Saturday’s top of the scroll: California flood plan calls for up to $17B in repairs, but who will pay for it?
Posted by: Maven on December 31, 2011 at 3:05 pmToday’s top story is the release of the draft flood plan, and both these stories are detailed and worth the click-through for the different angles of the story they present. Starting with the Associated Press:
“California water officials recommended a historic investment in the state’s aging flood control system Friday, saying more than half of the state’s levees do not meet standards and the system needs up to $17 billion in repairs and investment.
The Department of Water Resources’ release of the first statewide flood plan follows a call by Gov. Jerry Brown to refocus state efforts on preparing for the effects of a warming climate as floods from a faster-melting snowpack already place increased strain on the state’s aging levees.
Officials and experts say the state’s flood control system — a piece-meal collection of 14,000 levees and other infrastructure built along the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers by farmers and local governments over the last 150 years — is no longer adequate. … “
Continue reading from the Associated Press by clicking here.
Alex Breitler of the Stockton Record asks the question we’re all likely thinking:
“The state on Friday unfurled a $14 billion to $17 billion plan to avert a flood disaster the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina in the Central Valley.
Now the question becomes: Who will pay for it?
The plan calls for stronger levees up and down the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, including the Stockton metropolitan area. It also calls for study of a river bypass in the south Delta, possibly at Paradise Cut, that would divert high flows away from Stockton during a flood. … “
Continue reading from the Stockton Record by clicking here.
OH, AND BY THE WAY … FEMA spreads word on flood insurance
AND TO YOU, MY READERS: Have a safe and fun New Years Eve, and I’ll see you on the flip side!
Delta Stewardship Council stresses over ‘stressors’ in draft EIR
Posted by: Maven on December 31, 2011 at 2:55 pmFrom the Mountain Democrat:
“At a recent meeting the members of the Delta Stewardship Council grappled with the issue of “stressors” in the Delta as they move toward formulating a Delta Plan.
Keeping in mind their co-equal goals of restoring the ecosystem and providing for a more reliable water supply for the state, and recognizing that the Delta will never be the tidal estuary it was when California became a state 161 years ago, the question of what should the Delta look like underscored the discourse.
The discussion of Delta stressors was scheduled in response to a request from Vice Chairman Randy Fiorini, who asked the lead scientist to give a report from the Delta Science Program to help the council understand the role of stressors in the Delta. The question applies to Chapters 5 and 6 of the Draft Delta Plan Programmatic Environmental Impact Report. The fifth draft of seven is in the review stage. Chapter 5 is titled “Restore the Delta.” Chapter 6 is “Improve Water Quality to Protect Human Health and the Environment.” … “
Continue reading from the Mountain Democrat by clicking here.
2011 Marine Invasive Species Report identifies new threats to California’s ecology
Posted by: Maven on December 31, 2011 at 2:50 pmFrom California Department of Fish & Game:
“Four new non-native aquatic species have taken up residence in San Francisco Bay, according to a new report published by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG). The 2011 Invasive Species Report includes the first records of the appearance in the San Francisco Bay of four species previously found only in other parts of the coast. These organisms include:
- Caprella simia, a Caprellid, or “skeleton” shrimp, which was first discovered in California’s Long Beach Harbor in 2000. C. simia is a Japanese species, probably introduced by fouling or ballast water and considered likely to spread north. It is now widespread in San Francisco Bay.
- Nicolea sp. A Harris, an undescribed polychaete worm, was first found in California in 2000 in San Diego Bay and Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor. Possible vectors include ballast water and fouling on ships or recreational boats.
- Grateloupia lanceolata, a red alga native to Japan and Korea, has been found for the first time in the Port of Oakland and in Richardson Bay. This species was previously found at Santa Catalina Island, Port Hueneme and Moss Landing. It has been working its way up the coast.
- The collection of Amphibalanus eburneus (ivory barnacle) from Richmond and San Francisco marinas confirmed new distribution records for the San Francisco Bay. Although one specimen had been collected from a ship’s hull around 1938, no other occurrences were documented in the Bay during the intervening time. More recent California observations of this North Atlantic native had been limited to Colorado Lagoon (Long Beach) and Huntington Harbor. … “
Continue reading from the California Department of Fish & Game by clicking here.
San Francisco Bay Model is flush with life
Posted by: Maven on December 31, 2011 at 2:45 pmFrom Miller McCune:
“Earlier this month, Janice Sinclaire reviewed the history of the San Francisco Bay Model, a mammoth physical representation of the estuary at California’s Golden Gate in which water sloshed around emulating the 24-hour tidal flow. While still open to tourists, it was dried out in 2009, but this week, we learned the model is up and running once again. … “
Continue reading from Miller-McCune by clicking here.
Snow surveyors may find bare ground next week
Posted by: Maven on December 31, 2011 at 2:40 pmFrom the Fresno Bee News Blog:
“Snow surveyors in the Sierra high country might not need their snowshoes for the early January measurements. There’s just not much snow to measure up there.
A storm might change that by next week in Northern California, but it’s not looking good on this end of the mountain range. A quick search through the website of the state Department of Water Resources told me something I already knew. In the Sierra, there hasn’t been a December like this in the last decade, probably much longer. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee News Blog by clicking here.
Commentary: More false and misleading maps and data published by Bay Delta Conservation Plan
Posted by: Maven on December 31, 2011 at 2:27 pmFrom the Delta’s Snug Harbor:
“For the last several years, the owner of Snug Harbor Resorts, LLC has been going to Delta-related meetings, asking the drafters of the Delta Vision document, the DRMS report, the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and the new Delta Plan to tell the truth about Delta history and to use correct Delta maps. As a perfect example of how government agencies respond to citizens who challenge the factual data of their reports, take a look at the official maps and written documents now in the EIR/EIS comment time period. The people drafting these documents are very well paid and they are controlled by intelligent people, so the mistakes made below can not be accidents.
Is this punishment for speaking up over the years? I’d love to hear from those of you better understand the unpresidented political process currently being used on this attack on the whole Delta, Snug Harbor included. (By the way, there are several other privately-owned recreational facilities that are either errased or misplaced in the latest BDCP…its not just us!) … “
Check out the maps at Snug Harbor’s website by clicking here.
State’s North-South split on water may have changed
Posted by: Maven on December 31, 2011 at 2:22 pmFrom the Livermore Independent:
“Some of the old geography in the California tug of war over state water policy has changed, and some of it has not.
The change, according to a Field Research Poll, is the shift in the north-south dichotomy that has ruled water disputes for decades. The poll asked general questions about support for a multibillion dollar water bond proposed for the ballot in 2012.
The poll found that now the split is between West and East, according to data released Dec. 13 by the Association of California Water Agencies, an organization of 450 water services throughout the state. … “
Continue reading from the Livermore Independent by clicking here.
James Workman: Poetry, Slammed — Dambusting celebratory removals
Posted by: Maven on December 31, 2011 at 2:08 pmFrom the Circle of Blue Water News:
“Dual events — first on the Elwha River in late July and then on the White Salmon River in late October — left most of us overpowered by the emotion of seeing something that, for decades, we had worked for (or honestly against) reach an irreversible climax.
“I don’t know what to say,” exclaimed Heather Herbeck, a local white-water outfitter, to The Columbian. “I don’t have any words to express.”
The most poignant reactions came from indigenous people whose ancestors coevolved with the salmon runs; who may have been born after the dams were fixed in place, and yet who witnessed the epochal release of waters that had been held back in place for a century. Rob Boulstrom, 46, shared his sense of excitement and anxiety about what might happen after the Elwha & Glines Canyon dams were gone with The New York Times: “What worries me is that the river’s going to be unpredictable.” … “
Continue reading from Circle of Blue Water News by clicking here.
South Tahoe Public Utility District following state laws as it transitions to metered water billing, says commentary
Posted by: Maven on December 31, 2011 at 2:03 pmFrom the Tahoe Daily Tribune, this commentary by Dennis Cocking, the public information officer for the South Tahoe Public Utility District:
“In 2004, California mandated water systems with 3,000 or more connections must be fully me tered by 2025. The law also mandates after Jan. 1, 2010, all existing metered customers must be billed on the basis of water actually used. The way the law is written, it creates an inequitable situation whereby some customers are metered and some are not. As unfair as this may seem, it is the law that is unfair and not the district’s rate structure. In his editorial, Mr. Jacobs raises a number of points regarding his water bill specifically and the water meter issue in general. The district would like to provide some clarity to the issues he raises.
While flat rate billing may appear to be “unlimited” water use, designated watering days are still in effect and overwatering on those days, or any other time, is still considered water waste and is prohibited. District water educators still cite water wasters. … “
Continue reading from the Tahoe Daily Tribune by clicking here.
San Luis Wildlife Refuge cashing in on tourism
Posted by: Maven on December 31, 2011 at 1:33 pmFrom the Merced Sun-Star:
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife opened a 16,000-square-foot visitor center and office in 2011, and it’s expected to double tourism dollars to the Los Banos area.
The San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex Headquarters and Visitors Center, built with $9.8 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money secured in 2009, opened to the public in October after a blessing from representatives of the Southern Sierra Miwok Nation, the land’s original owners. … “
Continue reading from the Merced Sun-Star by clicking here.
YouTube: Tour San Diego’s Advanced Water Purification Facility
Posted by: Maven on December 31, 2011 at 1:24 pmFrom the San Diego County Water Authority, posted on YouTube:
“The Advanced Water Purification Facility is the centerpiece of the City of San Diego’s Water Purification Demonstration Project. The facility is demonstrating the purification of 1 million gallons of water per day using membrane filtration, reverse osmosis and UV light/advanced oxidation. Tours of the facility are available to the public by registering at purewatersd.org/tours.shtml. Come see the latest in water purification technology up close!”
SEE ALSO: The Advanced Water Purification Process, also from the SDCWA, posted on YouTube
Friday’s top of the scroll: A battle over water rights: National Ski Areas Association to sue U.S. Forest Service over water rights issue
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2011 at 8:13 amFrom ESPN:
“Ski resorts are feuding with their Forest Service landlord over a water rights clause in updated ski area permitting regulations that keeps water rights tied to the land, not the resort operator.
After intense lobbying — which included stern letters from a host of congressman and senators — last week the Forest Service rebuffed the calls for a moratorium and issued the new rule as an 18-month moratorium. The resort industry, led by the 121-resort National Ski Areas Association, answered with a promise to sue the agency, which hosts nearly 90 percent of all U.S. ski areas.
“This has to do with water rights in general and how water rights are treated,” said Michael Berry, president of the NSAA. “We believe they have crossed the rubicon and this has the potential to be very, very impactful. We have no guarantee that they will continue to use the water for purposes of ski area business.” … “
Continue reading from ESPN by clicking here.
RELATED:
- Where’s the Sierra snow?, from the San Diego Union Tribune
- Little snow at Sierra ski resorts, from the Contra Costa Times
Legislative debate to revolve around fiscal crisis
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2011 at 8:05 amFrom the Visalia Times-Delta:
“California’s budget deficit appears more manageable than in past years, but the state’s ongoing fiscal crisis will continue to dominate debate over other matters in the Legislature during the coming session.
Whether to delay a vote on an $11 billion water bond, approve online poker, reform public employee pensions, keep state parks from closing or scuttle a bond sale for the state’s high-speed rail project are among the issues that will be considered against a backdrop of lower state tax revenue. Lawmakers will reconvene on Wednesday. … “
Continue reading from the Visalia Times-Delta by clicking here.
California’s Delta ecosystem is healthier, for now
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2011 at 8:02 amFrom the New York Times Green blog:
“The ecosystem of the delta where the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers meet has been in the legal equivalent of an intensive care unit for four years. But just before Christmas, an upbeat report came in, showing that a year of copious rain and snow had significantly improved.the delta’s condition.
The tiny delta smelt.Fish and Wildlife ServiceThe tiny delta smelt.High flows of water from the melting of deep snow in the Sierra provided enough for both the tiny fish known as the delta smelt, long considered on the brink of extinction, and for the farming communities that have chafed under legal rulings requiring them to give up water to keep the smelt and its ecosystem going. … “
Continue reading from the New York Times Green blog by clicking here.
Irrigation water concerns cloud prosperous almond industry
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2011 at 7:57 amFrom the Western Farm Press:
“Mark Turmon was raised on his family’s Thompson seedless raisin vineyard in Fresno County near Caruthers, Calif., and like many of his peers moved down a different farming path in adulthood to California almonds.
Turmon today grows 1,600 acres of almonds on the West Side of the San Joaquin Valley and hulls, shells and markets almonds worldwide from growers throughout the central San Joaquin Valley.
Such vertical integration means that he and his partners can control the quality of the almonds and improve efficiencies along each step of the way, from planting the trees to getting paid for delivering the final product. What he like best about this business, though, is the farming. … “
Continue reading from the Western Farm Press by clicking here.
The Moral Liberal: Do fish have more rights than people?
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2011 at 7:50 amFrom The Moral Liberal, this commentary:
“Is an obscure fish more important than California farmers who need water? The Ninth Circuit sided with the “delta smelt,” a fish lacking in any commercial value which typically grows to only 2 to 3 inches in length. Water is scarce in parts of California, but water distribution has been limited out of concern for this tiny creature.
The farmers went up against the Endangered Species Act, a federal law that wins virtually every time it is challenged in court. … “
Continue reading this commentary at The Moral Liberal by clicking here.
For Tomorrow blog: Understanding the Endangered Species Act: Purpose and limitations
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2011 at 7:46 amFrom For Tomorrow, a blog:
“Is it enough to rescue vanishing species?
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is crucial piece of legislation that safeguards the survival of many species, but the act does have limitations. An understanding of these limitations is paramount in the fight to save endangered species.
The current endangered species act, passed in 1973, was developed to list and provide recovery plans for threatened and endangered plant and animal species in their natural habitats. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is primarily responsible for the implementation of this act and manages a list of endangered species from around world. USFWS develops a recovery plan and designates a critical habitat for each endangered species at the time of listing. … “
Continue reading from For Tomorrow by clicking here.
Dan Bacher: State’s first snow survey follows record water export year
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2011 at 7:42 amFrom Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org:
“The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced on December 28 that it will conduct the first snow survey of the winter in the Sierra Nevada on January 3, 2012.
The announcement comes after an infamous year when the Brown and Obama administrations exported record amounts of water to subsidized agribusiness and southern California water agencies, killed millions of Sacramento splittail and other fish in the Delta pumps and fast tracked a controversial plan to build an environmentally destructive peripheral canal or tunnel.
Department staff plan to conduct a manual survey at 11 a.m. off Highway 50 near Echo Summit, according to a news release from DWR. This and other manual and electronic surveys up and down the state will determine the amount of water in the early winter snowpack. (http://aquafornia.com/archives/59458#more-59458)
“Statewide electronic readings indicate that today’s snowpack water content – near the end of an unusually dry December – is only 24 percent of normal for the date. At this time last year (December 27), the statewide snowpack water content was 202 percent of average,” DWR noted. … “
Continue reading from Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org by clicking here.
Coho count jumps in Scott River
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2011 at 7:38 amFrom the Capital Press:
“A state survey has shown imperiled coho salmon populations in the Scott River in far Northern California may be making a comeback.
At least 340 adult coho were documented as of Dec. 8 at a state Department of Fish and Game-operated video weir — a significant increase from the 62 fish counted when this brood year last returned three years ago, noted the Scott River Water Trust.
The numbers indicate “an increase in adult coho abundance,” Yreka, Calif.-based DFG fisheries biologist Morgan Knechtle said in a statement. He could not be reached last week for comment. … “
Continue reading from the Capital Press by clicking here.
Perfect blend? Santa Nella looks for right mix of well, surface water
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2011 at 7:36 amFrom Westside Connect:
“Increased production from a refurbished well has some members of the Santa Nella County Water District Board of Directors questioning whether too much ground water is being blended with imported surface water and degrading quality as a result.
The issue came to the forefront at the December board meeting when directors were told that the ratio of well water to surface water approached 50 percent in November.
“We’re paying for the canal water, and we’re getting (lesser quality) well water,” board member Rocco DiConza stated. … “
Continue reading from Westside Connect by clicking here.
Regional approach directed at consumers to foster climate-appropriate landscaping in Southern California’s Inland Empire
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2011 at 7:32 amFrom the Water Efficiency Journal:
“California’s latest efforts to dramatically improve the efficiency of water use in new and existing urban irrigated landscapes intensified in 2004 when legislation created the Landscape Task Force. The Governor and legislature received a comprehensive set of recommendations to educate Californians and help transition from awareness to action. Five years later, the legislature approved new requirements to reduce urban per capita water use 20% by 2020.
To understand what matters most to home and property owners about their urban landscapes, a Statewide Market Survey of Landscape Water Use Efficiency was conducted by the Water Resources Institute and Institute of Applied Research and Policy Analysis at California State University, San Bernardino, in 2007. The survey found “appearance” (41%) the most often mentioned answer followed by “ease of care” (23%). The research was funded by the United States Bureau of Reclamation’s southern California area office, the California Urban Water Agencies, and the California Urban Water Conservation Council. … “
Continue reading from the Water Efficiency Journal by clicking here.
Otay water contracts tied to board chairman: General manager awards them, without bids, up to $50,000, a practice he calls standard
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2011 at 7:23 amFrom the San Diego Union-Tribune:
“The general manager of the Otay Water District approved more than $200,000 in no-bid contracts this year to associates of the board’s chairman, Jaime Bonilla.
Three of the contracts involved a desalination plant planned in Baja California that Otay officials hope will be a key source of future water. One covered redistricting of the agency’s political boundaries and another was for public relations.
Otay allows General Manager Mark Watton to award contracts up to $50,000 without board approval, a set-up he said is standard across the industry. … “
Continue reading from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.
Tribes could turn the tables on water control
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2011 at 7:21 amFrom The Range blog at High Country News:
“It seems like every week there’s another article about the future of western water—how much we’ll have, where it will come from, and who will get it. Since it’s key to our sustainability and growth, it’s something we ought to be talking about. But there’s a key element that is largely ignored in the mainstream media: the role of American Indians.
One exception is a recent article in the Denver Post, about the completion of a huge new reservoir outside Durango. While the Nighthorse reservoir holds enough water to serve over 300,000 households per year, it was not built exclusively to serve our bulging ‘burbs.
Lake Nighthorse is part of the Animas-La Plata Project, which was born of a settlement between the federal government and the two tribes that live in Colorado—the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Utes. The water will be shared by the Utes and by five other entities, including the State of Colorado, the Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy, the Navajo Nation, the San Juan Water Commission and the La Plata Conservancy District. Fully two-thirds of the water will be set aside for the tribes.
The agreement settles some complex and protracted water conflicts, and its enactment also offers an opportunity to take a look at the history of tribal water rights and what they mean for the future fights over the so-called “new gold” of the West. … “
Continue reading from the High Country News by clicking here.
Thursday’s top of the scroll: Low snow totals could translate into less water
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:55 pmFrom the Ventura County Star:
“This time last year, precipitation records were being broken as skiers in the Sierra Nevada were enjoying foot upon foot of snow and water managers were celebrating rising reservoirs.
This year, not so much.
Mammoth Mountain, which had 209 inches of snow in December 2010, has had 2 inches this winter. The snow pack that reservoirs rely on is about a quarter of normal for this time of year. And the next few weeks aren’t looking a whole lot better.
“This year is definitely why you invest in snow-making machines,” said Bill Patzert, a climatologist with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. … “
Continue reading from the Ventura County Star by clicking here.
SEE ALSO:
- In search of a white winter at Tahoe, from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat
- A dry December for Napa, Solano has some fearing return of drought, from the Vallejo Times-Herald
Department of Water Resources schedules first 2011 snow survey for January 3
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:52 pm
From the Department of Water Resources:
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) will conduct this winter’s first snow survey on January 3.
One center of attention will be the manual survey scheduled for 11 a.m. off Highway 50 near Echo Summit. This and other manual and electronic surveys up and down the state will determine the amount of water in the early winter snowpack.
Statewide electronic readings indicate that today’s snowpack water content – near the end of an unusually dry December – is only 24 percent of normal for the date. At this time last year (December 27), the statewide snowpack water content was 202 percent of average.
Continue reading “Department of Water Resources schedules first 2011 snow survey for January 3” »
Western Weather Blog: The interesting December stats
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:48 pmFrom the Accu-Weather Western Weather Blog:
“This is my last post of the year. After today I have a wonderful and needed 5 days off. I will be back in the helm here on Tuesday, January 3, 2012.
I thought I would use this last post of the year to show you some very interesting statistics on December up through Midnight last night. The chart below shows the temperature departure as compared to the 30-year average for December with the second column showing the percent of normal precipitation. … “
Continue reading from the Western Weather Blog by clicking here.
Hastings, GOP target Endangered Species Act
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:45 pmFrom McClatchy News:
“The gray wolf hit a major milestone on Dec. 21, when the Obama administration said the wolf’s population in the Great Lakes region had grown to the point where the animals no longer required federal protection.
With more than 4,000 gray wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said the wolf could be removed from the Endangered Species List, which “once again … has proved to be an effective tool for bringing a species back from the brink of extinction.”
But critics of the law say that happens far too infrequently, and that’s a big reason that many Republicans in the House of Representatives — led by Doc Hastings of Washington state — want to overhaul the 38-year-old law. … “
Continue reading from McClatchy News by clicking here.
Delta National Park blog: Democracy – win, lose or draw
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:43 pmFrom the Delta National Park blog:
“I’ve been angling to get a clear description of Why the “fortress Delta” solution was not the most cost effective way of ensuring the co-equal goals.
You know, the Delta ecosystem stabilization/improvement goal and south of Delta water supply stabilization/reliability goal.
Nothing like a three-hour layover to find the time…
To this end, I’ve several times asked for someone to provide a rebuttal to Prof. Jeff Michael’s cost/benefit analysis comparing canal.tunnel and fortress Delta. I think Ive finally gotten my answer. … “
Continue reading from the Delta National Park blog by clicking here.
Commentary: Protect our groundwater now; Powerful Southern California interests want to make use of it
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:40 pmFrom the Chico News & Review, this commentary by Nora Todenhagen of AquAlliance:
“It rained last year; it may rain this year, but the health of the Tuscan and other Northern California aquifers depends not only on rain, but also on the actions of the state and federal governments driven by powerful corporate farmers and developers to the south.
The federal government and a water authority south of the Delta are preparing an environmental review to transfer up to 600,000 acre-feet of groundwater each year over 10 years to the western San Joaquin Valley. That’s more groundwater than Chico would use in 200 years. There is also a bill in the House of Representatives that would guarantee industrial farms in desert lands water no matter how dry the year. … “
Continue reading this commentary at the Chico News & Review by clicking here.
Snow Goose Festival celebrates Sacramento Valley Wildlife
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:38 pmFrom the CalRice blog:
“This year marks the 13th Annual Snow Goose Festival, and we have an exciting, action-packed four days to honor this jewel of the Sacramento Valley.
Thousands will flock to the Chico area for this celebration of local and migratory waterfowl in the Northern Sacramento Valley. We have planned more than 70 field trips that cover six counties, reaching out into the rice fields, wildlife refuges and river walks where mild winter weather, abundant food and lots of water draw our avian visitors. In addition, there will be workshops and activities for birding and nature enthusiasts of all ages. … “
Continue reading from the CalRice blog by clicking here.
Folsom Lake is deceivingly dry
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:37 pmFrom the Sacramento Bee:
“Folsom Lake looks low this time of year.
The dry month may be partly to blame. But, in reality, the lake is only slightly lower than it was this time last year, and holds 88 percent of its average capacity for December. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
Rebuilding the historic Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:36 pmFrom Trenchless Technology:
“When you think of San Francisco, most people think about the Gold Rush, earthquakes, the Golden Gate Bridge and the tech boom of Silicon Valley. However, we often take for granted the people — visionaries, local leaders and engineers — who put the San Francisco Bay Area on the map.
These people spearheaded the birth of a colossal, gravity-based water system known as the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System, described as an “engineering marvel,” that provided enough water to sustain development and flourish an innovative metropolitan area for more than 70 years.
Most of the Hetch Hetchy Water System was built in the 1920s and 1930s. However, segments of the system date back to the Civil War when the Spring Valley Water Works began construction of Pilarcitos Dam, the first of four dams it would ultimately build on the San Francisco Peninsula. … “
Continue reading from Trenchless Technology by clicking here.
Santa Clara Valley Water District to save $7.7 million through new contracts
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:33 pmFrom the Morgan Hill Times:
“In an effort to cut costs and bring more efficiency to the agency, the Santa Clara Valley Water District approved new agreements with three employee unions that will save $7.7 million over the life of the contracts.
Tuesday, the SCVWD board of directors unanimously approved the contracts with the Engineers Society, Professional Management Association, one week after negotiations finished with the largest union, the Employee’s Association affecting 686 of the agency’s 714 total employees. … “
Continue reading from the Morgan Hill Times by clicking here.
Monterey County: Bring on Plan B: What’s next in the ongoing desal drama?
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:32 pmFrom the Monterey County Weekly, this commentary:
“Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip.
Wondering how, for the love of God, two taxpayer-funded public agencies and one savvy private water company could have so badly botched the formation of a plan to take salt out of water and pipe it to Monterey Peninsula homes and businesses? Curious as to the viability of nearly a dozen alternative plans being floated to take the place of the $400 million Regional Desalination Project currently tottering on the brink of collapse?
Anticipating the results of a conflict-of-interest investigation led by the state Fair Political Practices Commission (whose chief, Ann Ravel, has as part of her mission statement a focus on major cases involving conflicts of interest)? The FPPC sleuthing could result in fines and criminal charges aimed straight at several members of the county Board of Supervisors, directors of public agencies and one former county water board director already facing dozens of criminal charges. … “
Continue reading from the Monterey County Weekly by clicking here.
Livingston gets rid of water rate consultant
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:31 pmFrom the Merced Sun-Star:
“The city’s most recent water rate study had a hiccup recently, as officials decided to fire the consultant on the project because of poor performance. However, a consultant at the company said performance wasn’t the issue — the city parted ways with his organization because of mere politics.
City officials have already started the process of looking for a new consultant after they let go of their old one a few weeks back. A new consultant is needed before the city can move forward with any possible water rate increases, since it provides the city with financial analysis and recommendations on where utility rates need to be. … “
Continue reading from the Merced Sun-Star by clicking here.
Imperial Valley’s unique combination of solar and geothermal resources make it a hotbed of renewable energy activity, and controversy
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:26 pmFrom Clean Technica:
“Stretching 50 miles from southeastern California’s Salton Sea across the border with Mexico to the Gulf of California, the Imperial Valley is an area of unique desert beauty, one that lies almost entirely below sea level. The area is also somewhat rare in its combination of geothermal and solar energy resources.
The Imperial Valley is fast turning into a hotspot for both geothermal and solar energy development. On Tuesday, the city of El Centro’s Board of Supervisors gave the go-ahead to LS Power’s 275-megawatt (MW) Centinela Solar Energy Project. The solar project proposal has generated controversy in the small, still predominantly agricultural community, pitting local farmer-landowners against one another and either for or against LS Power’s proposal, according to a KYMA news report.
Land use and environmental impact were at the center of the debate. … “
Continue reading from Clean Technica by clicking here.
Yuma farmland powered by billions of gallons of water
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:24 pmFrom the Yuma Sun:
“More than 50,000 acres of farmland span across the Yuma Valley and require somewhere in the neighborhood of 370,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water per year to be delivered by the Yuma County Water Users’ Association (YCWUA).
Manager Tom Davis noted that one acre-foot of water converts to be about 326,000 gallons, which he likened to the amount of water necessary to cover a football field a foot deep.
The YCWUA’s job is to divert, transport and deliver those billions of gallons of water to local farmers through a gravity-flow open ditch delivery system. … “
Continue reading from the Yuma Sun by clicking here.
Las Vegas: Sloan Channel issue ‘bugs’ nearby homeowners
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:23 pmFrom the Las Vegas Sun:
“First came the stench. Now it’s the gnats and midges.
Water released into the Sloan Channel from the new wastewater treatment plant in North Las Vegas is making life a little more difficult for those who live near the concrete-lined channel.
Fungus gnats and chronomid midges, both of which live near rotting vegetation and damp areas, are growing in numbers along the channel, where they had never been seen before. … “
Continue reading from the Las Vegas Sun by clicking here.
‘Flyboard’ water jet pack takes to the air at Lake Las Vegas
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:22 pmNow here’s a story that’s just a few days late … I’d have put this on my Christmas list for sure! From the Las Vegas Sun:
“With a quick squeeze of the throttle, Franky Zapata shot out across Lake Las Vegas Wednesday afternoon and began dipping and diving as he floated as high as 20 feet above the water using a specially built piece of equipment he calls a “flyboard.”
Zapata was showing off his patented invention to dozens of people who gathered to watch as part of a demonstration near the Montelago Casino at Lake Las Vegas.
The flyboard is powered by jets of water that are generated by a Sea-Doo watercraft and forced through a tube connected to a platform that Zapata straps his feet into. … “
Continue reading from the Las Vegas Sun by clicking here.
Better yet, check it out here:
Wednesday’s top of the scroll: Snow drought in the West
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 7:29 amFrom the Accu-Weather Western Weather Blog:
“A lack of storms for the month of December for the Sierra and even places like Utah and Colorado has meant lower than normal snowpack. In the case of the Sierra it has been an especially snow less December, and when comparing it to last year by this time the differences are monumental.
The following are two maps from the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center. The first map is the normal December snow depth and the second is the current snow depth as of Tuesday morning [charts available on click-through]. … “
Continue reading from the Accu-Weather Western Weather Blog by clicking here.
RELATED: Where’s the Sierra snow?, from the Sacramento Bee
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