Water Supply
From: Staff, Merced Sun-Star
Growers on the west side of the
Valley got a little good news late last week: They're going to get more water
than they had feared. That's not to say they're going to get all the water they
need, far from it. But the specter of drought is lifting ever so slightly.
"The mood is better and
hopeful," said Chris White, general manager of the Central California
Irrigation District, which covers 145,000 acres from Crows Landing to Mendota.
Drought
From: Hudson Sangree, Modesto
Bee
At two treatment plants in El
Dorado Hills, millions of gallons of brown wastewater pour in every week, and
millions of gallons of clean water pour out through purple pipes that irrigate
the lawns of 4,000 homes. Proponents call it water recycling. Critics call it
"toilet-to-tap." But as the drought has taken hold in California,
opposition to the idea has been drying up, and recycled water is winning
acceptance. It's expected to be a significant source for many Californians in
years to come.
Two irrigation districts are
arguing over which should get treated sewer water from Turlock. The city in
January was closing in on a deal to sell some of its supply to the Del Puerto
Water District, which serves farmers along Interstate 5 between Vernalis and
Santa Nella. The sale is on hold while officials discuss a competing claim from
the Turlock Irrigation District.
From: Hannah Furfaro, Fresno
Bee
On her way to visit the Kearney
Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier on Monday, University of
California President Janet Napolitano got a bird's eye view of California
cropland and rivers dry from the drought -- a sight she hopes the universities
can help fix through continued research and outreach.
Flying from Oakland to first see
the Sacramento River and then the San Joaquin River, Napolitano did an aerial
tour of California's heartland before making a stop to meet with her top
agricultural advisers about a food security and sustainability initiative she's
due to unveil this spring. The university leader was mum on the details, but
said all 10 UC campuses -- and its research centers -- will be part of the
plan.
Sacramento River
From: Jim Robbins, New York
Times
The Central Valley was once one
of North America's most productive wildlife habitats, a 450-mile-long expanse
marbled with meandering streams and lush wetlands that provided an ideal stop
for migratory shorebirds on their annual journeys from South America and Mexico
to the Arctic and back.
Farmers and engineers have long
since tamed the valley. Of the wetlands that existed before the valley was
settled, about 95 percent are gone, and the number of migratory birds has
declined drastically. But now an unusual alliance of conservationists, bird
watchers and farmers have joined in an innovative plan to restore essential
habitat for the migrating birds.
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