Friday, November 1, 2013

News articles and links from November 1, 2013


Water Plan

From: Matt Weiser, Sacramento Bee

California officials on Thursday released a five-year "Water Action Plan" intended to avoid a statewide water supply crisis stemming from drought, population growth and climate change.

From: Bettina Boxall, LA Times

(This article may require a subscription to read.) 
State officials Thursday released the draft of a new California Water Action Plan that doesn't include much action.

From: Ian James, Desert Sun

The state released a water plan Thursday laying out broad goals for alleviating a list of big problems, among them worsening water scarcity, uncertain water supplies, declining groundwater levels and contaminated drinking water.

From: Amy Quinton, Capital Public Radio

California now has a five-year draft plan for managing the state's water, but some are criticizing it for its lack of details.

The 17-page document is designed to move the state toward more sustainable water management.

It focuses on water conservation, restoring ecosystems, water storage, flood protection, and safe drinking water.

From: Press Release, Westlands Water District

Westlands Water District supports the goals of the draft California Water Action Plan, a proposal to secure reliable water supplies, restore important species and habitat, and construct a more resilient water system to meet changing conditions. The Action Plan acknowledges that California cannot meet the water supply needs of the residents of the state or reach its environmental goals unless critical actions are taken to increase water supply and improve the state's water infrastructure.

From: Press Release, Digital Journal  

Timothy Quinn, executive director of the statewide Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), issued the following statement on the draft action plan for water released today by the California Natural Resources Agency, the California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The plan identifies 10 key actions that address pressing water issues and lay the groundwork for a more resilient water supply future.

From: Associated Press, SD Union-Tribune  
From: Associated Press, Stockton Record 
From: Associated Press, Modesto Bee
From: Associated Press, Oroville Mercury-Register
From: Associated Press, CBS-13 TV  
From: Associated Press, KCRA-3 TV

Leaders of the three state agencies that deal with California water availability, quality and consumption said Thursday they will begin looking at the issues comprehensively rather than dealing with each problem separately.

It's meant to be the backbone of an effort to identify and prioritize projects dealing with issues such as poor water quality, declining fish habitat, groundwater over-drafting, and water scarcity in a warming climate.

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

From: Alex Breitler, Stockton Record

Staten Island is so large you could run a marathon on the levee circling its vast cornfields. And yet, by car, there is only one way in and one way out.

From: Editorial Staff, Redding Record Searchlight

Proponents of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan - the multibillion-dollar effort to both restore the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and replumb it to pipe Sacramento River water south - frequently claim the project isn't about taking any new water from the North State, but merely ensuring the existing supplies flow more reliably and predictably.

Well, maybe. But if they ever get those predictable flows, the next thing folks down south will want is more water. And sometimes they tip their cards.

Water Supply

From: Chris Richard, KQED

It's picking time for wine vineyards in the central California community of Paso Robles, and the farmers are bringing in a rich harvest.

Farmers here irrigate from the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin, subterranean beds of sand and gravel that hold one of California's largest water supplies. It contains an estimated 30 million acre-feet of water, enough to supply twice as many households as there are in the entire state for a year.

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