Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
July 30, 2007
5. Agencies, Programs, People
Water plan gets a boost in Valley; Fresno-area leaders back governor's idea -
Editorial: Our water future; Collaboration, not contention, is the aim of a bold new regional planning effort - Fresno Bee
LEVEE VEGETATION:
Corps may leave most levee habitat - Sacramento Bee
Editorial: Corps of Engineers should chill the chain saw; Remove problem trees from Valley levees, but don't ax the forests along the sides - Sacramento
WATER RIGHTS ISSUES:
Water rights subject of state controversy -
FOLSOM
Owners pull boats from shrinking lake - Sacramento Bee
SOLAR ENERGY:
Desert Water Agency plans to sell solar-generated electricity - Riverside Press
URBAN WATER SUPPLY:
Editorial:
WATER POLICY:
Editorial: Water ignored and vulnerable - Capital Press
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE:
State has better options than more new dams - Redding Record Searchlight
Guest Column: On Water; Dams and levees heighten flood danger in a warming world - San Francisco Chronicle
APPOINTMENT:
DFG director steps down for Bay Area water post - San Diego Union Tribune
WATER BANKING:
Rosamond resident rips AVEK on land purchase Wants land sale halted: “This project is ill-conceived,” -
Water plan gets a boost in Valley; Fresno-area leaders back governor's idea
By Ely Portillo, staff writer
Increasing water supplies is key to the region's future, Fresno-area leaders said Thursday as they threw their weight behind Gov. Schwarzenegger's stalled plan to build two new dams in
"Water is absolutely the lifeblood of this valley and state, and the fact of the matter is, we don't have enough of it," Mayor Alan Autry said at a news conference Thursday in downtown
Autry and other local mayors, business leaders and state lawmakers joined in backing the governor, adding their voices to a battle over billions of dollars and the rivers' worth of water that fuels
Schwarzenegger's plan, introduced in January, calls for raising $4.5 billion in bonds to fund two new dams and $450 million for water conservation and river restoration. One dam would be north of
Together, those dams would be expected to generate about 500,000 acre-feet of water per year. An acre-foot is enough to supply an average
The governor also wants a billion-dollar canal to pipe water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to
A bill to enact the governor's plan has been stalled since April in the Democrat-controlled Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. Environmental groups have voiced opposition to the new dams because of the potential damage to river habitats and concerns that water conservation would be more effective.
"It's been framed as just an ag issue, and it's not," Autry said.
He said new dams would ensure sufficient drinking and irrigation water and protect the Valley's towns from flooding.
Schwarzenegger and his supporters have said that flooding could worsen if climate change results in less snow and more rainfall in the mountains during the winter.
"What can't be discarded are those floodwaters at the doorstep of Firebaugh," said Autry, referencing heavy rain and near-flood conditions last year in the area.
Last week, state Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland, proposed an alternative to the governor's plan. His $5 billion bond plan includes $1 billion for a canal project similar to the governor's, $2 billion for river restoration and $2 billion for local water agencies to manage and increase water supplies. Agencies could use that money for dams but would not be required to do so.
At Thursday's news conference, state Assembly Member Juan Arambula, D-Fresno, said he is optimistic about passing a comprehensive water bill.
"Last year, if you asked the Legislature if they would support above-ground storage [dams], the answer was no," he said. This year, lawmakers are "more open." #
http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/96942.html
Editorial: Our water future; Collaboration, not contention, is the aim of a bold new regional planning effort
The quality and supply of water in the Valley is under threat from many directions. It's essential that we begin to plan a sustainable water future -- and that's exactly what a coalition of various interests is up to now. Their effort deserves support.
The work is being done under the aegis of the California Partnership for the
It's also encouraging that this is a regional effort, encompassing the eight counties of the
Water has always been a complicated matter in
In order to assure ourselves of sustainable supplies of good water for all our uses -- agricultural, industrial, residential -- we're going to have to do things differently, and do them in a collaborative fashion. That's the goal of the new coalition, and it's one we should all be supporting. We look forward to the results we expect from this promising effort. #
http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/story/98445.html
LEVEE VEGETATION:
Corps may leave most levee habitat
By Matt Weiser, staff writer
Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp said he intends to create a flexible levee maintenance policy that allows
"We'll be reasonable," he said. "We're going to keep public safety job one. But these are multipurpose levees in that we have habitat and endangered species, and we're concerned about that, too."
His comments are the clearest public statement yet from the corps that it intends to accommodate the region's unique river environment.
It is likely to break some tension over a conflict that emerged in February, when the corps said it would apply national levee maintenance policies in
Those rules bar vegetation over 2 inches in diameter on levees, putting hundreds of miles of habitat at risk in
For decades, the corps' Sacramento District has applied a different standard in
Most
As a result, trees and shrubs on levees now provide the only waterside habitat that remains for many sensitive wildlife species.
Ben Carter, president of the California Reclamation Board, which oversees levee maintenance in the state, said he was "very encouraged" after spending time with Van Antwerp.
"He does recognize that depending on regions and (river) reaches, there are special considerations," said Carter. "I think they're open to hopefully compromising in a way where it's a win for public safety and the habitat."
Van Antwerp spoke Friday in
He has spent three days touring levees by car, boat and helicopter.
He was joined by Col. Tom Chapman, also newly appointed as commander of the Sacramento District for the corps. The two have known each other for 20 years.
The Corps of Engineers is now drafting a new national levee maintenance policy. Van Antwerp said that within a month, it will issue a document that outlines steps required to comply. The goal is to "convey the intent" of the new policy.
Local corps districts will then have authority to craft unique solutions for rivers in their region that satisfy the national policy.
He said some area levees will still get failing grades, whether from excessive vegetation or other problems, such as erosion.
Time is running out for some local levee agencies. Those given a failing grade in February have until March 30, 2008, to satisfy Corps of Engineers rules or risk losing federal aid to rebuild levees after a flood.
Van Antwerp said local corps officials will probably recommend temporary steps to meet the deadline, then work with levee districts over the following year on permanent fixes. #
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/296555.html
Editorial: Corps of Engineers should chill the chain saw; Remove problem trees from Valley levees, but don't ax the forests along the sides
Sacramento
Ever since Hurricane Katrina inundated
Some of the criticism is deserved. Some is off the mark. As a recent report notes, the corps operated under decades of budget constraints in
Under pressure from all sides, the corps is reassessing many of its national policies and procedures for flood control. This is appropriate -- so long as the corps learns a key lesson. One-size-fits-all solutions rarely work in flood control. Remedies must be tailored to local circumstances and grounded in the realization that, with dynamic river and weather systems, circumstances can change quickly.
Until last week, it appeared the corps might follow through on a one-size-fits-all directive on levee vegetation. Under that directive, nothing but grass would be allowed to grow within 15 feet of the land side of levees. Only vegetation smaller than 2 inches in diameter could grow within 15 feet of the water side.
Corps officials said they were simply attempting to enforce standards that have been on the books for years. State and local leaders countered in recent months that the revamped rules were overly rigid and based on outdated science. Overall, they feared, the rules could be costly to local agencies and lead to the needless elimination of hundreds of miles of river habitat.
To be sure, uncontrolled vegetation can threaten a levee's integrity. Embedded within a levee, tree roots can decay and become a pathway for water. High winds can knock down an embedded tree and expose its root ball, creating a dangerous hole that can cause the levee to collapse.
Yet a blanket directive to restrict vegetation within 15 feet of levees goes too far -- by several feet.
Hike or ride your bike along the
Such riverside shrubs are not only essential habitat for birds and other wildlife, they tend to "lie down" during high river flows, according to studies at the
After visiting the region's levees and listening to concerns last week, the corps' national commander, Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp, signaled that the corps may modify its rigid stance. Although the corps wants to see stronger enforcement of vegetation standards,
In the
Until that time, the corps and other agencies must see the trees through the forest, and focus on the most serious threats to public safety. #
http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/296223.html
WATER RIGHTS ISSUES:
Water rights subject of state controversy
By Alisha Semchuck, staff writer
PALMDALE - Ripples have occurred among California water agencies after Northern California officials asserted they have a right to a higher percentage of their annual entitlement of water flowing down the California Aqueduct than do water agencies south of them, because the water comes from their area.
Several Northern California members of State Water Contractors Inc., along with members from
The Northern California agencies want the state Department of Water Resources to grant them 100% of their entitlement - the amount of water an agency is entitled to buy from the State Water Project every year - regardless of rainfall and other water conditions that cause agencies like AVEK, the Palmdale Water District and the Littlerock Creek Irrigation District to receive only a fraction of their entitlements.
In an October 2006 letter to the Department of Water Resources' chief counsel, Solano Water Agency General Manager David Okita said Article 18 (a) of the State Water Project Water Supply Contract for the State Water Contractors in the Area of Origin establishes certain rights for water contractors in "an Area of Origin" - the point from which the water begins in Northern California. The "Area of Origin" statute, Okita said, precludes "a reduction in deliveries to such contractor."
Okita added that the only situation that would alter that clause is if water supplies are "so limited that export contractors (such as AVEK, Palmdale and Littlerock) are allocated no supply and there is not enough" water to meet the Area of Origin agencies' 100% entitlement.
Department of Water Resources spokesman Ted Thomas said his agency hasn't taken a firm position on the assertion.
"We are still reviewing the letter," he said.
The
"They're claiming rights of origin because they are located above the delta," said Tom Barnes, AVEK water resource manager. "They claim they were the first ones there, and have origin claims, (and that) they should have no cuts in allocation. DWR says that concept only applies if claiming free-flow waters, not water that is stored."
Staff at State Water Contractors Inc., a 27-member nonprofit organization based in
"We're staying out of it," she said. However, King Moon pointed out that " 'first in time, first in right' (has been) one of the underlying theories in water rights law in
King Moon said she hopes the water agencies can reach a solution among themselves.
"I hope they work it out within the family," King Moon said.
Fuller was less optimistic.
"I'm sure it will go to litigation," Fuller said. "I'm guessing DWR is going to turn them down."
If it lands in court, with the northern agencies filing suit, Fuller said, "We'll support DWR." #
http://www.avpress.com/n/26/0726_s7.hts
FOLSOM
Owners pull boats from shrinking lake
By M.S. Enkoji, staff writer
With the sun beating down from a blue sky and a steady breeze blowing, it hardly seems like the end of summer.
But for some Folsom Lake boaters and sailors, this is it.
"The season's pretty much over," said Paul Stangis, who spent Saturday morning cleaning his 25-foot sailboat for winter storage.
Yes, winter.
The annual ritual of pulling boats from the lake's marina before the shrinking shoreline leaves them in mud is usually done by boat owners bundled in jackets and gloves and maybe followed by a hot-chocolate chaser.
But the lake level is plummeting so quickly this season that boats must be hauled out of Folsom Lake Marina by Tuesday evening, said
The lake -- what's left of it -- is still open for all marine recreation, but those who rent the marina's 674 boat slips must haul their craft out and either remove them or park them in the marina's parking lots when the lake elevation drops to 412 feet.
Last year, the water stayed high enough to keep the marina open until Dec. 1. But drought conditions this year are pushing up the deadline.
Water levels at the man-made lake are regulated by releases from Folsom Dam.
The more water is needed downriver, the less gets left behind in the lake.
The last times boats were pulled out midsummer were in July 2004 and August 2001, said Jeff McCracken, spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
The lake's only marina has enough space for each boat slip renter to park and store their boat and trailer on the shore -- but owners have to do the moving.
Stangis, 42, of
"The lake gets smaller and the boats get pushed together," he said.
He and some friends worked cleaning his boat's underside with a power washer in the marina's parking lot, already crowded with masts and hulls.
The marina is a floating community, with boat owners chatting like neighbors on front porches, something he'll miss, Stangis said.
As the lake recedes, concrete steps from the parking lot slope farther and farther down to the sinking marina and marina store. The walk on Saturday was like descending a giant stadium.
In the marina store, boaters can buy gasoline and sunscreen before they shove off.
With more than 600 boats out of the water, the number of boaters using ramps could go up, lengthening wait times, Lakes said. On some Sundays, waits can stretch to more than an hour, he said.
The marina also rents 175 dry-storage spots that are fenced and locked.
Ted Rich prefers the dry-storage spot over a boat slip for his 26-foot sailboat. Especially at times like this.
As he prepared to back his boat down the ramp into the lake, Rich said he would rather take his boat out and park it every weekend and not have to worry about water levels.
"It seems like the last few years, it's been sooner and sooner," he said of the marina closing.
Rich, 53, a deputy commissioner for the state's parole board, said he is a little concerned about the waiting time at the ramps, where he said he could spend 15 minutes on some days.
But on Saturday, he was alone on the ramp as he backed his pride and joy into the water, then headed toward the wide-open lake. At least what's left of it. #
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/297530.html
SOLAR ENERGY:
Desert Water Agency plans to sell solar-generated electricity
Riverside Press
By Julia Glick, staff writer
PALM SPRINGS - A water agency that supplies the
While
Desert Water Agency's 1961 charter only permitted it to sell hydroelectric power, but this month Gov. Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill that gives it the ability to sell other forms of renewable energy, said David Luker, the agency's general manager and chief engineer.
"We are saying we can make this bigger," Luker said, standing amid some 2,000 existing solar panels that power the agency's
The agency's existing panels, installed in 2005, have saved the agency about $50,000 a year in electrical costs and are on track to pay for themselves by about 2016, Luker said.
Other agencies that power offices or facilities on the sun's rays include Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District in southwestern
But a broader state law passed last year may make it easier for water agencies to actually sell energy from a variety of renewable sources,
Beyond solar power, agencies in mountainous areas could use small hydroelectric turbines to capture the energy of rushing water, and wastewater-treatment plants could potentially take advantage of energy generated by fermenting sewage,
Southern California
The company met 17 percent of customers' power needs last year with renewables, and is on track to easily meet the state's goal that companies supply 20 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2010, he said.
"We are happy to talk to any water or wastewater agencies," Hemphill said. "I don't think we have received any proposals yet, but we are looking forward to seeing the first."
Desert Water Agency plans to use some solar energy to power a water-reclamation plant and to sell what remains to Southern California Edison, Luker said.
Luker hopes over time to triple the area of the agency's solar panels, which currently add up to about the size of a football field, he said. The goal is to construct a solar field with a one-megawatt capacity and the potential to generate 1.8 million kilowatt-hours annually, which could potentially earn the agency more than $100,000 a year, he said.
The project will likely cost more than $5 million, but the agency would gradually add the panels as money becomes available, Luker said. Construction might not start for a year or two because the agency is working on other capital improvements, Luker said.
The panels have a life span of 25 years and require less than $10,000 in maintenance each year, he said.
In the long run, the panels could help stabilize water rates for customers in the agency's
As temperatures reached into the triple digits at about 3 p.m. on a recent day, the panels generated more than 180 kilowatts of energy, more than double what the office was using, according to the plant's monitoring equipment. But when clouds passed overhead, generation dropped to 105 kilowatts.
"The real benefit of solar is that it produces power when our customers need it the most," Hemphill said. "The need for power is largely tied to air-conditioning use. The largest need for air conditioning is when the sun is shining brightest." #
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_B_power29.3c7c603.html
URBAN WATER SUPPLY:
Editorial:
San Francisco Chronicle – 7/30/07
"POWER TO the people," an editorial in the Stockton Record proclaimed last week.
"The victory is an upset comparable to the 1980
The references were to a remarkable reversal of one of the largest water privatization deals anywhere in the
Four years ago, in a highly controversial move, the Stockton City Council awarded a $600 million contract to a multinational consortium OMI-Thames Inc. to take over its municipal water and sewage system. At the time, it was required to upgrade its water quality standards, and the council majority wanted to farm out the expense to a private company.
But the decision was also ideologically driven. The Concerned Citizens Coalition of Stockton, along with other environmental groups, opposed the move from the start. The main sticking point was that the city failed to do an environmental impact report as required by state law before turning over a public utility.
Last November, a
Two weeks ago, the city council voted unanimously not to appeal the decision, and to terminate the contract. Even its main proponent at the time, former Mayor Gary Podesto, voted to end the deal. Control of the plant will revert to the city next March.
Among critics of the deal, there were other disappointments that went beyond the legal fight - including a sewage spill into the
Whatever occurred, the reversal in
"Water is a public trust, and should be overseen by public representatives," said Alan Snitow, a co-author with Deborah Kaufman of "Thirst," a recent book which argues against water privatization.
The
"Like fire, police and schools, water is a public responsibility," he said. Privatization has its merits - but only with certain commodities. Water is essential to life, and taking it out of the public domain is fraught with risks, as
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/30/EDOUR99271.DTL&hw=water&sn=013&sc=572
WATER POLICY:
Editorial: Water ignored and vulnerable
Capital Press – 7/27/07
The Legislature is failing to address the single most important issue in
Thus far politics, not leadership, has prevented action on a proposal by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for the state to issue bonds in a wide-reaching water plan.
The governor's proposal would provide additional water storage, aid the endangered Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, help conservation efforts and improve the state's delivery system.
Critics, and political opponents, call for improving conservation and efficiency rather than building more storage.
Those critics obviously are ignoring the fact that the governor's proposal also calls for conservation.
Those opposing additional storage and water conveyance in the state are clueless to the reality that telling people to turn off the water when they brush their teeth will not solve
The embattled Salton Sea in the desert spanning parts of
The
The same thing can, and will, happen elsewhere in
As more canals and aquifers are lined and agriculture irrigation gets closer and closer to only using as much water as is needed to grow crops, that will send less water to replenish underground aquifers.
"Right now our water system is extremely vulnerable," Schwarzenegger said.
"For one thing, we haven't built a major state reservoir in more than 30 years and in that time our population has grown from 20 million to 37 million. We must solve
To put that 17 million additional residents into perspective, that's as many new
If slaking the thirst of an additional five states' worth of residents on the infrastructure from 30 years ago doesn't adequately demonstrate that substantial conservation and efficiency have already been achieved, then nothing will.
It is foolish not to take the steps to provide for the needs of the growing population and the state's $32 billion ag economy, which helps feed them and many others around the country and the globe.
The Legislature needs to quit stalling on the water package and approve it and get it before voters.
And before the people vote, legislators need to get out and spread the message that this isn't just about their neighbor who may water part of the street when he waters the lawn, but it's about providing for the state's future.
Water and its use in California is complicated, but it doesn't take a hydrologist to understand that the arid state, which has always struggled with water supply, needs to hold on to more of the precipitation that falls on the vast state.
Drilling more and deeper wells into the state's shrinking groundwater supply isn't a sustainable plan.
Legislators poking their heads into the ground and ignoring the problem won't fix anything either. #
http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?SectionID=75&SubSectionID=767&ArticleID=33952&TM=36894.36
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE:
State has better options than more new dams
Redding Record Searchlight – 7/29/07
By Mark Franco, headman of the Winnemem Wintu tribe
I agree with Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa (“Speak Your Piece,” Friday) when he says, “
There is a growing need for water. Maybe the “world famous agriculture” should be tuned to fit the environment: Watermelons grown in the desert do not make sense to me. Maybe developers should invest in programs that run all gray water to filtration systems that can then replenish the groundwater instead of running in the gutters to the sea. They could follow the governor’s vision and design “greener,” environmentally friendly communities, invest in planning for what is good for the developed land.
This is a great state. We should all be proud of it, but we should also look at water as a gift: We may not have it long if the water miners of the new “blue gold rush” keep taking it and selling it to make a profit and polluting the rest.
In addition to surface water, as LaMalfa points out, we must also address the exploitation and abuse of groundwater.
Agricultural and commercial waste is poisoning the water that many communities have to drink today. Additionally, water bottling, which draws on the attraction of drinking “pure, mountain spring water,” is reducing the main aquifers of our communities. And for what? To make us needy enough to carry a plastic bottle around with a designer label? Try this instead: If your water needs filtration, buy a filtration system for your home, use a reusable bottle and drink the stuff from the tap. Why pay for something that is part of the public trust? When the gold ran out it left ghost towns dotting the landscape — be careful not to repeat this history when the water dries up or is undrinkable!
The assemblyman is thankful that money won’t be wasted on studies, but I would hope that elected leaders would study a problem before embarking on a spending plan that may not be beneficial. Instead of building storage, invest some of the funds into water recycling, conservation or water codes that provide guidance for building 21st-century communities. Statewide community support is needed so that we do not waste what little water we have.
The Earth’s water producers are running dry. Look at
Care for our Mother California. It is, after all, the only home we have. #
http://redding.com/news/2007/jul/26/state-has-better-options-more-new-dams/
Guest Column: On Water; Dams and levees heighten flood danger in a warming world
San Francisco Chronicle – 7/29/07
By Patrick McCully, executive director of Berkeley-based International Rivers Network
Floods are the most destructive, most frequent and most costly natural disasters on Earth. And they're getting worse. Large parts of central and western
Over the past two months, the monsoon season in
Flood damages have soared around the world in recent decades for a variety of reasons. Global warming is worsening storms; we've deforested and paved over watersheds; and more people are living and working on floodplains (there are few better examples of this than the fast-sprawling cities of
Dams and levees are not fail-proof, and when they do fail, they do so spectacularly and sometimes catastrophically. Worse, they provide a false sense of security that encourages risky development on vulnerable floodplains. When
A warming climate threatens
The limitations of conventional flood control will become ever more apparent as global warming-induced super-storms test dams and levees far beyond their intended limits. Fortunately there is a better way to deal with floods -- the "soft path" of flood-risk management.
This approach assumes all anti-flood infrastructure can fail and that this failure must be planned for. Instead of spending billions of dollars vainly trying to eliminate flooding, we need to recognize that floods will happen and learn to live with them as best we can. This means reducing the speed, size and duration of floods by restoring river meanders and wetlands, and by improving drainage. It means doing all we can to get out of floods' destructive path with improved warning and evacuation measures. It means developing plans to help communities recover from flood disasters. And it means discouraging development in areas that will inevitably flood.
It also means protecting our most valuable assets. Houses can be raised on stilts, as along the
A sensible flood bill was killed in the California Assembly last August. The bill would have required local governments that approve new developments in flood-risk zones to share liability with the state for damages caused by levee failure. Fortunately, key players in the Legislature are now working with the governor to try to pass this bill, or others with similar intent.
There is more good news. A 10-year, $220 million project to reduce floods on the
Despite a growing consensus that mitigation, not elimination, is the only realistic flood policy, there remain powerful interests devoted to outmoded flood control. A notable diehard in
Improving our ability to cope with floods under the current, and future, climates requires adopting a more sophisticated set of techniques. The "soft path" of flood management should be a core part of efforts to adapt to a changing climate. Such a path will not only save lives, money and property, but also help bring us back healthy rivers and wetlands.
Patrick McCully is executive director of Berkeley-based International Rivers Network. He is author of the recent report "Before the Deluge: Coping with Floods in a Changing Climate." Download the report at www.irn.org. #
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/07/29/EDG3IQ8JRI1.DTL
APPOINTMENT:
DFG director steps down for Bay Area water post
By Ed Zieralski, staff writer
Ryan Broddrick has resigned as director of the Department of Fish and Game, effective Aug. 31, to become executive director of the Northern California Water Association.
Broddrick, 56, the DFG's director for 3½ years, submitted a letter of resignation to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on July 17.
In the letter, Broddrick said Schwarzenegger's election and his appointment of Mike Chrisman as resource secretary inspired Broddrick to return to public service after retiring from the DFG in 2001. Schwarzenneger appointed Broddrick to the post in February 2004.
Broddrick also wrote a letter to his “DFG family” explaining his decision. Broddrick has been a DFG employee for a total of 25 years, starting as a game warden and then serving in the DFG administration in many capacities.
“It is bittersweet to leave you once again,” Broddrick wrote to his fellow DFG employees. “However, an unexpected opportunity to serve as Executive Director of the Northern California Water Association coincided with extended family responsibilities, and knowing that I could never serve as your Director without giving 150 percent, 24/7, in my heart I knew it was time to pass the mantle of leadership to the next generation.”
Broddrick said he had great support from the governor and Chrisman and has asked Schwarzenegger and Chrisman to “commit to the changes we have undertaken and follow through with the initiatives we have started.”
Broddrick said he will work with the governor to make the transition to the next director.
At his new post with the Northern California Water Association, Broddrick will work on building more water surface storage, protect fish and habitat along the waterways and integrate management of both surface and ground water, according to a story in yesterday's
Broddrick replaces David Guy, who left in June to head the
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/outdoors/20070728-9999-1s28dfg.html
WATER BANKING:
Rosamond resident rips AVEK on land purchase Wants land sale halted: “This project is ill-conceived,”
By Bill Deaver
ROSAMOND - In a letter to state and county lawmakers representing Southeast Kern, Rosamond resident Randy Scott ripped directors and management of the Antelope Valley/East Kern Water Agency and demanded that they rescind the $14 million purchase of land for a proposed water banking scheme.
Scott has also asked that the Los Angeles County District Attorney investigate possible violations of the state’s open meeting law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, by AVEK.
A retired planning chief at Edwards Air Force Base, Scott wrote to Kern County Supervisor Don Maben, State Senator Roy Ashburn, and Assemblyman Bill Maze charging that AVEK’s purchase of land near 60th St. West and Gaskell Road potentially endangered the local water supply, could adversely impact public health and security, have adverse environmental impacts, result in ‘squandering millions of dollars of ratepayer and government funds,’ and cause ‘major economic drain on Kern County’.
“This project is ill-conceived and should not be allowed to continue in this area,” Scott told the lawmakers.
He also claimed that AVEK has not fully informed the public about the project, appears to be violating the Brown Act, and is “making flawed decisions to purchase land before they need to do so.”
Scott’s primary concern is that the AVEK board voted to purchase land for the water banking project on July 10th against the advice of district staff and before an environmental impact report on the project has been completed and circulated to the public.
The seven-man board, which includes only one
Impact on Kern
“The project will cause a major economic drain on
Scott said the project could endanger public safety by the water failing to percolate, attracting birds that could endanger aircraft from nearby Edwards Air Force Base, create dust, attract mosquitoes, and endanger the region’s water supply through materials injected into unprotected pumps.
Scott asked Maben, Ashburn, and Maze to halt the land sale, require AVEK to fully disclose all details of the sale and water banking scheme, require a full environmental report, not allow any county or state actions that would allow it to proceed, and work with Kern and Los Angeles county district attorneys “to halt AVEK’s abuse of power and possible illegal actions.”
He also asked for an immediate investigation of the agency’s operations, “As they are clearly no longer operating in the best interest of the public.”
Board members found to have acted improperly ‘should be removed from office and replaced at a special election’, Scott requested.
He also said he wants legislation to limit terms of AVEK board members and determine if
Kern County Supervisor Don Maben, who represents Rosamond, said he and county staff are tracking the situation and will do all they can to make sure AVEK follows the law. He asked that anyone making comments on the EIR send copies to him.
AVEK was created in 1959 to wholesale water from the California Aqueduct to local water agencies and firms. According to its web site, no women have ever served on the AVEK board of directors.
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