Tuesday’s top of the scroll: Flood threat in the West grows: ” … flooding is going to occur on a lot of rivers leading out of the mountains. The only question is how bad it will become.”
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2011 at 8:18 am
From the Accu-Weather Western Weather blog:
“The mighty Mississippi lived up to its name this Spring flooding many places from north to south with record flooding levels in some areas. I have had several posts in the past month about the risk of flooding, potentially severe flooding, in the West from the Salt Lake Basin on north to Montana and west throughout the Northwest and south into California. Some flooding has been occurring in Montana in recent days from the result of snow melt and locally heavy rain. This has received some national media attention. But the potential for flooding in the rest of the West has gone pretty much unheard of except in some local media outlets and of course here on AccuWeather.com.
The fact is record snowpack from the winter is still waiting to melt after a very cool May. The melting is well behind schedule. … “
Continue reading this ominous post from the Accu-Weather Western Weather Blog by clicking here.
RELATED: How much snow is still up there? Tioga Pass remains closed; the Mono-Logue blog took a trip up to the gates to snap some pictures. Check it out here: Memorial Day photos at Tioga Pass
San Joaquin Valley’s groundwater depletion is detected from space
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2011 at 8:17 amFrom the New York Times:
“Scientists have been using small variations in the Earth’s gravity to identify trouble spots around the globe where people are making unsustainable demands on groundwater, one of the planet’s main sources of fresh water.
They found problems in places as disparate as North Africa, northern India, northeastern China and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley in California, heartland of that state’s $30 billion agricultural industry.
Jay S. Famiglietti, director of the University of California’s Center for Hydrologic Modeling here, said the center’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, known as Grace, relies on the interplay of two nine-year-old twin satellites that monitor each other while orbiting the Earth, thereby producing some of the most precise data ever on the planet’s gravitational variations. The results are redefining the field of hydrology, which itself has grown more critical as climate change and population growth draw down the world’s fresh water supplies. … “
Continue reading from the New York Times by clicking here.
Inkstain blog: California and the problem of variability in water management
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2011 at 8:13 amFrom the Inkstain blog:
“Part of my standard schtick when I talk about water management in the arid southwest is an explanation of the problem of variability as it relates to aridity. It is so obvious that it almost goes without saying that life in an arid climate poses climate because it’s dry. But the more subtle problem, as I like to point out, is variability. If it’s extremely dry, but in a consistent way, you can plan for it – building your water infrastructure (flood control, irrigation, water distribution, etc.) based on that consistent amount. But extreme variance from year to year (and, really, on all sorts of different time scales) is what poses the real problem.
In addition, arid climates in general also tend to be more highly variable climates. … “
Continue reading from the Inkstain blog by clicking here.
Water Wired blog: Jim Thebaut opines on education and water scarcity, climate change, and more
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2011 at 8:06 amFrom the Water Wired blog:
“Friend and colleague Jim Thebaut just published this article on education and water:
Let’s face it, it’s now time for an extensive, in-depth, educational wake-up call about 52 water scarcity, climate change, severe weather events and the drought crisis. This reality is impacting the world and also presently occurring within the United States. Currently, exceptional drought conditions are crippling most of the southern half of the country, in some areas the worst in 20-50 years. Droughts have caused wildfires and significant water restrictions that are impacting agriculture and food supply. In addition, groundwater and aquifers are also being rapidly depleted throughout the U.S. Compounding the problem, extreme rains in the mid-west have caused unprecedented flooding downstream in the Mississippi Delta region, with water pouring over levees and spilling across farm fields, cutting off churches, washing over roads, and forcing people from their homes in poverty-stricken regions. … “
Continue reading from Water Wired by clicking here.
Bill puts restrictions on environmental lawsuits
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2011 at 8:00 amFrom the Western Farm Press:
“Western lawmakers introduced legislation aimed at reducing environmental litigation by limiting the ability of plaintiffs to recover taxpayer-funded attorneys’ fees. The legislation, offered by Rep. Lummis, R-Wyo., and Sen. Barrasso, R-Wyo., would overhaul the Equal Access to Justice Act — a 1980 law that allows plaintiffs to recover attorney’s fees when they successfully sue the federal government.
Sen. Barrasso contended that by letting environmental groups recover fees for legal challenges against energy projects and other uses of public land they oppose, the law effectively “pays outside groups to repeatedly sue our federal government.” … “
Continue reading from the Western Farm Press by clicking here.
Elk Grove residents could face another water rate hike
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2011 at 7:58 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
“When Elk Grove residents Rich Lozano and Patricia Hagen get their monthly water bills, they have much different reactions.
Hagen, a 70-year-old retiree on a fixed income, is angry and suspicious because her bills have doubled in five years.
“I feel like I’m being held hostage,” said Hagen, whose water bills were about $30 when she moved to Elk Grove in 1989. Her monthly bill now hovers at $90. “I think someone is just trying to make money.” … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
No easy answers for Valley towns’ bad water
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2011 at 7:25 amFrom the Fresno Bee:
“A water-treatment plant sits idle in the tiny Fresno County community of Lanare because residents can’t afford to run it.
Four miles away in Riverdale, the state is talking about building another treatment plant for the same problem Lanare has — arsenic in the water.
The two towns are not getting together to share a treatment plant — a move that might make more sense than building a second plant, critics say. They wonder if the state is squandering money from Proposition 84, a $5.4 billion water bond. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
Wildlife corridor: Federal officials look at possible expansion of S.J. River refuge
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2011 at 7:21 amFrom the Stockton Record:
“San Joaquin County boasts four rivers and a share of one of the West Coast’s most magnificent deltas, but it has never been home to a national wildlife refuge.
That could change.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced last week that it may expand the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge west of Modesto, creating a corridor of river habitat stretching from Merced County to San Joaquin County, roughly west of Manteca. … “
Continue reading from the Stockton Record by clicking here.
Commentary: Can local public agencies fix pensions and benefits?
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2011 at 7:18 amFrom the Santa Clarita Signal, this commentary by Daniel R. Mortensen, president of the Newhall County Water District:
“While it is obvious to most disinterested observers that pension reforms are needed at both the state and national levels, we shouldn’t overlook the opportunity for locally elected officials at local agencies to tackle these problems on their own.
There is no reasonable doubt that state and federal legislation will be required to responsibly deal with their looming financial liabilities.
But heavy-handed laws and regulations with sweeping changes dictated from a position of centralized power does not always guarantee the best solution. Responsible local agencies must also take action if we expect real and sustainable reform. … “
Glendale: Water treatment study to cost $200,000; City Council approves contract to test a nitrate removal method at Rockhaven Sanitarium
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2011 at 7:12 amFrom the Glendale News-Press:
“Glendale Water & Power officials are set to spend $200,000 for a study they say is necessary to push forward with a planned groundwater well at the Rockhaven Sanitarium site.
Plans for the well have been in the works for nearly a decade as utility officials work to reduce Glendale’s reliance on costly imported water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
With current well capacity, the utility extracts roughly two-thirds of groundwater from the Verdugo basin as allowed under a state agreement. … “
Continue reading from the Glendale News-Press by clicking here.
Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card: 5 things to know
Posted by: Maven on May 31, 2011 at 7:07 amFrom Southern California Public Radio:
“Patt Morrison and I talked about beach water quality today – as well as the specific problem of sportfishing along the southern California coast. I have a friend here in LA who goes to the beach like its her job in the summertime.
I told Heather I’d be talking on the radio today about beach water quality issues, and she said, plaintively, “But everyone’s trying to barbecue!” Don’t let me ruin your barbecues. But with summer coming and the Heal the Bay beach report card out, you do want to keep some background facts in mind as you check your favorite beaches’ grades along the coast (something you can do not only on a yearly basis, but on a weekly one, at Heal the Bay’s tricked out site). Without further ado, your Memorial Day list of five things to know about your beaches. … “
Continue reading from Southern California Public Radio by clicking here.
Happy Memorial Day!
Posted by: Maven on May 30, 2011 at 7:11 am
On this Memorial Day….
Please take a moment today to remember those who have given their lives in the service of our country.
Have a safe and happy holiday!
Kate Poole: HR 1837 and the death of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan
Posted by: Maven on May 30, 2011 at 7:09 amFrom Kate Poole at the NRDC Switchboard blog:
“Last week, Congressman Nunes introduced an eye-poppingly radical bill, H.R. 1837, which would:
- Eliminate a century-old requirement that the federal government follow state water law whenever possible;
- Overturn Endangered Species Act protections for the Bay-Delta and its imperiled fisheries;
- Abolish the widely-supported San Joaquin River restoration settlement and its collaborative process to restore historic salmon runs;
- Wipe out requirements to modernize the Central Valley Project in the Central Valley Project Improvement Act;
- Override the historic state Water Reform Package passed in 2009 that adopted the co-equal goals of restoring the Bay-Delta ecosystem and improving water supply reliability as the twin drivers of California water management;
- And turn state water rights on their head by making senior water rights holders responsible for the ecological mess made by the more junior Central Valley Project and State Water Project.
But that’s not all. … “
Inkstain blog: Marc Reisner, Jerry Brown, and co-equal goals
Posted by: Maven on May 30, 2011 at 7:04 amFrom the Inkstain blog:
“Mark Reisner, in Cadillac Desert, describes Jerry Brown’s struggle back in the late 1970s and early ’80s to sort out the conflicting interests surrounding the Bay-Delta System as plans were developed for what was then known as the Peripheral Canal … “
Continue reading from the Inkstain blog by clicking here.
Modesto mom finds opportunity in dirty job, leaves day care job for waste water; Public works still a steady field
Posted by: Maven on May 30, 2011 at 7:02 amFrom the Modesto Bee:
“Laura Anhalt didn’t seem like a person who would choose a career in the waste-water treatment field.
For six years, she was a full-time mom and ran a day-care facility, teaching her little charges to make paper-bag puppets and Mother’s Day gifts.
She was introduced to waste-water treatment after her husband’s friend went through a training program and suggested that she could do the job as well. She volunteered at a Bay Area plant and before long was working with a shovel and wrench at the San Leandro sewer facility. … “
Continue reading from the Modesto Bee by clicking here.
Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy nears long-held goal
Posted by: Maven on May 30, 2011 at 6:51 amFrom the Los Angeles Times:
“Twenty-five years ago, Gordon Smith banded with fellow environmentalists and set out to acquire and restore the remaining wetlands in Huntington Beach.
Now, Smith may be on the verge of knocking down the last barrier to his goal.
The state of California recently began the process of transferring ownership of the Newland Marsh, a 44-acre property at Beach Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway that constitutes the final stretch of wetlands that Smith’s nonprofit, the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy, has yet to take over. … “
Continue reading from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
San Diego, Take a hike: Del Dios Highlands Preserve
Posted by: Maven on May 30, 2011 at 6:50 amFrom the San Diego Union-Tribune:
“For a hearty workout, blue-water views and a plethora of wildflowers, head to Del Dios Highlands Preserve in Escondido.
The views may include the Pacific Ocean, but only if the skies are really clear. Much closer and always in view are the waters of Lake Hodges and the Olivenhain Reservoir.
And when I was there this month, the wildflowers were casting their colors with abandon. I spotted large swathes of golden yarrow and yellow wallflower shrubs, as well as the blue blooms of fragrant sage and the darker blue clusters of ceanothus, also known as wild lilac. … “
Continue reading from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.
Thousands of old mines pollute Colorado waters, with no help in sight
Posted by: Maven on May 30, 2011 at 6:49 amFrom the Denver Post:
“As mountain snow starts to melt, trickling toxic acid laced with dissolved metals — arsenic, cadmium, copper, zinc — is fouling Colorado watersheds. …
The source of the contamination is abandoned mines — about 500,000 across the West, at least 7,300 in Colorado. Federal authorities estimate that the headwaters of 40 percent of Western rivers are tainted with toxic discharge from abandoned mines.
… “
Continue reading from the Denver Post by clicking here.
Oroumieh Lake, Iran’s largest, turning to salt
Posted by: Maven on May 30, 2011 at 6:40 amFrom the Huffington Post:
“From a hillside, Kamal Saadat looked forlornly at hundreds of potential customers, knowing he could not take them for trips in his boat to enjoy a spring weekend on picturesque Oroumieh Lake, the third largest saltwater lake on earth.
“Look, the boat is stuck… It cannot move anymore,” said Saadat, gesturing to where it lay encased by solidifying salt and lamenting that he could not understand why the lake was fading away.
The long popular lake, home to migrating flamingos, pelicans and gulls, has shrunken by 60 percent and could disappear entirely in just a few years, experts say – drained by drought, misguided irrigation policies, development and the damming of rivers that feed it. … “
Continue reading from the Huffington Post by clicking here.
Thanks, Danny, for the link! Glad to see you are still around. -Maven
Sunday’s top of the scroll: State cuts are both good and bad for the Salton Sea
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2011 at 7:34 am
From the Imperial Valley Press:
“Cuts from the state look to have a local impact, but some officials are saying a piece of the state budget puzzle will help rather than hurt.
Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed efforts to close the multibillion-dollar state deficit includes changes that could shift the state’s focus on restoration of the Salton Sea.
Brown’s May budget revise includes closing some state parks throughout the state, including the Salton Sea State Recreation Area, along with eliminating 43 boards and commissions – one of which is the recently-created Salton Sea Restoration Council. … “
Continue reading from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.
RELATED: Residents have a love affair with the Salton Sea, from the Imperial Valley Press
Photo of the Salton Sea by Chris Austin.
Mercury, PCBs widespread in sport fish along California’s urban coastline, survey finds
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2011 at 7:30 amFrom the Los Angeles Times:
“Traces of mercury and PCBs are widespread in sport fish in California’s urban coastal waters, a survey released last week by the state water board found.
But 19% of the urban coastline sampled by researchers harbored fish with mercury in such high concentrations that they shouldn’t be eaten by young women and children. Fourteen percent of locations had similarly elevated levels of PCBs.
The findings, part of a two-year inquiry that is the largest statewide survey of contaminants in sport fish along the California coast, examined more than 2,000 fish from three dozen species gathered in 2009 from waters near Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. … “
Continue reading from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
Blog: Lessons learned at Integrated Regional Water Management Conference
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2011 at 7:28 amFrom Mark Lubell’s blog at the UC Davis Center for Environmental Policy and Behavior:
“I spent all day Tuesday and most of the day Wednesday at the conference for Integrated Regional Water Management Planning sponsored by the Water Education Foundation . I was invited to participate as a panelist on the future of IRWMP in California, in particular what criteria we should use to evaluate success. The invitation was stimulated by a paper that I wrote on a pilot study of the Bay Area IRWMP, which pointed out the challenges of IRWMP and suggested that the Bay Area had only made incremental changes from water politics as usual.
The conference was a great opportunity to learn about many of the programs going on across the state. While there were many creative titles to the panel talks, what most of them boiled down to was relating the on-the-ground experiences of the program managers. This was great for me; it was like a 15-hour crash course, case study in what is really happening. To a social scientist, this is qualitative data for analysis. Even though I think most of the participants related success stories rather than failures, I will quickly summarize the things I learned. … “
Continue reading from Mark Lubell’s blog by clicking here.
Marysville: Caltrans, Cal Water in street fight
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2011 at 7:26 amFrom the Appeal-Democrat:
“A Caltrans project to improve highways 20 and 70 in Marysville could mean a large rate hike for water customers in the city, according to a lawsuit filed last week against Caltrans by California Water Service Co.
Moving water lines for the project, which is scheduled to begin next spring, will cost an estimated $3 million, resulting in “a substantial rate increase” for Cal Water’s 3,700 Marysville customers, according to the Yuba County Superior Court lawsuit. … “
Continue reading from the Appeal-Democrat by clicking here.
2011 Memorial Day in Tahoe: Shrinking beaches, snow-covered trails
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2011 at 7:20 amFrom the Reno Gazette-Journal:
“Memorial Day arrives at Lake Tahoe with snowbound high country, rising waters, shrinking beaches and rooms available. What many consider the kickoff holiday to the summer season also arrives with dicey weather — with showers and breezy conditions possible for much of the weekend.
No big surprise there.
“It’s spring at Tahoe. Spring’s been a little bit of an illusion,” said Don Lane, a recreation specialist with the U.S. Forest Service’s Tahoe unit. … “
Continue reading from the Reno Gazette-Journal by clicking here.
Western’s recycled water plant upgrade nearing completion
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2011 at 7:17 amFrom the Riverside Press-Enterprise:
“Workers are putting the finishing touches on a recycled-water plant that will add 2 million gallons per day of new supply to an area served by Western Municipal Water District in Riverside.
The Western Water Recycling Facility is a 1940s-era sewage treatment plant that was owned and operated by the former March Air Force Base. Western took over ownership in 2002, and three years ago began the largest single construction project in the district’s history.
The $46 million upgrade and expansion takes the plant capacity from 1 million gallons per day to 3 million gallons per day, said Joe Bernosky, Western’s director of engineering. The reclaimed water will be used for irrigation, instead of using drinking water on golf courses and medians. … “
Continue reading from the Riverside Press-Enterprise by clicking here.
La Jolla gears up for new era of ocean research
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2011 at 7:15 amFrom the San Diego Union-Tribune:
“Climate and marine researchers in La Jolla are retooling to remain at the forefront of oceanography, powered by nearly $250 million in new projects.
A $56 million laboratory is going up at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and construction of a $26.5 million building is planned to start on the campus this summer. Both should be done by the end of 2012, adding 150,000 square feet of high-tech space, including a huge concrete tank for developing innoative ocean-sensing technologies. … “
Continue reading from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.
New town proposed for Salton Sea shores
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2011 at 7:12 amFrom LA Curbed:
“Developer Black Emerald LLC and the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians want to take about 4,900 acres of Riverside-Imperial County line-straddling, Salton Sea-adjacent, Coachella Valley land and turn it into a little town and vacation destination called Travertine Point. (The name comes from a rock outcropping on the southern side of the development.) TP would include a “Town District” with mixed uses, a resort area, a cultural preserve, and residential neighborhoods of assorted densities (but “predominantly single family,” according to the Specific Plan submitted to Riverside County). The developers project a population of about 37,000 residents.
There are also plans for a marina with slips, retail, and restaurants, but that “assumes the successful restoration of the Salton Sea as presently proposed by the Salton Sea Authority.” … “
Continue reading from LA Curbed by clicking here.
How to lose the lawn
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2011 at 7:08 amFrom MyMotherLode.com:
“Did you know that a typical modest-sized front and backyard suburban California lawn consumes 45,000 gallons of water per year? And to stay pest and weed free, those water-thirsty lawns use more pesticides and herbicides per acre than any other crop grown in the country! More and more homeowners are opting to lose their lawns in favor of drought tolerant landscapes that not only look beautiful, but are saving one of our most precious resources-water.
So let’s say you are one of the ‘converted’ and you are tired of being a slave to that thirsty green patch. What do you do? There are several methods for lawn removal and the one to choose is the one that fits your pocketbook and your physical abilities. … “
Continue reading from MyMotherLode.com by clicking here.
New book helps us see water more clearly
Posted by: Maven on May 29, 2011 at 7:07 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
“In a slender essay titled “Here Is New York,” E.B. White wrote about the implausibility of the great city, mentioning among other things the millions of gallons of water needed each day just so people could brush their teeth.
That was in 1948. Since then, the implausibility factor has increased thousands-fold – or at least an awful lot – a fact among many that prompted Charles Fishman to expand White’s thought in his new book, “The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water.”
If you read it – and you should – you will be very thirsty. And you will never flush again with the same nonchalance. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
Saturday’s top of the scroll: Lake Perris repairs part of state budget debate
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2011 at 8:28 am
From the Riverside Press-Enterprise:
“A disagreement about who should pay to protect Lake Perris against earthquakes someday could mean an end to the boating, swimming and other water fun at the popular Riverside County lake.
Earlier this month, legislative budget subcommittees denied the Brown administration’s request for parks bond money to help repair the lake’s foundation and dam, a project that could cost more than $300 million under one estimate.
Lawmakers and the Legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal analyst raised concerns that the cash-strapped state risks committing itself to paying tens of millions of dollars to save the lake, which is also a state park.
Meanwhile, water contractors that normally would pay most of the project’s cost have balked. … “
Continue reading from the Riverside Press-Enterprise by clicking here.
Photo of Lake Perris State Recreation Area by flickr photographer Roy Ubu.
Record snow makes spectacular Yosemite waterfalls
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2011 at 8:27 am
From the Fresno Bee:
“Water, water everywhere – and it’s a spectacular sight.
Record Sierra snowfall over the winter now means record snow melt as temperatures rise, swelling Yosemite National Park’s iconic waterfalls, streams and rivers to their most turbulent level in years.
Yosemite Falls, the nation’s tallest, is spewing enough water to fill a gasoline tanker truck every two seconds. The force of water at Bridalveil Falls across the valley kicks up a mist that clouds the meadow below.
It means that until the peak melt around mid-June, visitors will experience more treacherous beauty in Yosemite than even the travel brochures promise. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
Photo of Bridalveil Fall taken May 20th by flickr photographer Vicious Bits.
Little known Freeman Diversion shaped Ventura County
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2011 at 8:19 am
From the Ventura County Star:
“The Vern Freeman Diversion Dam is not the most impressive looking infrastructure ever built.
Unlike its distant cousin, the Hoover Dam, nobody poses for photos beside it. Most people in Ventura County have likely never seen the mass of gray concrete that stretches across the Santa Clara River and helps push water into the ground beneath the Oxnard Plain.
But while most people in the county know little about it, the dam has had an enormous impact on the way the county looks, feels and operates.
“This has done more than provide water,” United Water Conservation District General Manager Mike Solomon said last week to a crowd of people who helped get the diversion built. “It has provided the quality of life we love in Ventura County.” … “
Continue reading from the Ventura County Star by clicking here.
Photo of Ventura County agriculture by Chris Austin.
Heavy snows spoil weekend holiday plans in West
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2011 at 8:18 amFrom the Silicon Valley Mercury News:
“Ski resorts are bustling with activity. A key highway into Yellowstone is closed because parts of the road have seen more than 25 feet of snow. And campgrounds are feverishly removing snow from campsites to clear the way for visitors.
Welcome to Memorial Day weekend in much of the West.
The traditional kickoff of the summer season will have a decidedly wintry feel in the Rocky Mountains, as well as California’s Sierra Nevada, because of a lingering record snowfall. … “
Continue reading from the Silicon Valley Mercury News by clicking here.
On the Public Record on a water czar: More cowbell.
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2011 at 8:13 amThe On the Public Record blog responds to yesterday’s post of a blog entry by UC Davis Professor Mark Lubell on a water czar:
“I didn’t know Prof. Lubell has a blog. I’d have been reading that, especially since he’s saying things I’ve been complaining about for a long time. Are there any other good blogs I’m missing?
That said, his recent piece doesn’t resolve much. The piece gives a nice reminder that we haven’t yet established that collaborative environmental policy-making works, and runs quickly through the drawbacks of other dominant ideas about how to solve environmental problems. He gives a very nice historical reminder:
From the political science point of view, the interesting thing about these debates is that they are ancient and go back at least to Plato and Aristotle. These are the classic debates about decentralization versus centralization, and expertise versus democratic participation.
But instead of asking his fundamental question “Is the current deadlock forcing us back along the spectrum towards centralized power, in the form of the Delta Stewardship Council? If so, are we doing it right?”, he goes a little astray. … “
Continue reading from the On the Public Record blog by clicking here.
BDCP’s Management Committee to meet on June 1
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2011 at 8:07 amThe Bay Delta Conservation Plan Management Committee will be meeting on June 1, 1-3 pm. Click here to view the meeting agenda.
Source: BDCP Home Page
Oroville Lake creeps toward top
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2011 at 8:04 amFrom the Oroville Mercury Register:
“With rain still in the short-term forecast, and a substantial snow pack waiting to melt, Lake Oroville is less than 10 feet from the top of the dam.
At 9 a.m. today, the lake level, which is its altitude above sea level, reached the 890-foot mark for the first time in recent years. … “
Continue reading from the Oroville Mercury Register by clicking here.
RELATED: Check out the condition of the major reservoirs statewide by clicking here.
Update on Placer water emergency situation
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2011 at 8:02 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
“Mild weather and faster-than-expected action by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has helped diminish the severity of Placer County’s water emergency. … “
Get an update from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
New spillway increases Folsom Dam flood protection
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2011 at 8:01 amFrom the Sacramento Press:
“Floods in 1986 and 1997, as well as a levee break in 2004, costing lives and billions in damage, contributed to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declaring a state of emergency due to the threat of major flooding in northern California and San Joaquin Valley in 2006, and current work on Folsom Dam is helping alleviate that threat.
The construction of an auxiliary spillway at the Folsom Dam will provide the Sacramento region a greater level of flood protection than it has now. More specifically, it will provide a 200-year level of protection, meaning a one-in-200 chance for flooding in any given year. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Press by clicking here.
Historic Delta island to house camping venue
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2011 at 7:59 amFrom the Stockton Record:
“Even a wild place like Hog/Spud Island can’t escape federal bureaucracy.
But after a few years’ delay, plans to build a family science camp there are moving forward with the blessing of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, supporters said this week.
“Every cotton-picking agency in the world has something to say about the Delta,” said Joe Cecchini, a longtime Stocktonian whose family co-owns part of the island eight miles west of Stockton and has long dreamed of establishing a boat-in camp there. … “
Continue reading from the Stockton Record by clicking here. Note: This article is behind the paywall at the Stockton Record. Login or registration required to read it. A free registration will give you 10 article reads per month.
Whittier city officials propose 20-percent increase in sewer, water rates
Posted by: Maven on May 28, 2011 at 7:55 amFrom the Whittier Daily News:
“City officials are proposing to raise sewer and water rates each by 20 percent, increases that would cost a typical homeowner $120 annually.
The City Council will consider the proposal to raise $366,000 for the sewer system and about $1.7 million for the water system at a 7:30 p.m. June 14 public hearing.
The large raises are needed to pay for system improvements, said David Pelser, director of public works.
“The sewer and water systems has an average age of 80 years,” Pelser said. “We realized that we have a rather challenging amount of repair and replacement work to do.” … “
Continue reading from the Whittier Daily News by clicking here.
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