Monday, August 12, 2013

News articles and links from August 12, 2013


Trinity River 

From: Elizabeth Warmerdam, Courthouse News Service

California water districts sued Uncle Sam for demanding that they release 355 million gallons of water from the Trinity Reservoir to prevent a possible salmon die-off instead of delivering it to cities and farmers who face a "growing water shortage catastrophe."

Water Supply

From: Staff, Merced Sun-Star

Merced Irrigation District wants growers to know they have options for making it through a dry year, according to a press release.

From: John A. Kochergen, Fresno Bee

President Obama signed a disaster relief declaration on Aug. 2 for a western Texas community where a fertilizer plant blew up and killed 15 people. Obama declared it a major disaster and so did the governor of Texas, guaranteeing all state and federal aid.

Why can't our governor lead the way in calling our west Fresno farm area a disaster? It is already on the way to a large disaster if our water is not increased from 20% for this year. And the state predicts we will receive a 0% allotment next year if the drought continues.

From: John Ellis, Fresno Beehive

To Fresno County Supervisor Phil Larson, it was the easiest vote in the world.
He wanted his colleagues to approve sending a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, asking her support a House resolution that seeks more Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta water for the Valley's west side.

From: Seth Nidever, Hanford Sentinel

Confronting a two-year drought and dwindling reservoir levels, speakers at a water hearing on Friday said that San Joaquin Valley residents need to unite in a common front to pressure legislators for more storage capacity.

From: Jessica Peres, ABC-TV 30  

In the South Valley farmers and government leaders gathered Friday to discuss a long-term solution to Kings County water problems.

From: David Guy, Sacramento Bee

Re "State needs more water, not just improved sharing" ( Viewpoints, Aug. 5): Mayor Kevin Johnson is right that the state needs more water. Gov. Jerry Brown should develop a more comprehensive statewide water plan.

Dams

From: Amanda Venegas, KFSN-TV 30

Supporters of building a new dam in the Valley are continuing their work to bring the project to life. One supporter believes the proposed dam located near Millerton Lake could play a crucial role in easing the water woes in Central California.

From: Don Perera, Sacramento Bee

Re "State needs more water, not just improved sharing" (Viewpoints, Aug. 5): I am in total agreement with Mayor Kevin Johnson. California needs more water. Much of California could be classified as desert if it were not for the Sierra snow pack. This snow pack is becoming more and more questionable due to climate change.

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

From: Staff, Marysville Appeal-Democrat

Our congressman is concerned about (adamantly opposed to) Gov. Jerry Brown's $24 billion plan to move water from the north to the south of California.

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, is pretty vocal about his opposition to the plan which is supposed to improve the Delta ecosystem while boosting water deliveries to dry regions. It involves two 35-mile-long tunnels to carry fresh water under the Delta and diversion of up to 67,500 gallons of water per second.

The plan wouldn't theoretically have a direct impact on Yuba-Sutter, but should we be concerned? Curt Aikens, general manager of Yuba County Water Agency, provided the following in an email exchange.

Delta

From: Alex Breitler, Stockton Record

And then, there was peace.

After decades of fighting, Delta farmers and south San Joaquin Valley water interests have agreed to settle a lawsuit over a plan to convert two farm islands into reservoirs.

Groundwater

From: Casey Hashimoto, Modesto Bee

An Aug. 4 article in The Modesto Bee attempted to explain Turlock Irrigation District's role within the region's groundwater basin.

In a good-faith effort to inform the public, TID cooperated with The Bee and provided information as requested, and continues to do so. Unfortunately, the rationale supporting TID's long-standing groundwater practices was represented in an incomplete manner in the article.

From: Kelli Ballard, Porterville Record

A lack of rain and snow this winter is catching up to not only farmers, but rural areas where wells are going dry.

This is the sixth driest year in a record of 100 years, with 1977 being the driest, according to Richard Shafer, water master of Tule River and secretary of the Tule River Association.

"This is probably one of the worst years I've ever seen," Steve Arthur, vice president of Arthur and Orum Well Drilling out of Fresno, stated. "The water level is dropping dramatically right now - throughout the whole Valley, basically."

Fisheries

From: Matt Weiser, Sacramento Bee

State and federal wildlife officials are scrambling to figure out how hundreds of endangered salmon recently became stranded in irrigation ditches in the Colusa basin, west of the Sacramento River.

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