acre property at the center
of the city.The hilly plot represents one of the valley’s most coveted, yet polluted real estate properties.
For more than two decades, the site has undergone a massive environmental cleanup of its soil and groundwater, which are laced with toxic chemicals, the most prominent of which is perchlorate, a thyroid-damaging salt. … “
Continue reading from the Santa Clarita Signal by clicking here.
Commentary: The DWP’s little pump that eats money: Since 2002, the utility has paid at least $350,000 to rent a unit that sells for about $35,000
Posted by: Maven on February 27, 2011 at 7:40 amFrom the Los Angeles Times, this commentary:
“Just above the Greek Theatre, on the edge of a sloping field adjacent to Vermont Avenue, sits a pump. To the layperson — to this one at any rate — it looks like a big ugly hunk of metal on wheels, one that bears the signs of age and weather. To those who know about such things, this is a 4-inch, high-head, trailer-mounted, diesel centrifugal booster pump, and it serves an important purpose: to boost water pressure and flow for fire protection in Griffith Park.
So, it is noble, this pump, an integral weapon against the potential destruction of the park, including its beloved observatory and the Greek Theatre. But to someone who has walked past it for years on treks through the park, there is also something slightly odd about it: a plaque atop it that reads “Rain for Rent” along with a telephone number in the 805 area code. Could this really be a rented pump? Why would the L.A. Department of Water and Power, the nation’s largest municipally owned utility, rent a pump for years? Surely that could not be economical. … “
Continue reading from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
QSA water recipients should pay impact fee
Posted by: Maven on February 27, 2011 at 7:37 amFrom the Imperial Valley Press:
“It is the people who receive water from the Quantification Settlement Agreement who should pick up the tab for environmental impacts, says Citizens for a Reliable Water Supply.
CRWS is the Valley organization that filed an amicus brief to help stop implementation of the QSA. It maintains it is San Diego and other urban beneficiaries who should bear the burden of replenishing the Salton Sea with water and other environmental mitigation.
An amicus brief is filed by an outside party with an interest in a lawsuit, who is not party to the action. The QSA is a water pact that sells conserved water to San Diego and Coachella. But the transfer creates environmental impairment and must be alleviated by the Imperial Irrigation District. … “
Continue reading from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.
Residents hopeful regarding cleanup of New River
Posted by: Maven on February 27, 2011 at 7:35 amFrom the Imperial Valley Press:
“Hope springs eternal, as one Imperial County resident put it, for those affected by the heavily polluted New River.
Imperial Valley residents came out Wednesday and Thursday to hear if plans to clean up the New River are going to be the same old song and dance with no results.
“I know it’s going to happen, and I’m so glad,” Calexico resident Ema Rosa Silva said. “Enough is enough.” … “
Continue reading from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.
Healthy snowpack bodes well for Arizona; Center predicts runoff into Lake Powell to be above normal this year
Posted by: Maven on February 27, 2011 at 7:31 amFrom the Arizona Sun:
“The northern Rockies have been slammed with enough snow this year that it might be possible to delay shortages of Colorado River water for Arizona water users for two to five years, officials say.
After years of drought and below-normal snowpack in the Colorado’s Upper Basin, primarily in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, this year’s snowpack there is now about 120 percent of normal, said a U.S. government forecasting agency.
The Colorado River Basin Forecasting Center predicts that April-July runoff into Lake Powell, which straddles the Arizona-Utah border, will be about 113 percent of normal. That’s about 9 million acre-feet of water. An acre-foot is about 325,850 gallons. … “
Continue reading from the Arizona Sun by clicking here.
Inkstain blog: 3 million acre feet
Posted by: Maven on February 27, 2011 at 7:29 amFrom the Inkstain blog:
“We will know in a little more than a month whether Lake Mead will get a flush of “bonus water” this year, and if so how much, thanks to the better-than-average snow pack in the Upper Colorado River Basin.
Right now, things look good. Current snow levels, as measured by the network of federally funded snow sensors around the mountains, are 22 percent about average on the tributaries that feed into the Colorado River above Lake Powell (numbers via the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center). With a bit more than two days left in the month, both Mead and Powell are close to the optimistic side of the probability distribution in the most recent US Bureau of Reclamation “24-month study” … “
Continue reading from the Inkstain blog by clicking here.
Saturday’s top of the scroll: Continuing resolution debate shifts to Senate
Posted by: Maven on February 26, 2011 at 8:44 amThings to look forward to in the next week: the debate over the Continuing Resolution in Washington DC now heads to the Senate, according to the Western Farm Press:
“The debate over a Continuing Resolution (CR) necessary to provide funding for agencies and programs for the remainder of FY11 will shift to the Senate when Congress returns from a week long recess.
Early on Feb. 19, just before leaving town for the President’s Day recess, the House approved a CR along party lines. The legislation, H.R. 1, covers the remainder of FY11 and would cut about $61.5 billion from FY10 spending levels and provide $99.6 billion less than the administration’s FY11 budget proposal, which was never enacted.
Senate Democratic Leaders immediately rejected the House plan as draconian. Initially, Senate Democrats indicated they would draft a one-month extension at current spending levels while working on the longer-term CR. House Republicans indicated any short-term CR would have to include proportionate cuts to the CR passed on Feb. 19. … “
Continue reading from the Western Farm Press by clicking here.
Peter Gleick on the PPIC report: Playing God
Posted by: Maven on February 26, 2011 at 8:40 amFrom Peter Gleick at the City Brights Blog:
“In a desperate attempt to make it easier to solve California’s complex and contentious water problems, a dangerous new idea has recently been floated — intentionally letting some species go extinct rather than take the difficult steps needed to save them and their ecosystems. This idea should be quashed, smothered, strangled, and quickly tossed in the dumpster of failed ideas.
The first hint of this appeared earlier in February in the 52-page study released by the Delta Stewardship Council. That report argued that it was possible that some species of fish might be so devastated already and their ecosystems so ruined that they were unlikely to survive even with significant efforts to save them. This, of course, is an argument long made in private by some agricultural and urban interests unwilling to accept the difficult strategies to save endangered and threatened species because it might cost them water.
Then, just this week, the argument for explicitly permitting extinction was described in the newly released water report from the Public Policy Institute of California. They are stunningly blunt, calling for the state to consider practicing “endangered species triage,” intentionally permitting a species to go extinct if an argument can be made that it will somehow help other species survive — a very strange concept to ecologists who look at the health of overall systems. … “
Continue reading from Peter Gleick at the City Brights blog by clicking here.
Peripheral canal/tunnel must be of adequate size, says commentary
Posted by: Maven on February 26, 2011 at 8:37 amFrom the Contra Costa Times, this commentary by Jill Duerig from the Zone 7 Water Agency, Walt Wadlow from the Alameda County Water District, and Beau Goldie of the Santa Clara Valley Water District:
“As Bay Area water agencies that rely on Delta-conveyed water for 40 percent to 80 percent of our supply, we believe it would be shortsighted — for people and for fish — to build a bypass around or under the Delta that’s substantially smaller than what’s under consideration in the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.
A new bypass facility that can carry up to 15,000 cubic feet per second (cfs.) would provide flexibility to manage water diversions to meet the coequal goals of restoring both water supply and a healthy Delta ecosystem. … “
Continue reading this commentary at the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
Dan Bacher: Legislators announce package to establish human right to water in California
Posted by: Maven on February 26, 2011 at 8:32 amFrom Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org:
“Legislators, safe water advocates, and residents of California communities without access to safe drinking water will gather for a press conference this Monday, February 28, at 2 pm on the North Steps of State Capitol to announce the introduction of the Human Right to Water bill package.
Speakers will include Assembly Member Mike Eng, Assembly Member Paul Fong, Assembly Member V. Manuel Pérez, United Nations Independent Expert on the Human Right to Water, Catarina de Albuquerque, community advocates, and affected community members.
“The six-bill package includes AB 685 (Eng), which would make it a policy of the state that every Californian has a human right to clean, accessible water for basic human needs,” said Debbie Davis, policy director of the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water. “The five additional bills make changes in state law to begin implementing the human right to water policy and promote access to safe water for the health and well-being of all Californians.” … “
Continue reading from Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org by clicking here.
PPIC on YouTube: California water woes – A way out
Posted by: Maven on February 26, 2011 at 8:27 amFrom the PPIC, posted at YouTube:
“California policies are failing to meet the demand for water supply reliability, water quality, flood protection, and ecosystem health. Today’s problems are likely to worsen unless the state makes broad and bold changes in water management policy, says Ellen Hanak, senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California.”
Stormwater workshop draws crowd of 100
Posted by: Maven on February 26, 2011 at 8:17 amFrom the Ukiah Daily Journal:
“A workshop on the county’s new stormwater regulations drew a crowd of about 100 people to the Fine Arts Building at the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds Wednesday morning.
Property owners worried about how the new regulations designed to prevent pollution will affect them heard from county officials and voiced their concerns.
“You take control of your drainage on your own property and deal with it there,” Mendocino County Hydrologist Dennis Slota told attendees, explaining the idea behind the regulations. … “
Continue reading from the Ukiah Daily Journal by clicking here.
Tahoe Resource Conservation District to hire watershed coordinator
Posted by: Maven on February 26, 2011 at 8:13 amFrom the Tahoe Daily Tribune:
“Tahoe Resource Conservation District was awarded $293,000 from the California De partment of Conservation to fund a watershed coordinator for the Lake Tahoe Basin.
The watershed coordinator will work with partnering agencies to address water quality and natural resource issues within the Lake Tahoe watershed through collaborative, community-based watershed management ef forts. The watershed coordinator will also focus on expanding conservation partnerships aimed at increasing public participation in environmental improvement and conservation projects. … “
Continue reading from the Tahoe Daily Tribune by clicking here.
Sacramento’s future will be tied to the infrastructure we build today, says Matsui commentary
Posted by: Maven on February 26, 2011 at 8:05 amFrom the Sacramento Bee, this commentary by Congresswoman Doris Matsui:
“In last month’s State of the Union address and in his 2012 budget proposal, President Barack Obama reminded Americans what those of us in Sacramento already know: For our economy to thrive, we must focus our efforts on job creation and invest in our nation’s infrastructure. I could not agree more – targeted investments can create jobs and give us a city built for our current and future needs.
Our region’s economic future is tied to what we build today. Our infrastructure takes many forms, but one of the most important is strengthening our levees and dams. Business owners need to know they are investing their capital in a safe area. Homeowners can save money on lower rate insurance when the risk is lowered. Families will move to an area when they know they are safe. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
Contra Costa Water District & East Bay Municipal Water District test intertie
Posted by: Maven on February 26, 2011 at 7:59 amFrom the Contra Costa Water District, this press release:
“The Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) and the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) are conducting a test of a water system intertie that will help protect Bay Area residents during drought and other emergencies.
This intertie project between CCWD and EBMUD was initiated in 2007 and now the facilities and operation permits are in place to allow these water agencies to work cooperatively to meet customer needs for reliable water service. Under an agreement, Sacramento County Water Agency (SCWA), CCWD and EBMUD are testing the inter-regional ability to deliver water from the Sacramento River to the two million customers served by the two Bay Area water agencies. … “
Continue reading from the Contra Costa Water District by clicking here.
UCSC scientists study groundwater renewal
Posted by: Maven on February 26, 2011 at 7:58 amFrom the Salinas Californian:
“Monterey County is overdrawn.
In the Pajaro and Salinas valleys, thirsty municipalities and farms have used underground water faster than it can be replenished, leaving the systems in overdraft.
Groundwater levels are low in many parts of the region as a result, but farmers along the coast feel a particular symptom of the overdraft when their wells go salty, the result of seawater invading the empty pockets of rock that once held freshwater.
Water management agencies in the valleys are working to balance the underground water supplies with redistribution programs that reduce the need to pump from heavily used wells, and encourage rain water to find its way from the surface down into the water-bearing rock. … “
Continue reading from the Salinas Californian by clicking here.
New pipeline for Taft bringing water to the Westside
Posted by: Maven on February 26, 2011 at 7:55 amFrom the Taft Independent:
“If crude oil is black gold, then water is clear gold.
And West Kern Water District is investing heavily in clear gold. In late 2010, the district purchased 500 acres of farmland west of Interstate 5 and south of Stockdale Highway for $15 million. The purchase wasn’t for the high quality farmland – it will lie fallow. What the district wanted was the 100,000 acre feet of water that lies below. The water was banked but stranded in that area.
“(The purchase was) to develop a water banking project,” said Harry O. Starkey, general manager of West Kern. “The ground won’t be farmed. There will be five new wells to go into the existing (West Kern) system.” … “
Continue reading from the Taft Independent by clicking here.
Spouting Off blog: Suing over septics
Posted by: Maven on February 26, 2011 at 7:51 amFrom the Spouting Off Blog:
“Enough is enough. Although Heal the Bay generally only uses litigation as a last resort, we do have our limits. On Tuesday, Santa Barbara environmental group Heal the Oceans and Heal the Bay filed a lawsuit against the State Water Resources Control Board for its failure to implement Assembly Bill 885, which required the Board to develop regulations for on-site wastewater treatment systems. AB 885 was authored by former assembly member Hannah-Beth Jackson in 1999 and Gov. Davis signed it into law in 2000. The bill required the Board to develop regulations for the siting, permitting and operation of on-site wastewater treatment systems, or OWTS, by 2004.
The regulations took aim at septic systems, which pose a serious threat to water quality at several famous beaches up and down the coast. After seven years of patience and a decade of regulatory negotiations with the state, county health agencies, OWTS experts and local government representatives, the environmental groups involved felt that they had no choice but to sue the state to ensure that the law would be implemented. Coast Law Group filed the suit on behalf of the organizations. … “
Continue reading from the Spouting Off blog by clicking here.
Skyrocketing water prices push farmer to cultivate solar energy instead of avocados; New regulations, utility deal needed to make deal work
Posted by: Maven on February 26, 2011 at 7:42 amFrom the North County Times:
“High water prices are driving Valley Center farmer Jeff Wilson out of the avocado business, so he has a new plan: to farm sunshine.
Farmers like Wilson face stark choices about the disposition of their land, now that water prices have jumped in the past five years and land prices plummeted after a real estate crash. … “
Continue reading from the North County Times by clicking here.
Imperial Irrigation District board ponders fallowing impact awards
Posted by: Maven on February 26, 2011 at 7:40 amFrom the Imperial Valley Press:
“Business and service organizations impaired by Imperial Irrigation District’s fallowing program have recently had grant applications scored and await award notification.
Fallowing can reduce income for farm service providers such as fertilizer companies insect or soil service providers, custom tractor workers and others, Jeff Garber, IID counsel, said. … “
Continue reading from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.
Does the Southwest face a mega-drought?
Posted by: Maven on February 26, 2011 at 7:00 amFrom the New York Times Green Blog:
“Rising global temperatures resulting from emissions of human origin could tip the southwestern United States into a period of prolonged extreme drought seen before only in distant geological history, a new study suggests.
Lake sediment taken from the Valles Caldera, above, revealed “megadroughts” lasting as long as 1,000 years.Valles Caldera National Preserve The Valles Caldera.Researchers dug deep into the region’s climate history by studying a 270-foot core of lake sediment taken from the Valles Caldera, a volcanic depression in northern New Mexico. Data extracted from the core revealed “mega-droughts” in the region lasting as long as a thousand years. … “
Continue reading from the New York Times Green blog by clicking here.
Friday’s top of the scroll: Delta smelt settlement: Farms could get more water in smelt deal
Posted by: Maven on February 25, 2011 at 9:25 amFrom the Fresno Bee:
“West-side farms could get more water this spring after a temporary deal was struck Thursday on Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta pumping restrictions that have been in place to protect the threatened delta smelt.
The deal, which runs through June 30, still allows pumping to be restricted if smelt are in danger of being sucked into the pumps, but the cutbacks wouldn’t be as deep as before.
Tom Birmingham, general manager of the Westlands Water District, said the new pumping levels are “significantly better … I think it is a positive development.”
Environmentalists who also signed on to the agreement, however, said the new, less restrictive pumping levels are only an experiment and are not guaranteed, especially if the pumping harms the smelt. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
From the Contra Costa Times:
” … The settlement basically lays out a range of restrictions that can be placed on Delta pumps through June that is not much different from the regulations that are the subject of the lawsuit.
“I am pleased that the water users, environmental community and federal and state officials collaborated to resolve operational issues through the end of June — the most critical time of the year,” David Hayes, deputy secretary of interior, said in a statement.
“This frees up the parties to continue to devote attention to resolving California’s long term water challenges — an effort that the Obama and Brown administrations are fully committed to undertaking,” Hayes added.
So far this year, there have been no restrictions put in place to protect Delta smelt under guidelines that were the subject of fierce protests in the San Joaquin Valley during the past two dry years. … “
Continue reading from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
DWR director Mark Cowin issued this statement (received via email):
““Today’s settlement marks an important step forward to address one of many complex issues associated with water operations in the Delta. Environmental organizations, state and federal agencies, water contractors and agricultural interests working together have achieved a reasonable resolution. The Department of Water Resources will now be able to more effectively operate the State Water Project over the next several months in a manner that is protective of Delta smelt. Moreover, we hope that today’s agreement reaffirms our commitment to ongoing cooperation and active engagement with stakeholders to meet the co-equal goals of restoring the Delta ecosystem and creating a more reliable water supply for California.”
READ THE AGREEMENT HERE: Final Settlement Agreement
MORE COVERAGE:
- Temporary truce reached in California delta smelt water restrictions, from the Los Angeles Times
- Settlements seek to protect delta fish, water flow, from the San Francisco Chronicle
- A Mini-Compromise in California’s Water Wars, from the New York Times Green Blog
- Delta smelt temporary settlement reached, from the Central Valley Times
Delta Stewardship Council reviews eraft Delta Plan, Delta water quality
Posted by: Maven on February 25, 2011 at 9:19 amFrom ACWA’s Water News:
“Water quality in the Delta and the first staff draft of the Delta Plan were the focus of the Delta Stewardship Council’s meeting today in West Sacramento.
The council heard a presentation by the Environmental Protection Agency on its Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) for water quality issues in the Delta, released Feb. 10 for public comment. EPA’s officials explained that its review of Delta water quality under the Clean Water Act will focus on identifying gaps in state and federal water quality programs and potential tools under the CWA to address the effects of pesticides, ammonia and other contaminants that are contributing to the Delta’s decline. The agency is soliciting public comments on possible EPA and state actions to achieve water quality and resource protection goals and best use the CWA to improve Delta water quality. … “
Continue reading from ACWA’s Water News by clicking here.
Millions needed to return salmon to San Joaquin River
Posted by: Maven on February 25, 2011 at 9:16 amFrom the Fresno Bee:
“Reviving chinook salmon on the San Joaquin River will cost more than $20 million – which may sound like a lot of money for 40,000 fish. But this rare project will take years of work, scientists say.
Three-quarters of those fish will be spring-run salmon, a threatened species already in danger of extinction in California. In the San Joaquin, the fish will have to survive in the southernmost salmon fishery on the continent – where the water sometime gets a little too warm for them. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
Weather update: L.L. Bean for the Oscars
Posted by: Maven on February 25, 2011 at 9:13 amFrom the Contra Costa Times:
“Blame Canada. An unusually cold polar storm is expected to usher fierce winds to Los Angeles this afternoon and snow this weekend down to 1,000 feet.
The Canadian cold front, in tandem with a winter storm, could snarl mountain passes with snow and ice and tie up traffic from San Francisco to Los Angeles to Las Vegas, weather forecasters said.
It could also bring bluster to the Oscar red carpet Sunday, with wool the smart choice over chiffon.
“Whoo mama, it’s going to be cold, with all kinds of closures,” said Bill Patzert, climatologist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada-Flintridge. “This is historical, once in a generation.
“Vera Wang is out. L.L. Bean is in.” … “
Oh won’t that be something to see – L.L. Bean on the red carpet! Continue reading from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
Yes, snow in the lower elevations – and quite possibly right here in Santa Clarita – again … my kids have NOT forgiven me for missing out on the rare opportunity in January to see snow in our hometown, having taken them off to Yuma.
The forecast hasn’t changed much, except a bit for Southern California. Get the latest weather update from the Accu-Weather Western Weather Blog by clicking here.
Congressman Cardoza welcomes settlement easing state regulations on striped bass
Posted by: Maven on February 25, 2011 at 9:05 amFrom the website of Congressman Dennis Cardoza:
“U.S. Congressman Dennis Cardoza (CA-18) praised a pending court settlement announced today that would likely ease government regulations protecting the predator striped bass in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The nonnative striped bass feeds on native species, including the endangered delta smelt and young salmon in Delta waterways. In recent years, water supplies to San Joaquin Valley farmers have been significantly reduced as a result of federal regulations designed to protect the smelt and salmon populations. Congressman Cardoza has long argued that other causes – including predation by non-native fish like the striped bass – should equally be considered by government agencies.
“This pending settlement is a significant step forward in our fight for responsible, balanced management of our fisheries and water resources,” said Congressman Cardoza. “For years, our farmers in the Valley have been bearing the full burden of policies intended to protect the delta smelt, while the government turns a blind eye to other serious threats to this endangered species. I have fought to bring common sense and fairness to California’s resource policies, and this settlement moves us in the right direction.” … “
More from Congressman Dennis Cardoza by clicking here.
Doug Obegi: Settlement maintains scientific protections for Delta smelt and Bay-Delta estuary
Posted by: Maven on February 25, 2011 at 9:02 amFrom Doug Obegi at the NRDC Switchboard blog:
“Today, the state and federal governments, environmental groups, farmers, and a wide array of water contractors agreed to a settlement that will protect delta smelt from the destructive effects of the massive water pumps in the Bay Delta through June of this year. This Settlement upholds the scientifically justified protections in the biological opinion, including pumping limits and limits on how many fish can be killed by the water projects. The Settlement also allows, but does not require, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct a limited scientific experiment to allow more pumping, if and when the best available science shows that additional pumping would not harm imperiled fish and its critical habitat in the Delta. However, the Settlement does not guarantee any increase in pumping from the Delta, and it continues to ensure the use of the best available science to make decisions on water exports from the Delta. … “
Continue reading from the NRDC Switchboard blog by clicking here.
ACWA issues statement on new PPIC report on water; Some recommendations seen as constructive, others provocative
Posted by: Maven on February 25, 2011 at 8:55 amFrom the Association of California Water Agencies, this press release:
“Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Executive Director Timothy Quinn issued the following statement regarding a report issued today by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), “Managing California’s Water: From Conflict to Reconciliation.”
“The PPIC has once again offered a thoughtful, wide-ranging look at California’s water supply and ecosystem challenges. We appreciate the attention the authors bring to the issues and their courage in forcing those involved in the water policy debate to think outside the box.
“Anyone reading the report will find plenty to agree with and plenty to debate. While many recommendations are consistent with ACWA policy principles, some ideas are provocative and would be widely opposed in the water community. For example, the report’s calls for State Water Resources Control Board jurisdiction over groundwater and the imposition of fees and a public goods charge on already overtaxed local public water agencies are sure to provoke lively debate.
“At the same time, some things that may be supported in the water supply community would probably be opposed by others. Ideas such as reconciling environmental and human uses of water rather than ‘restoring’ the environment, modifying the Endangered Species Act, and vigorously promoting water transfers would find support among many ACWA members, but could be controversial with other interests.
“We should keep in mind that the Legislature made some powerful changes to water policy in 2009 when it enacted a package based in no small part on previous work by the PPIC. That package provides a foundation for moving forward with comprehensive solutions. Let’s debate the provocative ideas offered in this latest report, but not let that debate slow down progress on implementing the policy reforms we agreed to in 2009.”
ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 450 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com.
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