Friday, September 20, 2013

News articles and links from September 20, 2013


Water Quality 

From: Mark Grossi, Fresno Bee  
From: Mark Grossi, Modesto Bee
From: Mark Grossi, Merced Sun-Star
From: Mark Grossi, Bakersfield Californian 

State water regulators approved landmark groundwater rules Thursday for 850,000 acres of farmland across Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties.

About 7,200 growers will be regulated in the program, which is part of a larger effort called the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Monitoring Program.

From: Associated Press, Santa Cruz Sentinel  

State water regulators have approved landmark groundwater rules for 850,000 acres of farmland in California's Central Valley.

The Fresno Bee reports the new regulations will affect about 7,200 growers across Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties.

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

From: Alex Breitler, Stockton Record

The $24.5 billion twin tunnels plan might not give state officials the flexibility they so desperately want to more efficiently move water to far-flung portions of the state.

From: Maven, Maven's Notebook  

An independent review of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan has just been released by American Rivers and The Nature Conservancy.  The panel, convened by Dr. Jeff Mount included William Fleenor, Brian Gray, Bruce Herbold, and Wim Kimmerer.  They conducted a review of the March 2013 administrative draft and associated documents, analyzing the BDCP along several points, including exports during dry and wet years, mitigation of the North Delta facilities, conditions for Delta smelt, benefits of floodplain and tidal marsh restoration, governance structure, and the BDCP's adaptive management plan.

From: Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record

The next round of the Code Blue water series, hosted by the Butte Environmental Council, begins tonight with a one-hour "action" meeting about the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.

The Code Blue series kicked off in February, and six events remain after its summer break. Several additional events are planned through November, including a rain barrel workshop and delta tour.

Groundwater

From: Julie Lynem, SLO Tribune

As the county reviews options for how best to manage and protect the Paso Robles groundwater basin, one North County group believes it has found a solution to maintain the long-term viability of the dwindling aquifer.

From: Maven, Maven's Notebook

UCLA Law School report proposes reforms to protect California's groundwater:  Noting that California leads the way in groundwater extraction but lags in groundwater protection, the UCLA School of Law's Emmett Center on Climate Change and the Environment identifies key reforms for streamlining the judicial progress, as well as provides as overview of groundwater law and ajudications, making a strong case for prioritizing regulatory reform.

Environmental Studies 

From: Jay Lund, California WaterBlog

Today marks a milestone for successful engagement of university research with California's water problems.

UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi announced a major donation to the Center for Watershed Sciences. The $10 million gift from the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation will enable the Center to expand its scientific research and public engagement capabilities as the climate warms and water demands increase.

The gift emphatically endorses multidisciplinary academic engagement with environmental problem-solving.

Congress

From: Josh Abel, ACWA

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, on Wednesday, voted unanimously to send H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), to the floor of the House. The bill includes provisions that would speed up the environmental review process for Army Corps projects, increase the amount of money spent from the Harbor maintenance trust fund, increase Congressional oversight over activities proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers, and deauthorize $12 billion dollars in proposed Army Corps projects.

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