[Water_news] 1. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS - Top Items for 11/28/07

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment

 

November 28, 2007

 

1.  Top Items

 

State releases meager water supply estimate; More reliable predictions due in February, but early guess is dry winter - North County Times

 

State leaves L.B. Water Dept. high and dry - Long Beach Press Telegram

 

 

State releases meager water supply estimate; More reliable predictions due in February, but early guess is dry winter

North County Times – 11/28/07

By Gig Conaughton, staff writer

 

State officials said Monday that Southern California's life-sustaining supplies of Northern California water are expected to cover just 25 percent of demand in 2008, far less than the 60 percent allocation level the region got this year.

However, officials said that the estimate could improve dramatically by early next year, after winter rains and snow actually fall and can be measured in Northern California and the Sierra Nevada.

 

In fact, in any other year, the state's initial allocation wouldn't have drawn any attention at all, because it comes too early to be considered reliable.

 

That's because the initial prediction is made mainly by looking at historical weather patterns and guessing that they will be repeated -- something that does not always occur.

For example, initial Northern California supply estimates were even more bleak in 2003, when the state predicted a 20 percent allocation. But the eventual supplies actually came closer to 90 percent, state officials said Monday.

But all water news is being scrutinized this year because the state is facing its worst water-supply shortages since the last great multi-year drought that occurred from 1987 to 1991.

Semi-arid Southern California's two main imported water sources are being challenged.

The Colorado River, which is replenished by Rocky Mountain snow packs and which delivers water to seven western states including California, is now in its eighth year of drought.

Meanwhile, in September, a federal judge issued an "unprecedented" environmental ruling that will cut back use of the powerful pumps that send Northern California south in the State Water Project in order to protect an endangered fish.

And the Metropolitan Water District, Southern California's main water supplier, said that Northern California water made up two-thirds of the region's imported water supplies this year.

Consequently, when state officials announced their initial low allocation estimate Monday, two large associations, the Association of California Water Agencies and the State Water Contractors, issued press releases saying it was further proof that the state was facing a crisis.

The association is a lobbying and information group that represents 450 plus water agencies around the state. The contractors group represents 27 large agencies in Northern, Southern and Central California that buy water from the State Water Project -- a series of 600 miles of reservoirs, dams, pipelines and pumping stations that deliver Northern California water south.

Jennifer Persike, a spokeswoman for the association, said, "It's been a long time since it (initial allocation estimate) has been this low."

However, many water officials, including some from the association and contractors group, downplayed the initial estimate, and agreed that it was too early to be worried about the initial prediction.

"This (low estimate) was expected given the current dry conditions," said Metropolitan spokesman Bob Muir. "The initial allocation's history has been based on a conservative estimate that typically increases over the year based on winter storms."

Tracy Pettit, chief of the state Department of Water Resources' forecasting division, said the first meaningful allocation estimates will come in February -- when state crews measure the first snow pack levels.

Meanwhile, officials from the San Diego County Water Authority said the publicity surrounding the low initial estimate would serve a purpose -- to remind people that they should conserve water if they can.

Metropolitan, Water Authority, and local agencies have started campaigns to urge conservation, saying that cutting water use now could leave more precious stored water available to offset supply shortages in 2008, 2009 and beyond. #

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/11/28/news/sandiego/5_02_2911_27_07.txt

 

 

 

State leaves L.B. Water Dept. high and dry

Long Beach Press Telegram – 11/27/07

By Paul Eakins, staff writer

 

LONG BEACH - The Long Beach Water Department and 28 other California agencies will receive 25 percent of the water they had hoped for in 2008 under allocations announced Monday.

 

The apportionment announced by the Department of Water Resources is the lowest from the State Water Project since 2003, which officials said is a result of dwindling water reserves and low precipitation. The project supplies 29 water contractors, including cities and irrigation districts, that serve more than 25 million Californians and 750,000 acres of irrigated farmland.

 

For now, the water allocation won't mean any changes to Long Beach's strict water-use rules implemented in September, said Kevin Wattier, general manager of the city's water department.

 

In fact, Wattier had been bracing for a worse allocation, perhaps 20 percent, he said.

 

"It's actually a little higher than what I expected," Wattier said. "It's still far below what we need to have a good water supply for next year."

 

The apportionment could change, positively or negatively, depending on how much snow and rain the state gets this winter, Wattier said.

 

California has had little precipitation in recent months, he said.

 

"It's continued to be very dry throughout the entire state," Wattier said. "Normally by this time of the year there'd be some recovery. ... But there's been no recovery whatsoever.

 

"That's not a good sign."

 

Don Strickland, spokesman for the Department of Water Resources, said officials will monitor the water supply throughout the year and adjust the water allocation accordingly.

 

"If we don't get an ample amount of snow, good water content this winter, we could get a water shortage next summer," Strickland said.

 

The 25 percent allocation equals almost 1.04 million acre-feet of water, Strickland said. An acre-foot is the volume of water needed to cover an acre one foot deep and equals 325,853 gallons.

 

Water contractors had requested more than 4.1 million acre-feet for 2008.

 

In 2007, the water project distributed 60 percent of the water that had been requested, or almost 2.5 million acre-feet, Strickland said.

 

When contractors receive far less than the water they need, they must look to other sources, such as groundwater, which can be expensive to pump, or imported water, he said.

 

"They just have to get it wherever they can," Strickland said.

 

Often, conservation efforts such as Long Beach's are necessary, he said.

 

Long Beach was the first city in the state to implement strict water rules this year, and it has paid off, Wattier said.

 

"We think they're working and we think we need to continue," Wattier said. "This allocation highlights how important (water conservation) is."

 

The water-use restrictions include limiting landscape irrigation to three days per week and only in the early morning or late afternoon.

 

Water use in Long Beach during September was the lowest for that month over the past decade, and October water use was the second-lowest in 10 years, water department officials have reported.

 

The city utilizes almost 23 billion gallons of water per year, and each person uses an average of 121 gallons per day. Almost 11 billion gallons of water come from local groundwater sources, while more than 12 billion gallons are imported from other regions.

 

About two-thirds, or 8 billion gallons, of Long Beach's imported water comes Northern California through the State Water Project. #

http://origin.presstelegram.com/ci_7575970

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