El Dorado Irrigation District board approves lower rate increases

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 5, 2010 at 7:42 am

From the Sacramento Bee:

“Customer protests fell short of the number required to prevent hikes in El Dorado Irrigation District water and sewer rates, but the increases will be less than first proposed.

There needed to be a 50 percent plus one percentage protest from ratepayers to prevent the hikes. Instead the percentage protest was 18 percent for water and 21 percent for sewer.

Board members said concerns voiced at community workshops over the past month gave rise to “Plan B.”

Following a rate hearing Thursday evening, board members approved an 18 percent increase for 2010 instead of the 35 percent originally proposed. They also approved a 15 percent increase for 2011 and 5 percent increases for each of the following three years. … “

February 5, 2010 · Filed Under Sacramento

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LADWP extends ranch leases for properties in Inyo and Mono counties

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 5, 2010 at 6:48 am

From Bishop’s Inyo Register:

“It appears Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Interim General Manager David Freeman is making good on at least one of the promises made during a recent visit to the Owens Valley. The LADWP announced this week that, for the first time since the 1970’s, it has approved five-year ranch leases for 60 properties in Inyo and Mono counties.

This is a return to the LADWP’s practices of the 1940s and 1950s.
During his visit to the Owens Valley in January, Freeman vowed to look at several areas of concern for local residents and businesses, including LADWP land holdings and leases.

While his agency has not yet moved forward on the land releases, Freeman said his department would meet with county officials in the coming months to work on that. In the mean time, the department decided to extend the local ranch leases. … “

February 5, 2010 · Filed Under Owens Valley & Mono Lake

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$20 million could be spent to save Broad Beach

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 5, 2010 at 6:45 am

From the Malibu Times:

“The first phase of a long-term solution to the ongoing erosion of Broad Beach began last week with the emergency construction of an eight-foot-tall, 4,100-foot-long rock wall designed to shield beachfront homes and their septic tanks from being undermined by high tides and stormy surf.

Paid for entirely by homeowners, the $3.4 million rock wall, expected to reach completion in six weeks, is part of a $15 million to $20 million plan to permanently restore Broad Beach to its 100-foot width within the next six years, according to members of the Trancas Property Owners Association. … “

February 5, 2010 · Filed Under Oceans and Beaches (all), Other Oceans & Beaches Stories, Southern California

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South Orange County desalination takes next step

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 5, 2010 at 6:44 am

From the O. C. Register:

“A desalination project that could improve water supplies in South County communities by converting ocean water is moving to the next stage of testing.

The Municipal Water District of Orange County announced Wednesday that it has awarded a $1.05 million contract to Separation Processes Inc. for Phase 3 of the South Orange Coastal Ocean Desalination Project at San Juan Creek.

Municipal Water District is partnering with San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, South Coast Water District, Laguna Beach County Water District and Moulton Niguel Water District to try to create a stable new water source to improve supply reliability for all the partners. Currently, South County cities rely heavily on imported water, making them vulnerable to water shortages or reductions in allocations. … “

February 5, 2010 · Filed Under Desalination

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San Diego: Please don’t irrigate before weekend storm, Water Authority asks

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 5, 2010 at 6:43 am

From the North County Times:

“San Diego County businesses and residents, please turn off your irrigation systems for the near future. Mother Nature will do the watering this weekend.

Moderate to heavy rains are expected to return to the region late Friday and continue through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters have issued a flash flood watch for that period, with an inch of rain per hour possible. Significant flows are expected in the Santa Margarita and San Luis Rey rivers.

The San Diego County Water Authority is asking residents and businesses to take the irrigation hiatus to conserve the area’s water supply. Forecasters expect a storm to arrive late Friday and last until Sunday, the water authority said in a Thursday advisory.

“Following a significant storm, irrigation systems can remain off for several weeks,” the authority said. … “

February 5, 2010 · Filed Under Conservation

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SDSU’s expansion project in Del Cerro’s Adobe Falls a step closer to reality

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 5, 2010 at 6:39 am

From GrokSurf’s San Diego blog:

“Last July I wrote an article in which I explored Alvarado Creek and its path from La Mesa to Adobe Falls in Del Cerro and on to the San Diego River. Adobe Falls was ultimately to become its own story, though, as I learned more about SDSU’s Master Plan project to build residential housing for faculty and staff in the Adobe Falls area and the ongoing legal challenges that ensued. The story was entitled Alvarado Creek and the future of Adobe Falls.

When I wrote that story there were still unresolved legal challenges to SDSU’s project, specifically the Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and I encountered ongoing obstacles in following the legal developments. Indeed, after writing the story, I wasn’t able to access the casefile any more. That process is documented in my Adobe Falls updates post.

I recommend reading both of those posts if you need detailed background information including links for the EIR, the Master Plan, and more.

Today, I finally made some progress. … “

Continue reading this post from GrokSurf’s San Diego blog by clicking here.

February 5, 2010 · Filed Under San Diego

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Chance of Rain blog: “There would just be so much litigation”

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 5, 2010 at 6:33 am

From Emily Green at the Chance of Rain blog:

“The Southern Nevada Water Authority is spinning so hard, it may need its own axis. This morning’s Las Vegas Review-Journal captures the angle and motion as the water agency led by Patricia Mulroy moves to defend the lawfulness of a massive haul of groundwater awards put into question last week by the Nevada Supreme Court decision Great Basin Water Network vs State Engineer.

Its defense, hinted at in a January 28 press release from the authority, is to insist that the Supreme Court was wrong to challenge awards that were to flush a nearly 300-mile-long Las Vegas pipeline because violating due process rights of protestors is a common practice of the State Engineer. … “

Continue reading this post at the Chance of Rain blog by clicking here.

February 5, 2010 · Filed Under Las Vegas & Nevada

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Thursday’s top of the scroll: Delta water quality continues to decline

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:56 am

From the Mountain Democrat:

“The California Delta, where the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers merge with the San Francisco Bay, looks like the human blood circulation system, with major vessels connecting to increasingly smaller channels and sloughs surrounding islands. It contains around 1,000 miles of waterways.

The Delta lands are primarily agricultural, home to farms for around 150 years. The waterways provide the most popular inland area for boating and fishing in the state, are subject to increasing urbanization and supply important ecological habitat.

Water management of the Delta has been an ongoing struggle for decades, played out in the Legislature, the courts and the executive branch from the Governor’s Office on down through the agencies.

The periodic wins and losses in the battles over water affect all Californians, but are of particular concern to people in the mountain counties, the sources of fresh water for the state.

Basic problem No. 1: There is not enough water to go around. California is essentially a dry state.

Basic problem No. 2: Demand is increasing. Population is increasing in the state and in Northern California. … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Delta Issues

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Congressman Costa: “When it comes to fighting for our Valley and our water, I take a backseat to no one.”

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:54 am

Congressman Jim Costa answers his critics in this commentary published in the Hanford Sentinel:

“Our Valley faces an epic crisis. It is not a new one. It has gone on a long time. It is the fight for the water we need for Valley survival. And today, as never before, we must fight back. That’s the course I take. I will continue to speak out.

My family farmed in Kings, Fresno and Tulare counties for generations. Water was our lifeblood. I first ran for office in part because I knew that without enough water, nothing in our Valley could survive — not crops, not our economy, not our way of life.

And that’s why I have devoted most of my adult life to being the Valley’s advocate in the water wars.

Here are a few things I have learned in that struggle. First and foremost, you must wage the fight on a daily, monthly and yearly basis. You never give up; you never surrender.

There will always be competition for our water. There will be those who are intent on strangling our Valley into extinction. No matter what we win today, there will be someone trying to take it away from us tomorrow…. “

Continue reading Congressman Costa’s commentary at the Hanford Sentinel by clicking here.

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under San Joaquin Valley

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Earthjustice: Kill the fall-run salmon, argue corporate attorneys

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:50 am

From Unearthed, the blog of Earthjustice:

“Yesterday (Feb. 2), Westlands Water District – California’s largest and most politically powerful agribusiness group – asked a federal judge to block a federal salmon restoration plan that protects salmon and other fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Earthjustice attorneys, who won a court order in 2008 putting the restoration plan in place, were there to defend it. Westland’s move could put the survival of the river’s salmon – and California and Oregon’s multi-billion dollar commercial and recreational salmon fishing industry – on the line. The judge will announce his decision next
week.

Westlands wants to end restrictions on the operation of huge delta water pumps and canals from February through May, when baby salmon migrate from the Sacramento River to the ocean. … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Salmon

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Delta National Park blog: What does public and private mean in the Delta?

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:46 am

From the Delta National Park blog:

“The Peak Water studio has just returned from a four-day field research trip to the Delta. Among the most significant findings of the trip was that conventional definitions of public and private do not apply there.

Thankfully.

Here is the No Trespassing sign at the Macdonald Island Bridge, an entirely clear indication of private rights. Similar signs can be found on most of the islands of the Large Owner Axis, the site of the Peak Water studio’s exploration.

But the actual enforcement of the private property right to keep people off of private land is not consistently employed. … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Delta Issues

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Household pesticide is finding its way into California rivers, study suggests

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:42 am

From the New York Times:

“Pyrethroids, a common home pesticide, have been found in California rivers at levels toxic to some stream-dwellers, according to a new study.

The pesticide is often used in California to kill ants and other insects, and has been found in sewage treatment outflow and storm runoff in the Sacramento area. Scientists found the toxin in low levels in the San Joaquin River and the American River, according to research published yesterday in the journal of Environmental Science and Technology.

The scientists found the toxin present at about four parts per trillion, an extremely small amount, but enough to kill small aquatic larvae, the researchers said.

“It probably takes 100 times more to kill a fish,” said Donald Weston, one of the study’s authors and a professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley. “The concern would be the invertebrates that the fish depend on for food.” … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Water & the Environment

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DWR’s latest drought bulletin now available

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:39 am

From the California Water Plan e-News:

“DWR has published its latest drought bulletin which provides a monthly update to California’s water conditions. As the winter season is upon us, reservoir conditions have typically reached their lowest levels after summer demands. The total statewide October through December precipitation was 78 percent of average, further adding to our accumulated water supply deficit. Information in the update is based on hydrologic data compiled through the end of December. This month’s report includes: updated information on hydrologic and water supply conditions; local drought impacts; a discussion on historical drought periods; impacts by hydrologic region; and the status of drought emergencies declared by counties.”

Read the latest drought bulletin from Department of Water Resources by clicking here.

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Drought, Weather & Snowpack

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Weather update: Two storms to end the week

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:34 am

From Accu-Weather’s Western Weather Blog:

“There are two storms lined up in the Pacific to end the week. The first will spread rain from the Pacific Northwest south through California with more rain for northern California and parts of Oregon than other areas. The second storm will come sharply on the firsts heels and is aimed more at California.

Neither of these storms will pack the punch of the storms two week ago. Nevertheless there will be more moisture to raise the snow pack and fill the reservoirs that is needed this winter throughout California. … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Drought, Weather & Snowpack

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Planning & Conservation League: Why HR 4225 is a departure from decades of water planning in California

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:32 am

From the California Progress Report:

“HR 4225, introduced by Jim Costa (D-CA), would allow federal stimulus money to pay the non-Federal shares of the costs of water projects in California’s Central Valley.

The bill marks a departure from decades of water planning in California in which private beneficiaries have been required to pay for their share of public works projects.

Groups like the Sierra Club, Friends of the River, and the Planning and Conservation League are submitting a joint letter to the House committee on Natural Resources and the Secretary of the Interior, urging the committee to amend the bill to preserve oversight on the projects that are funded with federal stimulus money. … “

For more details and to read a copy of the letter, click here.

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Water Legislation

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The strangest liquid: Why water is so weird

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:29 am

From New Scientist (hat tip to the Sisweb):

“We are confronted by many mysteries, from the nature of dark matter and the origin of the universe to the quest for a theory of everything. These are all puzzles on the grand scale, but you can observe another enduring mystery of the physical world – equally perplexing, if not quite so grand – from the comfort of your kitchen. Simply fill a tall glass with chilled water, throw in an ice cube and leave it to stand.

The fact that the ice cube floats is the first oddity. And the mystery deepens if you take a thermometer and measure the temperature of the water at various depths. At the top, near the ice cube, you’ll find it to be around 0 °C, but at the bottom it should be about 4 °C. That’s because water is denser at 4°C than it is at any other temperature – another strange trait that sets it apart from other liquids.

Water’s odd properties don’t stop there (see “Water’s mysteries”), and some are vital to life. Because ice is less dense than water, and water is less dense at its freezing point than when it is slightly warmer, it freezes from the top down rather than the bottom up. So even during the ice ages, life continued to thrive on lake floors and in the deep ocean. Water also has an extraordinary capacity to mop up heat, and this helps smooth out climatic changes that could otherwise devastate ecosystems. … “

Picture by flickr photographer bitzcelt (Creative Commons).

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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Science Conference looks at diverse perspectives in the Klamath Basin

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:27 am

From the Siskiyou Daily News:

“The Klamath River Basin Science Conference began Tuesday with a number of common themes as a variety of stakeholder groups laid out what each believes are the highest science priorities and needs in the Klamath Basin.

The event, which will continue over the course of the next three days at the Red Lion Inn in Medford, Ore., has as its purpose “to describe a conceptual understanding of large-scale ecosystem processes and interactions – drivers, stressors, and indicators – and identify priority needs as they relate to the management of valued natural resources or environmental conditions,” said Leslie Dierauf, northwest area regional executive with the United States Geological Survey. “A related goal is to increase basin-wide collaboration and build trust and relationships across science and management entities by bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders from both the upper and lower basins.” … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Northern California

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Rising Lake Shasta water level raises expectations for a good boating year

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:25 am

From redding.com, website of the Record Searchlight:

“Lake Shasta marina owners are reeling in their boat docks as regular rains steadily push the water toward midwinter levels not seen in years.

“We all are walking around with a brighter outlook than we were this time last year,” said Steve Barry, who owns Holiday Harbor on the lake’s McCloud arm. “We’re 70 feet higher than this time last year.”

The boat docks are attached to cables that are anchored in the lake bottom. Workers have been releasing the cables to allow the docks to float closer to the tree line as rains have driven lake levels up 45 feet since Jan. 1.

At Holiday Harbor, workers are drawing the marina back into the cove, which offers better protection from damaging wind storms, Barry said. … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Northern California

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Crystal Geyser water fight was easy to predict: “it’s water, and we don’t talk politely about water in California,” says editorial

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:23 am

From the Chico Enterprise-Record, this editorial:

“[Chico E-R] view: The Crystal Geyser plant probably will eventually be built, but the company and city government underestimated the opposition.

If anyone thinks the Orland City Council approval of the Crystal Geyser sparkling water bottling plant in that community will end the controversy, they’re deluded.

The thing is, we think that’s exactly what Crystal Geyser and the city thought when the whole process began.

After all, the firm was bringing jobs to a community that needed them, and the amount of water that it would draw from the ground really isn’t that much. It’s about enough to irrigate a 50-acre almond orchard.

But it’s water, and we don’t talk politely about water in California. We fight over it. You’d think someone at Crystal Geyser would have realized that. … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Northern California

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Russian River coho salmon get grant from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:19 am

From the Sonoma County Gazette:

“The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation today announced an award of $696,000 to the Coho Water Resources Partnership, which is working to improve stream flows and water supply reliability in five tributaries of the Russian River critical to the recovery of endangered coho salmon.

The number of coho salmon in the Russian River watershed has declined precipitously in recent decades. Although multiple factors have harmed the population, resource agencies have found that low flows and water diversions can be especially problematic in the Russian River tributaries.

“The severity of the coho population decline and the importance of the Russian River to coast-wide recovery efforts made the Foundation place special programmatic emphasis on the watershed,” said Jeff Trandahl, the Foundation’s executive director. “Our coho recovery investments are backed by a comprehensive, scientifically sound business plan that highlights the path to recovery.” … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Northern California

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Yolo Bypass sees flood of wildlife activity

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:13 am

That is a great picture! Click on it to look at a slideshow of pictures from the Yolo Bypass that go with this story from the Sacramento Bee:

“The Yolo Bypass is a migratory interchange for man and beast. That’s especially so in a flood.

The bypass has flooded again for the first time since April 2006. The flooding began the weekend of Jan. 23, when the Sacramento River overtopped the Fremont Weir. It did so again on Jan. 28 and 29.

Commuters driving between Davis and Sacramento on the Interstate 80 causeway surely have noticed: They now cross an inland sea, not dry farm fields.

The flooding means migratory waterfowl that use rice farms and managed wetlands at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area have a lot more room to stretch out. … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Sacramento

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South County water man an option in Sacramento

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:11 am

From the Porterville Recorder:

“A South County grape farmer with ties to local water districts has a shot at finding a way to restore the heart of California’s water supply, and help solve the state’s water crisis.

Nick Canata was placed in nomination by Friant Water Authority’s Sacramento Lobbyist Glenn Farrel to potentially become a member a seven member committee established by the legislature’s passage of the $11 billion water bond bill that awaits voter approval in November.

The council will be charged with finding ways to maintain a reliable source of water for both irrigation and drinking water purposes, while simultaneously maintaining the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta’s existing ecological system. The decisions they make about wildlife habitat and water pumping will need to be approved by state and federal agencies.

“If you just take Porterville, or any other of the valley towns, see how many people, how many businesses up and down Main Street, rely on agriculture as part of their income, how many people are employed, how many jobs are related … if we don’t get water, if agriculture doesn’t get water to produce these crops, where are these people going to get work?” Canata said. … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Delta Issues

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Commentary: El Dorado water board trying to make up for past neglect

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:09 am

From the Sacramento Bee, this commentary/rebuttal by John Fraser, president of the El Dorado Irrigation District Board of Directors:

“In December, customers of the El Dorado Irrigation District received a notice from EID that signaled significant rate increases for water, wastewater and water recycling services.

The notice generated an angry response from many ratepayers and community groups and caught the interest of the local media. EID regrets that these proposed rate hikes coincide with a bad economy, high unemployment, and an uncertain financial future for many people, families and businesses in the communities we serve.

We are a public agency dedicated to providing high-quality water, wastewater treatment, recycled water, hydropower and recreation services in an environmentally and fiscally responsible manner. We strive to provide the safe and reliable utility services our customers deserve at a price they can afford. We also work diligently to ensure that EID meets or surpasses all federal and state laws and regulations regarding the operation of a water and wastewater utility. … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Sacramento

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Bridge deck piece is lifted into place in milestone for Bay Bridge project

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:07 am

From the Contra Costa Times:

“Caltrans reached another milestone in the $6.3 billion replacement of the Bay Bridge’s east span Wednesday when a giant crane lifted into place the first permanent piece of the self-anchored suspension span — a road deck section weighing more than 1,000 tons.

In a Kodak moment for bridge historians, the crane hoisted the 90-foot by 84-foot deck section off a barge and lifted it more than 120 feet in the air for placement on temporary supports.

Early in the afternoon, crews began sliding the deck section on rails for a half-day journey 650 feet to the west to its permanent spot over Yerba Buena Island.

This section is the first and westernmost piece of the suspension span deck that motorists will drive on when the new Bay Bridge east span between Oakland and Yerba Buena Island is finished in 2013 or 2014.

“This is a huge milestone for the Bay Bridge project,” Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney said Wednesday morning aboard a boat, giving media members a closer view of the operation. “This is the first real permanent part of the self-anchored suspension bridge to be put into place.” … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Bay Area

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Dan Bacher: Mokelumne River steelhead run increases in recent years

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:05 am

From Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org:

“The numbers of steelhead returning to the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery in recent years don’t compare to those at Nimbus, Feather and Coleman fish hatcheries, but they are a vast improvement over many years when no adult steelhead returned to the facility.

No steelhead came back to the hatchery, located on the river right below Camanche Dam, for 10 years from 1976 through 1986. Again in 1998-1999, no adult steelhead returned to the facility.

That doesn’t mean that there weren’t any rainbows in the river during these years. The river hosted a popular resident trout fishery for fly, bait and lure anglers, but relatively few of the 100,000 steelhead yearlings released every year went to saltwater and returned.

The river, before the listing of the Central Valley steelhead under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), was managed as a catchable trout fishery, rather than as a wild steelhead or trout river. The DFG regularly stocked the river with catchable size steelhead in the 10 to 15 inch range, hatched from steelhead eggs obtained from the Mokelumne and Nimbus Fish hatcheries. … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Water & Wildlife

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Bay Delta blog: Restoration flows continue in the San Joaquin River

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 8:02 am

From the Bay Delta blog:

“As of February 1, 2010, the Bureau of Reclamation has continued the increased flows on the San Joaquin River below Friant Dam. The additional water is released pursuant to the 2006 settlement agreement, which calls for 350 cfs each day this February as part of the effort to restore the dry San Joaquin River and reintroduce Chinook salmon. The salmon runs basically ended in the 1950s after the Friant-Kern Canal was put into operation. The eventual goal will be to restore the section of the San Joaquin below Friant Dam, downstream to the confluence with the Merced River. … “

The Bay Delta blog has more on the planned releases from Friant Dam and some pictures of the riverbed – click here.

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under San Joaquin Valley

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EPA official visits Kettleman City, meets mothers whose babies had birth defects

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 7:59 am

From the Los Angeles Times:

“The regional director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ventured into the dusty farming town of Kettleman City, Calif., on Wednesday for a three-hour tour that included a trip to a nearby toxic waste dump and emotional private meetings with mothers whose babies had birth defects.

The rare diplomatic foray by Jared Blumenfeld came less than a week after he ordered an internal investigation of his agency’s oversight of the waste dump and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger directed the state Department of Public Health to conduct a comprehensive study of the community’s environmental and health issues. Kettleman City residents and activists who have conducted health surveys say at least five of the 20 babies born in the community between September 2007 and November 2009 suffered serious birth defects, among them cleft palates and lips. Kings County authorities say 64 babies were born during that period, and six had birth defects of various kinds. … “

Fresno Bee columnist Bill McEwen had this to say:

” … While government agencies investigate, let’s agree on one thing. The 1,500 people of this Kings County community — one of the most abused and poorest places in America — deserve clean water.

Right now, they drink and bathe in water that contains higher levels than federal standards allow for arsenic — although not high enough for regulators to ban drinking it. What’s more, the town can’t attract new business or accommodate establishments that want to expand because the community water district is at capacity.

Do you hear me, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Jim Costa?

Folks in Kettleman City don’t want a handout. They just want a water-treatment plant. … “

Read the full text of Bill McEwen’s column by clicking here.

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under San Joaquin Valley

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Malibu: Water allocation at all time low

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 7:56 am

From the Malibu Times:

“Increased mandatory water conservation for the City of Malibu will mean rising water prices and drastic water saving measures this year. Solutions to boost water reserves for residents were major topics at a special joint meeting of the Malibu Public Works and Public Safety commissions last week Wednesday.

Representatives from Metropolitan Water District 29, which services Malibu and the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, were present at the meeting to relay assessments concerning water supplies and project funding.

A 5 percent water allocation for the district is the lowest initial allocation in history from the state, said Greg Even, senior civil engineer for Los Angeles County Waterworks District. Although the district met and exceeded last year’s mandatory decrease of 15 percent in water usage, Even said supplies are still dropping as population growth increases. Even said the low supplies normally increase during the year, allowing the distributor to reanalyze supplies for the district. … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Southern California

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EPA: Pump Rialto groundwater and cleanse it of perchlorate

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 7:54 am

From the Riverside Press-Enterprise:

“Federal environmental regulators on Wednesday unveiled a $29.3 million plan to clean up a Rialto Superfund site by pumping tainted groundwater and treating it to remove perchlorate and other toxic contaminants.

The water then could be delivered to homes and businesses.

The 160-acre industrial site north of Interstate 210, between Alder and Locust avenues, was used by private companies and the government to store, test and manufacture munitions, rocket motors and fireworks.

Perchlorate, an ingredient in rocket fuel, and the industrial solvent trichloroethylene, TCE, were spilled or dumped on the ground and seeped deep into the aquifer. Spreading for miles southeast of the site, the contamination is the Inland region’s largest uncontrolled plume of perchlorate in a drinking water supply. … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Riverside - San Bernardino

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Sierra storms could buoy O.C. water supply

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 7:50 am

From the O. C. Register:

“Winter is far from over, but there’s promising news out of northern California: The Sierra Nevada, which provides up to half of the imported water Orange County uses each year, is running far ahead normal in seasonal snowfall. And another storm is expected this week. Runoff from the storms will be channeled into the huge reservoirs which help serve most of the state, including Orange County.

The state Department of Water Resources (DWR) says that the current water content in the Sierra snow pack is 126-percent of normal, and that the range has 66 percent of the snow it should accumulate by April 1. The water content in the northern Sierra is 123 percent of normal, and 71 percent of what it should be by April 1.

Sue Sims, DWR’s chief deputy director, said in a Jan. 29th statement, “Today’s snow survey (in the Sierra) offers us some cautious optimism as we continue to play catch-up with our state water supplies. … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Drought, Weather & Snowpack

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For San Diego’s mayor, it’s football first, water last

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 7:48 am

From the San Diego Reader:

“In his State of the City speech on January 13, Mayor Jerry Sanders devoted 434 words to the possibility of taxpayers shelling out hundreds of millions of dollars for a subsidized Chargers stadium and 174 words to the idea of those taxpayers paying for an expansion of the convention center. But Sanders devoted only 114 words to the subject of water — far and away the most critical short-term and long-term problem facing San Diego. He devoted zero words to water conservation.

The day after the speech, a Sacramento County Superior Court judge knocked down critical parts of a 2003 agreement that, among many things, had cleared the way for San Diego to get water from the Imperial Valley. The San Diego County Water Authority pays a stiff price for that water, and it’s now fully 26 percent of the amount the county uses. Unless the Sacramento case is reversed on appeal, more woes lie ahead.

Most frighteningly, those woes include possible desertification of the Southwest — the drought of today leading to a dust bowl by the middle of the century. Some experts foresee that horror. … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under San Diego

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State engineer fears ‘chaos’ from high court water ruling

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 7:44 am

From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

“Depending on how it is interpreted, last week’s surprise water ruling by the Nevada Supreme Court could mean “chaos” for thousands of water rights awarded over a 55-year span, the state’s chief water regulator said Wednesday.

If the ruling winds up nullifying every application for water that took more than a year to be acted on by the state, as many as 14,500 water rights issued between 1947 and 2002 could be affected, Acting State Engineer Jason King warned.

“I can’t even fathom it,” King said. “There would just be so much litigation, it would be gridlock.”

Already the decision has touched off a tidal wave of paperwork at the state engineer’s office in Carson City.

Since the ruling was handed down Jan. 28, 200 new water rights applications have come in from across the state as water managers seek to guard against the potential fallout from the high court’s action. … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Las Vegas & Nevada

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Glen Canyon flush shows dam remains a sand trap; Scientists say success of 2008 flood release didn’t last

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2010 at 7:41 am

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

“Not quite two years after federal scientists blasted water from four Glen Canyon Dam release tunnels to simulate floods of pre-dam days, those experts acknowledged Tuesday only limited success in replenishing Colorado River sandbars and fish habitat.

Although the 60-hour flush in 2008 took maximum advantage of the natural flooding on the Colorado tributaries, 90 percent of the sand that would replenish the river’s ecology remains trapped behind the dam.

Theodore Melis, deputy chief of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center in Flagstaff, Ariz., said the 2008 test adds to the evidence examined from controlled floods in 1998 and 2004.

“What we saw [in 2008] was a direct benefit,” Melis said during a telephone news conference. … “

February 4, 2010 · Filed Under Colorado River Basin

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Wednesday’s top of the scroll: Water groups fight salmon plan in court

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 3, 2010 at 8:59 am

From the Fresno Bee:

“A coalition of water districts and agencies asked a federal judge in Fresno on Tuesday to set aside a controversial salmon management plan because it reduces water deliveries to urban and agricultural users.

U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger is weighing a decision after hearing four hours of testimony. He promised a ruling by Tuesday, the date of another hearing dealing with the salmon management plan.

Among those seeking the order were the Westlands Water District, which takes in a large portion of the west side of the central San Joaquin Valley. Also among the plaintiffs were the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which serves 19 million people.

All depend on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for water. The temporary ruling, if granted, would be in place while a more permanent measure is sought. The water agencies want the salmon management plan rewritten to allow more water to be pumped. … “

February 3, 2010 · Filed Under Delta Issues, Judge Wanger salmon ruling

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As water flows to ocean, delta disputes continue

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 3, 2010 at 8:55 am

From the California Farm Bureau Federation:

“As a panel of leading scientists convened last week to examine information used to restrict water transfers from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta on behalf of protected fish, the state’s water supply situation took on new complexities.

Water districts and elected officials in the San Joaquin Valley criticized the U.S. Department of the Interior, charging it had mischaracterized a water-supply announcement.

Then, at the end of the week, water agencies serving the western San Joaquin Valley asked a federal court for a temporary halt in water restrictions intended to benefit delta smelt and salmon.

The Westlands Water District and the San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority, which serve farms and communities in western Fresno and Kings counties, filed for a temporary restraining order in U.S. District Court in Fresno. … “