WATER SUPPLY
Report
From UC Science Today – Monday, July 11, 2011
Report calls dam proposal ‘an experiment’
Story
From Siskiyou Daily News – Monday, July 11, 2011
Letter
From Bakersfield California – Monday, July 11, 2011
DELTA
A little less talk and a lot more action
Newsletter
From Coalition for a Sustainable Delta - Tuesday, July 12, 2011
CONGRESS
Blog
From American Water Intelligence – July 2011
WATER SUPPLY
Story
From Hanford Sentinel – Saturday, July 9, 2011
San Joaquin Valley farmers are not water villains
Viewpoint
By Rep. Jim Costa
From Sacramento Bee – Sunday, July 10, 2011
Little Inland space available to store surplus water
Story
From The Press-Enterprise – Sunday, July 10, 2011
Vernalis: The epicenter of farming & water wars
Opinion
By Dennis Wyatt
From Manteca Bulletin – Sunday, July 10, 2011
Viewpoint
By Steve Knell/Jeff Shield
From Tracy Press – Friday, July 8, 2011
GROUNDWATER
Water monitoring will soon include groundwater
Story
From Chico Enterprise-Record – Sunday, July 10, 2011
California relies on mixed bag for handling groundwater resources
Story
RIVERS
Press Release
From Bureau of Reclamation – Friday, July 8, 2011
FISHERIES
I.E. officials fight for water
Story
From Contra Costa Times – Sunday, July 10, 2011
SALTON SEA
Bureau of Reclamation still undecided on Salton Sea mitigation water
Story
From IV Press – Sunday, July 10, 2011
COURTS
Butte County area-of-origin water rights case proceeds in court
Story
From Chico Enterprise-Record – Sunday, July 10, 2011
WATER SUPPLY
How much for a irrigation water meter?
Blog
By David Zetland
From Aguanomics – Thursday, July 7, 2011
Coalition response… Your understanding of the complexity and cost associated with measuring farm water deliveries seems to be short on facts. There is no comparison of the task required by the measurement portion of SBx7-7 to an urban smart meter. Farm water deliveries occur in much higher volumes and through a variety of conveyance structures that in most cases were not originally designed to measure water at the accuracy now required by law. The new structures that will be required to accommodate accurate, verifiable results are not even close to a simple meter on the typical one-inch pipe serving a house.
Unit Cost estimates were based on the actual purchasing experience (bids, purchase, etc.) of a water supplier in 2008 (adjusted for inflation). These costs were seen to be an entry-level cost, with no automation or telemetry. They are in line with both vendor projections and the experience of other water supplier project costs (IID Upgrades Options, 2007) whose mid-range option is $12,500 per turnout).
In addition, a vendor proclaimed during one of the public agricultural stakeholder committee meetings that he could build a device to meet the new measurement requirements for only $11,000. More recently he was dismayed to see DWR's estimate of $6,500 because he felt the estimate unfairly biased potential buyers against his product.
O&M costs are based on real world experience of successful measurement programs in the state. Information was provided by a number of water suppliers to assist the economists that were conducting the cost analysis.
Finally, your "bottom line" claim that "DWR is making up big numbers either because they want the money for themselves or want to block agricultural meters by making them look too expensive” is nonsense. What money is it that DWR is trying to collect for itself? In reality it is the districts that would pay the installation costs to the contractors doing the work. And asserting that the Department may be trying to block agricultural meters shows that you're unaware that the new measurement standards are a requirement of State law. DWR cannot change that.
You are welcome to deposit $20 for the pitcher of beer in my PayPal account.
The Big Gulp as the mother of all water wars
Blog
By Bob Morris
From CA Independent Voter Network – Thursday, July 7, 2011
Coalition response… This author is repeating a myth about water allocation when he makes the claim that " Agriculture gets 80% of the water in California.” That is not based on fact. According to information published by the Department of Water Resources in its California Water Plan, agriculture accounts for 41 percent of the developed water supply. Eleven percent goes to urban users and the lion's share - 48 percent - is reserved for "dedicated environmental purposes."
It is encouraging to see his acknowledgement of the value agriculture provides in food production for people and as a major economic driver for California. That understanding will help consumers, policy-makers and the media better appreciate the industry that is so often taken for granted.
CONGRESS
HR1837 offers more balanced approach to water
Opinion
By Devin Nunes
From SF Chronicle – Thursday, July 7, 2011
COURTS
Lake costs to have their day in court
Story
By Heather Hacking
From Mercury Register – Friday, July 8, 2011
DELTA
Why We Work to Protect California's Bay-Delta Estuary
Blog
By Doug Obegi
From NRDC - Thursday, July 7, 2011
Managing for multiple stressors in the Delta
Blog
From California Water Blog – Thursday, July 7, 2011
Blog
By Alex Breitler
From The Record – Thursday, July 7, 2011
LEVEES
California's coming nightmare: catastrophic levee failure
Story
From Western Farm Press – Friday, July 8, 2011
WATER SUPPLY
Metropolitan's neutrality on water bill puts long-term supply at risk
Blog
By Spreck Rosekrans
From Environmental Defense Fund – Thursday, July 7, 2011
WATER SUPPLY
TV News
From ABC-30/Fresno – Thursday, July 7, 2011
TV News
From CBS-47/Fresno – Thursday, July 7, 2011
Valley farmers lose little water to river restoration
Story
From Fresno Bee – Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Blog
By Sean Doherty, farmer
From Calrice.org – Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Emergency Ag Water Regulation Approved
News Release
From ACWA – Wednesday, July 6, 2011
DELTA
Report
From Delta Stewardship Council
Opinion
By Kevin Wehr
From Sacramento News & Review – Thursday, July 7, 2011
Sizing Delta Conveyance – Part 3: Costs From a Historical Perspective
Blog
By Tom Philp
From SF Chronicle – Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Press release
From Restore the Delta – Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Delta group claims government is planning financing of a peripheral canal
Story
From Central Valley Business Times – Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Closed-door meetings to fund construction of peripheral canal exposed!
Blog
By Dan Bacher
From IndyBay Media – Wednesday, July 6, 2011
WATERSHEDS
State to assess Battle Creek logging activity and effect on salmon
Story
From Sacramento Bee – Thursday, July 7, 2011
Delta
Governor Brown brings new hope to end our Delta deficits
Blog
By Jim Metropulos, Sierra Club
From The Yodeler – Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Coalition response...This comment falls into the trap of touting half-truths to make a point in order to push an agenda. It first references a water board’s study “that the Delta needs a 75% increase in net flows” but fails to explain that officials of the water board publicly stated that more research needs to be done and that the 75% number should not be used for policy making. Secondly, it touts a NAS review of BDCP efforts but again fails to explain that the work reviewed had already been updated by BDCP studies before the NAS response was made public, which was also recognized by NAS members. Yes, let’s work toward the twin-goals of a restored Delta ecosystem and a reliable water supply but let’s do it with science and facts.
WATER SUPPLY
Kern County Water Agency has evolved into innovative steward of regional water supply
Opinion
By Mike Radon
From Bakersfield Californian – Tuesday, July 5, 2011
DELTA
Story
From Comstock’s Magazine – July 2011
Story
From NY Times – Friday, July 1, 2011
GROUNDWATER
New California groundwater regulations take next step
Story
By Parry Klassen
From Western Farm Press – Wednesday, July 6, 2011
LEVEES
Can trees and levees both live in harmony? They can, if...
Viewpoint
By Jay Lund
From Sacramento Bee – Sunday, July 3, 2011
CONGRESS
Press Release
From Aquafornia – Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Delta leaders oppose HR 1837 water grab
Blog
By Dan BacherWater supply
Drought’s over, but state’s water problems remain
Coalition response...California is creeping closer to the co-equal goals called for by law of a restoration of the Delta’s ecosystem and achieving a reliable water supply. A responsible plan to fix California’s water supply problems is long overdue and we are encouraged by the effort to write and release the fourth draft of the Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Plan. The most recent studies and reports from scientists and biologists are providing updated facts that dispel the worn out myths that have prolonged reaching agreements on the Delta, such as blaming the pumps as the primary cause of changes in the Delta fishery. It has become increasingly clear that poor habitat conditions for juvenile salmon and predatory bass are at the root of the salmon fishery collapse. New policies directed at real problems and the resulting science-based actions are the Delta’s best bet for a sustainable future.
WATER SUPPLY
Story misled on Klamath dam removal
Viewpoint
By Steve Rothert, American Rivers
From Sacramento Bee – Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Sounding the alarm: New Melones could go dry
Commentary
By Steve Knell/Jeff Shields
From Turlock Journal – Friday, July 1, 2011
An Inconvenient Tribe – The Winnemem Wintu and the Proposal to Raise Shasta Dam
Viewpoint
By Mark Franco
From California Progress Report – Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Compare Fresno’s rain total to normally wetter cities
Blog
By Mark Grossi
From Fresno Bee – Friday, July 1, 2011
DELTA
The 4th of July and Delta Levees
Blog
By Jeff Michael
From Valley Economy – Friday, July 1, 2011
The California Bay Delta---What Will California Decide to Do?
Story
From News Hawk Review – Friday, July 1, 2011
GROUNDWATER
Water Commission meets Wednesday in Chico
Story
From Chico Enterprise-Record – Monday, July 4, 2011
CONGRESS
Feinstein’s re-election bid complicated by California water issues
Story
From Fresno Bee – Friday, July 1, 2011
From Modesto Bee – Saturday, July 2, 2011
From The Tribune – Saturday, July 2, 2011
From Sacramento Bee – Sunday, July 3, 2011
Water supply
Dinkey Creek: Not so Dinky summer of 2011
Story
From Fresno Famous - Monday, June 27, 2011
Coalition response...Dinkey Creek is one example of many as to why California needs to increase its water storage system. Creeks and rivers throughout California are flowing at high rates of flow but little of that runoff is being captured for later use. Much of this water ends up flowing into the ocean. But to discount new surface storage projects in favor of underground storage is short-sighted. Both need to be a part of California’s water future. To declare before studies are even completed that the cost of water would be too high for farmers or any other segment of our population serves no purpose except to put up roadblocks to a secure water future for our state.
WATER SUPPLY
Drain causes concern over timeline, funding
Story
From IV Press – Friday, July 1, 2011
Where does your food come from?
Blog
From Central Valley Watch Dogs – Thursday, June 30, 2011
LEVEES
Blog
By Jay Lund/Ray B. Krone
From California WaterBlog – Thursday, June 30, 2011
