Thursday, March 31, 2011

News articles and links from March 31, 2011

CVP-Wide Water Allocation at 91 Percent

Blog

By Barry Nelson

From NRDC – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Coalition response...It’s unlikely that Barry Nelson could have gotten away with saying on average Japan is just fine, despite an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that has affected a specific region of their country. That’s what makes attacking farm water users so easy for him. One region may be suffering from water supply cuts and increased unemployment but Nelson doesn’t care. His goal is to talk in averages and generalities, which draws the public’s attention away from the serious farm water supply problems that are as undeniable as Japan’s catastrophic events.

The water supply cuts to south of Delta CVP water users are a result of environmental restrictions that started in 1992. A look at delivery numbers prior to that and in the years since shows that cuts began not because of any “junior” water rights contract status but rather as a result of ESA restrictions on Delta export operations.

Uh-oh, the state drought is over

Editorial

From Chico Enterprise-Record – Thursday, March 31, 2011

Coalition response...This editorial is right on. It should be required reading for any individual who makes decisions regarding water use in our state.

(NOTE: The CFWC comment that was posted to various news stories the past two days emphasizing the need for increased storage and an improved conveyance system in response to an end to the drought declaration is also being posted to the following stories.)

Growers express mixed reactions to end-of-drought declaration

From Bakersfield Californian – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Save water, drought or no drought

From Visalia Times-Delta – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Brown declares state’s thirst quenched

From The Record – Thursday, March 31, 2011

State’s drought officially ends

From Sacramento Bee – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Brown declares drought officially over in California

From North County Times – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

From SD Union-Tribune – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

From Salinas Californian – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

From Appeal Democrat – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Deep snow prompts governor to declare drought over

From Modesto Bee – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

From Visalia Times Delta – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Supes end drought declaration, OK pay cuts

From Hanford Sentinel – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Drought’s over

From Inkstain – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Brown Declares End to California Drought

From IndyBay Media – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

GROUNDWATER

Central Valley farm groundwater will soon be monitored

Story

From Chico Enterprise-Record – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Ag regulation must cover toxic water

Opinion

By Dipti Bhatnagar

From Monterey Herald – Thursday, March 31, 2011

COURTS

Westlands eases resistance to delta water plan

Story

From Fresno Bee – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Group drops injunction request over salmon plan

TV News

From Modesto Bee – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

From KFMB-8/San Diego – Thursday, March 31, 2011

From SD Union-Tribune – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

From SF Chronicle – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Final Judgment Issued in Smelt Case

Story

From ACWA – Tuesday, March 29, 2011

New lawsuit targets water diversion policies

Story

From Capital Press – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

News articles and links from March 30, 2011

STATE: Drought is over, but water worries are not

Story

From Press-Enterprise – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

If drought is over, should we still conserve?

TV News

From News 10/ABC – Tuesday, March 29, 2011

California drought over?

TV News

From CBS/47 – Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The pyschology of water

Blog

By Denis Wolcott

From PR in LA – Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Finally, California Finds a Surplus: 50 Feet of Snow

Story

From NY Times – Tuesday, March 29, 2011

(The following response is posted online to the above stories.)

Coalition response...Governor Jerry Brown is expected today to declare an end to the drought declaration by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. While it is good news, it is important to remember that this water won't last forever. Currently the State's reservoirs are at 85% capacity and pumps have been turned off because there is nowhere to store additional supplies. That means if California turns dry again next year, today's abundance is lost. California is in need of more reservoirs for water storage. Almost 300 thousand acre-feet per day is being released to the Pacific Ocean, enough to serve the domestic needs of 1 to 2 million Californians for an entire year. This need for increased storage emphasizes the need for an improved conveyance system that will deliver the water to all water users in our state.

This year's abundant water supply gives us hope. New storage and improved conveyance will give us the assurance that adequate water should be available when the state faces another dry year in the future.

WATER SUPPLY

Under Pressure from Feinstein, Feds Open Tap for Farmers

Story

From Bay Citizen – Tuesday, March 29, 2011

DELTA

Thanks for opposing canal

Letter

From The Record – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

FISHERIES

Farm Bureau files suit

Story

From Siskiyou Daily News – Tuesday, March 29, 2011

DFG counsel defends permitting program in Siskiyou County

Story

From Record Searchlight – Tuesday, March 29, 2011

CONGRESS

Costa: Proposed law would bring more water

Story

From Hanford Sentinel – Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

News articles and links from March 29, 2011

Gov. expected to declare California’s drought over

Story

From LA Times – Tuesday, March 29, 2011

California’s drought is over – everywhere but the state capitol

Story

From SJ Mercury News – Monday, March 28, 2011

Governor expected to declare drought over

Story

From Sacramento Bee – Monday, March 28, 2011

California Drought Almost Officially Over

TV News

From NBC/San Diego – Tuesday, March 29, 2011

(The following response is posted online to the above stories.)

Coalition response...Governor Jerry Brown is expected Wednesday to declare an end to the drought declaration by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. While it is good news, it is important to remember that this water won’t last forever. Currently the State’s reservoirs are at 85% capacity and pumps have been turned off because there is nowhere to store additional supplies. That means if California turns dry again next year, today’s abundance is lost. California is in need of more reservoirs for water storage. Almost 300 thousand acre-feet per day is being released to the Pacific Ocean, enough to serve the domestic needs of 1 to 2 million Californians for an entire year.

This year’s abundant water supply gives us hope. New storage will give us the assurance that adequate water should be available when the state faces another dry year in the future.

WATER SUPPLY

Reclamation Announces Updated 2011 Water Supply Allocation for California’s CVP

Press Release

From USBR – Monday, March 28, 2011

Water allotment to Westside farmers rises to 65%

Story

From Fresno Bee – Monday, March 28, 2011

Snowpack hits 165% of average; will flooding follow?

Blog

By Mark Grossi

From Fresno Bee – Monday, March 28, 2011

COURTS

After feds increase water allocation, Judge Wanger suggests need for current judicial intervention in salmon litigation is “obviat(ed)”

Blog

By Brandon Middleton

From Pacific Legal Foundation – Monday, March 28, 2011

Compensation likely for local water districts

Story

From The Record – Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Victory for California water districts as rehearing petition rejected

Story

From Western Farm Press – Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Judge invalidates water diversion permit on SNF

Story

From Porterville Recorder – Monday, March 28, 2011

CONGRESS

Costa proposes limits on delta pumping cuts

Story

From Fresno Bee – Monday, March 28, 2011

Costa bill aims to increase delta pumping

Story

From Bakersfield Californian – Monday, March 28, 2011

Costa wants Congressional override of Endangered Species Act regarding Delta

Story

From CV Business Times – Monday, March 28, 2011

OTHER

Crops lost, Salinas River still flooding

Story

From Salinas Californian – Monday, March 28, 2011

IID board scrutinize fallowing grant proposals

Story

From IV Press – Tuesday, March 29, 2011

IID’s lighter environmental footprint earns honor

Story

From IV Press – Monday, March 28, 2011

Monday, March 28, 2011

News articles and links from March 28, 2011

Water, Water Everywhere – but Not for Farmers

Story

From The Bay Citizen – Friday, March 25, 2011

California is awash with water and its mountains are coated with thick layers of snow. That will mean good news this summer for households, businesses and other water users who have endured years of drought.

Coalition response...The comment by Bureau of Reclamation spokesman Pete Lucero omitted any discussion about new science pointing to causes other than the pumps that are the root of the problem in the Delta. Invasive species, predators, upstream-polluted water and poor habitat conditions in the Delta have all been shown to cause a bigger impact than the pumps. The problem is that the pumps are the only thing bureaucrats have been able to regulate so that has been their primary focus. That’s too bad. Real results could be achieved for both fish and water supply interests if regulators turned their attention to activities that actually worked.

WATER SUPPLY

IID communications upgrades keep tighter tap on water

Story

From IV Press – Saturday, March 26, 2011

Food grows where water flows and Valley farmers depend on Imperial Irrigation District to deliver vital resources in precise quantities and a timely manner.

Feinstein on water allocation: ‘Worst I’ve seen in years’

Statement

From Aquafornia – Saturday, March 26, 2011

The disconnect in federal water allocations is the worst I’ve seen in years. South-of-Delta farmers are getting only 55 percent of contractual amounts, a shocking number when the state snowpack is as high as 165 percent. That is simply unacceptable.

Sacramento River flows increasing; Feather, American rivers scaled back

Story

From Chico Enterprise-Record – Saturday, March 26, 2011

To manage the tremendous amount of water moving from the mountains to the ocean, releases from reservoirs in the state are being managed for flood control.

Daily Reservoir Storage Summary

Report

From DWR – March 27, 2011

For selected reservoirs in Northern and Southern California.

DELTA

Court Tentative Holds that DWR’s Proposed Geological Activities on Delta Properties Would Result in an Unconstitutional Taking of Private Property

Analysis

From Somach Simmons & Dunn – Friday, March 25, 2011

For nearly two years, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has been seeking access to tens of thousands of acres of privately owned land throughout the Delta region. DWR seeks entry via the precondemnation statutes found at Code of Civil Procedure sections 1245.010 through 1245.060.

Water Crisis: the Delta, the Smelt and Us

Commentary

From City Watch – Friday, March 25, 2011
Living, working, and playing here in Venice gives us environmentalists more in common with the California Delta than it is comfortable to think about. I am no exception.

FISHERIES

Endangered Coho Return to Russian River

Blog

By Dan Bacher

From IndyBay Media – Saturday, March 26, 2011

Fishery biologists from the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) are reporting the largest number of coho returning to spawn in Sonoma County tributaries of the Russian River in over a decade.

GROUNDWATER

Reisner Redux: Rethinking ‘Cadillac Desert’

Blog

By Michael E. Campana

From WaterWired – Sunday, March 27, 2011

The more I ruminate on Western USA water issues, the more I find myself returning to Marc Reisner’s Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water.

ENVIRONMENT

Farmers and the EPA

Letter

From Fresno Bee – Sunday, March 27, 2011

The March 24 article, "EPA official tours farms," discussed a visit to the Valley by our government's highest ranking EPA administrator. Lisa Jackson, a Cabinet-level member of the Obama administration, got a glimpse at how farmers in the Valley are doing their part to reduce air emissions and conserve precious water.

COURTS

Water hearing ends without decision

Story

From Fresno Bee – Friday, March 25, 2011

A three-day federal court hearing on a request by urban and agricultural water users to halt the April 1 implementation of a plan to protect endangered salmon migrating through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ended Friday without a decision.

Federal court affirms delta smelt protection

Story

From Fresno Bee - Friday, March 25, 2011

From Modesto Bee – Friday, March 25, 2011

From SF Chronicle – Friday, March 25, 2011

A federal appeals court has ruled that protections for a tiny threatened fish that has cut water deliveries to California farms are constitutional.

SF court rules protection Delta smelt not unconstitutional

Story

From Sacramento Bee – Friday, March 25, 2011

A federal appeals court in San Francisco ruled this morning that protection of the endangered Delta smelt is not unconstitutional.

Court ruling favors U.S. Fish & Wildlife; smelt still protected

Story

From The Record – Saturday, March 26, 2011

Federal protection of the tiny Delta smelt, a three-inch-long fish living in the Delta, will continue.

Revisiting limits (or the lack thereof) to the federal government’s Commerce Clause authority in light of the Ninth Circuit’s delta smelt decision

Blog

By Brandon Middleton

From Pacific Legal Foundation – Sunday, March 27, 2011

A couple of thoughts on this analysis. First, although the Supreme Court in Raich did not use the precise terms "comprehensive economic regulatory scheme," case law demonstrates that the comprehensive regulatory scheme rationale for Commerce Clause regulation requires that the regulatory scheme be economic in nature.

WATER QUALITY

Point/Counterpoint: Ag water runoff debated

Story

From Salinas Californian – Friday, March 25, 2011

On March 17, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board of the Central Coast met but was unable to reach a decision on a staff proposal to regulate the quality of water leaving farms.

CONGRESS

Fixing our water problems just takes common sense

Column

By Rep. Jim Costa

From Bakersfield Californian – Saturday, March 26, 2011

If my time in Congress has taught me one thing, it is that common sense is often overlooked in Washington. Nothing illustrates this better than last week's announcement that in a time of abundant rainfall, above average snowpack in the Sierra, and flooding in our cities, some farmers in the San Joaquin Valley may only receive just a little more than half their share of California's water this year.

Rep. Nunes continues push for more water

Story

From Porterville Recorder – Friday, March 25, 2011

The plentiful rain and snow the state is getting this year is allowing Congressman Devin Nunes, R-21st District, to point out the absurdity of federal water policy and push legislation that will make more water available for Central Valley farmers.

SALTON SEA

Entities move forward in restoring sea

Story

From IV Press – Saturday, March 26, 2011

A nudge to the state to produce a Salton Sea restoration plan is gathering steam from another entity that supports the Imperial Irrigation District’s position for action now.

Friday, March 25, 2011

News articles and links from March 25, 2011

ENVIRONMENTAL

Federal EPA administrator tours Valley farms

Story

From Fresno Bee- Wednesday, March 23, 2011

The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency made her first trip to the Valley on Wednesday to get a firsthand look at how farmers are using technology and innovation to reduce air emissions and conserve water.

WATER QUALITY

California water issue stirs debate

Opinion

From The Packer- Friday, March 25, 2011

Monterey County, Calif., growers hope a murky debate over water clarifies in April with minimal effect on crop production. Pesticide and fertilizer runoff are at issue as the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board weighs new rules for irrigated farming.

WATER SUPPLY

Friant Dam makes room for massive runoff

TV News

From Fresno Channel 30 - Thursday, March 24, 2011

The extra water is forcing officials to fill Valley rivers and farmers are not happy about it.

OTHER

Board to state: Fix the Salton Sea

Story

From mydesert.com - Friday, March 25, 2011

The San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors on Thursday unanimously approved a resolution urging the state of California to move forward with long-delayed plans to restore the Salton Sea.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

News articles and links from March 24, 2011

WATER SUPPLY

What drought?

Editorial

By SF Chronicle - Thursday, March 24, 2011

Coalition response...It is good news that California rain and snowfall totals are well above normal for this time of year but our lack of adequate storage means much of the extra water we're receiving can't be saved for next summer when it will be dry again. The extra flows are well above any current environmental needs so capturing them won't create a problem for the ecosystem. The tragedy is that major water supply pumps for farms and millions of Californians shut down yesterday because there is no where to put anymore water. The reservoir capacity served by the pumps is full. We will undoubtedly look back at this abundance when fields are fallowed and gardens are dry and wonder why we failed to balance our water supply with sensible storage projects.

WATER SUPPLY

Feds boost water delivery estimates

Story

From Chico Enterprise-Record - Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Western Weather Blog: Monumental snow statistics are going even bigger!

Blog

From Aquafornia/Western Weather Blog - Thursday, March 24, 2011

CONGRESS

Bipartisan bill will increase Central Valley water storage

Opinion

By Paul Wenger

From California Farm Bureau Federation - Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Congressman Denham responds to CVP allocation

Opinion

From Aquafornia - Thursday, March 24, 2011

OTHER

Delta Stewardship Council to meet

Meeting Notice

Delta Stewardship Council - Thursday, March 24, 2011

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

News articles and links from March 23, 2011

Water Supply

Building Rivers - a New Era of California Water Solutions

Blog

by Barry Nelson

From Switchboard - Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Coalition response... The assertion that California's dam building days are over is an oversimplification of the water supply challenges we face today and in the future. It is widely agreed that a new dam on the San Joaquin River, the very waterway Nelson proclaims as a restoration success story, would provide water for Central Valley farms and more certainty for the environment. No credible water resource official believes that a stable water supply future can be accomplished solely through conservation and water markets unless we abandon farms to move water to purposes deemed more important by writers like Barry Nelson.

DELTA

CSPA Action Alert: Clean Farms - Clean Water Campaign

Blog

By Dan Bacher

From IndyBay - Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Coalition response... This blog contains no credible references to water quality problems attributed to agriculture. Rather than swallow this nonsense hook, line and sinker, it is better to rely on scientific studies that point to real problems that can be solved, such as the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, which dumps tons of ammonium into the Delta system every day. Farm bashers that flail about blindly do nothing to move the discussion toward a solution that will actually help solve water quality and water supply problems.

WATER SUPPLY

Flood Releases and Shortages - In the Same Year?

Blog

By Tim Quinn

From ACWA - Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Fighting For More Water

TV News

From Fresno Channel 47 - Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Farm use of water examined

Letter

By Stan Grant

From Modesto Bee - Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Merced Irrigation District board of directors adopts same water rate fees as 2010

Story

From Merced Sun Star - Wednesday, March 23, 2011

World Water Day, a Wet Week, West Side Improvements and Willing Sellers

Blog

By Spreck Rosecranz

From Environmental Defense Fund

OTHER

LaMalfa bill seeks money for Lake Oroville

Story

By Heather Hacking

From Chico Enterprise-Record - Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

News articles and links from March 22, 2011

WATER SUPPLY

Sacramento River rising

Story

By Dylan Darling

From Redding Record-Searchlight - Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Increased releases down the Sacramento River and a rush of water into its tributaries are pushing the river over its banks around the north state, prompting swift-water warnings.

FISHERIES

Bass association's Delta role

Letter to the Editor

By Lonnie Schardt

From Fresno Bee - Tuesday, March 22, 2011

When I was a member of the Fresno Chapter of the California Striped Bass Association, I was opposed to the association's involvement with the National Resources Defense Council and other environmental groups in the litigation and politics of the Bay Delta water diversion issues. Read comments

Trout journey from a Novato classroom to Mount Tam waters

Story

By Mark Prado

From Marin Independent Journal - Tuesday, March 22, 2011

A class of Novato fourth-graders came to Mount Tamalpais on Monday morning to bid adieu to animals they helped raise for the past six weeks.

Annual fishing derby about a month away

Story

From Merced Sun Star - Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The Merced Irrigation District announced the open registration of the 2011 Lake McSwain Trout Fishing Derby.

Monday, March 21, 2011

News articles and links from March 21, 2011

WATER SUPPLY

NYT Green Blog: Divvying up the water down under

Blog

By Felicity Barringer

From the New York Times Green Blog - Monday, March 21, 2011

Andrew Gregson, an official with the New South Wales Irrigators Council, is the kind of Australian completely at home in the agricultural sea that is California's San Joaquin Valley. He knows all about the business and the social fabric of farming and about irrigated agriculture. He believes that [...]

DELTA

On the Public Record blog: Delta Plan, second draft: instantaneous impression

Blog

From Aquafornia/On the Public Record - Sunday, March 20, 2011

From the On the Public Record blog: "BOOOOO!! Booo! BOOO! Boooo! BOOOO!!! A bureaucrat got hold of this plan! BOOOO! If I wanted to read bureaucratic weaseling, I could read my own professional work. BOOOOO! Fire someone! (Not me.) What the hell?! Booooo! The first plan was so swashbuckling. It was awesome. It asserted things [...]

Delta Stewardship Council to meet this Thursday and Friday

Meeting Notice

The Delta Stewardship Council will be meeting on Thursday, March 24th, and Friday, March 25th, in Sacramento. You can review the agenda and meeting materials by clicking here.

Tom Philp: Sizing Delta conveyance - Part two

Blog

By Tom Philp

From CityBrights/SF Chronicle

From Tom Philp at the City Brights - Sunday, March 20, 2011

This [link available on click-through] must be one insightful PowerPoint on future Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta water supply options. Both "sides" think that it proves their point. One of the big ongoing debates is (1) whether to build a new conveyance system to separate the movement of water [...]

GROUNDWATER

San Joaquin Valley: Wet weather doesn't boost district wells; Groundwater in eastern S.J. still on decline

Story

Stockton Record - Saturday, March 19, 2011

From the Stockton Record: "The end of California's three-year drought brought a welcome boost to San Joaquin County's underground water supply. With one exception. The North San Joaquin Water Conservation District - which has received national attention for its struggle to draw more water from the Mokelumne River, and for infighting over a proposed groundwater [...]


FISHERIES

Returning salmon to San Joaquin River will cost millions

Story

By Mark Grossi

From Modesto Bee - Saturday, March 19, 2011

Reviving chinook salmon on the San Joaquin River will cost more than $20 million, which may sound like a lot of money for 40,000 fish. But this rare project will take years of work, scientists say

OTHER

With water levels rising, levee patrols begin

TV News

From KXTV Channel 10 - Saturday, March 19, 2011

SACRAMENTO - Water levels are up, so patrols are out now keeping watch on the levees, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.