Environmentalists urge conservation as Calif. lawmakers bicker over drought
From: Sharon Bernstein, Reuters
Drought-stricken California could increase its water supply by a third by reusing water that would otherwise go down the drain and saving storm runoff, environmentalists said on Tuesday amid wrangling over the state's response to dry conditions.
Report: Calif. could save plenty of water by recycling and conserving and storing rainwater runoff
From: Raju Chebium, Gannett Washington
California could save
more water than what its cities use in a year by ramping up its
conservation and recycling programs and storing rain water instead of
letting it run off into the Pacific Ocean, according to a report
released Tuesday.
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BLOG: Dueling Drought Strategies: Save More Water or Store More Water
From: Lauren Sommer, KQED
There's no doubt that in
California, water is in short supply this year. How to avoid the same
situation when the next drought descends is, on the other hand, a matter
of debate. Two competing camps have emerged about how to boost
California's water supplies during dry times: conserve more water or
build more water storage.
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Water-saving techniques should be taught to farmers, study urges
From: J.N. Sbranti, Modesto Bee
Farmers need to be more water efficient, and government funds should be used to help train them how, according to a new study.
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The Coalition issued the following response to the above articles
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Coalition response... Beware offers of
easy money, rapid weight loss, and simple California water solutions.
Environmental interest groups, like Pacific Institute and NRDC have
sought for years to sell the public a message of vast waste, which when
eliminated - will solve our every water woe. Unfortunately, this
report is more of the same. Previous research on which agricultural
water conservation potential in this report was soundly dismissed by
leading agricultural researchers in 2009. There simply isn't 5 million
acre-feet of water being wasted by the farmers growing our food and
fiber.
Where appropriate, and as feasible, California's farmers are already investing in drip and precision irrigation, soil moisture monitoring, and irrigation scheduling. From 2003 through 2013 California farmers have invested about $3 billion upgrading the irrigation systems on almost 2.5 million acres. Farmers are also intelligently selecting furrow irrigation, which, when coupled with laser leveling, adept irrigation practices, and careful monitoring has been proven by irrigation researchers to be highly efficient. Growers choose their irrigation methods based on the crop, the terrain, the geology, as well as economics. They manage that water to ensure optimal plant health, food and fiber productivity, as well as cost. The water problems facing our state demand serious solutions. |
Report: State can conserve much more water
From: Seth Nidever, Hanford Sentinel
How do you solve California's water problem? Enhance water efficiency on
the farm and in the home, capture more urban stormwater and reuse it,
according to a report released Tuesday by the Bay Area-based Pacific
Institute.The potential is there to save up to 14 million additional acre-feet - more than the annual use of all California cities combined, according to the study, which was conducted jointly with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Coalition response... Leading irrigation researchers categorically refuted the conservation potentials research this report is based on. There simply isn't 5 million acre-feet of water being wasted by the farmers growing our food and fiber. California's farmers will continue investing in improving the efficiency of their irrigation, as they have long recognized the plant health and productivity benefits. |
Other News
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Water Transfers |
Environmental lawsuit filed to stop water transfer package
From: Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise Record
A lawsuit was filed
Wednesday in federal District Court for the Eastern District of
California against the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, stating a proposed
package of San Luis and Delta Mendota Water Authority transfers require a
full environmental impact statement under the National Environmental
Policy Act.
Sending water from
Northern California to other parts of the state has to stop, at least
long enough for an environmental review of the long-term impacts, said
Barbara Vlamis of Chico's AquAlliance.
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Lawsuit targets Delta water shipments From: Alex Breitler, Stockton RecordEnvironmentalists
sued Wednesday to block proposed water transfers from Northern
California to the drought-plagued south San Joaquin Valley, arguing that
the plan fails to protect the fragile Delta.
Under the federal government's plan, willing sellers in the north would allow water to flow down the Sacramento River into the Delta, where the giant export pumps near Tracy would deliver it to southland farms, where very little water is available this summer. |
Water Supply
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Patterson Irrigation District to face water crisis by state's proposed curtailments
From: Brooke Borba, Patterson IrrigatorDrought
conditions have reached a new plateau this year, urging the State Water
Resources Control Board to consider declaring a state of emergency at
their next board meeting on June 17 and 18. As a result, the State Water
Board is considering curtailing senior water rights holders in
Sacramento and the San Joaquin Valley River such as Patterson Irrigation
District, which could pose problems for over 700 local landowners and
growers alike.
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Drought Outlook: 'Disastrous Consequences' If 2015 Is Dry
From: Craig Miller, KQEDThe
assertion in a new report on California's long-term water woes likely
comes as no surprise to most Californians: "A dry 2015 would have
disastrous consequences for agencies and sectors up and down the state."
That ominous prediction is part of a "drought action report" released this week by the Association of California Water Agencies, whose members manage about 90 percent of Californians' water. The document attempts to identify key vulnerabilities to the state's water system and offers recommendations that its authors say could stave off the worst impacts of a protracted drought. |
Water Rights
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Discussion on 100-year-old water rights delayed until July
From: J.N. Sbranti, Merced Sun-StarThe
State Water Resources Control Board will push back its discussion of
curtailing 100-year-old water rights to July 1. The board planned to
bring up the controversial issue at its meeting next week, but
apparently its staff needs more time to prepare.
"Our Division of Water Rights has had a number of responsibilities, including issuing curtailment letters to various watersheds, so has been very busy these past several weeks," Kathie Smith, a spokesperson for the board, explained Wednesday. "We just needed some more time to get language ready for the hearing, so it was rescheduled. These things happen." |
San Joaquin River
OPINION: Why I'm planning to kayak (and walk) America's 'most endangered' river
From: John Sutter, CNNIn
California, water flows uphill toward money and power. That's a
well-known maxim out here, especially in the Dust-Bowl-ready Central
Valley -- that forgotten stretch of California that grows 40% of U.S.
fruits, nuts and other table foods.
Meet a few people and it's easy to see why. |
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