Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
November 5, 2007
5. Agencies, Programs, People
WATER PROJECTS LEGISLATION:
Water bill override expected; Legislation essential for area, Herger says - Marysville Appeal Democrat
Bush's water bill veto blasted; House, Senate leaders vow to override choice - Desert Sun
Plan manages Colorado River in drought; SLC hydrologist says the arrangement means 'everyone shares the pain' -
Guidelines proposed for river use - Mohave Daily News
Out West, a Falling
DELTA LEVEES:
Expert: Delta due for a quake -
SOLANO IRRIGATION DISTRICT CAMPAIGN:
SID board campaign a race redux - Vacaville Reporter
GM RESIGNS AT EL DORADO IRRIGATION DISTRICT:
General manager resigns - Sacramento Bee
WATER PROJECTS LEGISLATION:
Water bill override expected; Legislation essential for area, Herger says
Marysville Appeal Democrat – 11/3/07
By John Dickey, staff writer
President Bush vetoed legislation Friday that offers more than $20 billion for flood control and other water projects across the country, including funding to repair Marysville’s levees.
Congress promptly scheduled votes next week that are expected to override his action.
When the House votes as early as Tuesday, Rep. Wally Herger, R-Chico, will be among those expected to vote again for the Water Resources Development Act of 2007.
Herger said that while he supports the president’s attempts to hold down spending, the legislation is very important for his district’s safety.
The act authorizes as much as $107 million for one project alone, the
“An issue that affects health and safety like this water bill is something that I will override,” said Herger.
The legislation includes more than $1.3 billion in authorizations for 54 flood control, ecosystem restoration and other water projects in
Herger’s district, which covers the Mid-Valley, is among the places that could benefit from the legislation if Congress overrides the president’s veto.
Other Herger district projects that could see money from the authorization bill include the Hamilton City J Levee flood protection project to build a new levee in the
There is also as much as $23 million in funding authorized to fix erosion sites along the Sacramento River that threaten a fish screen and irrigation pumps in Glenn and Colusa counties.
The legislation is an authorization bill with actual appropriation amounts to be set in a separate piece of legislation.
Both the House and Senate passed the act with substantial majorities sufficient to override the president’s veto if they hold. The House voted 381-40 for the legislation, while the Senate voted 81-12.
Boxer, chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, said work has already begun across party lines to override what she called an “ill-advised veto.”
“We haven’t had a WRDA bill in almost seven years, leaving many of
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/legislation_56098___article.html/water_herger.html
Bush's water bill veto blasted; House, Senate leaders vow to override choice
Desert Sun – 11/3/07
By Diana Marrero and Maria Lee, staff writers
A bill that would authorize $23 billion for more than 900 water projects across the country was vetoed by President Bush on Friday.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., criticized Bush, saying his veto "breaks his commitment to
Here are some questions and answers about what the bill would do and what the veto means:
QUESTION: What would the bill do?
ANSWER: The bill, known as the Water Resources Development Act, doesn't include any money. Instead, it sets spending limits for specific U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects for shipping, flood control and environmental restoration projects, as well as local drinking water and wastewater treatment plants. Money for the projects, which isn't a sure thing, would be part of an appropriations bills to be considered next year.
What would the bill do for
The water bill authorizes more than $1 billion in water projects in
$40 million to establish a statewide program for critical water quality projects in
$30 million for restoration of the Salton Sea, which is shrinking, creating air quality problems in the
Construction of a wastewater system for the Mission Springs Water District, which serves Desert Hot Springs and the surrounding areas.
A flood study in
A study to determine flood control measures in the
Why did President Bush veto the water projects bill?
He questions why local water treatment plans are included since they aren't part of the Army Corps of Engineers mission. He says the legislation would add to the Corps' backlog of pending work and there wouldn't be enough money for all the projects.
"American taxpayers should not be asked to support a pork-barrel system of federal authorization and funding where a project's merit is an afterthought," Bush said in a statement.
What happens next?
The water projects bill passed the House 381-40 and the Senate 81-12. A veto override attempt is expected next week.
When would projects begin?
Getting a project listed in the authorization bill doesn't guarantee funding. Funding decisions will come next year. If a project receives funding in 2008, the actual work might not begin until 2009. Complications could mean an even longer wait, an Army Corps of Engineers spokesman said. #
http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007711030317
Plan manages
Salt
By Patty Henetz, staff writer
The Law of the River has gotten another adjustment with a federal plan to manage the
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Friday released a final environmental impact study that could be a way to avoid renegotiating an 85-year-old agreement based on inflated notions of how much water really is in the river.
Or, according to river advocates, the plan that will govern use and allocation through 2026 could be a way to ensure none of the seven Western states that share the river ever has enough water.
The study's conclusions drew from a consensus decision by the seven Western states that depend on the
"This is an arrangement for operating the river where everyone shares the pain when you're going through a drought time," said Tom Ryan, a Bureau of Reclamation hydrologist in
The Bureau of Reclamation began the environmental study in 1999. Since then, the river basin has experienced the worst drought in 100 years of recorded history, and its two largest reservoirs -
The report, expected to be final in December, plans how the upper basin states - Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico - will respond to demand from California, Arizona and Nevada, the lower basin states, which have more people and older water rights.
While the Bureau of Reclamation implicitly acknowledges that the 1922 Colorado River Compact is based on estimates from unusually wet years and its report assumes ongoing shortages, it doesn't suggest any changes to the agreement.
"Nobody wants to renegotiate the compact. The feeling is the compact provides an adequate framework for managing the river," Ryan said.
But to John Weisheit, conservation director for the non-profit organization Living Rivers, the bureau's solution entrenches wastefulness and refuses to acknowledge ways to store water more effectively.
"We're extremely disappointed," he said. "Now we're playing this balancing act between two reservoirs that climate change is going to keep empty."
Living Rivers has long campaigned to decommission the
The organization also believes using aquifers in
But the main problem with the bureau's solution is there's not enough water, which speeds destruction of the river ecosystem, Weisheit said. #
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_7358233
Guidelines proposed for river use
Mohave Daily News – 11/4/07
“These proposed operational guidelines will provide Colorado River water users and managers in the U.S. a greater degree of certainty about how the two large reservoirs on the Colorado River will be operated under low water conditions, and when - and by how much - water deliveries will be reduced in the Lower Basin in drought or other low reservoir conditions,” Johnson said in a press release issued Friday.
The Final EIS presents six alternatives, including a no action alternative and a preferred Alternative. The preferred alternative proposes that:
- Specific water levels in Lake Mead be used to determine when a shortage condition - the availability of less than 7.5 million acre-feet - would be declared in the lower Colorado River Basin, and how that shortage would be shared by the three Lower Division states - Arizona, California and Nevada;
- Specific reservoir conditions at lakes Powell and Mead be used to determine the annual operation of the reservoirs, in a manner that would minimize shortages in the lower basin and avoid the risk of water delivery curtailments in the upper basin;
- A mechanism be implemented to encourage and account for augmentation and conservation of water supplies in Lake Mead to minimize the likelihood and severity of potential future shortages and to provide additional flexibility to meet water use needs, particularly under low reservoir conditions; and
- The Interim Surplus Guidelines established in 2001 be modified and extended through 2026.
“The Preferred Alternative was developed by Reclamation after extensive collaborative efforts with the Colorado River Basin States, environmental organizations and other stakeholders,” Johnson said in the press release. “It was designed to allow the river to be managed to meet the demands being placed on it today and into the future. I commend the states and all the other stakeholders who worked so long and hard to develop these guidelines and management strategies - this truly is an historic accomplishment.”
Development of the guidelines was spurred by the current drought in the
In the eight years since then, the Basin has experienced the worst drought conditions in 100 years of recorded history, and storage in
Because there are currently no specific guidelines for determining shortage conditions in the lower basin, or the coordinated operation of
The Final EIS is available for viewing and copying at Reclamation's project Web site, www.usbr.gov/lc/region/programs/strategies.html. Alternatively, a compact disc or hard copy is available upon written request to: Regional Director, Lower Colorado Region, Bureau of Reclamation, Attention: BCOO-1005, P.O. Box 61470, Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470; fax at 702-293-8156; or e-mail at strategies@lc.usbr.gov. #
http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2007/11/05/news/top_story/top1.txt
Out West, a Falling
New York Times – 11/4/07
By Dan Barry, staff writer
All aboard the Desert Princess for the 2 o’clock tour of historic
Loaded now with its camera-wielding cargo, the paddle-wheeling Desert Princess begins a lake loop that will include a reverent pause before the majestic Hoover Dam. Kick back in the enclosed bar, or grab one of the plastic seats on the open top deck, and drink it all in:
The glassy surface waters of the lake. The looming desert hills, now umber, now chocolate. The chalky whiteness that covers the lake-side faces of those hills; a wall of white, really, rising dozens of feet in the air and prompting one’s inner naturalist to wonder, What the heck is that?
As the boat churns along, a recorded narration discusses everything from the dinosaurs that once roamed to the gradual filling of what is now
Explanation, then, is left to a sun-baked, window-washing deckhand. He lowers his squeegee and, with the inflection of someone struggling to be patient with the slow-witted, says: “We’re in a nine-year drought.”
That whiteness covering the desert hillsides is a sort of bathtub ring, measuring through calcium and other mineral deposits how much the water level has dropped in
The melting snow on the western slopes of the Rockies feeds into the Colorado River to flow west and south, across parts of
“
True, the lake’s water level was this low 45 years ago, though Mr. Huntley attributes much of that to the filling of
But the lake was lapping at the top of Hoover Dam just two decades ago, making this drought all the more unnerving. For years its “normal” elevation ranged between 1,180 and 1,220 feet above sea level; today it is at 1,111 feet, and predicted to drop below 1,100 feet within two years.
Now there are tense meetings among several states that rely on the
Roxanne Dey, a National Park Service spokeswoman for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, says that believe it or not, the drought has had at least one positive impact: “It reminds people here that we live in a desert.”
The Desert Princess, which is available for romantic evening cruises, class reunions and Christmas parties, turns to face the Hoover Dam, a stunning gray wall of concrete 726 feet high and 1,244 feet across. Here in the wildness of the
The paddle-wheeler begins its grind back to shore. The bar is selling Lake Mead postcards taken when the water level was much higher, judging by the relative shortness of the white on the walls in the background. (Three years ago? Four?) The sound system is playing oldies music, lending a slight dance-band-on-the-Titanic effect to the journey.
The Desert Princess returns to its dock, the one it began using four years ago after the waters around its original dock became too shallow. But nothing is certain here; its owners continue to join the park service in moving operations to meet the receding shoreline. They call this expensive endeavor “chasing the water.”
What the Desert Princess narration leaves unmentioned, a fishing guide named Mark Edison lives. You can sometimes see his 24-footer skipping past the paddle-wheeler, carrying clients who seek virtue in fishing for striped bass after a smoky night of gambling. He is 48, with graying hair set off by tanned skin. Years ago he gave up his job as a corporate chef to ply waters now diminishing.
An hour after the Desert Princess docks in one marina, Mr. Edison launches his boat from another a few miles north, one that will move in a few months because its harbor is nearly unnavigable. “We used to launch way up there,” he says, pointing to a spot a few hundred yards up the dusty horizon.
His pointing continues: at a lone dock on a hill; at a camp in the dry distance that was once at waterside; at a squat water tank on
There is still a lot of water in
DELTA LEVEES:
Expert: Delta due for a quake
By Dave Roberts, staff writer
The strongest earthquake to hit the Bay Area in 18 years on Tuesday night was a reminder that the ground can move at any time, especially in
“In the 1800s there was a lot of earthquake activity in the Delta. But after 1906 there’s been a lull,” said Les Harder, deputy director, California Department of Water Resources. “It’s fairly well agreed upon that the Delta has enjoyed a quiet seismic period, and that’s not going to last. Tectonic movements continue in the Bay Area. The faults are due to break again. We’ll expect to see larger earthquakes.”
Five days after Harder spoke those words, a 5.6-magnitude quake hit near
There is a 62-percent probability of a 6.2-magnitude or larger earthquake in the next 25 years in the Bay Area, said Harder. There’s a 28-percent chance that the levees on 30 or more Delta islands will fail simultaneously in that same time period due to a large quake. The west side of the Delta (the portion nearest
“The levees are relatively fragile for earthquake shaking,” said Harder. “They are not designed for this. (Economic losses) could be as much as $60 billion for a catastrophic event.”
Delta Task Force member Raymond Seed, who is a professor of civil engineering, said that unlike the isolated break in a levee that has been seen in the past, an earthquake would cause massive levee failures.
“Some of the seismic scenarios would require us to construct tens of miles, if not hundreds of miles, of levees,” said Seed. “It would be like starting over. Putting a few rocks in place is not going to stop the channels. We may need dredges where we can literally rebuild levees almost from scratch. It’s a task we should set for ourselves. It’s not a simple issue.”
It will cost anywhere from $25-52 million per mile of levee to make them seismically safer, so the tab could be enormous. As a result, choices may have to be made on which islands are most worth saving.
“The Delta is a place that has a value in itself and should be protected as the jewel that it is,” said Harder. “(But) we don’t have the funds to protect every single thing. (The emphasis will be on) some of the towns that are there, populations that are there and other points of value – which islands have people, habitat, and are critical for infrastructure. There’s a fair amount that we want to retain. It’s probably very much in the billions of dollars.”
Currently nowhere near that amount of money is available. Proposition 1E, the $4 billion Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond approved by voters last year, may provide at least $500 million for Delta levee protection, with another $300 million available from other sources. Reclamation districts can tap into those funds, receiving 75-percent reimbursement for levee repairs. About $57 million is being spent this year on levee repairs in
A proposal has been made to spend up to $74 million to stockpile rock and make other preparations to more quickly shore up levees in case of an earthquake.
Ron Baldwin of the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services told the task force that it’s important to put together a regional agency that will be in charge of the Delta when an earthquake occurs.
“Regional is a buzzword that everyone supports until you try to implement it,” said
Linda Fiatt from the Delta Protection Commission said a group is forming to discuss how to transport people and animals off of the islands in case of levee failures.
“I was watching the media about the fires (in
To publicize and personalize the situation,
Phil Isenberg, a former state assemblyman who once represented
http://www.brentwoodpress.com/article.cfm?articleID=18050
SOLANO IRRIGATION DISTRICT CAMPAIGN:
SID board campaign a race redux
By Robin Miller, City Editor
The quiet race for Solano Irrigation District's one contested seat is a repeat of the 2003 election.
Incumbent Bob Bishop of
Back in 2003, the race was low-key and Bishop, a Pleasants Valley Farmer garnered 67 percent of the vote.
This time around, the race has also been quiet with both candidates touting their backgrounds and experience as necessary for the growing challenges that face the SID.
Bishop, 72, has served eight years on the board and is a farmer in the area. He said he can "strike a balance between agricultural, municipal and industrial water needs," in his official campaign ballot statement.
"During my tenure on the board, I have consistently voted to maintain moderate water rates and not raise taxes," he noted.
"My in-depth understanding of the water distribution network and established working relationships with local and regional agencies will ensure that vital infrastructure needed for reliable, cost-effective, and equitable water distribution is maintained while meeting federal and state quality standards."
For his part, Riddle, 65, says his qualifications include his background as a rancher and his 18 years in the area.
"I am retired from a national agency with over 38 years of experience," he noted in his ballot statment. "I bring with me the following qualifications: Senior Administrator and Operations Officer with responsibilities including agency performance, financial accountability, budget planning, and oversight for 38 managers and over 2,000 employees."
He is also a volunteer associate director for the Solano Resource Conservation District and a trustee for the Solano County Wildlife Committee.
He also serves as a parks commissioner for the
"Water is one of
The Solano Irrigation District is in charge of water delivery to the county's vast agricultural areas, delivering water from
http://www.thereporter.com//ci_7369495?IADID=Search-www.thereporter.com-www.thereporter.com
GM RESIGNS AT EL DORADO IRRIGATION DISTRICT:
General manager resigns
By Cathy Locke, staff writer
Ane Deister, general manager of the El Dorado Irrigation District for the past six years, announced last week that she will resign, effective Dec. 31.
She will join the engineering firm of Brown and Caldwell as an officer and vice president, according to a district news release.
She also will serve as restoration administrator for the federally sanctioned settlement agreement between the Friant Water Users Authority and the Natural Resources Defense Council to restore the
Bill George, district board president, said in the news release that while "we will miss her and appreciate the progress we have accomplished together, we also congratulate Ane and send her our best wishes in her career move."
George said the board has begun its search for a new general manager and has established a recruitment subcommittee consisting of directors George Osborne and George Wheeldon.
Deister said in the news release that she was especially proud of the district's progress over the past several years in improving customer service, securing water rights to ensure a reliable water supply, and in achieving a more solid financial footing. #
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