A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
December 28, 2007
2. Supply
GROUNDWATER ISSUES:
Subsidence issue causes big concern - Desert Sun
WATER SUPPLY ISSUES:
Judge's order gives water suppliers fits - Antelope Valley Press
GROUNDWATER ISSUES:
Subsidence issue causes big concern
Desert Sun – 12/28/07
By Denise Goolsby, staff writer
Land is sinking in parts of the 
If the excessive draw-down continues, infrastructure - including sewers, pipes and roads - could suffer significant damage, potentially costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
That's according to a recently released study by the Coachella Valley Water District and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Although
The water district provides drinking water to some
Most of
Water district and geological survey's report released Dec. 17 studied a period between 1996 and 2005, and showed significant changes, or sinking of the land, in at least four areas: Indian Wells, La Quinta,
"We have a problem," said Steve Robbins, the district's general manager-chief engineer. "It is a valley-wide problem we all have to deal with."
The greatest drop - more than 13 inches - was measured near
The airport is in an unincorporated area between
Other significant areas that have dropped include:
Rancho Las Palmas Golf Course, Rancho Mirage - 12.96 inches.
Highway 86 and
Highway 111 and
The report confirms the water district's concerns that the land is sinking in areas of substantial groundwater use across the
"This study tells us our assumptions are correct and underscores the importance of eliminating overdraft of the aquifer," Robbins said.
An aquifer is an underground layer of rock, sediment or soil that is saturated with water.
About 100,000 to 150,000 more acre-feet per year is being drained from the aquifer than is being replacing. One acre foot provides enough water for about one household a year, district spokeswoman Heather Engel said.
Since the 1920s, groundwater has been important to the agricultural, municipal and domestic water supply in the valley, resulting in significant groundwater pumping that has contributed to water-level declines as much as 100 feet, according to information provided by the water district and geological survey.
"We've gone for many years without seeing any signs of subsidence," Robbins said.
But that's all changed. Valley population growth and the building boom have put more stress on the valley's water resources, he said.
Developers can no longer rely on historic water levels when planning new housing developments. Those numbers will have to be re-evaluated, he said.
The underground aquifer provides the valley's only source of drinking water. The fact that it's also being used to water golf courses and for other irrigation purposes contributes to the overdraft.
Smith said he will evaluate the district's report and assess its recommendations.
"
http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007712280335
WATER SUPPLY ISSUES:
Judge's order gives water suppliers fits
By Alisha Semchuck, staff writer
Just last week U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger issued his final word regarding the slowdown in pumping operations at the Harvey O. Banks, the starting point of the 444-mile California Aqueduct, core to the State Water Project that furnishes drinking and agricultural water to much of Southern California. Wanger mandated the pumping reduction in order to protect an endangered fish species, the Delta smelt, that are indigenous to the area, AV water purveyors said.
Environmental groups had pushed to shut off the pumps, blaming the equipment for a decline in the smelt population, which were being sucked into the pumps and killed.
However, some water suppliers in
Wanger's order states that the reduction is to remain in force until Sept. 15, according to a news release from Ann Newton, a spokeswoman for the State Water Contractors Inc., an association of 27 public water agencies headquartered in
That association condemned the judge's action, which it described as "the largest court-ordered water supply reduction in
"To have such a large reduction in statewide water supplies is not only significant, but unprecedented," said Laura King Moon, assistant general manager for State Water Contractors Inc.
"For the next nine months, the backbone of the state's water system will be operated based on a lawsuit. Reducing water supplies through the courts won't solve the fundamental problems in the delta.
"We need a smarter water system so that the courts don't face this situation in the future," King Moon said.
"Local water agencies will have to rely on contingency and emergency sources of water, including local groundwater and storage supplies to lessen direct impacts on their customers,"
"However, by doing so, they will exhaust or significantly limit supplies that would be needed for a drought or major catastrophe, such as an earthquake, major flood event, etc."
During a voluntary 10-day shutdown of the pumps by the state Department of Water Resources initiated May 31, State Water Contractors in the
Regarding Wanger's action, Palmdale Water District General Manager Dennis LaMoreaux said, this is "going to be typical of how the project will be operated for the near term, and shows the importance of a solution to the problem of moving water through or around the delta."
"It just hurts us tremendously," PWD Director Raul Figueroa said. "Can't they figure some other ways - a barrier to keep (fish) away from the pumps? I'm sure something could be done, a temporary fix instead of shutting down
Meanwhile, Figueroa said, "the Palmdale Water District is looking at other resources. We've been doing that for a while now."
"We expected some kind of reduction," said Tom Barnes, AVEK's water resources manager. "What could potentially happen, the DWR can react and come up with a reliability report."
Or, he added, "there could be a drop in allocation," the amount of water the Department of Water Resources allows each State Water Contractor to draw from the aqueduct every year.
"Right now our initial allocation is 25%" for 2008, he pointed out, noting that amount could decrease.
"We're going to wait to see DWR's reaction and continue to pursue water purchases north of the delta from rice farmers."
In the meantime, Barnes said, AVEK, a water wholesaler that sells to municipal customers like the Quartz Hill Water District and to agricultural users, has asked those accounts to reduce their take of AVEK water in 2007, so they can carry it over for 2008.
Also, Barnes said, certain of the customers were taking AVEK water for banking purposes. "We asked them to stop for now."
AVEK administrators also sent out forms asking customers if they would be interested in an option to buy water from rice farmers north of the delta. "Now we're working with the sellers to come up with a price and (acceptable) terms."
Lastly, Barnes said, "We're going to ask customers to pump their groundwater during dry years - rely more on wells - and water bank in the future during wet years."
AVEK serves as a supplemental source for its customers, who blend surface water from the aqueduct with groundwater from their wells. The agency's contractual agreements note it is "a supplemental and interruptible source."
In light of all the water woes
"Moving water through the delta is an outdated method of delivering water to 25 million people," she said. "We need to look at ways of moving water around the delta to help secure the state's water future, and protect the ecosystem." #
http://www.avpress.com/n/23/1223_s3.hts
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