[Water_news] 2. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: SUPPLY - 12/14/07

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment 

 

December 14, 2007

 

2. Supply

 

WATER TRANSFER ISSUES:

Talk of water transfers grows more serious, even with the dry weather - Chico Enterprise Record

 

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SUPPLY ISSUES:

Water district imposes cutbacks; Long drought takes its toll - Agora Acorn

 

Guest Opinion: Dry Times Ahead - Santa Monica Mirror

 

WELL SUPPLY ISSUES:

Mine's impact on wells unknown; Gold producer can't assure residents that water levels won't decline - Grass Valley Union

 

 

WATER TRANSFER ISSUES:

Talk of water transfers grows more serious, even with the dry weather

Chico Enterprise Record – 12/14/07

By Heather Hacking, staff writer

 

As snow flakes and rain drops continue to be few and far between throughout the state, water agencies are becoming increasingly more serious about talks with Northern Sacramento Valley water users for possible water transfers.

 

However, there are many questions about possible sales, including whether it is possible to move water through the state, even if significant amounts of rain and snow arrive.

 

Also, with the price of rice relatively stable, farmers must decide whether it makes more economic sense to sell water or grow rice next year.

 

Last week the San Diego County Water Authority Board voted to move ahead on water talks with Butte County farmers.

 

Water supply is tight this year due to long-term drought on the Colorado River, slim snowpack so far, and a court decision that would cut water deliveries from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to thwart the decline of the threatened Delta smelt.

 

Dean Reynolds, of the office of water use efficiency and transfers for the Department of Water Resources, said he has heard of interest in purchases of about 300,000 acre-feet from the entire Sacramento Valley.

 

There are many unanswered questions, including analysis of Judge Oliver Wanger's U.S. District Court decision that cuts by up to one third the amount of water that can be pumped south from the Delta, in an effort to protect the smelt.

Reynolds said 300,000 acre-feet would be at the top of what could be transferred. In mid-January a better picture of the years' water picture should develop, he said.

 

Gordon Hess, imported water program director for the San Diego County Water Authority, said his agency is negotiating with the Joint Water District for about 25,000 acre-feet of water. The Joint District includes Richvale Irrigation District, Biggs-West Gridley Water District, Butte Water District and Sutter Extension Water District.

 

San Diego has also had indirect discussions with other Sacramento Valley water districts.

 

"It's really too early to know," Hess said. "We would like to be able to enter into an agreement and then make a decision in March through the end of April. By the end of April we should have a pretty clear idea," of the water supply, he said.

 

If water conditions are below normal, there is more likelihood that the water would be allowed to be transferred.

Hess said even if the water supply increases with more rain and snow melt, San Diego is interested in buying water for groundwater and surface storage for a reserve.

 

Thad Bettner, general manager of Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, said growers in the district were asked whether they are interested in participating in a water transfer, and responses are due today.

 

With conditions uncertain, and interest in a deal still trickling in, Bettner said he sees a 50/50 chance that something will happen. Talk now is about transferring about 68,000 acre-feet.

 

He said he believes it's the same up and down the valley. "Everybody is kind of waiting," he said.

 

Commodity prices are good, which makes it a seller's market, he said.

 

Western Canal Water District Manager Ted Trimble said his agency has been approached to sell water, but there's would be a significant amount of time before it is known if any water could actually be moved.

 

"Everybody up here is trying to find out if there is interest," Trimble said.

 

The price for the water would need to be high enough to compete with earnings from growing rice. At times rice is not grown, farmers have a chance to work over their fields and manage weeds.

 

Butte County is also negotiating a water sale of 5,000 acre-feet of water or more. As one of 29 State Water Contractors, Butte is allowed up to 27,500 acre-feet a year during years when water is plentiful. But so far this year, State Water Contractors have been told they can expect 25 percent of their allotments.

 

Normally, the water must be used within the county.

 

However, the state also expects Butte County to pay for the full allotment even if the water is not used. Recently, the state notified the county that it must pay for access to that water, with a bill of $811,214 a year.

 

Butte hasn't budgeted for that amount, and the state said the county could sell some of that water to the state's bill.

Because the water would be transferred through the State Water Project, the likelihood of a contract going through is high because the county water would have an easier chance working its way through the state's water infrastructure.

 

The realities of a lower water supply are beginning to be felt in dry areas of the state. Southern California relies heavily on water from the Colorado River system, which has been in a drought for eight years.

 

Drought plans are already going into place. In the Coachella Valley Water District, homeowners are being paid to change their landscaping to drought-tolerant plants.

 

Farmers in western Riverside County have been told the will see a 30 percent cutback in water as of Jan. 1.

 

San Diego water users have been urged through a media campaign to take steps to use less water.

 

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in June asked that city's residents to cut water use by 10 percent. However from June through October, water consumption was actually up 1 percent over the same period last year, according to city figures released this month.  #

http://www.chicoer.com//ci_7719380?IADID=Search-www.chicoer.com-www.chicoer.com

 

 

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SUPPLY ISSUES:

Water district imposes cutbacks; Long drought takes its toll

Agora Acorn – 12/13/07

 

In an effort to stretch diminishing water supplies, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) has notified the agricultural customers in its service area that they must reduce potable water use by 30 percent effective Jan. 1, 2008.

 

The LVMWD Board of Directors is also requesting a 10 percent cutback in potable water consumption by residential and commercial customers.

 

"Over the past year, Southern California water agencies have been meeting demand by drawing upon water stored from previous wet years," said John Mundy, LVMWD general manager. "With no relief to the drought in sight, we must take steps now to ensure we have adequate supplies for the coming year."

 

The water conservation actions are need to refill depleted storage reservoirs, Mundy said. In addition, water managers face a courtordered 30 percent reduction in the amount of supplies they receive from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

 

LVMWD receives all of its water from the delta via the State Water Project.

 

To help achieve the new conservation goals, LVMWD is offering its customers free water use surveys. Conservation information also can be found on the district's website, www.LVMWD.com.

 

The water district says the following steps can be taken to cut back on wasted water.

 

•Reduce irrigation times and schedule outdoor watering only every other day. Be sure irrigation systems are off during and immediately after periods of rain. Also be sure sprinkler heads are properly aimed and functioning.

 

•Repair all leaking toilets or faucets.

 

•Turn off water when brushing teeth or shaving.

 

•Take shorter showers. A shower uses less water than a bath.

 

•Do not wash down driveways and sidewalks with a hose; sweep them with a broom instead.

 

•Only wash full loads of dishes or laundry.

 

•Be sure to use a trigger nozzle on the hose when washing a car at home.

 

"We know that nearly 70 percent of the water delivered in our service area is used outdoors," said Randal Orton, LVMWD's interim director of resource conservation and public outreach.

 

"That's the easiest place to find savings. If you see water running off a property and flowing along the curb, it's an indicator of a poorly functioning irrigation system that is wasting a lot of water," Orton said.

 

Mundy said unless conditions improve "significantly," a series of escalating water conservation measures may be enacted.  #

http://www.theacorn.com/news/2007/1213/Front_Page/003.html

 

 

Guest Opinion: Dry Times Ahead

Santa Monica Mirror – 12/14/07

By Timothy Quinn, Executive Director, Association of California Water Agencies

 

When the rest of the world thinks of Southern California, it thinks of beaches, of swimming pools, of…water.  Water has always played a major role in life in the Southland.  And with good reason – without a steady supply of imported water, Southern California wouldn’t exist as we know it today.

 

Because the entire region depends heavily on this important resource, there is growing concern about how the region’s economy, quality of life, and environment will fare in the face of a deepening, statewide water crisis.  Experts are warning that California’s water problems are so serious that many parts of the state, including the Southland, may soon be facing water rationing and reduced supplies.

 

State leaders and environmental authorities agree that California’s statewide water system is in crisis.  Yet despite intense media coverage and focus by the governor and legislators, the public remains unaware of the state’s water problems.  That’s why a statewide coalition of 450 public water agencies recently decided to launch a public education program to inform people about critical challenges now confronting the state’s water supply and delivery system.  These challenges affect each and every Californian, and we can longer afford to ignore them.

 

With nearly 18 million residents, the Southern California region is the second largest metropolitan area in the nation. 

 

 Drawn by the area’s economy and culture, people are continuing to move to the area, increasing the demand for water.  Local water agencies have been aggressively working to reduce residential and commercial water use through conservation and efficiency programs.  While these efforts are critical, they alone are not enough to shield residents from the growing water crisis.

 

One of the biggest worries is the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the single most important link in California’s water supply system.  While this natural estuary is hundreds of miles away, it provides more than one-third of Southern California’s water supply.  But for all its importance, the Delta is in an ecological crisis that threatens both our water supply and the environment.  To complicate matters, a strong earthquake could damage deteriorating Delta levees, crippling state water deliveries for up to two years.

 

While the Delta funnels water to 25 million Californians, it is also an important environmental resource that is home to 750 distinct species of plants and wildlife, including the threatened Delta smelt.  Recently, a federal court ordered the state’s two largest water systems to cut deliveries by one-third next year to protect the fish – potentially the largest court-ordered water supply reduction in California history. 

 

 There is no doubt that Southland residents will experience a significant reduction in water supply because of the court order.  In fact, Long Beach has already imposed mandatory water restrictions.  Just recently, the Metropolitan Water District not only announced rate increases and a 30 percent supply cutback for agricultural customers, but also warned of the potential of water rationing in the future.

 

These challenges, combined with the demands of a growing population and the effect of climate change, create a water supply and delivery crisis that we cannot disregard.  With water reserves already low for many agencies following a 10-day halt in deliveries from the Delta this summer to protect smelt, the situation will be dire if dry conditions continue.

 

Drought is a serious worry to state water managers.  This year was one of the driest years on record, and weather experts are now predicting a La Niña – a “demon diva of drought” – this winter, which could result in two-thirds less rainfall than normal. Another record-dry year, combined with the cutbacks, will spell disaster for a system that already struggles to meet the needs of people and the environment. 

 

Never before has California’s water system faced the troubles it faces today.  It is critical that Southern California residents – and all Californians – take the combined threat of drought, climate change, supply reductions, and potential natural disasters seriously.  We simply cannot afford to ignore these problems – California’s present and future economy, environment, and quality of life depend on a reliable water system.  #

http://www.smmirror.com/MainPages/DisplayArticleDetails.asp?eid=6843

 

 

WELL SUPPLY ISSUES:

Mine's impact on wells unknown; Gold producer can't assure residents that water levels won't decline

Grass Valley Union – 12/14/07

By Greg Moberly, staff writer

 

A plan to reopen the Idaho-Maryland Mine doesn't guarantee that nearby residents using well water won't lose some of their water supply, but mine officials said the likelihood of that occurring is highly remote.

The issue was discussed at a community meeting to discuss residents' concerns about the Idaho-Maryland Mine, which mining officials want to reopen in 2010 or 2011. It operated from 1862 to 1956.

The steep rise in the price of gold - to roughly $800 an ounce - is causing a resurgence in gold mining worldwide, but plans to reopen the Grass Valley mine have been in the works since long before the recent price spike.

Like oil drilling, mining projects require years of lead time and lengthy regulatory approval processes.

"You can't assure us what's going to happen?" said Grass Valley resident Pat Wynne, referring to the concern of losing well water if the mine reopens.

"That's correct," said Jeff Harvey, a project manager with Environmental Science Associates, at Wednesday night's meeting.

The consulting firm for the Idaho-Maryland Mine is expected to complete its draft environmental review by late spring.

Before Wednesday's question and answer session, the firm's experts told a packed meeting hall at the LOVE building in Condon Park that they don't have all the answers yet.

The consultants had determined that in all likelihood any well water failure resulting from a dewatering of the existing mine tunnels would be subtle and occur over time.

"You're not going to get a sudden failure," Harvey said. "If there is a failure, the wells closer to the mine would be affected."

Most nearby wells that the Idaho-Maryland Mining Corp. has monitored don't go as deep as most of the mining tunnels, said David Watkinson, president of the mine.

Most wells are above 300 feet and most mining tunnels are below 1,000 feet, Watkinson said.

"The chances of interconnection are low," Watkinson said. "You could drill a million holes and you couldn't figure out where all the underground cracks (which could leak water) connect."

Resident Joy Waite wanted to know what Emgold, owners of the proposed mine, would do for residents who lose well water.

"Will Emgold be responsible for the loss of the water?" Waite asked. "How long will Emgold be required to provide water?"

"That's what we need to address in our mitigation program," Harvey said.

Wolf Creek also is connected to some rock and surface fractures, the consultants said.

Any water lost from the creek would be minimal, Watkinson said, referring to it as "seepage." A crack could be filled with a grout-like substance, he said.

The mine would be reopened with 100 percent of the mine waste used to make ceramic tiles.

The mine would reopen by 2011, one or two years after the 72 miles of underground mine tunnels are dewatered, company officials said. #

http://www.theunion.com/article/20071214/NEWS/112140160