News articles and links from January 29, 2013

Courts

Delta smelt will be in Fresno court this week

Blog
By Mark Grossi
From Fresno Beehive - Monday, Jan. 28, 2013

Coalition response... Pumping restrictions to protect the smelt began Dec. 7, 2012, and they are still continuing. According to the biological opinions that govern the rate of pumping, these restrictions will continue into June. And they could get worse.  From the day the restrictions first went into place through Jan. 26, 2013, almost 632,000 acre-feet of water was lost to California's farms, families and businesses and allowed to flow to the ocean. At a replacement cost of $150 per acre-foot that equates to about $95 million, and that's just the beginning.  The lost economic opportunity of putting that water to work, according to economists, is in the range of $3.5 - $4.5 billion.  And that number is going up every day. Allowing actions in the biological opinions written years ago, and which have been found unlawful by a federal judge, to continue to hammer California's struggling economy without demonstrating a measurable benefit to fish is a waste we should no longer tolerate.  The time is now to make immediate changes in interim actions that are more reasonable and broad-based while comprehensive solutions to improve the ecosystem in the Delta and restore water supplies vital for California's economy are finalized in the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.

WATER SUPPLY

Second snow survey of the season scheduled for today

Story

From Sacramento Bee - Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013

Dry January drops snowpack below normal

Story
From Hanford Sentinel - Monday, Jan. 28, 2013

California farmers examine climate change issues

Story
From Modesto Bee - Monday, Jan. 28, 2013

DELTA

There are better solutions than Delta water tunnels

Letter
From Sacramento Bee - Monday, Jan. 28, 2013

MEETINGS

Meral is luncheon speaker at CII conference

Feb. 4-5, 2013

California Resources Deputy Secretary Jerry Meral will be the luncheon speaker on the second day of the 51st Annual California Irrigation Institute Conference next week in Sacramento. With a theme of "Embracing Innovation: The Next Generation," the conference will include urban and agricultural water managers in discussions focused on new irrigation technology and regional solutions to water issues. The conference is Feb. 4-5, 2013, at the Sacramento Arden Hilton. Registration and more information are available at www.caii.org .