Tuesday, July 2, 2013

News articles and links from July 2, 2013


Storage

From: Walter Andrews, Sacramento Bee

Re "Signs of drought raise salmon risks" (Page A1, June 27): We need dams no matter what Delta solution we finally adopt.

There is no telling when a comprehensive solution that satisfies all parties will get defined and implemented. North-South, urban-farmers, dams-Sierra Club, tunnels-environmentalists, federal-state, and Democrat-Republican are all in play.

Coalition Response... Several new water storage facilities are currently under consideration---Sites Reservoir in western Colusa County and Upper Temperance Flats in eastern Fresno County. Both projects would provide benefits to fish and add to a water supply that needs to be increased, as pointed out by the author. Increasing the height of Shasta Dam, already in the planning process, would also provide these benefits. Just as important is the added flexibility these projects would bring to a water delivery system that was constructed years ago to serve a population that is half of what it is today.

To receive full benefits from those projects in the Sacramento Valley, an improved conveyance system must be implemented in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Any new conveyance system must create a reliable water supply for deliveries to those who have struggled with water shortages and also improve the Delta ecosystem.

Storage

From: Editorial Staff, Redding Record Searchlight

If the Bureau of Reclamation decides to spend a billion dollars beefing up Shasta Dam and enlarging the reservoir, the agency won't be doing it for us - that is, for the lake's closest neighbors.

So who will benefit?

Water Bond 

From: Bee Staff, Sacramento Bee

There has been plenty of coverage, including in the newspaper that Capitol Alert calls home, of the contentious questions swirling around Gov. Jerry Brown's massive proposed water project. Much of it has focused on the environmental repercussions, the consequences for Central Valley farmers and the north-south standoff over water resources.

From: Lisa Lien-Mager, ACWA

The Assembly Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee will hear a presentation Tuesday, July 2, on principles for the 2014 water bond developed by an Assembly working group.

Transfers

From: John Holland, Modesto Bee

The board of the Oakdale Irrigation District, an active player in the water transfer market, will talk this morning about selling to the nearby Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts.

The board will consider sending a letter that asks generally whether the MID and the TID might buy some of the OID's Stanislaus River supply.

Water Supply

From: Gabrielle Karol, Fox Business News

As drought conditions and extreme heat continue to plague California, farmers in the Central Valley are struggling to get enough water to feed their land -- the bread basket of the Golden State.

But the weather alone isn't to blame. Fish and Wildlife regulations tightly control water resources in the state, making it impossible earlier this year for the reservoirs to capture the rain, when it fell late last fall. And because of the endangered species in the region, pumping water is also restricted, leaving farmers high and dry.

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

From: Mark Cowin, Western City Magazine

For 60 years the biggest water projects in California have been drawing water out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for cities and farms. People have been talking for even longer about a better way to divert that water.

From: Glen Becerra, Western City Magazine

California has great challenges to match its size. Among its longest-standing and most vital issues is water - specifically the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta that is the lynchpin of drinking water for most Californians.

From: Don Nottoli, Western City Magazine

The 2009 Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act calls on leaders at all levels to work to achieve the coequal goals of "providing a more reliable water supply for California and to protect, restore and enhance the Delta ecosystem." It also prescribes that the coequal goals "shall be achieved in a manner that protects and enhances the unique cultural, recreational and natural resources and agricultural values of the Delta as an evolving place."

From: Darrel Fong, Western City Magazine

California needs a statewide solution to its water problems, which must be addressed so that everyone has access to clean, safe, reliable and affordable water. The governor's preferred proposal, the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), will degrade the water reliability and quality of life for Northern California's residents because it lacks enforceable water supply assurances for the region. Without these assurances, the north state's economy and natural resources are in jeopardy.

From: Martha Lennihan, Western City Magazine

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) raises a number of questions related to existing law. The following list highlights some - but by no means all - of the key legal issues likely to come into play if the BDCP goes forward.

Farming

From: Bradley Fikes, U-T San Diego

Plants use less water when given an inexpensive chemical discovered by a UC Riverside researcher, according to a new study. Products developed from this research could help farmers cope with an increasingly strained water supply, in California and worldwide.

Blogs

From: Jay Lund, California WaterBlog

California needs a new environmentalism to set a more effective and sustainable green bar for the nation and even the world.

From: Maven, Maven's Notebook

At its June 19 meeting, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) heard a progress report on the update of the Bay Delta Plan, the water quality control plan that identifies the beneficial uses of the Delta's waters and then sets water quality objectives to protect those uses.  The State Water Board is the state agency that is charged with protecting water quality as well as allocating water rights, and develops statewide policies and regulations for California's water bodies under the authority of the Federal Clean Water Act and the state's Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act.

From: Anjanette Shadley-Martin, NCWA Blog

Sharing the story with you of the successes of the "award winning*" Butte Creek Fish Passage Improvement Project never gets old. Year in and year out, the locals wait for salmon to show up at their "favorite spots." My favorite spot is at Durnel Bridge between Durham and Nelson. I've been taking pictures and video to post on Western Canal Water District's Twitter and YouTube channel as they made their presence known in bold numbers earlier this year. Estimates are predicting the return of 12,000 - 15,000 adult spawners. Due to a continuing trend of promising return numbers, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) has determined that Butte Creek is "the best of three creeks supporting naturally returning spring-run salmon."

From: Maven, Maven's Notebook

A summary of recent blog posts by Chris Austin.

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