A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
November 6, 2007
2. Supply
WATER SUPPLY POLICY:
Guest Column: State Will Go Dry Unless Water Stored - Tracy Press
WESTERN WATER ISSUES:
Editorial: The perfect drought: Water shortages demand efficiency, new thinking - Salt Lake Tribune
WATER SUPPLY POLICY:
Guest Column: State Will Go Dry Unless Water Stored
Tracy Press – 11/5/07
By Republican leader Dick Ackerman, R-Tustin, represents the 33rd District and SB X2 3 author Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, who represents the 14th Senate District
Water is one of our most vital resources, essential to everyone from agriculture, the environment, industry, commerce, construction and residential users.
Despite our daily need for water, the state has neglected to maintain its delivery and collection system. The two main arteries that deliver water from north to south — the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project — are more than 40 and 60 years old, respectively. Both projects are losing their capacity to deliver water at an alarming rate. Most of the public is unaware of the problem. They turn on the faucet and water comes out. The state experiences a rainy day or two and people expect the reservoirs to be replenished.
That simply is not the case. 2007 was the driest single year on record statewide, and water levels in state reservoirs are down 40 percent from last year. Meanwhile, just one year ago,
Dry conditions are not the only strain on the water supply. By 2016, Southern California will lose 800,000 acre-feet from the
This magnitude of water loss, the long-term neglect of the conveyance system particularly in the Delta, and the expectation of future growth has created a “perfect storm” that demands immediate action. That is why we have introduced in the special session on water Senate Bill 3 (SB X2 3), a water bond measure that increases water collection and improves water delivery.
The measure, which requires approval by voters, has broad bipartisan support as well as the strong support of the Association of California Water Agencies, California State Association of Counties, California Chamber of Commerce, California Farm Bureau, California Conference of Carpenters,
This plan, which is supported by Gov, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is a sensible approach that improves both storage capacity and conveyance. Specifically, SB X2 3:
• Allocates $5.1 billion for the design, acquisition and construction of surface storage projects that augment State Water Project supplies, improve water conveyance, water quality and provide additional flows for environmental restoration. Additionally, it specifies three projects for funding: Sites Reservoir (
• Calls for $500 million in planning, design and construction of groundwater storage projects, including “conjunctive use” to maximize the efficiency of existing surface storage facilities.
• Authorizes $1.9 billion for projects to improve and enhance the Delta — the hub of the major river systems in Northern and
• Sets aside $1 billion for regional water projects that increase water supply and water supply reliability, protect and improve water quality or protect the environment.
• Appropriates $500 million in expenditures and grants for resource stewardship, ecosystem restoration, urban watershed and stormwater management projects.
• Authorizes $85 million to the Department of Fish and Game for expenditures and grants to protect the Delta and the state’s water supply from invasive species, including exotic clams that disrupt the Delta food chain and quagga mussels threatening
Our plan is a comprehensive one: it provides additional above-ground storage facilities to assure the availability of surface water in the future, funds for improving conveyance of that water and funding for projects to increase the reliability of local supplies, conservation and efficiency of water use. Democrats and environmentalists want to rely solely on conservation and underground storage into the future. However, no amount of conservation will get the state out of this crisis and, much like a car’s gas tank, groundwater storage facilities need to be filled, require a pump and a large source of water to fill all of the groundwater. The Democrats’ proposal simply does not address these issues.
While there have been reports about the end of special session, water negotiations continue. In fact, the legislature could be called back at any time to vote on another measure — should we reach an agreement. #
http://tracypress.com/content/view/12079/2244/
WESTERN WATER ISSUES:
Editorial: The perfect drought: Water shortages demand efficiency, new thinking
Salt
Water. Without it, there is no life.
That's not news in the arid West. What is news is that the dual pressures of global warming and population growth are placing severe stress on fresh water supplies across the
If Americans do not get much smarter about how we use fresh water - and fast - the nation could face perpetual thirst that, in turn, could cause economic and population dislocation.
Don't buy that? Check out the Oct. 21 issue of The New York Times Magazine. The cover story, titled "The Perfect Drought," by Jon Gertner, is an excellent primer on the West's water dilemma.
Utahns will be familiar with the information there about our dependence on the declining Rocky Mountain snowpack, the effect of drier winters on the stream flows in the Colorado River, the bathtub rings in Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the battle over water in Snake Valley as Las Vegas plans to tap groundwater in east central Nevada and pipe it south.
What they may not know, however, is that in addition to conserving fresh water by tearing out lawns and replacing them with drought-resistant plants and installing low-flow toilets, we also need to rethink how we use potable water. It doesn't make much sense to pour it on our yards and flush it down our toilets. We could use recycled water for that.
We also must rethink allocating huge quantities of water to farming when land-use patterns in the urban West have changed so drastically.
If you're thinking that we can outflank climate change by building more dams on places like the
In any case, it's going to require a host of different strategies for
To this end, Congressman Jim Matheson has introduced a bill instructing the Environmental Protection Agency to work with nongovernmental agencies on research to increase water use efficiency and conservation.
That's only a drop in the bucket, but it's a start. #
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_7379324
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