A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
August 20, 2007
2. Supply
WATER SUPPLY SHORTAGE:
Rain shortfall prompts Felton water managers to seek well - Santa Cruz Sentinel
AG WATER SUPPLY:
Strawberry, flower fields fret at threats to water supply - North County Times
Rice farmers warned winter water may be cut - Chico Enterprise Record
WATER SUPPLY PLAN:
Hesperia at crossroad of valley’s water plan - Victorville Daily News
WATER TRANSFER:
Ridge water district looks into acquiring neighbors - Chico Enterprise Record
CONSERVATION:
NID floats voluntary water-saving plan; Water district buys reserves from PG&E in one of driest years on record -
Guest Opinion:
WATER SUPPLY SHORTAGE:
Rain shortfall prompts Felton water managers to seek well
By Gwen Mickelson, staff writer
FELTON — Saying last winter's shortage of rainfall is forcing its hand, California American Water Co. is planning to drill a new $500,000 well despite the protest of residents, who say the well is a ploy to pump up the value of the private water system at their expense.
The well, which company officials say is needed to improve drought reserves and ensure sufficient water supplies, would be paid for by the system's 1,350 ratepayers.
Rainfall in the
To preserve the availability of water in case of another shortfall in the coming rainy season, the company wants to rehabilitate its existing Felton Acres well, built in 1962; acquire a new well or drill one at the Felton water treatment plant; and improve surface water collection.
"Our big concern, and every water agency and district's big concern, is what happens if we have a multiyear drought," said Evan Jacobs, spokesman for Cal Am in Felton. "We're going to have to undergo a long and exhaustive permit process, and I think that's why it's all the better that we start now"
Company officials said it's too early to say how much rates would go up with the projects.
But Felton residents — who have been trying for years to buy out the water company and become part of neighboring San Lorenzo Valley Water District, even suing in February to use eminent domain to seize the property — see the company's plans as yet another way to allow it to raise rates and inflate the value of the system, making it too expensive for them to purchase.
Customers are already unhappy with rates and some aspects of service. A grassroots group, Felton Friends of Locally Owned Water, is leading the charge to buy out the water system; Felton residents in 2005 passed an $11 million bond, Measure W, to buy the waterworks.
"This is so shocking," said Barbara Sprenger, a FLOW member and candidate for state Assembly, referring to the well proposal.
"It's just one more case where they're trying to drive up the price of the system. They're just harassing us".
That's nonsense, Jacobs said.
"We're doing what any responsible water company would do in this instance," Jacobs said. "I would encourage FLOW to spend more time working on conservation and less time attacking us on this well"
Cal Am submitted paperwork to the California Public Utilities Commission at the end of July detailing its reasons for wanting to drill a new well.
If the coming season proves to provide ample rain, Jacobs was unsure whether the company would proceed with the well or not.
Water companies typically must drill a test well to check water availability and test for any effect on other area wells, he said.
The project would also require a permit from the county, said John Ricker, water resources program coordinator for the county Environmental Health Department. Cal Am has yet to apply for a permit, Ricker said, but he has been contacted by its geologist and environmental consultant.
Still, Felton residents and others said they wonder why conservation alone isn't enough, when residents have handled past droughts that way and the town's population of about 1,100 has remained virtually the same.
Cal Am is promoting conservation, including asking customers to cut their water usage voluntarily by 15 percent and handing out free water-saving gadgets such as low-flow shower heads. But the company has not established mandatory restrictions, which some residents feel should be done before starting an expensive process such as drilling a new well.
"Their whole strategy is to make as much money as they possibly can," FLOW member Larry Ford said. "They can make a lot of money by drilling another well. There's all kinds of legal fees, contracts they can give, and on all those things they get a percentage"
FLOW members, along with the San Lorenzo Valley Water District, are preparing a protest letter to submit to the PUC. They plan to point out what they say are flaws in the company's data supporting its need for the well. The letter Cal Am sent to the PUC does not address the multiyear drought possibility, focusing instead only on the short-term, said Jim Mueller, San Lorenzo Valley Water District manager.
"We think there are a number of inaccuracies in their project description — that they perhaps have overestimated the severity of the situation," he said.
Drilling a well is a common practice of water agencies, said Brent Haddad, an associate professor in the Environmental Studies Department at UC Santa Cruz.
"Water agencies are always evaluating their water supply and looking for alternative and more secure sources, trying to reduce their drought risk and improve their quality," Haddad said.
In the ongoing eminent domain proceedings, a trial date of Jan. 14 has been set in Santa Cruz County Superior Court to determine whether the San Lorenzo Valley Water District has the legal right to exercise eminent domain to take the water system. #
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2007/August/17/local/stories/02local.htm
AG WATER SUPPLY:
Strawberry, flower fields fret at threats to water supply
By Barbara Henry, staff writer
CARLSBAD ---- The city's two biggest consumers of agricultural water say they are worried about a proposal by the region's main water provider to cut agriculture water use by 30 percent, a move that county farm bureau officials say means some growers are going to have to reduce their crops.
In the case of The Flower Fields ----
"We have our fingers crossed that we're going to have a nice rainy year next year," he said.
Meanwhile, Carlsbad Strawberry Co. General Manager Peter Mackauf said he won't be making any decisions until he attends a presentation by the region's farm bureau next month on the local water situation.
The situation doesn't look good right now, Metropolitan Water District spokesman Bob Muir said last week. The Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District, which provides most of the water that
The district's board is expected to vote on the current proposal for a 30 percent water cutback in October.
A discount water deal
Metropolitan officials say the reduction is one of several proposed ways to combat a series of water supply troubles. Those problems include several years of dry weather locally, smaller snowpack levels in the
Regular wholesale water from Metropolitan costs $331 per acre-foot. Agricultural customers pay $241 an acre-foot. A single acre-foot equals about 326,000 gallons, or enough water for two average families for a year, Muir said.
The price that individual farmers pay varies depends on where they live, Muir said.
In addition to Metropolitan's pipes, the water must pass through the San Diego County Water Authority's system and ultimately through local distribution systems before arriving at the farms.
If the cuts go through as planned, this will be the first time in the agricultural program's 13-year history that its users have been ordered to cut water usage, officials said.
Making the cut
In all, the city's top five participants consumed 100 million gallons of agricultural water during the fiscal year ending June 30, said Cari Dale, the water district's assistant general manager.
"In
The farm bureau is putting together plans for a "water summit" Sept. 27. The event will begin with an assessment of regional water supply levels, with best- and worst-case scenarios, Larson said. Next, participants will move into a trade show where they can meet with manufacturers of irrigation equipment and other water-saving items, he said.
Improving the efficiency of irrigation is likely at best to cut only 5 percent to 15 percent of a farmer's water usage, Larson said. Most growers already use plenty of water-saving equipment, because water costs so much in
In order to reach Metropolitan's currently proposed, 30 percent cutback, growers are going to have to reduce their crops ---- say, for example, plant fewer strawberries this year, Larson said.
Seeking other sources
Those decisions are going to have to be made soon.
The Flower Fields, which occupy the highly visible northeast corner of
"Right now, most of our fields are bare," he said.
There is a backup plan in place for The Flower Fields. The area is already plumbed for reclaimed water,
Some agricultural crops can be hypersensitive to reclaimed sewage water because it typically contains more minerals than regular irrigation water,
Reclaimed water won't help the strawberry fields, though. Because they're an edible crop, they can't be irrigated with reclaimed sewage water, Mackauf said.
He and other growers also can't choose to drop out of the agricultural water program and pay full price for their water in effort to avoid the cutbacks. In order to prevent that tactic, Metropolitan and the other water districts have a system of fines and other measures.
The point of having a discount program where people agree to cutbacks in times of water shortage would be defeated if participants had the option of avoiding cutbacks by switching over to the regular program, Muir of the Metropolitan district said. #
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/08/19/news/coastal/20_59_578_18_07.txt
Rice farmers warned winter water may be cut
By Heather Hacking, staff writer
It's been a dry year.
While stored water in the
This could affect certain rice farmers who flood their fields for rice straw decomposition after harvest, as well as duck clubs that use flooded fields to attract birds.
Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District sent notices out to rice growers about two weeks ago saying that normally free-flowing winter water (which begin Nov. 1) could be limited if the state enacts "Term 91."
Term 91 is part of contracts people with water rights agreed to in exchange for more water reliability, when dams such as Shasta were built.
The rules, if enacted this fall, would apply to 85 water users tapped into streams and tributaries that feed into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This includes the
However, nothing has been decided yet.
GCID General Manager Thad Bettner explained the dry spring and summer months have meant less water in the system. With "tightening up" of water allocations due to conditions in the delta, the state is "looking at everything more closely," Bettner said. "Historically there was more flexibility in the system."
Rice growers typically harvest through October. A decade ago rice growers would burn fields after harvest. But air quality laws have limited burning. Now most growers flood their fields and allow the rice straw to decompose.
This has been a boon for bird populations, which use the rice fields for winter migration and feeding.
Typically, a rice grower might use enough water to flood one acre at one-foot deep of water. This will vary due to soil conditions.
Bettner said it's not certain yet that Term 91 will be enacted. There could be early fall rains that make all the worrying a moot point.
However, his district is warning property owners that they might not have access to winter water as is usually the case.
GCID has set up a system for property owners to notify the district that they want to flood, so that other water supplies could be found, including groundwater and other options.
The district is also setting up guidelines so flooding will avoid spilling any of the water available.
Luckily, the dry spring conditions also made for an early planting of rice, so most growers should be done harvesting by the time water gets cut off, and will have enough time to prep fields for flooding.
But nobody knows what will happen if next year is again a dry year. That issue weighs heavily across the state, as water storage can only go so far.
Greg Mensik, deputy refuge manager at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, said he does not expect direct impacts to the refuge if winter flows are cut. Cuts of 25 percent can occur when there is a critically dry year.
If water supply was lowered, Mensik said, the refuges would be managed so water was used on a fewer number of marshes and ponds.
"We'd try to flood the most efficient areas in fall and winter," he said.
However, if there is less water in rice fields, water fowl that have stopped in fields to feed will be more attracted to the refuges, increasing the number of birds that use those lands.
Recent years have shown that the spread of bird diseases is lessened when birds are spread out over a larger amount of winter wildlife habitat, including rice fields.
Don Bransford, president of the board of GCID, said he thinks he can finish his harvest before the end of October.
Rice straw decomposition occurs more quickly when water is applied when the temperatures are still warm (late September to early October). So the earlier he can flood, the better.
However, fields that are flooded in cooler weather do better when the rice straw is "stomped" into the soil using machinery.
He might consider this year whether to just chop the rice straw and add water, because the use of stomping equipment gets competitive later in the flooding season. #
http://www.chicoer.com//ci_6660956?IADID=Search-www.chicoer.com-www.chicoer.com
WATER SUPPLY PLAN:
Hesperia at crossroad of valley’s water plan
Victorville Daily News – 8/19/07
By Tatiana Prophet, staff writer
HESPERIA — Unlike the classic science-fiction novel “Dune,”
But they are getting a little more territorial about water.
Hesperia officials are questioning the merit of a plan that was adopted in 2005 by the Mojave Water Agency with the blessing of all cities — including Hesperia.
At a crowded City Council meeting last week, both council members and residents said they were concerned about sending their water to developments in Victorville and Adelanto.
“The plan is to take very high-quality water from approximately 21 wells and send it across Hesperia and to Adelanto and SCLA,” said Al Vogler, husband of Mayor Rita Vogler, during public comment.
Kirby Brill, general manager of the MWA, assured both Vogler and Councilman Ed Pack that none of Hesperia’s well water will be drawn for other parts of the valley.
“It will be filed with the court,” Brill said, referring to the periodic monitoring of water flow.
Even if Hesperia water will not be sent to Victorville, what has concerned Hesperia is that
The plan is for the agency to begin using its allotment of water from the California Aqueduct and allowing it to percolate into the entire valley’s groundwater. To do that, they have chosen a site in Hesperia as an entry point.
The exit point will involve 22 extraction and monitoring wells that would be built in three phases at a site along the
“How did you come to this location?” asked the mayor.
“It’s a recharge zone where the ground starts to open up,” Brill said, adding that there is a “perching” area further north where the water wants to go downstream and does not percolate into the ground.
It’s also centrally located among the cities, where current infrastructure can carry aqueduct water to areas north, south, east and west.
Unfortunately, the future water in Hesperia may not be to everyone’s liking.
“Area residents will not be satisfied with drinking inferior water,” Al Vogler said.
Hesperia’s water has an average of about 150 milligrams per liter of total dissolved solids — minerals and salts, said City Manager Mike Podegracz.
But aqueduct water has an average of about 250 milligrams per liter, said Brill.
It may be good enough for
“I don’t like their water, it has a smell and a taste to it,” she told the Daily Press, referring to
For Brill, the water exceeds both primary and secondary state requirements.
“The State Water Project is looked at as an extra high-quality source of water that’s often used to mitigate water-quality problems,” Brill said at the council meeting.
By contrast, the Colorado River, which supplies water to many
The agency’s plan, known as Regional Recharge and Recovery or R-Cubed, is in the design phase and will probably begin construction in 2009.
Without Victorville laying claim to water that is not theirs, the problem that remains is taste.
“You can have all the water in the world, but what quality are we willing to settle for?” Mayor Vogler asked.
“It’s still high-quality water,” Brill said after the meeting. “We’re going to do a taste test. I would be surprised if you could tell the difference.” #
http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/water_2396___article.html/hesperia_brill.html
WATER TRANSFER:
Ridge water district looks into acquiring neighbors
By Ryan Olson, staff writer
This week, PID officials announced they're looking at an alternative — acquiring Del Oro's two districts covering Lime Saddle and Old Magalia.
Officials at the privately owned Del Oro maintain its districts aren't for sale.
If PID decides to press forward, a cursory glance at the process shows it could involve annexations, court hearings and the public water district exercising eminent domain to purchase Del Oro's infrastructure and water rights in the area.
PID District Manager George Barber said there are potential advantages to acquisition, including utilizing
He said current PID customers would benefit from having an additional water supply, especially during a drought.
"It will serve them mostly because the district will be taking the lead in moving forward with improving our water supply with the
For now, PID is starting a required environmental review. Barber said the district's elected board hasn't made a decision. He welcomed the public to comment on the proposal.
"Before we move any further, we need to consider the environmental impact of those alternatives," Barber said.
Kristin Aguiar, Del Oro's community relations director, said the company hadn't heard about PID's specific acquisition proposals until this week. The company responded by reiterating that its districts aren't for sale.
Aguiar said Del Oro is committed to pursuing the intertie pipeline, which is pending approval from the California Public Utilities Commission.
"Although PID is exploring this option, it will in no way deter us or stop us from pursuing this project," Aguiar said.
The regional intertie project is geared to guarantee a reliable supply of treated water from
If PID annexes Del Oro's two districts, it could take over the company's regional intertie project. Barber said it could better balance PID's water distribution and the district could bring water up the ridge from the lake during off-peak hours when rates are cheaper.
Adding Old Magalia to PID would also allow the district to add a backup pipe to its customers from its water treatment plant.
If PID presses ahead with the acquisition process, it will have to seek approval from the Butte County Local Agency Formation Commission. Residents in the affected districts would also have to petition to be annexed into the
A CPUC employee said the process would also include a stop in court to address the eminent domain issue.
Currently, Del Oro operates four districts on the ridge — Lime Saddle, Magalia, Paradise Pines and Stirling Bluffs. The Magalia district covers the older section of the community.
Del Oro currently has a total of 5,551 connections — 631 in the Lime Saddle and Magalia districts. The intertie project would also allow Del Oro to add up to 600 additional customers in the Lime Saddle area who previously didn't have service.
PID has more than 10,000 customers, nearly all within
While PID is exploring this new option, both service providers are continuing to work on their respective projects to enhance their water supplies.
PID is working to increase water storage and to take full advantage of its water rights.
On Wednesday, the district awarded a contract worth about $2.2 million to Livermore-based Mountain Cascade Inc. to build a pipeline to bypass the Magalia Reservoir. Barber said the 7,000-foot pipe will run from the creek north of the reservoir directly to the district's treatment plant.
The project provides a backup in case an accident contaminates the Magalia Reservoir. #
http://www.chicoer.com//ci_6656061?IADID=Search-www.chicoer.com-www.chicoer.com
CONSERVATION:
NID floats voluntary water-saving plan; Water district buys reserves from PG&E in one of driest years on record
Grass Valley
By Laura Brown, staff writer
In one of the driest years on record, the Nevada Irrigation District is endorsing a voluntary water conservation plan but is stopping short of restricting usage - at least for now.
The voluntary plan comes as the Sierra snowpack is well below average, and the NID has bought water reserves from Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
The NID's water and hydroelectric operations committee has endorsed a draft water plan to prepare for future dry spells, such as the drought of 1977 that triggered 50-percent cuts to agricultural water supplies and reduced regional lakes to muddy puddles.
"If we get into another low-water year, these things will be absolutely essential," said farmer and NID board member John Drew about the proposed plan.
The plan includes hiring a part-time coordinator to work with golf courses and other large landscapers, farms and home gardeners to survey their water use and recommend ways to conserve. NID is asking for voluntary participation in the program, which NID board members must approve.
"It's there for people if they want to use it. It's not something we're forcing on anyone," said Don Wight, NID's water operations manager. "It's a work in progress."
This year was one of the driest on record for many parts of the state and caused many water agencies to reduce water consumption by 10 percent to 15 percent, according to the state Department of Water Resources.
"Every drop we don't use this summer is water we can carry over to next year," said Sue Sims, public affairs director for the California Department of Water Resources.
Water purchase like insurance
This year's relatively cool summer in the foothills helped lessen the demand for water by NID's 24,500 users, NID operations supervisor Sue Sindt said. The purchase of about 10,500 acre feet of water from PG&E, which cost $40,800, and the curtailment of outside sales also helped.
(An acre-foot is the amount of water that would cover an acre of land to 1 foot deep. It's roughly the amount of water a family of four would use in one year.)
"As a general rule, we don't purchase PG&E water unless it's a dry year," Wight said. It's like insurance or replacing money borrowed from a savings account, he added. "We retain the water in storage as carry-over into the next year. If we encounter a second dry year, we have an extra 10,500 (acre feet of water) of carryover. ...
"Right now we have adequate water supplies," Wight continued. By the time irrigation ends on Oct. 15, water levels are expected to be 7,000 to 10,000 acre-feet below historic averages. It usually takes two to three consecutive dry years to produce drought conditions, Wight said.
Sierra winters have fluctuated wildly in the past 30 years.
"There's wet years and dry years. If you could predict them, you would be a millionaire," Wight said.
Year-round water conservation?
The water district provides educational literature on water conservation and contacts users who waste the precious resource. Still, the district avoids rationing water unless a drought occurs, even though such a measure could stretch water reserves into the dry times.
"It's difficult to dictate to customers how to use water," Wight said. "I think most people are conscientious and realize the value of natural resources."
In more arid, heavily populated regions of the state, such as
But during the next century,
"Water agencies are going to have to be a lot more creative to get the most out of every drop they have," Sims said.
"If we run out of water, then watch how interesting the personalities become," Drew said.
1. Check for leaks. Inspect every faucet in your home. Just a slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons of water per day. Fix it and you will save almost 6,000 gallons a year.
2. Toilet tank test. Put a few drops of food coloring in each toilet tank in your home. Without flushing, watch for a few minutes to see if color shows up in the bowl. It's not uncommon to lose up to 100 gallons per day to one of these otherwise invisible leaks.
3. Shorter showers. Don't shower too long or fill the tub too full. Five-minute showers and 5 inches deep in the tub is sufficient.
4.
5. In the garden, irrigate early or late, not in the midday heat. See that water goes where it should, not on sidewalks or driveways. Use a spade to see that water is getting down deep. A good soaking encourages good root systems. #
http://www.theunion.com/article/20070820/NEWS/108200113
Guest Opinion:
By Gerald R. Walson, president of Bonsall Area for a Rural Community, a local group
Current law says the state must prepare a Regional Housing Needs Assessment that requires local governments to provide their "fair share" of housing of various types to accommodate the state's population projections. Unfortunately, our water purveyors always seem to step up blindly and say they can supply the necessary water. If this is true, then why is there a growing cry for conservation and current threats of water cutbacks?
If there is not an endless supply of water, at some point there will not be enough water to support additional development. For example, note the agriculture water cutback now projected for 2008. Inevitably, we really will run out of water, and the state's policy on endless housing to support further population growth will have to be redefined. At some point, "the inn" will be full!
The California Water Plan needs to address this crucial issue now. We need a "water carrying-capacity analysis" to determine what our limiting water supply really is. Then we can analyze the impacts on housing and population. This will enable us to properly plan for the future of our state. Population growth is not an immutable fact of life.
What is our water availability?
Southern California gets its water from three sources: the Colorado River,
Our share of
"New sources of water" are often promoted as the answer, but in fact they are only a redistribution of existing water sources. Conservation is always good but limited in amount. Recycling and desalinization offer the promise of additional water but currently are more expensive than other sources, particularly desalinization. Taking water away from agriculture and/or the environment for urban uses is also possible but reduces our agricultural output and will damage our environment. How much of our agriculture and environment are we willing to destroy?
Some people say that the answer is simple: Just build more reservoirs and store the water that runs to the ocean from our streams and rivers. However, they fail to acknowledge that this water is mandated by law for environmental protection. So where will we (reliably) get the new water to put in the new reservoirs?
Since
Also, the reality of global warming is that droughts will be more frequent and of longer duration. How are we going to get a sustainable supply of water to support endless development?
We need to plan!
Obviously, our supply of water is limited. So the crucial questions remain: What is our limiting supply of water, how will it be allocated and how much population can it support?
Our planners need to address this critical issue. If our planners choose to ignore this issue, then who is looking out for the future of
Bonsall resident Gerald R. Walson is president of Bonsall Area for a Rural Community, a local group. In March, he was elected as Division 1 director for the Rainbow Municipal Water District, which has more than 7,200 customers in Rainbow, Bonsall and parts of Fallbrook. #
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/08/19/perspective/16_31_178_18_07.txt
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