Tuesday, August 6, 2013

News articles and links from August 6, 2013


Bay Delta Conservation Plan

From: Mike Wade, CFWC

The Governor's plan to fix California's aging water system and improve the movement of water across the Delta will produce huge economic benefits for the state. That's the conclusion of a comprehensive new Statewide Economic Impact Report released today by the Brown Administration. Authored by economist Dr. David Sunding of The Brattle Group, the report details the long-term economic benefits of a more reliable, higher quality water supply as well as the enormous stimulus and hundreds of thousands of new jobs that the construction project will create.

From: Press Release, CFWC  

"Nearly every individual living in California will benefit from the implementation of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) and the proposed tunnels that will send water under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to thousands of farmers and 25 million Californians. The study estimates an increase of $84 billion to the State's economy and the creation of 1 million jobs over the 50-year lifetime of BDCP.

From: Press Release, State Water Contractors   

The California Natural Resources Agency released a draft economic study today that concludes the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) would create and protect more than one million jobs in California. The extensive study, conducted by UC Berkeley Professor David Sunding of the Brattle Group, examined well beyond what was required of the state and determined that the project would also net an improvement in statewide economic welfare for California residents to the tune of $4.8 billion to $5.4 billion.

From: Associated Press, Modesto Bee
From: Associated Press, SF Chronicle

A proposed twin-tunnel water system in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta coupled with a massive habitat restoration effort would generate billions of dollars in economic activity for California, according to an economic report released by state water officials on Monday.

From: Matt Weiser, Sacramento Bee 
From: Matt Weiser, Modesto Bee
From: Matt Weiser, Fresno Bee  

An economic study of Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to build two giant water tunnels in the Delta estimates the project will generate a net $5 billion benefit to the state, along with 1 million new jobs.

From: Bettina Boxall, LA Times

The benefits of reconfiguring the way California exports water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta would substantially outweigh the costs, according to a study released Monday by the state.

From: Janet Zimmerman, Riverside Press-Enterprise Bloggers

The state Department of Water Resources today, Aug. 5, released an economic analysis of a plan to improve the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which says the project would provide a net benefit to California residents of $4.8 billion to $5.4 billion.

From: Paul Burgarino, San Jose Mercury News
From: Paul Burgarino, Contra Costa Times

A new economic study estimates that Gov. Jerry Brown's multi-billion-dollar plan to build two massive tunnels to move water from Northern California down south would create a net benefit for Californians of roughly $5 billion.

From: Alex Breitler, Stockton Record  

Building twin tunnels to bypass the Delta would pump $84 billion into the California economy over half a century and provide billions in benefits to water users, state officials trumpeted Monday.

Their conclusions were immediately labeled as "fantasy" by project opponents.

From: Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record

A report prepared by the state says California would be far better off economically with a Bay Delta Conservation Plan that includes construction of twin tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and habitat restoration.

From: Harry Gibbons, Capital Public Radio

Dr. David Sunding, in the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics at UC Berkeley, helped author the report.

"Taking all the positives and all the negatives from a strict economic welfare point of view, our conclusion is that the BDCP does clearly pass a cost benefit test to the tune of something like $5 billion," said Sunding.

The report also estimates the plan will create around 177,000 jobs.

From: Associated Press, KTVN-TV 2

An economic report released by California officials says a proposed twin-tunnel water system coupled with a massive habitat restoration effort would generate billions of dollars in economic activity.

From: Sharokina Shams, KCRA-TV 3 

A report released Monday says building massive tunnels in the Delta to move water to Southern California farms would add about $84 billion to the state's economy and create 177,000 jobs.

Water Bond 

From: Laura Olson, Modesto Bee

Assembly Speaker John Perez said Monday that he expects the Legislature will approve a $7 billion to $8 billion water bond proposal to replace a twice-delayed $11.1 billion bond scheduled to go before voters next year.

From: Staff, ABC-TV 30

Assembly Speaker said he sees strong legislative interest for a bond package to pay for water infrastructure.

Water Supply

From: Seth Nidever, Hanford Sentinel

Kings County supervisors are considering sending a strongly-worded letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif, asking for more water.

From: Todd Fitchette, Western Farm Press 

Whether Mark Twain actually said "whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over," is a matter of debate. When it comes to the availability of water for everyone in California there is little debate. It doesn't exist to meet everyone's needs.

From: Staff, KGET-TV 17

There's a stampede out of Kern County. It's not people heading to the beach. It's cattle moving out of state. Ranchers say it's because the lack of rain is killing the grass in their pastures.

From: Antoine Abou-Diwan, Imperial Valley Press

The Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors will consider three water conservation-related items when it meets Tuesday.

The district has used more than its allocation of Colorado River water for the last two years, and is facing water payback and transfer obligations of more than 200,000 acre-feet of water.

Groundwater

From: Manny Rosas, Desert Sun 

The groundwater depletion crisis is real.

According to the 2010 Urban Water Management Plan report prepared by the Coachella Valley Water District and submitted to the California Department of Water Resources, I quote:

"Continued decline of groundwater levels and overdraft is unacceptable. CVWD and DWA are charged with providing a reliable, safe water supply now and in the future. In order to fulfill obligations to valley residents, these agencies must take action to prevent continuing decline of groundwater levels and degradation of water quality on a long-term basis.

Trinity River 

From: Bruce Ross, Redding Record Searchlight

Fisheries advocates are applauding the Bureau of Reclamation's tentative decision to release extra water from Trinity Lake, to help prevent salmon from overcrowding the lower Klamath River.

Our own Redding Electric Utility? It's pushing back vigorously against the idea.

Water Use Efficiency 

From: Beth Brookhart-Pandol, Bakersfield Californian  

(This article may require registration to read.)
If you think you are struggling to beat the heat, consider the challenge Kern County farmers face. Water supplies from federal and state water sources are less than adequate. Farmers buying state water are getting just 35 percent of their contract -- but paying for 100 percent. Farmers on federal water projects are receiving either 20 percent or 25 percent. And the Kern River is running at 22 percent of average. Groundwater pumping is going at a furious pace to compensate for shortages and local water banking programs are being tapped to fill the water gap.

From: Press Release, Sacramento Bee

A sold out crowd of almond growers participated in the Center for Irrigation Technology's AgWaterEnergy Center workshop on "Water Use Efficiency for Almonds" held at Fresno State on July 23, 2013.  The workshop, funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, highlighted the use of real-time monitoring technologies to help growers better manage their water and energy use.  PureSense's Chief Agronomist, David Jamison, presented an overview of field monitoring technologies and how growers can use these technologies to drive more efficient irrigation practices.

Fracking

From: Sarah Phelan, Bay Nature

Often missing from discussions about the potential Monterey Shale oil rush is a sense of the landscape that sits above the shale, a complex and tightly folded geological formation that underlies 1,750 square miles from Southern California to Monterey through Alameda County and north to Mendocino County.

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