Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
August 9, 2007
5. Agencies, Programs, People
Family hopes diver safety will improve; Two state water agencies cited in death of two divers earlier this year - San Jose Mercury News
LEVEE ISSUES:
Levee work in Yuba has $14 million hole - Marysville Appeal Democrat
FUNDING:
Water, flood funds could approach $40M -
Improvements at Lake Oroville planned - Paradise Post
Family hopes diver safety will improve; Two state water agencies cited in death of two divers earlier this year
By Patrick May, staff writer
Family members of one of the two state water agency divers who drowned earlier this year in the California Aqueduct said Wednesday they hoped safety measures will improve now that investigators have cited the department for violations that may have played a role in the deaths.
While the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health offered no definitive cause of the February deaths of divers Martin Alvarado, 44, and Tim Crawford, 50, the agency nevertheless fined the Department of Water Resources $16,120 for violating numerous work force safety regulations.
Crawford and Alvarado drowned on Feb. 7 while conducting a routine search for mussels on the underwater grates at the Dos Amigos Pumping Plant, near Los Banos about 85 miles southeast of
Alvarado's older sister Alicia said Wednesday she was upset the water department was "taking its time to find out what really happened. There were a lot of mistakes made that day," she said. "I hope safety measures will be improved by this report, but I just wish it didn't take losing two lives to make that happen."
Investigators called decisions by the divers and plant employees possible "contributing factors" in the deaths. They included running one of the six pumps at the plant during the 30-minute dive, the divers' decision not to use available communications gear and the use of an untrained employee to watch over them during the dive, says a summary that accompanied the citation report.
Water Resources Director Lester Snow said the recommended changes would improve the dive program, which has been suspended since the deaths.
"Our paramount concern is the safety of our employees," Snow said in a statement. "Before any decision is made to restart our dive program or put our divers back in the water, DWR will revise its procedures based on these citations and other issues that come from our own accident investigation." #
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_6575308
LEVEE ISSUES:
Levee work in Yuba has $14 million hole
Marysville Appeal Democrat – 8/8/07
By Andrea Koskey, staff writer
Repairs in three areas are estimated to cost $14 million, but the Three Rivers Levee Improvement Authority and
That money would only fund construction on a portion of Segment 3, at the fork of the Yuba and Feather rivers heading downstream, roughly three miles. The specific portion has not yet been determined.
“I’m not comfortable guaranteeing a loan when we don’t have the money to pay it,” Supervisor Dan Logue said Tuesday night. “We have no way to pay back this money. I’m afraid we’re setting a dangerous precedent.”
A contract for Segment 3, as well as Segment 1 and Site 7, was awarded to Nordic Industries, which offered to front the $14 million worth of improvements as long as the county guaranteed repayment by February.
Supervisors, however, opted to wait for the Legislature to pass a budget and distribution of funding from Proposition 1E, a disaster preparedness and flood prevention legislative bond passed in 2006.
Segment 1 is at the southern end of the county from the
“We are at the mercy of the Legislature,” said Richard Webb, president of Reclamation District 784 and chairman of the Three Rivers board. “We submitted a request for funding, but we’re not going to know the amount until a budget is approved.”
County officials said necessary background work continues regardless of funding availability, but major construction is awaiting state funding.
Supervisor Mary Jane Griego, however, said levee work should be a priority and she is willing to take a chance.
“My goal for this project is to get this funded and completed by 2008,” she said. “We have not budgeted anything for this project in the last three years; we’re going to need to fund this project eventually.”
County officials and Three Rivers directors were confident levee repairs will be completed on schedule in 2008, despite construction setbacks.
“It’s a guessing game,” Webb said. “It’ll be difficult, but not impossible.” #
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/county_52322___article.html/three_segment.html
FUNDING:
Water, flood funds could approach $40M
Chief among the area's benefits is $33 million slated for the Delta Water Supply Project, which is intended to increase the city of
Another $5.5 million will help reimburse
Securing this money was among the top priorities of Reps. Dennis Cardoza, D-Atwater, and Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton.
"The availability of clean, potable water is critical for our growing communities and expanding economy," McNerney said. "This is a huge first step in securing federal funding for this important project, which will ensure Stocktonians have enough water for years to come."
Added Cardoza: "As the recent shutdown of the Delta pumps proves, water infrastructure in
Congress's action only authorized the government to spend the cash; money still must be appropriated before local officials can use it. #
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070809/A_NEWS/708090326/-1/A_NEWS
Improvements at
By Paul Wellersdick, staff writer
Officials will take advantage of the low water levels at
The California Department of Water Resources, the California Department of Boating and
Low levels may be a blessing in disguise, said Steve Feasel, California Department of Parks and Recreation Oroville sector superintendent.
"The good news is during the last year of low water levels there were some ramp improvements," he said. "It's sort of a silver lining."
The California Department of Boating and
"It's a real good example of boat users' money put back into the facilities they use at
DWR Environmental Project Manager, Stacy Cepello said the money is there, but all the departments are waiting on permits and plans from the Army Corps of Engineers. Cepello said assuming the permitting process goes well, they hope to break ground and begin with improvements this fall.
Feasel said the lower parking lot at the spillway launch ramp is already usable, and the plan is to make a similar lower parking lot at the Bidwell Marina and also to extend the launch ramp when the water is low enough.
Along with the improvements, marinas will have to work hard to keep up with the fluctuations in water level, Feasel said.
"It's an extra work load, but they're used to it," he said. "Their main challenge is to continually change the dock levels and buoy cables and move boats."
Low lake levels sometimes translate to low user levels, but even though
Despite longer hikes up launch ramps, shallow hazards and narrow channels the lake is full of boaters, said State Park Ranger Travis Gee. He patrols the lake regularly and has noticed no decrease in traffic.
"You would think it'd be slow, but it seems to be as busy as normal," he said. "From what I can see out on the water it's busy."
The low levels may make the south fork inaccessible soon because an island has surfaced and some small, public, car-top boat launches like
But the low levels also offer interesting sights, Gee said.
"You can see the old train tunnel up on the left past the no ski buoys up the
Launch ramps are open at Bidwell Marina, Lime Saddle and the Oroville Dam Spillway. The
While working, Bidwell Marina employees have seen many of the rarely seen freshwater jelly fish that only surface when the lake drops as low as it is now.
"They're only as big as a quarter and they don't sting," said Colby Mallory Bidwell Marina Store Manager.
They are rarely seen and were first noticed in 1997 on
Lime Saddle Marina Operations Manager John Prieto has worked at the lake for 24 years and has only seen the jellyfish three times, he said.
"I had given some to
That was 12 years ago: they surfaced again a week ago, he said. #
DWR's California Water News is distributed to California Department of Water Resources management and staff, for information purposes, by the DWR Public Affairs Office. For reader's services, including new subscriptions, temporary cancellations and address changes, please use the online page: http://listhost1.water.ca.gov/mailman/listinfo/water_news. DWR operates and maintains the State Water Project, provides dam safety and flood control and inspection services, assists local water districts in water management and water conservation planning, and plans for future statewide water needs. Inclusion of materials is not to be construed as an endorsement of any programs, projects, or viewpoints by the Department or the State of
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