News articles and links from July 24, 2013

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Tunnel water plan promoted, but is Kern buying?

From: Lois Henry, Bakersfield Californian

Gov. Brown's point man on water came to Bakersfield Tuesday to try and shore up support among water contractors for the administration's proposed "twin tunnels" project to route water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

I don't think he hit his mark.

Proposed water tunnels

From: Staff, KWMR  

Currently in California, there is a mega water project being planned." Interviewed on the show were Jerry Meral, deputy secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency in charge of the Bay Delta Conservation Planning Program, and Jonas Minton, a water policy advisor for the Planning and Conservation League (PCL).

Water Bond 

Sups: Without storage, no on bond

From: Kelli Ballard, Porterville Recorder

The issue of putting a bond measure before state voters has been a critical topic for the last several years for the county Board of Supervisors in its effort to make sure the Valley, and especially Tulare County, where the much of the nation's food is grown, has enough quality water to support it.

One of the biggest contentions for the board now is a lack of water storage the current proposal does not address.

Groundwater

MID: Wells threaten soil in Stanislaus County

From: Garth Stapley, Modesto Bee

As Stanislaus County supervisors received a glowing report Tuesday on the surge of almond production, a couple of blocks away irrigation leaders somberly discussed the downside.

Millions of recently planted nut trees in rolling hills on the county's east side rely on groundwater pumped from scores of new industrial wells that are sure to drain aquifers, Modesto Irrigation District officials fear.

Editorial: Sinking feeling in valley

From: Staff, Santa Maria Times

The ground is sinking in the Cuyama Valley and it's no mystery why.

Local farmers have watched the ground water levels drop steadily for the past four decades. They also recognize the physics involved - the more water drawn out of the ground with wells, the lower the water levels go, and eventually the ground on the surface succumbs to the empty spaces far below.

Fisheries

Blog: How to save salmon: location, location, location

From: Robert Lusardi, California WaterBlog

Spring-fed waters are luxurious places for salmon and trout. They provide ideal flows and temperatures year-round and jungles of aquatic plants teeming with insects for easy snacking.

In real estate, the saying goes, three things matter: "location, location, location." Can the same be said for native fish? Are fish that reside near their stream's source springs better off than those living 10 miles downstream?

An updated conceptual model for Delta smelt

From: Report, DWR

The draft MAST report, An updated conceptual model for delta smelt: our evolving understanding of an estuarine fish, is being presented here for public review and comment. This technical report is intended to assess delta smelt responses to recent changes in habitat conditions due to hydrology and management actions.

Meetings 

Delta Water Summit Set for Aug. 3 in Fresno

From: Lisa Lien-Mager, ACWA

Delta water supply and ecosystem issues will be the focus of a summit set for Saturday, Aug. 3, in the Satellite Student Union at California State University, Fresno.

News articles and links from July 23, 2013

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Editorial: Is it evil to want a reliable water supply for all of California?

From: Staff, Los Angeles Daily News

From: Staff, Long Beach Press-Telegram

From: Staff, Torrance Daily Breeze

From: Staff, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

From: Staff, San Bernardino Sun

From: Staff, San Gabriel Valley Tribune

From: Staff, Pasadena Star-News  

From: Staff, Whittier Daily News  

Is it Southern California's lot to be cast forever as the villain when it comes to water? Maybe. Probably, in fact.

But that doesn't mean it's fair or right.

Californians have engaged in battles over water rights for as long as there have been Californians and water rights. But a firm line was drawn in the sand between North and South three decades ago when our neighbors to the north joined with environmentalists and Central Valley farmers to reject the Peripheral Canal, which was supposed to divert water to Southern California before it entered the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. It was painted as a water grab by greedy southerners.

Coalition response...This editorial accurately describes the dilemma that grips California's water supply. The distrust aimed at Southern California fails to acknowledge the benefits to our entire state that are available through the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. Improving the Delta's ecosystem through increased fish protections and the addition of over 100,000 acres of habitat is significant. Equally significant is a reliable water supply for 25 million Californians and thousands of farmers who grow the food we all enjoy.
 
The estimated cost to those in Southern California who receive water from the Delta would be an estimated $4 to $5 per household, per month, according to Metropolitan Water District. 
 
The overall cost for new urban water supplied through the Bay Delta Conservation Plan is $300-$400 per acre-foot, according to UC Berkeley economist David Sunding. This is a savings when compared to $1,000-$4,500 for recycled water or $1,200-$1,400 for conservation measures.  

Farmers have been plagued with an uncertain supply of water in recent years caused by drought and regulations written to protect Delta species. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan reduces that uncertainty and the effects caused by the regulations that have resulted in a 40 percent reduction in supply to farmers receiving water from the State and federal systems. This means that consumers can continue to rely on fresh Californian-grown produce when they visit their grocery stores.    

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Maven's Minutes from the July 17 BDCP Public Meeting: Project costs, financing, and economic benefits

From: Maven, Maven's Notebook

On July 17, a public meeting was held to discuss the remaining chapters of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan that were released at the end of May.  Led by Jerry Meral, Deputy Director of the Natural Resources Agency, the meeting was well attended and included a large 'visually-vocal' contingent of Discovery Bay residents.

On the agenda is how much the project will cost and how it would be funded, as well as a discussion by Dr. David Sunding on how the benefits of the project for water contractors were calculated.

Rivers

Blog: KRCD looks at small hydro project on Kings River

From: Mark Grossi, Fresno Beehive

The Kings River Conservation District wants to study a project to install a small hydroelectric unit on the Kings River near Sanger - creating electricity by using the river's flow at Gould Weir.

It's part of California's push to have 33% of its energy portfolio in renewable technologies, such as solar, wind and hydro, by 2020.

Water supply

DWR announces comment period regarding proposed negative declaration for proposed State Water Project supply allocation settlement agreements

From: Press release, Department of Water Resources

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has announced a 30-day public review period on a Proposed Negative Declaration (Proposed ND) for a proposed State Water Project supply allocation settlement agreement with four water agencies that receive water from the State Water Project.

Water use skyrockets

From: Matthew Martz, Tehachapi News

It's been a dry year for California, and Tehachapi's water supply may be starting to feel the pinch.

According to Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District Manager John Martin, the district has been pumping 19.5 cubic feet per second since May 13, and has imported 1,186 acre-feet in June, slightly more than the districts forecast of 1,176.

Fisheries

Opinion: To save our salmon & steelhead, non- native predator fish must be controlled

From: Steve Knell, Manteca Bulletin  

(NOTE: This article requires a subscription.)

John Wooden, UCLA's legendary basketball coach, famously said, "Don't mistake activity for achievement." Californians who are interested in the health of our native salmon and steelhead populations should take heed of the coach's advice. Next week, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Marine Fisheries Service will host a two-day workshop at UC Davis to discuss "the State of the Science on Fish Predation on Salmonids in the Bay-Delta." The workshop will include the assessment of key predation studies by a panel of experts; identification of data gaps; and development of a framework for follow-up research. All this culminating in...you guessed it...another report. While additional science may be good chicken soup for scientists, at some point "actions" need to speak louder than words regarding this critical issue.

Courts

California water agencies urge overturn of court's Sucker Fish ruling

From: Michael Nolan, Redlands Daily Facts

California water agencies have filed arguments in a federal appeals court challenging a lower court judge's decision that upheld the expansion of the Santa Ana Sucker fish's critical habitat, much of which is in the Inland Empire.

News articles and links from July 22, 2013

Water Supply

Conditions for major reservoirs - July 21, 2013

From: California Data Exchange Center, DWR

Data as of midnight, July 21, 2013

Folsom Lake, American River levels to hit 5-year lows

From: Matt Weiser, Sacramento Bee

Water levels in Folsom Lake and the American River this fall will drop to levels not seen in five years as California verges on another extended drought period.

Other problems are emerging on the Klamath River. Last week, the bureau opened a public comment period on plans to release water from reservoirs on the Trinity River to help salmon runs downstream on the Klamath River. The run is expected to be large this fall, but without more water, another large-scale fish kill could occur like the one that left thousands of salmon dead in 2002.

Opinion: Long drought has Isabella in critical state

From: Staff, Bakersfield Californian

We're seeing a lot more "beach" than we'd like at Lake Isabella. The historic average capacity for the mountain lake atop Kern County's western Sierra is 35 percent this time of year, but it's now at about 13 percent. If nothing changes, Isabella could bottom out at 8 percent by November.

Working through a dry spell: No relief from state drought for Humboldt County ranchers

From: Kaci Poor, Eureka Times-Standard

With a request from the Humboldt County Agriculture Commissioner's Office for a secretarial drought designation pending before the U.S. Department of Agriculture, local ranchers say they are feeling the burn of a dry year.

A drought survey sent out by the Humboldt County Agriculture Commissioner's Office to about 60 livestock producers in the area last month found that the lack of rain plaguing Humboldt -- and the rest of the southwestern United States -- this summer has led to an estimated 47 percent reduction in rangeland and grass growth in the county.

Running on empty in the Klamath Basin

From: Staff, The Oregonian

The Klamath Basin straddles Oregon and California and comprises an area larger than nine American states. It is famous for its natural beauty and supports farms and ranches as well as tribal homelands and vast wildlife refuges. The Basin also is the center of the most contentious and consequential water struggle in the United States.

The Klamath Tribes this year exerted their newly affirmed senior rights to the upper Basin's water, joining a call for water by Klamath Project irrigators, and several upper Basin water shutoffs unwound like a game of Russian roulette. Income will be hobbled, some folks could go out of business. Thousands of migratory birds, meanwhile, have chosen not to land in wetlands that are dried up from drought. And the peculiar hydrology of the Basin, hammered in recent years by diminished snowpack levels, defies long-term projection.

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Federal officials criticize Delta tunnel plans

From: Christopher Arns, Sacramento Business Journal

The federal government isn't happy with Gov. Jerry Brown's tunnel plan.

According to a story from the Los Angeles Times, biologists from the National Marine Fisheries Service have criticized a draft environmental impact report of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, which calls for funneling water from the California Delta to farms in the San Joaquin Valley.

California representatives: Federal reports confirm Bay Delta plan not based on sound science

From: Staff, Lake County News

On Friday, several U.S. Representatives from Northern California called on the Brown Administration to withdraw and fully revise their proposed Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) in light of draft environmental documents being found "biased" and "insufficient" by federal agencies in public comments made available Thursday.

Political Notes: Garamendi says tunnel plan is 'destructive'

From: Eric Vodden, Marysville Appeal-Democrat

Area Congressman John Garamendi is one of several Northern California congressmen who have weighed in against Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed Bay Delta Conservation Plan.

However, it has drawn the ire of the group of Northern California congressmen in the wake of comments from federal agencies that commented the report is "biased" and "insufficient."

Trinity River 

Blog: Water for salmon proposal infuriates farmers, who threaten lawsuit

From: Peter Fimrite, San Francisco Chronicle

Low water on the Klamath River has prompted the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to recommend a large release of water from Trinity Dam to help what is projected to be one of the best salmon runs in a decade, but farmers are all but jabbing pitchforks at the plan.

The San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, representing agricultural interests in the Central Valley, has threatened to sue if the bureau proceeds with the plan to release 62,000 acre feet of cold Trinity River water into the Klamath between Aug. 15 through Sept. 21.

Trinity River Water Could Save Klamath Fish, But California Farmers Need It Too

From: Devan Schwartz, Northwest Public Radio

Water struggles in the Klamath Basin are spreading to the Trinity River. Managers at the federal Bureau of Reclamation say by releasing extra water from the Trinity into the Klamath River, they may avoid a fish kill.

Shasta Dam

Should California's Biggest Reservoir Be Even Bigger?

From: Mike Osbourne, KQED

Water planners are exploring the possibility of expanding Shasta Dam, a concrete slab across the Sacramento River that forms California's largest reservoir, Shasta Lake. A $1 billion proposal to raise the dam by as much as 18 and a half feet would expand the reservoir's capacity by 634,000 acre feet, enough to supply more than a million families for a year. (Though how the water would be parceled out between farms, families and fish is still up for debate.)

Colorado River

Congress urged to take action on Colorado River basin

From: Associated Press, Casper Star-Tribune  

Government officials are urging Congress to consider solutions to deal with possible water shortages in the Colorado River basin that could include finding ways to reduce demand, conservation and better management of water supplies. Other solutions being considered include reuse of water and augmentation from other water sources.

Fisheries

Big batch of threatened salmon get more cool water

From: Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record  

Hot weather predicted for today and tomorrow means more cold water from Philbrook Lake to Butte Creek.

PG&E began releasing the extra water Thursday morning, and within about 22 hours the temperatures should drop a bit along the 11 miles where threatened spring-run chinook salmon are waiting to spawn.

Legislature

Vidak, Perez on taxes, ag issues

From: Staff, Hanford Sentinel

What is your position on the key issues facing agriculture, including water, food safety and farm labor/immigration issues?

VIDAK: Water is the number one issue for agriculture and for job creation in the Valley.

PEREZ: I support increased surface water storage. I support ground water recharge.

News articles and links from July 19, 2013

Bay Delta Conservation Plan 

Environmental documents for proposed delta project criticized

From: Bettina Boxall, LATimes.com

Federal agencies reviewing draft environmental documents for the state's proposal to re-plumb the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are criticizing the work as "insufficient," "biased" and "confusing."

Fisheries

Big batch of threatened salmon get more cool water

From: Heather Hacking, ChicoER.com

Hot weather predicted for today and tomorrow means more cold water from Philbrook Lake to Butte Creek.

PG&E began releasing the extra water Thursday morning, and within about 22 hours the temperatures should drop a bit along the 11 miles where threatened spring-run chinook salmon are waiting to spawn.

The fish have made a good comeback this year, with an estimated 16,000 fish returning from the ocean.

Delta

Spotlight on predation in the Delta

From: Coalition for a Sustainable Delta

With the recent adoption of the Delta Plan and work on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan continuing, the state is making progress toward addressing big picture problems in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, but there are still a number of individual Delta stressors that can, and should, be addressed immediately.

One of those stressors is predation, particularly predation by striped bass and black bass on native species, including delta smelt and salmon. The Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) will convene a workshop next week to focus on the effects of predation on native species.

News articles and links from July 18, 2013

Water Supply

Senior water rights holders may face restrictions due to drought

From: Matt Weiser, Modesto Bee

State officials warned Monday that low runoff in rivers could require even senior water rights holders to reduce consumption this summer. 

The notice by the State Water Resources Control Board, which regulates water rights, is informational only. But it is a warning that curtailment orders could follow if water users don't begin conserving, said Les Grober, assistant deputy director for water rights at the board.

Farming

The C-free diet

From: Brian Palmer, Slate

Food scientists at Cornell University have produced a strain of broccoli that thrives in hot environments, which may make it possible for states with stiflingly hot summers to grow the vegetable. California, where cool coastal fog is perfect for growing standard broccoli, currently produces more than 90 percent of the broccoli grown in the United States. If California were to disappear, what would the American diet be like?

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Public meeting on BDCP examines project's cost, funding and impact on species

From: Pamela Martineau, ACWA

Officials with the California Natural Resources Agency hosted a public meeting today that focused on the costs and funding sources for new water conveyance facilities and habitat restoration proposed in the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) as well as its impact on endangered species.

Discovery Bay Residents protest twin tunnel projectFrom: Melinda Meza, KCRA

Several dozen Discovery Bay and San Joaquin County residents are protesting the Bay Area Delta Conservation Plan. It's Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to build two giant water tunnels that would send water from the Delta to Southern California.

Delta 

DSC chair Isenberg updates Water Commission on Delta Plan

From: Pamela Martineau, ACWA 

Delta Stewardship Council Chair Phil Isenberg today updated the California Water Commission on the goals of the newly-adopted Delta Plan and the next steps for implementing the plan.

Isenberg outlined how the Delta Plan works with its 14 enforceable regulatory policies and 73 non-binding recommendations. The Delta Plan, which was adopted by the DSC May 16 after almost 100 public meetings, sets seven overarching categories of goals for the troubled estuary.

Colorado River

What seven states can agree to do: deal-making on the Colorado River

From: John Fleck, Stanford University

As western water leaders converged on Las Vegas in  December 2001, Southern California's inability to contain its voracious appetite seemed finally to be bumping up against reality - there is only so much water in the Colorado River. Shared among seven states and Mexico via a shifting, uncertain set of bargains, the river was running up against the era of limits.

Meetings 

Delta Water Summit August 3 at Fresno State

From: Press Release, California Latino Water Coalition

Speakers from a wide variety of perspectives will address crucial Bay-Delta Estuary water, infrastructure and environmental issues during a Delta Water Summit on Saturday, August 3, from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Satellite Student Union at California State University, Fresno. Many top water leaders from around California and the nation will be participating.

Governor Brown has been invited to present his water supply vision for California as has Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Michael Connor. Deputy Resources Secretary Gerald Meral will speak on a panel along with Delta Stewardship Council Member Gloria Gray and Sunne McPeak of the Delta Vision Foundation.

SCWC July 19 BDCP Workshop - RSVP Today

From: Announcement, Southern California Water Committee

The workshop will feature a panel discussion of state leaders and experts on the BDCP, including Dr. Jerry Meral, Deputy Secretary of California Natural Resources Agency.

Friday, July 19, 2013

10am - 12pm

Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce

350 S. Bixel St., Los Angeles, CA 90017

News articles and links from July 17, 2013

Shasta Dam

Bureau of Reclamation hears mostly negative comments on raising Shasta Dam

From: Damon Arthur, Redding Record Searchlight

Officials with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation got an earful of mostly negative comments and questions Tuesday on its proposal to raise the height of Shasta Dam.

Coalition response...Shasta Dam was originally planned to be 800-feet tall but labor and material shortages during World War II reduced its height to 602-feet. Raising the dam is possible because of the wide base that was built to uphold the taller height. As pointed out by the Environmental Impact Statement, salmon will benefit from an added supply of cold water and gravel beds as they make their way up the Sacramento River to spawn. Additional Shasta storage will also provide benefits to Northern California's water users by adding to local supplies if future minimum river flow requirements are adopted. More storage will provide a buffer for Northern California farms, homes and businesses. Farmers who have a more reliable water supply can provide a more dependable food supply for consumers throughout the state.

Those who first planned the construction of Shasta Dam recognized the benefits that would be provided to the people of California. Now is the time to move forward with that vision, even if only by a few feet.

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Blog: State Agency Comments Show Need to Improve BDCP

From: Doug Obegi, NRDC

Earlier this month, state and federal agencies were invited to submit comments on the administrative draft Bay Delta Conservation Plan documents.  While comments from the federal agencies and some state agencies are not yet available (the state says they will be posted online later this week), comments from three independent state agencies (the State Water Resources Control Board (available here ), Delta Independent Science Board (available here), and the Delta Stewardship Council (available here)) show the need for significant improvement to the BDCP draft plan, as well as to the analysis of the effects of the plan and alternatives in the EIS/EIR.

Coalition response...Comments and suggestions to the Bay Delta Conservation Plan are sought as drafts of the Plan are released and public meetings conducted. The Plan's development process analyzes these comments and suggestions to determine whether they fulfill the co-equal goals of a reliable water supply and a restored Delta ecosystem established by the Legislature. NRDC's Portfolio Alternative and its single tunnel does not meet either of these goals.

Solano Supervisor blasts BDCP's leader

From: Gene Beley, Central Valley Business Times 

Solano County Supervisor Skip Thomson probably shouldn't expect a birthday card from Jerry Meral, Gov. Jerry Brown's top person on the controversial Bay Delta Conservation Plan.

"Meral is an interesting fellow," says Mr. Thomson at a recent meeting in Rio Vista. "He will promise you anything you ask for.

Coalition response...There are major differences between the proposed 1982 Peripheral Canal and today's Bay Delta Conservation Plan. The Canal had the capacity to transfer 21,800 cubic feet per second while the capacity for the BDCP's two tunnels is only 9,000 cfs. The Canal was an isolated conveyance but BDCP allows for through-Delta operations and more flexibility to maintain in-Delta water quality. Learn more at  www.farmwater.org/p-canalcomparison.pdf.

The Delta continues to deteriorate and increased regulatory restrictions to protect species are not proving fruitful. These restrictions are also limiting the ability of local, state and federal water agencies to move water to serve thousands of family farmers and 25 million Californians. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan is the best opportunity available to secure a reliable water future for our state.  

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Letter: Twin tunnels won't take more water

From: Jerry Meral, Manteca Bulletin

The Manteca City Council has expressed concern that the Bay Delta Conservation Plan's "twin tunnel" scenario could endanger the city's existing water rights ("Manteca leaders: Twin tunnels put water in jeopardy," June 26). This fear arises in part from a common misperception: that the tunnels are intended to increase the amount of water sent to points south of the Delta.  In reality, the tunnels are aimed at simply restoring a consistent flow of water that answers the needs of the system's many stakeholders.

Letter: BDCP offers best hope to save the Delta

From: Terry Erlewine, Sacramento Bee

Re "Can Steinberg head off a Delta train wreck?" (Editorials, July 15): The editorial on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan portrays the seven-year-long planning process as inadequate. BDCP has assembled the most complete analysis to date about what we know about the Delta and how to solve the crises facing the statewide water system and this important ecosystem, within the framework of existing environmental laws.

Mayor Johnson throws dirt on governor's twin tunnels plan

From: Mike Luery, KCRA-3 TV

It was supposed to be a simple groundbreaking ceremony for a big upgrade on Sacramento's water treatment plant, but Mayor Kevin Johnson couldn't resist throwing a little dirt on Gov. Jerry Brown's twin tunnels project.

Sacramento mayor, city manager oppose Delta water tunnels

From: Ryan Lillis, Sacramento Bee

Mayor Kevin Johnson and City Manager John Shirey both expressed their opposition today to Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to build giant tunnels that would divert water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to farms and cities in Central and Southern California.

Water Supply

Lindsay, east side growers to get a little more Friant water

From: Staff, Porterville Recorder

The federal Bureau of Reclamation has increased what it will release to the Central Valley Project's Friant Division from 55 percent of allocation to 62 percent, slightly improving what was a dire water situation this summer.

Insight: Water Shortage?

From: Staff, Capital Public Radio

Water Shortage? California has just experienced one of the driest springs in nearly a century and water storage levels are dropping as the hot summer plods on. We'll talk today with the president of Northern California Water Association, David Guy, about how a State Water Resources Control Board "Notice of Water Shortage for 2013" will affect agriculture in the Sacramento Region.

Water rights holders warned that dry year could mean cutbacks

From: Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record

A warning letter went out this week says that even the state's most secure water rights might not be totally secure during a dry year.

The State Water Resources Control Board sent out the notice, which suggests landowners be realistic about what they plant later in the year, and suggested steps to take in case less water is available.

State warns drought may bring water cutbacks

From: Matt Weiser, Sacramento Bee

State officials warned late Monday that extremely low runoff in California rivers could require even senior water rights holders to reduce their consumption this summer and fall.

The noticeby the State Water Resources Control Board, which regulates water rights, is informational only. But it is a "heads up" that formal curtailment orders could follow if water users don't begin taking action to conserve water now, said Les Grober, assistant deputy director for water rights at the board.

Colorado River

Commissioner Testifies on Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study 

From: Michael L. Connor, USBR

Chairman Udall and members of the Subcommittee, I am Michael Connor, Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) at the Department of the Interior (Department). Thank you for the opportunity to testify before the Subcommittee today regarding the Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study (Study). The Colorado River Basin (Basin) is one of the most critical sources of water in the West.

Courts

Judge denies request for stay of final decision in QSA lawsuits

From: Antoine Abou-Diwan, Imperial Valley Press

A judge in the coordinated Quantification Settlement Agreement lawsuits denied a request for another 90-day stay of his final decision of the decade-long lawsuits, setting back the Imperial Irrigation District's attempt to settle the cases with all parties involved.

"...The Court has found no basis to conclude that 90 days of mediation would likely produce a global settlement of the issues awaiting final resolution in the Court's statement of decision and judgment," wrote Sacramento Superior Court Judge Lloyd Connelly on Tuesday.

Ca. water agencies oppose expanding fish habitat

From: Associated Press, Sacramento Bee

California water agencies are contesting a federal judge's decision to double the size of a designated habitat for a threatened fish in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

Judge rules against upper Klamath Basin ranchers

From: Associated Press, Contra Costa Times

A Klamath Falls judge denied a request Tuesday to keep the state of Oregon from shutting off irrigation water in the upper Klamath Basin.

That leaves intact a state decision recognizing the senior water rights of the Klamath Tribes.

Meetings 

AM Alert: Water issues saturate California's legislative recess

From: Capital Alert, Sacramento Bee

Lawmakers are taking a break from bill hearings, but a California Water Commission meeting today intersects with several legislative hot topics. They include a presentation from the California Department of Conservation on proposed hydraulic fracturing regulations and an update from the Delta Stewardship Council on its blueprint for balancing ecological imperatives and a sustainable water supply. Starting at 9:30 a.m. at the state's Resources Building on 9th Street.

Speaking of the proposed Delta water project, the organizations crafting the Bay Delta Conservation Plan are meeting today to discuss its recently released final chapters, which detail what it will cost and how to pay for it. Featuring Jerry Meral, deputy secretary at the California Natural Resources Agency, the meeting runs from noon to six at the DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Center.

Water officials to discuss storing surface water

From: Ross Farrow, Lodi News-Sentinel

The San Joaquin County Advisory Water Commission will discuss a draft memorandum of agreement with the East Bay Municipal Utility District today to develop a demonstration project to preserve groundwater in the county.

EBMUD, based in Oakland, holds water rights to most of the Mokelumne River and provides domestic water to portions of Alameda and Contra Costa counties.