A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
December 17, 2007
2. Supply
WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM:
Long Beach water ban dripping with success; The town's consumption hit a 10-year record low in September, in part thanks to an edgy public relations campaign - Los Angeles Times
WATER CUTS:
Las Virgenes Water District asks users to cut back by 10 percent - LA Daily News
AG ISSUES:
Poway growers told they will have to cut water use - North County Times
Eastern Municipal Water District to explain cutbacks to farmers - Riverside Press Enterprise
DESALINATION:
Desal in the details: Poseidon Resources working to answer questions about environmental impact - North County Times
DEVELOPMENT:
Water deal for Folsom OK'd - Sacramento Bee
WATER SHORTAGE ISSUES:
Editorial: Water shock; Report on 'staggering' impacts of water shortage can't be ignored -
Column: Conservation plans not far-reaching enough, researchers say - North
Editorial: Move forward with water conservation -
Guest Opinion: Careful urban planning key to solving our water woes - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Guest Opinion: Time is running out to conserve water -
CLIMATE ISSUES:
Editorial: Now's the time to accept facts on climate change - Auburn Journal
Editorial: Sharing shortage: Colorado River deal is hopeful - Salt
POTENTIAL IDAHO-MARYLAND MINE WELL SUPPLY ISSUES:
Geology 101 for
WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM:
By Deborah Schoch, staff writer
Since
"STOP Wasting Water," urge the crimson warnings on the front pages of local weekly newspapers.
A YouTube video, shot hidden camera-style on a Long Beach street, shows water shooting from a broken lawn sprinkler as a timer ticks off the minutes to the dramatic chords of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The caption: "Come on. . . .E Enough is enough. CONSERVE."
Kevin Wattier, the department's general manager, has even invited journalists to his home to see how he ripped out his lawn in favor of drought-tolerant plants, tile and artificial turf.
Water demand is outstripping supply in the region, Wattier says, and it's time for permanent change. "We've gone through a tipping point. This is not a temporary thing. This is a lifestyle change," he said.
The approach is working.
Water consumption has dropped markedly in the three months since
September water use set a 10-year record low, dropping 8% from the same month last year. It fell 5% in October and 6% in November, another record.
The department designed the campaign in-house with a $70,000 budget and a two-person communications staff.
By contrast,
"These things do take time," said Ken Weinberg, director of water resources for the authority, which plans to increase its advertising.
In
Using regular hoses to wash sidewalks, patios and parking lots is also banned, a point driven home in another YouTube video that shows a woman hosing down a driveway, with a yellow smiley-face logo added to shield her identity.
Instead of ticketing, the department relies on tipsters to anonymously report scofflaw watering.
The first offense brings a polite letter, the second a personal visit. Few residents violate the rules twice, said Ryan Alsop, the department's director of government and public affairs.
Such success stands out amid mounting water woes.
An eight-year drought has significantly lowered the Colorado River, and snowpack remains slight in the
And on Friday, a U.S. District Court judge in
Worried cities are paying close attention to the state's largest water wholesaler, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which receives water from the north and the Colorado River and sells it to 26 member agencies from
The MWD already has announced a 30% cut in water supplies for farmers and is planning how it would allot water to each agency if necessary. That could lead to widespread mandatory curbs.
"We don't want to do it prematurely, but we want to have a plan in place," said Stephen Arakawa, manager of the MWD water resource management group.
Some area water officials worry that if they impose cuts now and mountain snowfall is abundant, they will be accused of "crying wolf."
Water expert Peter Gleick, co-founder and president of the Pacific Institute in
" 'Let's wait. Let's wait.' It's sort of the pray-for-rain mentality," Gleick said.
While he does not favor mandatory curbs as a first step, he said, cities that respond early to shortages can better educate people on how to conserve and invest in water-saving household appliances and landscapes.
"I think we ought to be doing things immediately. If the current winter is dry, I think it could be bad. We're going to be really sorry we didn't do things a year ago," Gleick said.
Government in the waterfront city of about 473,000 is moderate, even staid, but its Water Department is known for independence and innovation.
The department operates separately from City Hall, freeing it from most political pressure. It has its own desalination research facility, and reclaimed water accounts for nearly 9% of its water supply, compared with 1% in
Wattier, who has served as general manager for the last six years, is a civil and environmental engineer by training. He spent 13 years at the MWD, where he was assistant chief of operations.
As the water picture worsened last April,
Managers brainstormed around a table at the department's modest
The edginess of anti-smoking advertising campaigns became a model. The goal: to reach the resident who goes out at midday to water the yard with a hose in hand, and make him feel too guilty to turn on the hose.
The campaign has no pricey television commercials. Conservation spots run on 14 cable channels, and residents can choose to receive "e-watering updates" via e-mail. Free courses teach gardeners how to conserve. Car dealerships show water alerts on lighted signs along the San Diego Freeway.
Having residents report water waste is key, Alsop said. Although some dislike the approach, he said, others wanted to alert city officials rather than approaching neighbors on their own.
The campaign underscores personal responsibility, he said.
Joseph Ramallo, spokesman for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said the
Ramallo said heavy commercial and industrial water use might be skewing
Wattier voices no regrets about the stern message he is delivering to neighborhood associations, civic groups and the City Council.
"We show that graph that the three reservoirs in
"It convinces people that this is absolutely necessary." #
WATER CUTS:
Las Virgenes Water District asks users to cut back by 10 percent
LA Daily News – 12/14/07
By Dana Bartholomew, staff writer
CALABASAS - The Las Virgenes Water District is asking residents to reduce water use by 10 percent and is ordering farmers to cut back by a third.
In seeking voluntary and mandatory cutbacks, the district follows the lead of
"With no relief to the drought in sight, we must take steps now to ensure we have adequate supplies for the coming year," said John Mundy, the district's general manager. "We are dealing with water cutbacks throughout the state."
Climatologists have forecast a drier-than-normal winter following the driest year on record for
Water supplies are depleted in the Sierra Nevada mountains and the
In addition, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California must cut water supplies 30 percent from
The MWD supplies all the water used by the the Las Virgenes Water District, which serves 65,000 residents in Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Westlake Village and unincorporated Los Angeles County.
Two large vineyards along
Since nearly 70 percent of water is used outdoors, the district is asking residents to reduce use, water every other day and to sweep, rather than hose off, driveways.
They also called upon residents to fix leaks, take shorter showers and shut off faucets while shaving or brushing teeth.
To help customers conserve, the district is offering free home or business water use surveys. The district also offers rebates on water-saving appliances. For more information, go to www.LVMWD.com.
"Unless conditions improve significantly, these steps may be the first in a series of escalating water conservation measures," Mundy said. "I want to emphasize it's time for everyone to get serious about saving water." #
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_7726955
AG ISSUES:
By Andrea Moss, staff writer
The city now has joined a growing number of
In recent weeks, Vista,
For now, though, the request affects only participants in a program that offers discounted water rates to people who own agricultural properties in the city and grow avocados, citrus or other crops. Between them, those growers use about 700 acre-feet of water - a small percentage of the 12,000 to 13,000 acre-feet
For several years, the program enabled the growers to pay less for part of the water they used. In exchange, participants agreed to be first on a list of water users who would be asked to use less water when necessary.
Growers who attended a special meeting last week at City Hall were told that time is now here.
And while the reduction is voluntary at this point, White said, those who fail to make the 30 percent cut could see the amount of water they receive in the future reduced as a consequence.
Some growers have responded by saying the mandate could put them out of business or make it hard to save groves, orchards or crops damaged in October by the Witch Creek fire.
Others are questioning an approach that applies their 2007 water use as a baseline for comparing their water use in 2008, saying they would prefer to see the reduction spread among all water customers.
Judy Schultz, who owns two acres in Green Valley that are planted with 125 organic mineola and blood orange trees, is among the crop growers wondering why the call to use less water is not going out to all residents.
She and her husband spent the last few years installing a water-efficient irrigation system and taking other measures that reduced their 2007 water use to its lowest level since the couple bought their property five years ago, said Schultz.
Being told they must now cut their use even further makes them feel like their conservation efforts are being penalized, she said.
"I don't want to come off as someone who's concerned about the hardship of my crop," said Schultz. "That's not the case for me. I just wish they had taken this and spread this among everybody."
White said the city's hand was being forced by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies most of the water used in
Ongoing drought conditions in the state and a U.S. District Court judge's August ruling that reduced the amount of water that can be pumped from
Metropolitan Water District responded by telling all its San Diego-area customers, including
"They know that just financial penalties alone is not enough," White said of officials at the larger agency. #
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/12/16/news/top_stories/16_54_2512_15_07.txt
Eastern Municipal Water District to explain cutbacks to farmers
Riverside Press
By Jennifer Bowles, staff writer
As Inland farmers brace for an overall 30 percent cutback in their water supplies starting Jan. 1, a workshop will be held Monday in Perris to help them understand the reductions and how they will work.
The 3 p.m. meeting at the offices of the Eastern Municipal Water District is geared to the 130 farmers whom the agency directly supplies -- mainly egg-producing chicken farmers and growers of citrus trees, turf grass, and alfalfa in Perris, San Jacinto, Hemet, Winchester and Moreno Valley.
Metropolitan Water District instituted the cutbacks for farmers in six
The farmers affected are those who have a discounted water rate in exchange for being first in line for cuts. MWD supplies many local districts.
Peter Odencrans, an Eastern spokesman, said district officials will brief farmers on the situation and find out if there's anything that can be done to assist them.
Eastern is imposing a 30 percent across-the-board cut, Odencrans said.
Temecula-based Rancho California Water District is meeting its reduction by targeting the heavy users among its 1,700 agricultural customers.
A Dec. 5 letter to Eastern's agricultural customers from General Manager Anthony Pack noted that exceeding the 30 percent cutback would subject farmers to penalties twice the normal rate and further water reductions.
Monday's meeting will be held in the board room of the district's headquarters at
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_C_farmers15.33d9b34.html
DESALINATION:
Desal in the details: Poseidon Resources working to answer questions about environmental impact
By Gig Conaughton, staff writer
The company that wants to turn sea water off
Poseidon Resources Inc. received conditional approval in November to build a desalination plant from the California Coastal Commission, the key environmental watchdog that must approve the project.
But commissioners said they needed more specific details about the environmental harm the project could cause and how it could be eased.
Meanwhile, Coastal Commission staff members who recommended the commission reject the project said they were working with Poseidon to clear up the final environmental questions.
And environmental foes said they may file lawsuits against Poseidon and the Coastal Commission to block the plan.
Peter MacLaggan, vice president of Poseidon Resources, said last week that the company believes it will finalize its coastal permit and have a plant pumping out "drought-proof" drinking water in the near future.
"The important thing is that we remain on track to get under construction by 2008 and provide water ... by the end of 2010," he said.
Since 2000, Poseidon has been studying the idea of building an estimated $300 million plant at the Encina Power Station in
Conditional approval
On Nov. 15, coastal commissioners essentially granted the project the permit that could push it toward construction.
But it was a less than unanimous decision, and one that environmental opponents said was flawed.
After a sometimes-tense debate, opposition from commission staff, and accusations that Poseidon had withheld important environmental information, commissioners ended a marathon, nine-hour hearing by voting 9-3 to approve the permit.
But commissioners also said Poseidon had not done enough to answer environmental-harm questions.
They said before Poseidon could start building, the company had to provide the commission specific information about how the plant would minimize killing fish and marine life, and offset the carbon gases it would create.
The commission's staff said Poseidon offered only summaries of studies, not the supporting evidence to substantiate the company's plans to lessen environmental harm.
"We can't determine mitigation if we don't see their studies," said Coastal Commission Executive Director Peter Douglas after the meeting. "We need to understand what the dimensions of the impacts are so we can craft mitigation plans."
MacLaggan and Poseidon say they submitted extensive environmental studies.
The company said in its written material and at the hearing that its research determined that the plant would kill about 2 1/2 pounds of fish per day and a less than significant amount of phytoplankton, fish larvae and other microscopic organisms.
Poseidon offered to offset the marine-life harm by creating 37 acres of new wetland habitat in a joint San Dieguito River Valley program.
MacLaggan said last week that Poseidon provided the commission with more information about its fish studies since the meeting. He said the company and commission staff were starting to work together on remaining questions.
Challenges coming?
Poseidon's project may also have to contend with legal challenges to its permit.
Environmental groups that continue to oppose the project said the commission's conditional approval was illegal.
Marco Gonzalez, an environmental lawyer active in the Surfrider Foundation, said the commission staff's assertion that Poseidon hadn't submitted enough information made it impossible to award a conditional permit.
The Coastal Commission's lawyer appeared to agree with that assessment at the Nov. 15 hearing, but commissioners ignored that opinion.
"I'd say there's a fairly strong chance (the commission and Poseidon) are going to be sued," Gonzalez said. "That's as much as I can say. Even they recognize there is exposure based on the confusing way the project was approved." #
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/12/16/news/sandiego/18_46_3412_15_07.txt
DEVELOPMENT:
Water deal for Folsom OK'd
By Dorothy Korber, staff writer
The Natomas company will sell up to 10,000 acre-feet a year of available water to serve a planned 3,600-acre expansion of Folsom south of Highway 50. An acre-foot of water equals 326,000 gallons – enough to serve two typical households for a year.
The water sale was approved by more than 60 percent of the 275 shareholders, who mailed in ballots over a 45-day period. Among the shareholders are farmers, developers,
The agreement calls for the city of Folsom to pay roughly $4,000 an acre-foot for the water, with costs to be reimbursed by landowners seeking to develop the property.
The president of the Natomas water company,
"It will provide the funding we need to help finance water supply maintenance and improvements," Spangler said in a written statement, "and it will allow us to keep our commitment to reduce costs to our shareholders."
Measure W, passed by Folsom citizens in 2004, requires the city to find a new water source for development south of Highway 50. Folsom City Manager Kerry Miller said Friday that the Natomas agreement conforms with the ballot measure.
"The water is a Sacramento River supply that will not affect the
The Folsom development, to be built over the next quarter century, envisions up to 12,000 homes with 30,000 residents.
The next step for Folsom will be to look at options for transmitting the water from the
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/569378.html
WATER SHORTAGE ISSUES:
Editorial: Water shock; Report on 'staggering' impacts of water shortage can't be ignored
Santa Rosa Press Democrat – 12/16/07
The
Those are the general findings of an analysis by Robert Eyler, chair of the Department of Economics and director for the Center for Regional Economic Analysis at
A 10 percent water shortage would lead to a loss of 1,580 jobs and $199 million reduction in economic output for Marin and
But a 30 percent loss would mean a loss of 33,500 jobs (about 10 percent of the total
For
The larger the magnitude of the water shortage, the more likely that businesses will cut jobs to afford scarce water resources. "These are annual losses," the report underscores, "Many years of water shortage would be devastating to the regional economy."
The industries most directly affected by a water shortage are wineries, construction companies and medical services.
For the purposes of the study, Eyler did not focus on any particular cause of such a shortage. But he said that there is "no real sign of a natural water shortage."
But the elephant in the room was a fish. Although it was hardly discussed Thursday, the major risk to water supplies in the
As
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20071214/NEWS/712140339/1043/OPINION01
Column: Conservation plans not far-reaching enough, researchers say
By Aaron Claverie
But some water experts and environmental researchers say the conservation plans, including a voluntary 10 percent reduction recently enacted by the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, wouldn't be necessary if a few simple reforms were enacted on a large scale, such as charging more for irrigation water and boosting the use of recycled water.
"We now know that 60 percent of water use is outdoor irrigation; lawns, by and large," said Stephanie Pincetl, a researcher at the UCLA Institute of the Environment. "One way to deal with the looming decrease in water caused by climate change is dual metering: one meter that reflects outside use and one meter that reflects inside use, such as brushing your teeth or water for cooking."
The author of "Transforming California: A Political History of Land Use and Development," Pincetl said that if the water used to irrigate a lawn or hose down a driveway costs a lot more than the water used inside the house, it would encourage conservation, changing a moral decision to conserve into an economic decision with a real payoff.
"People don't really get it," she said during a recent interview. "We talk about water problems and shortages but we're not really clear about what that means. There's not a 'shortage.' We have plenty of water. There's just not enough water to create landscapes that don't have anything to do with where we live."
Pincetl, who recently attended a conference in
"Basically, you say we don't want to penalize people for their necessities," she said. "We want to penalize the people who create highly water-consumptive landscapes."
Dave Huntley, an expert on groundwater resources, said the state could cut its water use in half if the vast majority of the water used for irrigation and home use was recycled back into underground reserves, which act as a sort of natural filtration system.
The retired
Rob Whipple, the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District's conservation specialist, said there are no plans to charge more for irrigation water or pursue a dual meter plan, but he didn't rule out the ideas completely.
Depending on how severe the water crunch gets, "Everything's on the table," Whipple said.
One of the major drawbacks of starting dual meter program is the startup cost of installing all of the meters, Whipple said.
The district, which recently instituted a voluntary 10 percent conservation plan, charges an average ratepayer about half a cent per gallon for water. The district uses a tiered pricing structure to charge heavy users a higher rate.
If an average homeowner followed the district's recommendations and cut water use by 10 percent for a year - which would amount to 7,300 gallons of water - the annual savings would be $40.
Forty dollars might not seem like a lot to someone driving a truck that costs more than $100 to fill up at the pump, but it's a significant amount of money for someone on a fixed income, said Phil Williams, an Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District trustee.
As Williams sees it, there's plenty of small changes people can make to their daily routines that will save 10 percent, or 20 gallons per day.
"Hitting people in the pocketbook is not a good thing to do. If people just deducted two minutes on the timer on each cycle of their sprinklers, they'd save enough," he said.
The recent voluntary conservation plan was enacted by the district board partly because of cyclical drought-related shortages as well as the possibility of reduced water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta. A judge has ordered a reduction in pumping there because of the threat to an endangered species of fish.
Because the district imports about 60 percent of its water from two main sources, the Colorado River and
"Every district is different but we wanted to get out ahead of everything," Whipple said.
The Rancho California Water District, which serves Temecula and parts of Murrieta, has not made a specific call for a reduction, said Tim Barr, district resource planner. The district doesn't need to because it has funneled $1 million in grants and outside funding into districtwide conservation programs.
"It's a little premature (for a reduction.) We want to time it so we get a good response from the customers, and I think we can wait a little bit longer," he said recently.
Barr said the area's groundwater levels will rise - "I'll go on the record, rain is good." - but he said the rainfall doesn't lessen the area's dependence on imported water.
Like the Elsinore district, Rancho
Ken Jahn, a
For Jahn, conservation is part economic self-preservation and the right thing to do for the environment.
"I figure if we don't save enough, they're going to kick it up to such a high rate we won't be able to afford it," he said.
When Heather Johnson and her family moved to the Temecula area in the early 1990s, they rented a house with drought-resistant landscaping, specifically a rock-strewn backyard.
"We couldn't walk on it because it was too hot and the kids couldn't play on it," Johnson said.
Since then, they have moved to a home with a lawn that the kids can use for a croquet match.
Johnson is all for conservation - the family recently installed a water-saving sprinkler system - but she said it should be equally applied to everyone, not forced on people who want to walk barefoot in their backyards. #
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/12/16/news/californian/18_02_2212_15_07.txt
Editorial: Move forward with water conservation
Yes, we have had some rain in the last few months, and it has been welcome relief from several years of drought, but that does not mean entities in the Southwest should abandon efforts to conserve water.
There is still a major drought and water reserves in the West are terribly low, so abandoning water-saving measures at this point would go past sunny optimism into sheer stupidity.
An agreement signed this week guarantees that California will gets its annual Colorado River allotment of 4.4 million acre-feet unless the water levels in Lake Mead drop below 16 percent of capacity.
That does not mean
The Imperial Irrigation District’s pilot water rationing to Valley farms should not be abandoned even though the Valley’s estimated overuse of its
Not only is saving water — an increasingly valuable resource in the West and the world — a good idea for all, it is good public relations.
While there are still disputes about the pilot rationing program and some doubts whether it can be started by the target date of Jan. 1, any significant delays in implementation would make the Imperial Irrigation District and the Imperial Valley look uncooperative and stratified, an image we’ve presented all too often to the rest of the West and Washington, always to our detriment.
Simply, disputes about the program need to be settled as quickly as possible so it can start.
It would be unwise in this era of water shortages for the
Such an uncooperative mindset has made us a punching bag for decades, and a nice agreement and a little bit of rain should not make us return to it. #
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2007/12/15/our_opinion/ed02_12-15-07.txt
Guest Opinion: Careful urban planning key to solving our water woes
By Kenneth Willis, member of the Upland City Council, chairman of Chino Basin Water Master Board, secretary/treasurer of San Antonio Water Co., treasurer of West End Consolidated Water Co., and chairman of the Policy Review Committee of Inland Empire Utilities District
The drought is real. The remaining question is this: "How long a drought will it be?" The answer: "Very long."
Normally, Southern California attains the water it needs from three sources: the
Water experts are expecting that the weather pattern for the 2007-08 rainy season will be a reflection of this past year's experience, i.e., with "little or no change."
To add to the problems we face, a federal court ruling has decided that a rather small creature called the "Delta Smelt" is in danger due to water exports through the Sacramento Delta leading to the California Aqueduct. Thus about one-third of those exports are to be curtailed.
This will have quite an effect upon us locally in what we refer to as the
The
Water agencies are faced with three alternatives that can help stretch our water supply. These are conservation, reclamation and recharge.
We must conserve water in new and bolder ways. This will involve re-evaluating our landscaping practices. Reliance on native drought tolerant plants, less lawn and smaller lot sizes for new development.
Existing homes are going to have to follow the same path. Why is this important? Because roughly 65 percent of the water used in each home is spread upon outside landscape. If we save some of that water, we will have accomplished an important objective.
Serious efforts are already under way to reclaim wastewater, treat it, clean it and then reuse it in order to expand our resource.
Reclaimed water can be used to irrigate public landscape such as parks, golf courses and road medians such as
By expanding our capability to capture more water for the purpose of recharging our water basins, we can avoid loosing precious rain downstream or out to the ocean. This not only helps us to save more rainfall, it enables us to store State Project Water underground whenever there is a precious short-term surplus.
Should we stop all building? It is a fact that our population will continue to increase as the net number of births over deaths continues to rise. Moreover, immigration into
What we can do is direct new housing to conform with our new reality by insisting upon higher density, fewer big-lot
"McMansions" and firm restrictions on landscape programs.
If we attempted to stop all development in
Such an economic loss to our economy would be devastating. We would lose the tax base needed to maintain public education, public safety and a host of other important functions.
Finally, there is the question of desalination. Can we desalinate seawater? Yes, the technology does exist. However, the cost of large-scale desalinization plants would be prohibitive for many families required to pay for it. It would take an extraordinary amount of time to design, permit and build. The environmental, political and economic concerns would be so enormous it would be unlikely that all agencies could achieve consensus.
In order to afford enough water for domestic uses in the long term, we need to look at how we plan and grow.
"Sustaining" growth does not equate to urban sprawl, but instead refers to higher-density development that utilizes recycled materials and intelligent design.
Higher density may also result in greater affordability, thus allowing our own children to live as property owners instead of renters in the same towns and suburbs they have grown up in. The new reality is simply this: development of large-lot, single-family tract homes is beyond the resources of our society. We can no longer afford the water, nor for that matter the energy, that is required to continue to develop in this way.
Again, here's what will work: reclamation, conservation, recharge and careful urban planning. For the sake of our children and grandchildren these must all work hand in hand. #
http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_7733122
Guest Opinion: Time is running out to conserve water
San Francisco Chronicle – 12/16/07
By Nealan Afsari, Bay Area attorney and former broadcast news writer
Among the environmental catchphrases we hear these days, like "climate change" and "global warming," the less uttered phrase "water conservation" needs to be injected back into the discourse on environmental conservation. Just this month, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue led a public prayer on the steps of the state Capitol, in the hopes of summoning a storm to bring the drought-stricken state and other parts of the South much-needed water. And that was not the first call to prayer - Alabama Governor Bob Riley declared a week in July "Days of Prayer for Rain."
I would probably pray too if, like some residents of the tri-state area of
The water supply is on the minds of
I will admit that I am slightly sensitive about wasteful water use, cringing at the water lost when someone brushes their teeth leisurely while the faucet runs, or running the faucet while cleaning the kitchen - not just the dishes - after a meal.
Knowing that much of California's conservation efforts are aimed at the agricultural sector which, at about 78 percent of California's total water use, is the state's greatest drain on the water supply, I wondered: Do individual Californians need to conserve water? How do we use or waste water? And what can we change about our habits to save water?
I decided to ask the experts those questions, and the answers show that individuals should not discount the potential effects of their conservation efforts.
The latest numbers put residential indoor and outdoor water use at 3.75 million acre-feet, according to the Pacific Institute in
Win-win, right? A major obstacle though is getting Californians to change their habits. After all, why conserve? The Pacific Institute has the simple answer: "the way we use water today is not sustainable - environmentally or politically."
Right now, water flows to Californians easily and plentifully. But if we individually and collectively show a greater respect for the value of water, use less of it when it is not necessary, and begin to employ available water-efficient technologies, our conservation now may prevent us from having to pray later. #
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/16/EDM3TTDH3.DTL
CLIMATE ISSUES:
Editorial: Now's the time to accept facts on climate change
Auburn Journal – 12/15/07
Here's a possible snapshot of our future:
Snowpack in the Sierra will shrink 25 percent to 40 percent by 2050.
Streamflow into Sierra reservoirs is projected to drop 10 percent to 20 percent before 2050.
Skiers will have fewer opportunities to enjoy the slopes as their season will be shortened by seven to 15 weeks sometime before the end of this century.
These statistics were presented during a climate change symposium put together by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy on Dec. 5 at the Miner's Foundry in
Climate means we know what weather to expect. But if climate change projections such as those mentioned above hold true, we won't know whether we will have enough snow in the Sierra to provide the runoff water and hydro-electric power our region depends upon.
Now is the time to accept this reality and react accordingly.
As part of its mission to maintain the economic and environmental vitality of this region, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy is extremely forthright in acknowledging climate change and its possible implications for the future of our commerce and recreation in the Sierra.
If ski resorts had no snow, if farmers had no water, if our reservoirs were depleted, it would have a tremendous impact on our economy.
The conservancy is made up of 25 million acres, encompassing all or part of 22 counties in the Sierra, including Placer. This region is
"The
Changes in the
Groups such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Sierra Nevada Alliance and the
According to information given to symposium participants,
While many have tried to debunk climate change, even for non-believers, it is much smarter to err on the side of caution.
These changes may not happen in our lifetime, but the trend has begun.
A coalition of local churches also gathered to discuss the issue at the Interfaith Earth Stewardship conference held in November.
More community and government groups should come together to see the "big picture" of what climate change means to the area we call home and how small changes in our lives can make a big difference. #
http://www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2007/12/16/opinion/editorials/01climate16.txt
Editorial: Sharing shortage:
Salt
When leaders from the
My, how things have changed, some for the better, some not. In the latter category, there isn't as much water in the
Since we Westerners have a nasty history of going to war in the courts over water, it is good news that the Department of Interior, state and local water officials and other assorted poohbahs have hammered out a new agreement to manage the Colorado in a drought. If the latest studies on the river's history and the possible effects of global warming are correct, drought is now the norm, not the exception.
The new agreement will not mean that the upper-basin states -
What it does mean is that we might get through this without lobbing so many lawyers at one another; it is costly and, in the end, produces no more water.
At least that's the hope. And we may even be able to manage the water more rationally.
For example, the new agreement will allow
Water levels in
The upper-basin states, whose water rights are junior to those of
We'll all drink to that. #
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_7738274
POTENTIAL IDAHO-MARYLAND MINE WELL SUPPLY ISSUES:
Geology 101 for
YubaNet.com – 12/14/07
By Susan Lauer, YubaNet
Geology isn't a precise predictor for the future, especially when it comes to Emgold's proposal to reopen the old Idaho-Maryland gold mine in
Geohydrologist Tom Knoch of Environmental Science Associates (ESA) broke down the geology of the area, summarizing: "This whole area is crazy. ... There are no similarities and no continuity. Will there be dewatering of wells? I can't say what's going to happen. No one can say what's going to happen. Only God knows."
During a presentation titled "Geology, Geochemistry and Groundwater," ESA Project Manager Jeff Harvey noted that groundwater is the most complicated issue and one of the greatest concerns. "This is a priority issue and we wanted to have this discussion,"
The Idaho-Maryland Mine current depth is 3,280 feet and Emgold wants to drill about 2,000 feet deeper. Most of the old mine workings are at the 1,000-2,000-foot levels and are under Bennett Street and Greenhorn Road and run into the Brunswick Basin area. What is known is that the naturally-occurring underground cracks in the rock and mine workings can interface at certain points. Where, that's anybody's guess.
The deepest water wells in the area are no deeper than 300 feet, which places them a distance above the existing mine workings. Potential impacts being considered include a partial dewatering, meaning yield or storage capacity decreases, and complete dewatering, meaning a well runs dry.
Emgold has often referred to an "impermeable" layer between private wells and the mine workings below. This notion of a waterproof layer seemed to be debunked last Wednesday during the discussion of how fractures in the rock connect and form a chaotic, unpredictable system.
"We recognize the uncertainty and will take that into consideration when we formulate our response (in the draft EIR),"
While research for the EIR is ongoing, ESA's consultants think that sudden well failures are not likely. "Any changes would be gradual," Knoch said, adding the likely connection of wells and mine workings decrease with distance.
The potential for gradual changes jibes with what a number of experts told YubaNet.com for Golden Gamble in
Glennon said to "Think of an aquifer as a giant milkshake glass and each well as a straw in the glass. Like most American states permit, if you allow limitless access to a finite resource, that is a recipe for disaster. " (Dewatering an Old Mine).
Emgold, a junior mining company from
Wednesday's meeting was a special session to apprise the community how the work is going and give residents a chance to ask questions. Two more workshops will address other key issues - water quality on Jan. 23, and another on cumulative effects on Feb. 13.
The Draft EIR is slated to be ready in late spring 2008, with details about the environmental impacts that will be caused by proposed mine operations and also mitigation plans to offset any impacts. Before dewatering and mining, Emgold will need approval by the City of Grass Valley as well as state and federal agencies.
Wednesday's public workshop afforded residents the opportunity to ask consultants questions about geology and groundwater.
Here are some of those questions and comments by the public with answers from the consultants and additional information provided by YubaNet.
Q: "Water is a resource, like oil. Won't we be flushing a lot of water down
A: Initial dewatering of the mine will mean 2,700 gallons of water per minute will be pumped down
More information: The Initial Study of the Idaho-Maryland Mine Project notes: "... dewatering activity would continue thought the life of the project (20 years). At the
Q: "Water is a finite resource and decreasing in the Sierra. We can't be irresponsible here."
A: This issue will be further addressed in the water quality workshop on Jan. 23.
More information: Due to accelerating climate change, water and geology experts had some dire predictions about water supplies in the entire Sierra Nevada that were presented during the Sierra Nevada Conservancy symposium, held on Dec. 5 in Nevada City. (Experts Talk Turkey about Climate Change at Sierra Nevada Conservancy Symposium)
During that event, Dan Cayan of Scripps Institution of Oceanography/U.S. Geological Survey noted that runoff from winter snow is beginning up to three to four weeks earlier than normal. This poses a problem for much of the state, which relies on the Sierra for 60 percent of its freshwater supply.
As snowpack transforms into rain-field runoff, the dynamics of our water management will need to adapt: "This could mean that in the future we are not dependent on our surface water but groundwater," said Lorraine Flint, geologist at the U.S Geological Survey.
In other words, rising temperatures are melting the Sierra snowpack earlier, causing rivers and streams to peak earlier. The state's reservoirs are fed by the winter rainy season and as those levels are drawn down, they are replenished by the snowmelt. The earlier the snow melts in the mountains, the sooner accumulated water from the rainy season has to be released from reservoirs, to make room for the snowmelt and prevent flooding.
"The transformation from snow dominance to rain dominance presents a significant challenge for water managers," said Frank Gehrke of the California Department of Water Resources.
At this stage, it is unknown if the EIR will address any potential impacts of climate change.
Q: "The veins are going through secondary fracture zones that house water. What does that mean to groundwater?
A: "Not much unless you mine right there. Most veins do not have mine workings in them," Knoch said.
Q: "What about the well monitoring program?"
A: Most, if not all, domestic wells were dug in the 1950s - the Idaho-Maryland Mine ceased operations in 1956 - so no historical information is available. Emgold has maintained a voluntary well monitoring program for 10 years to make a monthly check of water depth levels in 60-80 wells in the area. Through the years, more than 8,400 readings have been taken and provide a wealth of information. "When you have that much data you can start to see the trends," Knoch said. "These wells would act as a pre-warning."
Although the percentage of the wells in the monitoring program to the overall number of wells in the area is not known, the data is representative and valuable, Knoch added.
The monitoring program will continue if the mine project is approved. "In the EIR we will look at the well monitoring program and have mitigation plans to ensure no wells go dry,"
Other information: The Initial Study notes: Emgold "has monitored water levels in domestic well proximate to the
Q. "What about future domestic wells? There are many undeveloped parcels in the area designated for development - will the potential to find well water decrease for those parcels?"
A: Consultants referred to existing knowledge about the area that is applicable to new development as well. The closer a domestic well is to the mine tunnels, the more likely it will be affected. Not necessarily related to mine operations, the closer domestic wells are to each other, the more likely they will compete for the same water source.
Q. "Who is paying for EIR?
A: Emgold pays the city to hire a consultant, and the applicant will pick up the tab, estimated at about $800,000. No taxpayer money will go toward the EIR, and ESA consultant Jeff Harvey reassured residents that they were working for the City of Grass Valley and not Emgold. Outside routine meetings with city officials and Emgold representatives, the consultants do not have contact with Emgold.
Q: "You can't assure us what's going to happen (in regards to well water)?"
"That's correct," said
http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_72822.shtml
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