A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
November 19, 2007
2. Supply
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AG ISSUES:
Inland farmers among first in line to feel strain from drought - Riverside Press Enterprise
DEVELOPMENT PLANNING:
Yucaipa plans its water future - Riverside Press Enterprise
DROUGHT PLANNING:
Rationing, price hikes are ways to save water; Meeting looks at drought plans - Whittier Daily News
DROUGHT BUSTERS:
After a dry spell, DWP's Drought Busters program is back - Los Angeles Times
Editorial: Preventing a water shortage -
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AG ISSUES:
Inland farmers among first in line to feel strain from drought
Riverside Press
By Jennifer Bowles, staff writer
Southern California farmers will be the first to feel the pinch of the ongoing drought when their water supplies are cut 30 percent starting Jan. 1, a reduction that could last the entire year and possibly longer.
The cutback by the Metropolitan Water District will be the most severe ever for Inland farmers, and residential cuts could come next, especially if a La Niña weather pattern causes another dry winter.
The reduction will affect nearly 2,000 growers in western
And at one
"I never really expected this," said George Cordero, who farms the produce on 750 acres. "I can see them cutting back on golf courses, but we only use it seasonally, and it's our living."
Cordero's father started C&R Farms in 1971, and today, the family sells produce to grocery stores up and down
Like many farmers, Cordero doesn't have a well to tap into local groundwater supplies. The farm has been switched to drip irrigation to use water more efficiently, he said.
Cordero said his family and other farmers who lease some of the land will have to figure out whether to plant fewer acres next spring.
Because many farmers seem unsure of the water-reduction details, the Riverside County Farm Bureau and Inland water agencies will host an informational meeting for them Tuesday at
"A lot of farmers are still in the dark about what's happening," said Steve Pastor, the Farm Bureau's executive director. "They've heard rumors, but they don't know exactly what's coming and to what extent the cut is going to be."
Dry, Dry, Dry
MWD, primarily an urban supplier to 18 million Southern Californians, is facing major reductions from its imported sources: the
Under a program that MWD adopted in 1994, farmers are first in line for mandatory cuts because they pay 20 percent to 30 percent less than suppliers who sell to residential consumers, said Jeff Kightlinger, the district's general manager.
MWD can supply as much as 39,000 acre-feet a year to western
Farmers in the agriculture-rich
Kightlinger said it's likely the cutbacks will continue through 2008 and possibly into the following year, depending on how much rain and snow falls.
"Right now, it looks like it could be a while, and that's the difficult thing in terms of planning," he said.
In 1991, the MWD board was preparing to impose even more stringent cutbacks for everyone, but the so-called Miracle March storms filled reservoirs and dumped snow on the mountains, said Bob Muir, a district spokesman. A 17 percent cutback was imposed but lasted only a few months, he said.
A similar break seems unlikely this time, Kightlinger said, because forecasters are predicting another dry winter following one of the worst on record for
A La Niña weather pattern this winter is expected to bring less moisture to the air and less rain along the Pacific coasts of North and
"She's the demon diva of drought," said William Patzert, a climatologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
Residents could face mandatory cutbacks next year, Kightlinger said. The MWD board will consider adopting a plan in January to outline how the agency would make across-the-board cuts to its member agencies, a move he said could lead to water rationing.
"We're going to get it ready and implement as needed," he said. Depending on this winter's rain, the agency might impose a small cutback of 5 percent to 10 percent to make reserves last longer, he said.
"You don't want to be in the position of just praying for rain," Kightlinger said. But, "at the end of the day, we can do all the planning we want, but we're always at the mercy of the weather to some extent."
Working With Farmers
Many of western
"People don't realize it's still a very viable industry, and very diverse. We grow everything under the sun," said John Snyder, the county's agricultural commissioner.
Earlier this year, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors passed an emergency declaration for drought-affected farmers so they could tap into federal funds to offset crop damage. But that declaration applied to a small segment of the region's farmers -- dry-land farmers who grow grains and rely heavily on the rain and livestock ranchers who had to relocate their herds to greener pastures, Snyder said.
Although it's too early to assess the economic impact from the water cutback, fewer crops would have a ripple effect on businesses that pack and transport the products, Snyder said.
Farmers such as Cordero, who grow row crops, can farm fewer acres if they get less water, but those who grow permanent crops, such as citrus, avocados and grapes, "are against a rock and a hard place because they can't let those trees die," he said.
At one Temecula farm, some avocado trees might have to be cut short to survive, but they wouldn't produce fruit for at least three years, said Tim Hanify, field operations director for Eco Farms. The Temecula-based operation also has avocado groves in
"This is probably the worst of those three," he said of the water reduction.
With the upcoming cutback, MWD expects its member agencies in
An agency that uses more than the monthly target for six months will be fined $1,212 for every acre-foot above the limit.
Higher-quality farm water normally costs $394 per acre-foot.
In addition to next week's meeting, Perris-based Eastern Municipal Water District officials plan to meet with farmers individually in December.
"We need to hear from them and learn how this will impact them and, at the same time, how we can help them," said Behrooz Mortazavi, the district's assistant general manager of resources development.
Hardest-hit of the local water agencies is Riverside-based Western Municipal Water District, which funnels much of its agricultural water to Rancho California Water District and the vineyards and avocado groves in the Temecula area.
Meggan Reed, a spokeswoman for Rancho
For instance, she said, avocado growers will get a certain amount of water per acre, and it will be the same for each avocado grower. And if need be, Reed said, the district will help farmers use the water more efficiently.
"We want to sustain agriculture out here," she said. "We don't want to lose them." #
http://www.pe.com/localnews/sbcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_H_farmers17.343ea5a.html
DEVELOPMENT PLANNING:
Riverside Press
By Imran Ghori, staff writer
From a peak in the Crafton Hills, a group of about 30
New homes will be built with dual meters that allow the delivery of drinking water and recycled water for irrigation, said Joe Zoba, general manager of the Yucaipa Valley Water District.
Meanwhile, the state Department of Water Resources plans to more than double the size of the 5-acre Crafton Hills reservoir, which opened in 2000.
Members of the Crafton Hills Open Space Conservancy and curious
Hikers, enjoying a clear, sunny November morning stopped at different points along the trail above Stanley Ranch, while conservancy and water officials talked about water issues.
Part of the group continued on to a new 2-mile trail dedicated two weeks ago that loops around the hills.
Scott Bangle, a board member with the conservancy and the Yucaipa Valley Water District, said conservancy members support the reservoir expansion.
"We're all working together to make sure there's adequate water reserves for everybody," Bangle said.
The reservoir expansion, which would involve cutting through a nearby ridge and building a dam, would increase its capacity from 85 acre-feet to 225 acre-feet.
An acre-foot is equal to about 325,850 gallons, enough to supply a family of four for two years.
The state Department of Water Resources will begin an environmental study for the project in December, said Tom Barnes, a consultant with Environmental Sciences Association, a
The hike, one of six organized in the fall and spring by the conservancy, attracted both experienced hikers and those wishing to learn more about the community.
Steve Frenken, a landscape architect who moved to
"It's neat to get out and see some new trails and meet with some new community members," Frenken said. #
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_B_byucaipa18.f99ee.html
DROUGHT PLANNING:
Rationing, price hikes are ways to save water; Meeting looks at drought plans
By Mike Sprague, staff writer
Officials from Central Basin Municipal Water District and others presented ways for local agencies to deal with the drought Thursday in a morning conference at the Norwalk Arts and Sports Complex.
About 30 people from 14 agencies, including the cities of
"We're praying for rain, but planning for dry water conditions," said Mark Stuart, chief of the southern district for the state Department of Water Resources.
"(You need to) develop a plan for what you're going to do if we end up in a dry year," Stuart said.
Officials from
While any plan should begin with a public-information campaign, as the situation gets worse tougher measures may be needed, said David Hill, water resources manager for
Restrictions can be placed on how water is used, Hill said.
The city of
These bans can be enforced by using "water cops," or hot lines where neighbors "rat out" each other or even putting on a flow-restrictor for "egregious" offenders, Hill said.
Raising rates also can reduce demand, he said.
"This has been shown to have an immediate effect on reducing demand but sometimes you get angry people," he said.
As a last resort, agencies could ration water. It could range from a flat percentage to allotments by house or people in the home, or a combination of some of these, Hill said.
Whittier-area water officials called the conference informative, but none committed themselves to any of the suggestions.
In fact, Garry Hofer, spokesman for Suburban, said his company has no plans for any rationing in the short-term future.
"Suburban is somewhat insulated from the drought," Hofer said. "We have six different sources of supply from different agencies."
But Bob Noonan, an Orchard Dale board member, said his district, which could face cutbacks, needs to get prepared.
"The future is here," Noonan said. "We're going to look at doing all of these things."
Tom Lopez, assistant director of public works for Santa Fe Springs, said many of the suggestions already are on the books in his city.
But it's been more than a decade since they were passed, and they need to be reviewed again, Lopez said. #
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_7485639
DROUGHT BUSTERS:
After a dry spell, DWP's Drought Busters program is back
By Steve Hymon, staff writer
The official headquarters of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power sits atop
Not even City Hall has gone that medieval yet.
Last week, city leaders gathered at the DWP to announce the revival of the Drought Busters program, which last was used during the severe drought in the early 1990s.
The name is a bit of a misnomer. The Drought Busters -- six full-time DWP employees -- do not actually have the ability to change the weather. They do, however, get to drive around town in hybrid cars and tell people to stop wasting water.
Officials at the news conference -- including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa -- took pains to say that mandatory water restrictions still are not in effect. They also passed out a list of water uses prohibited by law in
For example, it is supposedly illegal to water your lawn this time of year from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. because it's wasteful due to evaporation. But no one, including the Drought Busters, is going to write you a ticket. Instead, the busters will politely insist that you stop.
City Council President Eric Garcetti threw down the gauntlet and said he's no longer shaving in the shower. When drought plagued
Why won't
"We're already conserving in this town better than most big cities in
The city's water conservation law was passed in 1990 during a drought, and it's still on the books. The law also allows the DWP to phase in other restrictions during a water emergency.
For example, the first new restriction would be that customers could use only 90% of the water they normally use during a billing period. Residents who don't abide would get a warning for the first offense, a $50 surcharge for the second and $150 for the third. A fourth offense would allow the DWP to put a device on the pipes coming into the customer's house to restrict water flow. Fun stuff.
Will any of this really happen?
It depends on whether it's a snowy winter across the West. In all likelihood, only an epic dry winter would trigger restrictions.
It certainly has been dry thus far. Snowfall in the Sierra has been light, and two major ski resorts in the
While waiting on the weather, officials in
The question that gnaws at us is whether any of this is really enough. The DWP has some slight water rate hikes in the works. But the city's water supply isn't increasing while its population is, and, at some point, something has to give.
Why should members of the tony Jonathan Club watch out for DWP Commission President Nick Patsaouras?
Patsaouras has said twice in recent weeks that he's growing mighty annoyed at seeing fellow members let the water run while they shave and talk football in the club's locker room.
"I haven't said anything yet," Patsaouras said, and it's worth noting that "mild-mannered" is not what comes to mind when thinking of Patsaouras.
In other news, what might interest opponents of the proposed Home Depot store in Sunland-Tujunga?
Peter Gutierrez, a city attorney who represented
Gutierrez was the city's top lawyer for land-use issues. He supervised 40 city lawyers and advised council members earlier this year to force Home Depot to go through a more expensive environmental review.
Two months after the vote, Home Depot -- with Latham acting as its lawyer -- filed a lawsuit over the council's decision. So now, the city won't have Gutierrez to rely on for expertise.
Is there a way to find out whether an elected official in the city who says he or she is rejecting a pay raise really does, in fact, reject a pay raise?
Yes. The news came last week that all 18 elected officials in the city were getting 4.16% raises, which would elevate council salaries to $178,789. Citing the city's wobbly finances, six elected officials said they would reject the raise, which comes automatically when Superior Court judges get a pay boost.
Each official who wants to abstain from the pay hike must send City Controller Laura Chick a written request to turn down the raise. Such requests are public records and can be examined in the coming days or weeks.
How?
Submit a public records request to the controller. It's easy -- you can find a sample letter by the California First Amendment Coalition at www.cfac.org.
As for elected officials, they've now received raises totaling about 25% during the last 2 1/2 years. The city doesn't announce the raises -- the only way they're publicized is when a resident or reporter asks about them. That's not exactly a model of transparency.
How many billboards are there on
If driving east through El Sereno, we counted 19 in a 1.9-mile stretch. Many loom directly over homes adjacent to
For reasons that remain unclear, a certain reporter has found counting billboards a soothing way to pass time while sitting in traffic. Until 1986, the city pretty much allowed billboards to be put anywhere in commercially zoned areas, the reason some streets look like a highway in, say, Georgia.
It's also worth mentioning that the billboard inventory that the city said it would assemble last year still isn't done. Next year, say officials at the Building and Safety Department.
Who will soon hold a big meeting of the city's general managers?
Garcetti, the council president, has invited the agency chiefs to a Nov. 29 meeting in the big room atop the City Hall tower. It's an unusual move.
Villaraigosa heard about it and, at a recent meeting with the chiefs, told them he doesn't mind. He also reminded them, as he often does, that according to the City Charter, they report to him.
And, finally, where's a good place to scream about traffic?
A dozen elected leaders from around the region will hold a Westside subway and transit summit today at 3 p.m. at the Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd. (Seating is very limited.) The list includes council members from
Radio commentator Kitty Felde is the moderator, and it will be fun to see whether there's any agreement among the politicians over the issue of Westside rail. We suggest that Felde ask the pols if any of them has a plan -- not a passing thought or another traffic-is-bad metaphor -- for how to pay for the "subway to the sea." #
Editorial: Preventing a water shortage
WHEN 100 policy experts from the
In the South, the drought has dried up surface water supplies and brought the governor of
Last year, the voters approved a package of bonds, including two relating to water, Prop. 1E, a $4.1 billion bond for flood protection to repair levees in the
While we supported these water bond measures as good investments, as did a large majority of California voters, the state has moved too slowly in the year that has passed.
According to experts gathered at USC last week held by the Keston Institute for Public Finance and Infrastructure Policy, less than one-third of the Prop. 84 bonds have been committed as of today.
Like we wrote last week on transportation bonds, a foot-dragging bureaucracy and a politically charged process has gummed up the works.
We would suggest that before putting on the ballot another bond for water quantity and quality, a more direct method is put in place for spending these bonds and identifying specific projects. Some at the USC conference leaned toward formation of a citizens advisory committee whose members are appointed by the Legislature and governor. It would have the power to dole out checks to worthy projects.
We like the way Metropolitan Water District approached the process, by of course supporting better water flow through the San Joaquin/Sacramento River Delta and by granting money to local member agencies. In water, it is the local districts and water purveyors who supply the water to customers - homeowners and businesses. The money needs to flow to local agencies who have their finger on the spigot of key water projects.
One of those projects we'd like to see get funded - if not in the approved bonds than certainly in future ones coming out of Sacramento's long-delayed water sessions - is cleanup of the San Gabriel Basin's polluted ground-water hot spots. Where pollution has seeped into the ground water and shut down wells, water companies must find other water sources, often that means using much more costly and more precious imported supplies from the Delta and the
Instead of relying on shrinking, long-distance supplies, why not clean up polluted basin wells so local water agencies can start pumping again?
Unfortunately, ground water cleanup stands little chance of funding from Prop. 84 or Prop. 1E. New bonds being discussed in
Too often, local Republicans are not in the discussion and that prevents our area from benefitting from statewide bonds.
Republicans may be citing objections to an added debt burden or are sticking to "the party line," but that hasn't stopped other Republicans from helping out their districts, namely Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-San Jose, whose district stretches from
Republicans and Democrats must come to the table, particularly as the next water bond gets formulated. Local projects - including cleanup of our ground water - must be in the mix. Our local ground water basins are a hedge against the current drought and future droughts. But if we overpump them and pollute them, without any remediation, we'll be wasting our own precious water resource.
And then we may find ourselves praying for rain. #
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinions/ci_7493250
Guest Opinion: Recycled water projects on tap
By Janna Orkney, of Oak Park, is chairwoman of Triunfo Sanitation District and the Joint Powers Authority and Joseph Bowman, of Westlake Village, is president of the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District board and vice chairman of the Joint Powers Authority
There is no substance more critical to our lives than water. The recent passage of the Water Resources Development Act by Congress is a milestone on the national level with local benefits.
The legislation contains seven years of projects that have accumulated since the last bill of its type. Included are projects that impact water supply, infrastructure and wastewater treatment. While the price tag may seem high, the price for not building many of these projects is even higher. We only have to look at the Minnesota I-35 freeway bridge to see the cost of neglecting our national infrastructure.
Locally, the Joint Powers Authority — composed of Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and Triunfo Sanitation District — has worked very hard, through Reps. Henry Waxman and Elton Gallegly and Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, to achieve authorization for the expansion of local recycled water projects in the Water Resources Development Act.
The development of recycled water for irrigation reduces the demand for potable water imported from
While getting a local project listed in the bill is significant, there is still a long journey ahead. We must work to obtain funding for the authorization and a significant local match will be required for the project to become a reality.
We write to publicly thank our representatives in Washington and to share with the public a local connection with this important national effort to further develop and manage California's limited water resources. #
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/nov/18/recycled-water-projects-on-tap/
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