Tuesday, November 26, 2013

News articles and links from November 26, 2013


Groundwater

From: Felix Smith, Sacbee.com

Re "Parts of Merced County are sinking" (Capitol and California, Nov 22): The U.S. Geological Survey got sucked in with the cries from Westlands Water District of regulatory drought.

Coalition response... Felix Smith needs to check the history books on the Central Valley Project (CVP), subsidence and the impacts from recent environmental regulations. The CVP was, indeed, built in part to resolve subsidence issues in the San Joaquin Valley. And the problem abated for many years until federal Endangered Species Act restrictions started cutting water supplies to farmers in the 1990s. Rather than walk away from their businesses they returned to groundwater while hoping science would pave the way for a more sensible approach to species management. So far that hasn't happened, despite study after study indicating that Delta exports aren't the problem facing endangered smelt and salmon.

Meetings 

From: Eddie Hughes, Fresno State News

With forecasts painting a sobering picture of the 2013-14 state water supply, the California Department of Water Resources and the Center for Irrigation Technology will conduct a drought preparedness workshop for Valley agriculture professionals.

The workshop, aimed at growers, irrigation managers, water district personnel, engineers and policy makers, will be held from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17 at Fresno State's Alice Peters Auditorium (room 191 in the Peters Business building).

Salton Sea

From: AP Staff, U-T San Diego

A recent state audit calls for a more thorough estimate of how much it will cost to alleviate expected clouds of dust and other hazards along the receding shores of the Salton Sea.

Water Supply

From: Staff, The Press-Enterprise

California needs water systems that are reliable even in dry years. The threat of another drought provides a clear reminder that the state remains far from that goal, however. Residents will need to boost conservation efforts, to make more efficient use of existing supplies. But legislators also need to safeguard the state's primary water system and boost water storage capacity.

Groundwater

From: Staff, The Record-Searchlight

Irrigators and the U.S. Department of Interior spent more than $200 million on the controversial project to dismantle the Red Bluff Diversion Dam in favor of a modern pumping station that fills the Tehama-Colusa Canal with water for farms without blocking passage of the Sacramento Rover's rare wild fish.

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