A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
September 7, 2007
2. Supply
DELTA RULING IMPACTS:
Small Fish May Lead To Reduction Of City’s Water Supply - Long Beach Gazette
Am Can, Napa may buy water to make up for shortfall - Napa Valley Register
Berryessa helps county stay hydrated - Fairfield Daily Republic
Contingency plans drawn up for possible SoCal water rationing - Associated Press
Editorial: Politicians frozen amid water crisis -
Editorial: Limits on growth; Threat of water rationing is a wake-up call - LA Daily News
Editorial: Water woes; They're going to get worse this winter -
AG WATER SUPPLY ISSUES:
Farmers make emergency water request - Stockton Record
DROUGHT CONDITIONS:
Expert: Calif. 'Perfect Drought' Could Span 100 Years; In 2007, Parts of Southland Got Less Rain than Death Valley - KABC ABC Channel 7 (Los Angeles
DELTA RULING IMPACTS:
Small Fish May Lead To Reduction Of City’s Water Supply
By Kurt Helin, Editor
A judge’s ruling in
U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger ruled last week that the State Water Project was in violation of the federal endangered species acts because it is threatening the existence of the Delta smelt. The three-inch long fish lives in the Sacramento Delta — the fountain for more than half of the water coming to central
Wanger ruled from the bench that there must be a reduction in water pumped out of the delta from December until June, the fish’s breeding time.
No one is exactly sure how much the reductions will mean, but many experts are estimating it will be about a one-third reduction if there is another dry winter, said Kevin Wattier, general manager of the Long Beach Water Department.
Earlier this year, the Water Department asked residents to start conserving water, but did not put any mandatory restrictions on water usage. That may change if and when water pumping from the delta is curtailed next year, Wattier said.
“We’ll likely go to various prohibitions of water use,” Wattier said. “Say, people can only water their lawns every other day, for example.”
The Water Department has a detailed, three-stage water shortage plan that calls for increasing levels of mandated conservation steps, Wattier said. Among the allowed possibilities is increasing water fees, thereby giving people an incentive to conserve.
There also are restrictions on water use by hotels, restaurants and other businesses.
Cities have a small idea of what could come — on May 31 of this year, the state Department of Water Resources announced it was shutting down pumps after a spike in deaths of juvenile Delta smelt. The pumps remained shut off for nine days.
In
Wattier added the city is working on several long-term steps.
“We have the sea water desalination programs, we have an extensive water recycling program we could grow, and there are other steps,” Wattier said.
He added, however, that conservation from city residents would have a bigger impact, particularly in the short term. While the city has reduced water usage per capita by 20% in the past decade, more can be done, he said. #
http://www.gazettes.com/water09062007.html
Am Can,
By Kerana Todorov, staff writer
Federal efforts to protect a small fish could leave
The two cities may need to buy extra water to make up for possible shortfalls after a federal judge ruled to limit the amount of water pumped from the San Joaquin-Bay Delta to protect the Delta smelt, which only lives in that habitat. Both cities receive delta water via the North Bay Aqueduct.
While the full implications for Napa County of Friday’s ruling are unknown, both Phil Brun, general manager of Napa’s water department, and Robert Weil, American Canyon’s public works director, expect lower allocations of Delta water — the amounts of water the cities are entitled to buy. Allocations for 2008 will not be announced until December, according to the state Department of Water Resources.
In 2006, the city received 3,000 acre-feet of water from the North Bay Aqueduct, about 500 acre-feet from
To make up for the expected water supply shortfalls,
Felix Riesenberg, an engineer with the Napa County Flood Control District, said the district would represent
U.S. Federal Judge Oliver Wanger issued his ruling Friday in
According to the State Water Contractors, Wanger’s ruling could cut
Two pumps mentioned in the lawsuit are near
The North Bay Aqueduct receives its water from the Barker Slough Pumping Plant. The plant is part of the state Water Project, a water distribution system managed by the state Department of Water Resources.
The State Water Contractors represents 27 public water agencies statewide. #
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2007/09/07/news/local/doc46e0dc38eb423112663321.txt
Berryessa helps county stay hydrated
By Barry Eberling, staff writer
The reason is the
"We can switch to other supplies and be fine," Fairfield Assistant Public Works Director Rick Wood said. "We're not looking at any type of major conservation effort in
But that situation could change if a multiyear drought sapped the reservoir's vast water supplies.
U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger on Friday ordered reductions in delta water exports from December through June 2008 to help protect the embattled delta smelt. Numbers for this small, native fish have tumbled in recent years.
Delta smelt are protected by the Endangered Species Act. They can get killed by the large pumps that lift water out of the south Delta near
"Everybody in the water project gets the same allocation," said David Okita, general manager of the Solano County Water Agency. "If our allocation goes down 30 percent next year, that's a big impact on us."
The cuts have water officials from various parts of the state predicting dire consequences, with mandatory conservation a possibility.
"The ripple effects will undoubtedly harm our state economy and cause loss of jobs," Laura King of the State Water Contractors said in a press release.
Only
"It really depends on the weather," he said. "If it's a wet year, there wouldn't be any real impact at all."
"The fear is this new judgment is going to become the floor and it can only get worse," Okita said.
Environmentalists have also been taking stock of the judge's decision. The National Resources Defense Council, which brought the lawsuit, said in a press release that the Delta can't provide clean water for people if the ecosystem is so sick that it can't support the smelt.
"Today's ruling appears to improve the smelt's chances of survival," NRDC Senior Attorney Kate Pooke said. "The question is whether it's enough to save the smelt from extinction."
Meanwhile, local cities can make the argument that the North Bay Aqueduct pumps shouldn't be subject to the same restrictions as the bigger state and federal pumps in the south Delta. It's uncertain how the state will respond.
They can also argue they are in the Delta's watershed, legally putting them among the first in line for Delta water supplies, ahead of cities outside of the watershed. The state has yet to recognize this claim.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed a commission to find ways to save the Delta and still deliver water to cities and farms. Among the ideas on the table is a new version of the peripheral canal to take water for farms and cities around the Delta.
"It's an interesting time," Wood said. "All of these issues are coming to a head."
http://local.dailyrepublic.net/story_localnews.php?a=news02.txt
Contingency plans drawn up for possible SoCal water rationing
Associated Press – 9/6/07
LOS ANGELES—Contingency plans currently being drawn up could force
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, serving 18 million people in six counties, warned Wednesday that mandatory rationing could become necessary for the first time since 1991.
The district imports about two-thirds of its water from Northern California and the
Last week, U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger in
Adding to the problem are the threat of earthquakes and flooding, saltwater intrusion and aging levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
"We have further evidence that the delta is in crisis, if there was any doubt about it," said Lester Snow, director of the state Department of Water Resources.
The Metropolitan Water District stands to lose more than 10 percent of all the water members use because of the court decision.
Although it's unclear how much water will move south, the district is preparing an allocation plan on how much it might be able to provide the 26 cities and water agencies it serves, assistant general manager Roger Patterson said.
Each member agency will determine how much residents will have to cut back.
"The question is 'how soon do we need to go into that kind of decision-making?'
Do we have to do that in 2008, or do we rely on our reserve account—or (banked water) savings—to not do that in 2008? Those are the policy decisions that will be made," Patterson said.
It's hoped a rainy winter and voluntary conservation efforts will thwart rationing, he said.
"If we have rationing in
The district plans to present its allocation plan to the DWP board this fall. #
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_6819557
Editorial: Politicians frozen amid water crisis
There could be a silver lining -- and not just for the delta smelt -- in a federal judge's decision to cut back on water that's sent south from the delta.
Of course, there's only a silver lining if you have faith in the Legislature. That's a big "if."
In a perfect world, where politicians faced challenges head on and compromised to find solutions, the Legislature and governor would face facts: The state's huge problem just got a lot worse, and they need to fix it.
The huge problem is that the state's population is growing and the water supply is not. A judge's decision on Friday made it worse. He cut the amount of water that is sent south by about one-third in order to protect the delta smelt, a tiny fish on the endangered species list.
The judge did what he was obligated to do under federal law. He had to take steps to protect an endangered species.
It's up to the politicians now to figure out ways to make up the shortcoming, which amounts to about 1 million acre-feet for people in the
Now the state is faced with tough decisions. Large cities may be forced to find their own water sources or force rationing.
What will happen is anybody's guess. But if the state prison system is an example, nothing will happen. The courts threatened to take over the prison system, then the state promised massive reforms. Nothing has changed.
Will the state's water crisis follow the same path?
None of this is our problem here in the north. We have water.
But when big cities and big farms in the south want water, the pressure on us mounts. Local farmers will sell the water they usually get if some metropolitan water district offers a boatload of money. Then our fields go fallow and our economy goes south, so to speak.
So where's that silver lining mentioned in the first paragraph? Let's see. Perhaps the court's forced cutbacks will force the politicians' hand. Maybe they'll finally have to quit ignoring the warning signs and face up to the problem. Maybe they'll spend money on delta restoration. Maybe they'll force cities and farmers to do more in the way of recycling water and conserving water. Maybe they'll start studying groundwater. Maybe they'll offer incentives for businesses and cities to try experimental things like desalination plants. Maybe they'll figure out a canal around the delta that actually works. Maybe they'll realize they need to build dams, large and small. Maybe they'll realize there's not a single massive solution, but many little solutions. Maybe this is just what they need to finally do something. ...
Nah. #
http://www.chicoer.com//ci_6824437?IADID=Search-www.chicoer.com-www.chicoer.com
Editorial: Limits on growth; Threat of water rationing is a wake-up call
LA Daily News – 9/7/07
DON'T blame the smelt. A district judge cited the danger of wiping out the tiny Sacramento Delta fish when he imposed tough restrictions that threaten
Eventually, something was going to arise to make the state face the fact that its water demands can't keep going up indefinitely while the water supply keeps shrinking.
The preciousness of water in this semidesert state is something that has escaped the attention of
State and local politicians routinely rubber-stamp new developments with little thought to environmental preservation or the strain on water supply.
Something had to give.
The expected result of the ruling last week is the threat of water rationing that would hit many
Some will dismiss this an overreaction to the possible extinction of a little-known fish. But concentrating on the water rights of smelt vs. humans misses the entire point: We don't have unlimited amounts of water.
If there isn't enough water for smelt or people, how can we continue to allow major construction developments that bring in more people who need more water and force more rationing on current residents?
The answer is we can't.
The largest user of delta water, the Metropolitan Water District, has already made plans for rationing water to its 18 million users. No doubt every agency affected will do the same.
The past of
This ruling makes it clear the future must be different for the state to continue to prosper.
Water can be used more wisely, stronger conservation measures can be introduced, and future developments need to meet stringent land-use planning rules and pay a hefty premium for that most basic of all necessities, water. #
http://www.dailynews.com/search/ci_6822177?IADID=Search-www.dailynews.com-www.dailynews.com
Editorial: Water woes; They're going to get worse this winter
There's only one thing completely clear about a federal judge's week-old order telling
Just how much less will depend on the weather and the fish themselves.
At this point, experts are estimating that cuts in the amount of water being sent through the giant California Aqueduct pumps near
Domestic users in
Hardest hit will be agricultural users who rely completely on water from the Delta or the state Water Project, which will impose cuts systemwide.
The reductions were ordered last Friday by U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger, whose decision reflects the middle ground between environmentalists, who wanted even more water left behind to protect the Delta smelt, and water agencies that want to continue supplying water to 25 million Californians and 3 million acres of agriculture.
The cuts are to be enacted from late December, when the smelt begin to spawn, through June, when they are large enough to swim on their own, making them less vulnerable to being sucked into the pumps. A wet winter could help the problem considerably, so praying for rain could be helpful.
Certainly that is a more useful suggestion than the one Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger came up with this week.
His administration officials called a press conference on Wednesday to push his earlier, failed proposal to build two reservoirs and revive the
While developing more water storage and new ways to deliver it may yet prove to be valuable long-term solutions, neither will help the short-term crisis the state is currently facing.
Besides, the governor is putting the cart before the horse. His Delta Vision Blue-Ribbon Task Force is working feverishly to pull together by the end of this year a coherent and comprehensive plan for the Delta, one that will address water, flood and environmental issues in the long run. Taxpayers should be allowed to hear that report before being asked to commit already scarce resources.
But if the governor wants to do something, he might start prodding his own department of Fish and Game, as well as the
That report, which is nearly a year overdue now, is the reason a federal judge had to step into the state's water picture to begin with.
The governor might also want to start ratcheting up conservation efforts right now. Californians are generally water conscious, but we can do better. And we're going to have to, if we expect to get through the coming winter and spring. #
http://www.thereporter.com/opinion/ci_6826932
AG WATER SUPPLY ISSUES:
Farmers make emergency water request
By Alex Breitler, staff writer
Fruit, nut and grape fields may be damaged, and tomato, pepper and other row crops may not be harvested, perhaps costing the farmers millions of dollars, district General Manager Kevin Kauffman wrote in a letter to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. A total of 2,000 acres might be affected.
"You are essentially these farmers' last hope," Kauffman wrote.
Kauffman this week said that a combination of factors prompted the shortage.
The lack of rain and snow last winter means that the district has received only about 30 percent of the water it normally is allocated by the federal government. That water, from
The district this year also didn't receive all of the water it normally buys from a pair of other water districts on the Stanislaus. And the federal government is more strictly enforcing the terms of its contract with Stockton East, taking away flexibility that in the past benefited the district, Kauffman said.
Stockton East gets its water from two major above-ground sources: the Stanislaus and Calaveras rivers. But the farmers affected by the shortage can get water only from the Stanislaus.
Other farmers have been asked to cut back on water use, Kauffman said, and the city of
The district asked the government for 8,000 acre-feet of water, enough water to supply 8,000 typical households for one year. Bureau officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
While supplies are tight, the district believes it has enough water stored in
But, he added, "We've called farmers and told them to be prepared, to start thinking of water conservation methods."
The district is also participating in drought prepared-ness workshops hosted by the state.
"We think we'll get through the year," Kauffman said. "But we've got 20 farmers on the edge." #
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070907/A_NEWS/709070313
DROUGHT CONDITIONS:
Expert: Calif. 'Perfect Drought' Could Span 100 Years; In 2007, Parts of Southland Got Less Rain than Death Valley
KABC ABC Channel 7 (Los Angeles
By Dallas
Sept. 6, 2007 (KABC-TV) -
Higher temperatures, less water, and more wildfires -- the effects of global climate change can already be seen here in
2007 will go down on the books as
It's a recipe for disaster, or as one expert calls it -- the perfect drought.
"The idea of a perfect drought plays off the idea of a perfect storm," said Glen MacDonald with the Department of Geography at UCLA. "It's a convergence of natural or man-made effects that lead to a somewhat unexpected, but catastrophic result."
A so-called perfect drought would last not one or two years, but a decade or more. Scientists studying ancient tree rings have found evidence of epic droughts in
"You can't say with 100-percent probability, but we are putting into place the pieces for a perfect drought," said MacDonald.
This year, parts of Southern California got less rainfall than
"We didn't plant this time for the first time in 85 years," said Betty Bouris of Bouris Ranches.
The Bouris family has been farming in
"I think it hit home to me when I walked into the parts room that was absolutely stocked, and I went in there and all the shelves are empty because all the parts were sold," said Bouris.
It's a growing crisis across the American Southwest as a whole. The region is now in its eighth year of an extended drought.
"
Water conservation in
"If this continues for another year or two like this, we'll have a full-fledged drought and we'll need to take more drastic steps," said David Nahai, president of Department Water and Power (DWP).
Drastic steps, such as a return of the drought busters who roamed the streets of
Drought conditions promote wildfires, like the one in Lake Tahoe that destroyed more than 200 homes; or the Zaca fire in
The
"If you look around you, the Chapparal, the coastal sage, it's absolutely tinder dry," said MacDonald. "It takes nothing to ignite this."
The deepening drought led Governor Schwarzenegger to declare a state of emergency in
"It's just in your blood to farm," said Bouris. "It's kind of sad, to see a family tradition end like that."
Government forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have announced they believe another La Nina is on the way. That weather phenomenon is a periodic cooling of surface temperatures in the Pacific that's expected to bring drier-than-normal conditions this fall to an already drought-stricken
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=weather&id=5642723
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