News articles and links from October 17, 2013

Water Supply

Blog: Fight for west-side water on display this week

From: Mark Grossi, Fresno Bee

West San Joaquin Valley water battles are leaping onto the big screen and into the sports world this week - both under the heading of "The fight for water."

On Thursday, Olympic boxer Jose Ramirez, who is from the west-side community of Avenal, will talk about his first professional fight on Nov. 9 at West Hills College in Lemoore.

On Saturday, an award-winning documentary, "The fight for water: a farm worker struggle," will screen at 6 p.m. at the Tower Theatre in Fresno.

Blog: ACWA Board Sends Powerful Message with Statewide Water Action Plan

From: Tim Quinn, ACWA

Last month, the ACWA Board of Directors voted unanimously and enthusiastically to approve a Statewide Water Action Plan (SWAP) for California. The vote capped an intensive five-month effort convened by ACWA with the goal of crafting a specific plan that could be broadly supported by water interests and serve as a sustainable path forward for California.

Long-term water supply reliability and improved ecosystem health are the hallmarks of the plan.

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Editorial: Protecting the Delta can help our aquifer

From: Editorial Staff, Desert Sun

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is nearly 500 miles away from the Coachella Valley. And there is no direct connection between the valley and the State Water Project. But state and local water officials tell us the Bay Delta Conservation Plan is critical to the future of our valley and the campaign to replenish our aquifer.

The Coachella Valley Water District and the Desert Water Agency held a workshop this week to discuss the plan, which has been in development for seven years. Some participants made a pitch to The Desert Sun editorial board. Although it's an expensive proposition - the preliminary estimate is $24.54 billion - and would take at least a decade to complete, they make a convincing case.

Delta

California Water Series Part 4: The Delta - A Place Called Home

From: Amy Quinton, Valley Public Radio 

(This article was previously broadcast on Capital Public Radio.)

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is home to a half million people. In the fourth part of our series, we examine the culture of the Delta and talk to residents about their concerns over its future.

Groundwater

Right Doctrine, Wrong Groundwater: The Environmental Law Foundation's Flawed Attempt To Extend Public-Trust Protection To Groundwater

From: Bryan Barnhart, California Water Law Journal  

In Environmental Law Foundation, et al. v. State Water Resources Control Board, et al., Case No. 34-2010-80000583, three plaintiff organizations (collectively, ELF) claim that California's Public Trust Doctrine requires the State Water Resources Control Board (Board) and Siskiyou County (County) to regulate groundwater that is hydraulically connected to the navigable Scott River (Scott Groundwater). Although ELF's legal theory is sound, ELF chose the wrong case to test it. The Scott Groundwater already is subject to public-trust protections that are set forth in an existing Siskiyou County Superior Court Decree. Before it asks another Court to issue a new order based on a novel public-trust theory, ELF should seek better enforcement of the existing Decree.

California Water Plan

Public Review Draft (PRD) Volume 3 released

From: Report, DWR  

California Water Plan Update 2013 Volume 3, Resource Managment Strategies, is being released today for review and comment. Volume 3 includes 30 water managment options to acheive multiple benefits. The public comment period is 45 days. (10/16/2013)

Quantification Settlement Agreement

Colorado River Water Accord Reaches 10th Anniversary

From: Matt Williams, ACWA

It's been a decade since four Southern California water agencies voluntarily agreed in October 2003 to a set of long-term conservation and water transfer agreements to resolve longstanding disputes and help the state cope with users' growing demand for water from the Colorado River.

Salton Sea

Perez seeks legal opinion on Salton Sea restoration

From: Antoine Abou-Diwan, Imperial Valley Press

The office of Assemblyman V. Manuel Pérez has requested a written legal opinion from the California Office of Legislative Counsel on the extent of the state's liability for Salton Sea restoration under the terms of the Quantification Settlement Agreement.

Technology 

Sunshine, water, and a field-monitoring unit

From: Esther Avila, Porterville Recorder 

Students from the Emerging Agriculture Technology Academy Pathway program at Strathmore High School are learning about watering crops in a unique, state of the art way.

Through a partnership with Irrigation Matters Inc., the students are learning how to leverage technology to conserve irrigation water by using a remote field-monitoring unit that was installed in August in a corn block on the school campus. On Wednesday morning, Pat Biddy, an irrigation technology specialist, talked to the program's sophomores about reading, analyzing, and making decisions based on the data retrieved from the remote field monitoring unit.

Farming

Growers experiment with Midwest-style pivot irrigation

From: Chuck Harvey, Fresno Business Journal

Common to the Midwest and Texas - but fairly new to the Central Valley - overhead center pivot irrigation systems are being tried here on a variety of crops including cotton, wheat and alfalfa hay.

Levees

When the Levees Break - Again

From: Sunita Sohrabji, New American Media

On Jan 2, 1997, a break in a levee on the rain-soaked Feather River -which lies north of Sacramento, Calif. - unleashed a devastating flood, leaving vital farmlands under 30-feet of water. The deluge caused $25 million in damages to the 100,000 Sikh farmers in the region.

Former Yuba City Mayor Kash Gill, who farms 200 acres of peaches and almonds, told India-West the 1997 floods made his town a ghost town for several days.

News articles and links from October 16, 2013

Water Supply

California Water Series Part 3: Food, Farms and Delta Water

From: Amy Quinton, Valley Public Radio

(This story was previously broadcasted on Capital Public Radio.) 

California is the nation's largest agricultural state. It would not be possible without water from the Delta. Farmers say the water is their lifeblood, but it's been cut back year after year.

California's farms and ranches generated nearly $45 billion in revenue last year. Without water exported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to arid Central Valley land, much of the produce we get in restaurants and grocery stores wouldn't come from California.

Water Bond

Perea: California Water Bond Needs Fixing Before It Goes To Voters in 2014

From: Joe Moore, Valley Public Radio

The state's twice-delayed water bond needs more tweaking - and a diet - before it goes to voters in November 2014. That was the message delivered by Assembly member Henry T. Perea on Tuesday, as he spoke on Valley Public Radio's Valley Edition.

Groundwater

Our View: Groundwater erupts as Topic A in Central Valley

From: Editorial Board, Modesto Bee  

The turnout of 200 people at Monday's forum in Oakdale confirms that residents, especially in rural areas, are increasingly concerned about wells going dry and other problems associated with overpumping to irrigate vast new almond orchards. A side benefit of the concern is that people are eager to learn more about water issues.

Colorado River

Feds begin Colorado River drought action

From: Staff, Laughlin Nevada Times

After back-to-back driest years in a century on the Colorado River, federal water managers are giving Arizona and Nevada a 50-50 chance of having water deliveries cut in 2016, reports the Mohave Valley Daily News.

Quantification Settlement Agreement 

Imperial Valley reflects on QSA 10 years later 

From: Antoine Abou-Diwan, Imperial Valley Press

The nation's largest agriculture-to-urban water transfer was signed 10 years ago today.

And while there is no shortage of opinions on the implementation and effects of the transfer, statements by officials from the San Diego County Water Authority and the Imperial Irrigation District are illustrative of how the Quantification Settlement Agreement is viewed.

Courts

Blog: Ninth Circuit Denies Petition for Rehearing of Area of Origin Decision

From: Staff, KMTG

On October 15, 2013, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order denying the Petition for Rehearing filed by Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority ("TCCA"), which requested rehearing or rehearing en banc of the Ninth Circuit's opinion in the case of Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority v. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, et al., Case No. 11-17199.

Districts

Modesto, Turlock irrigation districts' deadline nears for Don Pedro Reservoir documents

From: John Holland, Modesto Bee  

A milestone is approaching for the effort by the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts to renew their federal license for Don Pedro Reservoir.

Active Water Management in All Water Years - Anjanette Shadley Martin

Making the efficient use of our water supply in any "type" of water year is always a priority but even more so when you see these headlines:

·       "Groundwater worries in San Joaquin Valley Intensify, along with drought" (Mark Grossi 9/24)

·       "UC Professors look at declining California Groundwater and how to manage it into the future" (LA Times 9/23)

·       Judge halts water releases from Trinity River for Salmon until Friday (Mercury News 8/14)

·       Valley Farmers Urge More Water Storage (Hanford Sentinel 8/12)

·       Controversial Imperial Water Transfer Upheld (Imperial Press On-line 8/9)

Here in the Sacramento Valley, water managers manage water efficiently in a flow-through system for various beneficial purposes: farms, fish, birds, cities and rural communities. More specifically here in Western Canal Water District (WCWD) we work in concert with our farmers to utilize this precious resource efficiently.

WCWD was formed by the landowners in 1984 after purchasing the system from PG&E who acquired it from the Great Western Power Company. The canal was originally constructed in 1911 by the Western Canal Company whose original dam on the Feather River was displaced by the construction of Lake Oroville Complex in 1960's.  WCWD's predominate crop is rice.  Our farmers utilize the latest technologies and agronomic practices. For example;

·       Utilizing laser leveling to assure a uniform depth of water in an aquatic rice growing environment;

·       Active field level water measurement during the growing season through field level water measurement; and

·       Grower funded rice breeding program through the California Rice Experiment Station (USDA/UC Davis) which over the years has resulted in the development of early maturing varieties.

PG&E, a public utility, operated a fully-metered system which WCWD inherited and operates today.  WCWD also incorporates other efficient water delivery practices including operation of automated canal elevation control structures, three siphon facilities that allow the bypass of inefficient and dangerous main stream seasonal flash board dam structures and the construction of the Replogle Flume Meter Testing Station in 2002.

Flume downstream view

The Replogle Flume and Meter Testing Station allows WCWD to accurately test and verify accurate flow measurements of meters that measure water at the farm-gate.  The Replogle Flume has been endorsed by the Irrigation Training and Research Center at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for over 20 years and was designed by the highly regarded Dr. John Replogle (ITRC Report 02-2010).  WCWD water operators are busy performing meter maintenance and replacement annually in preparation of spring deliveries to farmers.  WCWD currently utilizes various meter sizes that correspond with circumference of pipes the field level water delivery point, i.e. 12", 18", 21", 24", 30" or 36".  The Testing Station has corresponding size screw gates to accurately assess the accuracy of the meters.  WCWD uses open flow propeller meters designed to deliver .2% accuracy and comes with an instantaneous flow-rate indicator and totalizer.

Replogle Flume upstream view

The Replogle Flume and Meter Testing Station are one component of WCWD's commitment to manage our water resources in an efficient and environmentally responsible manner.  In concert with other Sacramento Valley Water managers from Woodland to Redding - Chico to Marysville, we encourage you to read Northern California Water Association's report on "Efficient Water Management for Regional Sustainability in the Sacramento Valley" available at www.norcalwater.org to more fully understand the multitude of practices employed throughout the region. 

Water Operators testing meters

WCWD is also proud that earlier this year we installed a Wildlife and Rice Farming webcam which just wrapped up viewing the various aspects of rice harvest. Soon these same fields, which provide important habitat and a significant food source; estimated to be about 60% valley wide, will be home to thousands of wintering waterbirds. We hope you will visit the webcam at www.westerncanal.com and view this magnificent site.  Stay updated on webcam action by following us on Twitter @WCWDwebcam, while videos of various aspects of farming, our natural surroundings and community can be viewed on our YouTube Channel also at WCWDwebcam.

Want more info? Then watch this video!

A special thanks to Anjanette & Western Canal Water District for this special blog post!

 

News articles and links from October 15, 2013

Bay Delta Conservation Plan 

Column: Piepho finds little to recommend in Bay Delta Conservation Plan

From: Tom Barnidge, Contra Costa Times 

Too bad more people didn't attend Saturday's "People's Equity Summit" at Holy Rosary Church in Antioch -- most of the 400 chairs sat empty -- if for no other reason than to hear Contra Costa County Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho share her concerns over the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.

"We are at risk of losing a major resource and suffering a devastating effect on our environment with another water grab from the Delta," she said of the water conveyance project backed by Gov. Jerry Brown. She fears reduced water flow into the estuary will inevitably result in damage to the ecosystem.

Coalition response...Federal ESA regulations cut deliveries of water this year to San Joaquin Valley farmers by 80 percent. No documented proof exists to show that taking this water to protect endangered fish has benefited the species. Almost 4,000 farmers and 25 million Californians are seeking to restore the reliable delivery of water they already have a right to receive. Supervisor Mary Piepho wrongly describes it as "another water grab."

In his speech near Los Banos on August 18, 1962, President John F. Kennedy praised Californians when he said, "...one part of your state has been willing to help another." He was, of course, speaking at the groundbreaking of San Luis Reservoir, part of the Central Valley Project (CVP). According to the Bureau of Reclamation's website, the CVP was originally conceived, "...to protect the Central Valley from crippling water shortages and devastating floods."  Ironically, the first element constructed as part of the CVP was the Contra Costa Canal, which serves Piepho's district.

Piepho compares the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and its proposed tunnels to the peripheral canal of 1982. The water capacity of the tunnels is only 9,000 cubic feet per second, compared to 21,800 cfs proposed by the peripheral canal. The Plan also calls for dual conveyance of water through the Delta that will assist in maintaining in-Delta water quality. The peripheral canal would have been operated as an isolated facility with no in-Delta water benefits. Learn more about this comparison at www.farmwater.org/p-canalcomparison.pdf. 

Sadly, attitudes are different today. Politicians willingly twist the facts about projects like the Bay Delta Conservation Plan to suit their own political needs. They ignore history and the intent of Congress to provide water for farmers who grow food for the nation.

Farming

Will We Ever Get Sane About Water?

From: T.A. Frank, Becca MacLaren and Sarah Rothbard, Zócalo/Occidental College

Water has always been a contentious issue in local communities. But now we're on the cusp of a global water crisis. What can be done around California and the world-by individuals, by governments, and by markets-to encourage us to consume less, conserve more, and avert shortages and other disasters? That's what scientists, journalists, and water managers came together to discuss at a Zócalo/Occidental College conference at the Pacific Design Center.

The final panel of the day asked what Californians, and the institutions that govern us, can do to decrease our consumption and usage of water.

Reason science correspondent Ronald Bailey said that our water crisis "is a crisis of governance." The solution, he said, is twofold: to eliminate all water subsidies and all farmer subsidies, and to allocate water rights to individuals rather than governments. "There's no reason to subsidize any crops at all," he said. "We have plenty of food." And when it comes to any natural resource, when it's left in the hands of the government-or the people, in the case of California-it gets abused and polluted. "You need granular owners who own the water that goes through their land, and they're able to control it," he said.

Coalition response...California farmers grow more than 400 different crops and contrary to the information presented at the conference, most of the crops are not subsidized. These farmers provide a healthy and affordable supply of food items that stock local grocery store shelves and feeds people around the world.

People need to understand that the only subsidy applied to California's water supply is the interest fees on the construction of the federal Central Valley Project (CVP) over 60 years ago. When Congress authorized the construction costs for Shasta Dam and the other reservoirs and miles of canals to deliver water to where it could be used beneficially, the decision was made that the water users would repay all the costs except the interest charges. This has proven to be a wise decision with billions of dollars in crops produced from the lands that receive CVP water.

The California State Water Project (SWP) was built later and state officials decided to include the interest costs. The decision was also made to require those receiving water to pay the full contract costs each year regardless of how much water is delivered. In 1990, farmers received zero percent of their SWP water supply. That means they paid 100 percent of their contract costs but received no water.

California farmers are striving to provide a food supply that stretches around the world. Increasing their costs could jeopardize that supply.

Water Supply

Another dry year could be bad news for California

From: Bettina Boxall, LA Times

Water managers Monday urged Californians to step up their conservation efforts, warning that many parts of the state could face water shortages next year if this winter proves to be another dry one.

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Southern California water agencies push Delta tunnels

From: Ian James, Desert Sun

Southern California water agencies are joining the state government in promoting a plan to build massive tunnels beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to carry water southward to farms and cities.

The Coachella Valley's largest water agencies hosted a workshop on Monday to tout the plan, with speakers who included Jerry Meral, deputy secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency.

Groundwater

Plan for a balanced groundwater district

From: William Frost, Cal Coast News  

An apparent consensus reached over the past several months is that a special water district is required to deal with the water crisis in San Luis Obispo's North County. The day-to-day actions of this district would be defined and administered by a board of directors, and it is essential that the election procedure for this board be designed to provide a fair and equitable representation to all water users in the district.

Groundwater problems discussed in Oakdale

From: Garth Stapley, Modesto Bee

Questions about a potential groundwater crisis were as plentiful as the 200 people who gave up their Monday evening to attend a community meeting. Answers were much more scarce.

Experts painted a dire picture of what could happen because wealthy nut investors have planted millions of almond trees and sunk hundreds of gigantic wells to water them, saying groundwater could vanish under that land and suck neighbors dry as well.

Water Quality 

Coalition Expanding Groundwater Monitoring to Southern Central Coast

From: Press Release, Central Coast Groundwater Coalition 

The State Water Board on September 24 extended the deadline to join a groundwater cooperative program and opened the opportunity for additional programs to be created or expanded.  The newly created Central Coast Groundwater Cooperative (CCGC) is taking the steps necessary to expand membership to landowners/growers in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and northern Ventura counties, the entire area encompassed by the Region 3 Water Board.

News articles and links from October 14, 2013

Groundwater

Falling groundwater levels pose problems for region

From: J.N. Sbranti, Modesto Bee

After two dry winters and increased demand for groundwater, a smattering of residential wells have come up empty this year in the Turlock Groundwater Basin.

And now that new pumps are irrigating literally millions of Stanislaus County almond trees with groundwater, concerns are rising about whether there's enough water to go around.

Michael Cooke, Turlock's municipal services director, outlined the groundwater situation last month in a presentation before the Agricultural Advisory Committee to the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors.

Coalition response...One element of the equation that was left out of this article is the changing priority in California over environmental water. More than 3 million acre-feet of water that once served farms, homes and businesses have been "re-prioritized" each year for environmental purposes. Unfortunately, unlike urban and agricultural public water agencies, environmental uses are not required to meet any sort of efficiency standards. Taxpayers should be concerned that public funds and water resources used for environmental restoration activities may not return the value to the state that they expect. Absent efficiency standards, even the most rudimentary ones, a tremendous amount of water and money can be wasted with no accountability.

As the State Water Resources Control Board considers new flow standards on the Tuolumne River, farmers in the Turlock and Modesto Irrigation districts, and others, stand to lose almost one-third of the surface water that they currently depend on to irrigate their crops. Any benefits that water will have for the environment are undetermined. Environmental water use efficiency standards are long overdue.

Options sought in Oakdale to avert water crisis

From: Garth Stapley, Modesto Bee 

Five friends calling themselves the Eastside Groundwater Coalition will stage an open meeting Monday in Oakdale to discuss dwindling underground water.

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Opinion: Fate of the aquifer and the Delta are linked

From: John Laird, Desert Sun

After snowmelt cascades out of the mountains in the northern part of California, it enters the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, where part of the water is then redirected to 25 million people and millions of acres of farmland across the state.

The Coachella Valley lies nearly 500 miles south of the Delta, yet it is this water supply that is relied upon to replenish the region's natural underground water storage, or aquifer. As mentioned in a recent editorial ("Our Voice: Valley aquifer disaster is under our feet") that Delta water is "traded" for Colorado River water because there is no cost-effective way to move water from the Delta all the way to your community.

Rivers

State proposes salmon hatchery for San Joaquin River restoration

From: Bettina Boxall, LA Times   

Stocks of spring-run Chinook salmon would be raised just below the San Joaquin River dam that wiped out their ancestors as part of an ambitious restoration program.

Fisheries

Yuba City project aids fish, water flow

From: Andrew Creasey, Marysville Appeal-Democrat

Whether heading to the ocean to start their lives, or returning to their spawning pools to end them, fish swimming past Yuba City are now a little safer.

News articles and links from October 11, 2013

Water Storage 

Changing course

From: Alex Breitler, Stockton Record  

San Joaquin County officials this week proposed abandoning a plan to build a reservoir in the rolling hills east of Stockton, a project that was touted for years as being critical to the region's future water supply.

Water Rights

Blog: Delta Watermaster presents report on California's Area of Origin laws to State Water Board

From: Chris Austin, Maven's Notebook

One of the statutory responsibilities of the Delta Watermaster is to present reports to the State Water Resources Control Board and the Delta Stewardship Council on various water resource issues.  On October 8th, Delta Watermaster Craig Wilson presented his eighth report to the Board titled "California's Area of Origin Laws".

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan: A Solution For The Delta's Future?

From: Amy Quinton, Capital Public Radio

Supporters say the Bay Delta Conservation Plan is one of the most ambitious habitat restoration programs ever. It's proposal to build two tunnels to carry water from the Delta to central and southern California is also one of the most controversial.

Endangered Species Act

Blog: DC legislators hold hearings on Endangered Species Act, water legislation, plus an update on SWP contract extension and a waiver for Poseidon

From: Chris Austin, Maven's Notebook

Even though the federal government is shutdown, hearings in Washington DC continue.

On the Endangered Species Act:  Yesterday, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Congressional Working Group, led by Congress members Doc Hastings and Cynthia Lummis (WY-at large), held a forum entitled "Reviewing 40 Years of the Endangered Species Act and Seeking Improvement for People and Species."

On H.R. 3176, the Water Rights Protection Act:  Yesterday, the House Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Water and Power held a hearing on HR [3189], the Water Rights Protection Act.

News articles and links from October 10, 2013

Bay Delta Conservation Plan  

Delta needs a comprehensive fix

From: Terry Erlewine, Sacbee.com

Re "Delta plan makes economic sense only without the tunnels" (Viewpoints, Forum, Oct. 6): Jeffrey Michael thinks he has discovered the solution for the Delta by dramatically reducing water supplies to water agencies, upgrading levees and using existing pumping systems for the State Water Project/Central Valley Project.

BDCP: Securing Our Water Supply and Strengthening the Economy

From: Southern California Water Committee, Valley Industry and Commerce Association

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta east of San Francisco Bay is so far from Southern California that most of our residents probably don't know where it is or why it matters.  Simply put, water that originates in the Sierra Nevada Mountains moves through the Delta providing drinking water for as many as 25 million California residents, including many in Southern California.

Water Supply

A Place Called Home

From: Amy Quinton, Capitol Public Radio

Before I set out to do this story, I'd only been to the Delta a few times. And when I had, it was just a scenic drive from Sacramento down Highway 160, which parallels the Sacramento River. Turns out, that's not the ideal way to get to know the Delta.

Groundwater

Groundwater and climate change in California

From: A. Fisher, G. Fogg, J. Viers, J. Lund, R. Langridge & P. Holden, California WaterBlog  

For all the talk of climate change adaptation, California has yet to comprehensively address the effects of warmer temperatures and changing weather patterns on the state's limited groundwater resources.

To start the process, several of the leading University of California faculty and researchers on California groundwater recently met with staff of the Governor's Office of Planning & Research. We identified some key concerns and the information and actions needed to address them.

Litigation

Lawsuit challenging IID water apportionment plan halted

From: Antoine Abou-Diwan, Imperial Valley Press  

An El Centro farmer's lawsuit to stop the implementation of the Imperial Irrigation District's water apportionment plan has been halted.

Under the terms of the stipulation, IID will transfer to Mike Abatti the remainder of his 3.7 acre-foot allocation before transferring an additional 5,000 acre-feet of water in October from the district's Agricultural Water Clearinghouse. Abatti will be allowed to distribute water he receives from the clearinghouse among the fields in his farm unit. Abatti will allow the district to fill out the necessary paperwork to enroll his business in the Equitable Distribution Plan and to identify his farm unit.

Weather

Calif. official: Avoiding drought won't be easy

From: David Bienick, KCRA  

Don't get too excited about the first flakes of snow covering California's mountain tops, state officials said Wednesday.

California still has a long way to go to recover from two years of relatively dry winters, and avoiding an official statewide drought will not be easy.