A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
January 14, 2008
2. Supply
The 'end of the pipe' for O.C. water agencies; Water district intensifies lobbying as imported supply dwindles and fears mount - Orange County
DEVELOPMENT:
A.G., Pismo thirsty for disputed site’s wells; Commission to consider annexation of land into Pismo for development, but Arroyo Grande wants to use water from the 182-acre parcel -
WATER CONSERVATION:
Guest Column: Wet winter doesn't mean an end to drought - The Valley Chronicle (
New Yuma-area reservoir to guard against drought; Colo. River facility will catch water now flowing to Mexico - Arizona Republic
New reservoir to catch Colorado River flowing unused into Mexico - Associated Press
The 'end of the pipe' for O.C. water agencies; Water district intensifies lobbying as imported supply dwindles and fears mount
Orange County
By Pat Brennan, staff writer
The cascade of effects begins with a tiny fish that leads a precarious existence in the California bay delta.
In
In between are the pipes, pumps and channels that help carry water to
Protecting the fish, the threatened delta smelt, could result inasmuch as a third less water sent from the delta to
But the fish is just one among a convergence of factors that are ratcheting up worries at the Orange County Water District and other water agencies around
A persistent drought, last year's reduced Sierra snowpack and a shrinking share of Colorado River water all add up to a grim prospect: less imported water flowing into the region from almost all traditional sources.
"We're the ones at the end of the pipe down here in
"A lot of the agencies are talking about dramatic rate increases, about restrictions, curbing agricultural water and everything else, because they're really concerned," said Orange County Water District board member Wes Bannister.
Heightened concern about water supply – and water project dollars – are being voiced not only at the Orange County Water District and other local agencies, but at the Metropolitan Water District in
The agency is discussing a new water allocation plan that, if approved in February, could lead to restrictions for customers downstream and perhaps even water rationing.
"We've got a drought that has really gripped the entire southwestern
Saving the smelt
Drought isn't the only potential check on water supply. Environmental activists recently celebrated a U.S. District Court judge's order to reduce the amount of water drawn from the bay delta, much of which flows to thirsty
That is when the 3-inch fish, which rarely live more than a year and depend on just the right balance between salt and fresh water, gather in the bay delta to prepare for breeding.
Traditionally, state and federal systems relying on enormous pumps pull large quantities of water from the delta. That alters the fish's habitat; they also get sucked into the system and destroyed – a process known as "entrainment," which the judge's order is meant to curb.
"The eggs are entrained, the larvae, the juveniles and the adults," said Marty Gingras, a supervising biologist at the state Department of Fish and Game. "It's a major adverse impact."
Barry Nelson, a senior policy analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council, among the groups whose lawsuit resulted in the judge's ruling, says the order will help protect not only the smelt but a variety of other organisms that depend on delta water.
He also said some water suppliers' estimates of supply reductions resulting from the court ruling could be overblown. Storage capacity in Southern California has been increased in recent years, including construction of
He questioned recent estimates of reduction in supply from the delta, such as the 30 percent figure often cited by water agencies.
"No agency has modeled the details of the written ruling," he said. "They'll start looking at those results, and giving a more measured response."
But water agency officials frequently cite the 30 percent figure, and some are trying to raise their profile in
Stepped-up lobbying
Orange County Water District officials say they have been talking and meeting more often with legislators. Board members also met this month in part to plan their strategy for further lobbying efforts.
Board members at the district say they believe the last water bond, approved by voters in 2006, preferentially directed money to projects in
This time, they say, they want to make sure
Assemblyman Michael Duvall, R-Yorba Linda, who recently toured the soon-to-be-activated Groundwater Replenishment System at the Orange County Water District, said water agencies seem to be stepping up involvement with state politicians – though not necessarily more so than during such critical times in past years.
"Every one of the districts, because of the fact that there are going to be bonds, I think, are more active – because there's money down the road," he said.
A critical issue in such discussions of state water projects will be the proposed construction of a canal that would move water around the bay delta, eliminating the need to draw water directly from it. How that will be funded will likely be another contentious issue.
More concerns center on water coming from upstream. A major source of delta water, the Sierra snowpack, was dry last year – only 34 percent of normal.
Recent snows boosted that figure to about 114 percent of normal for this year, but it's too early to tell whether it will be another dry year or a wet one, said Ted Thomas, spokesman for the state Department of Water Resources.
River cutbacks
Since 2000,
Now, however, burgeoning populations in both states need all the water they can get. In 2000, each began drawing its full allotment, resulting in a loss of about 40 percent of Colorado River water for
The river also is in its eighth year of drought – and drought continues to oppress
"One monkey doesn't make a zoo," said Larry Dick, a board member of the Municipal Water District of Orange County, where worries about water supply are increasing as well. "And one patch of rainy days does not make an end to a drought."
All three factors – smelt-driven supply reductions, drought and a smaller share of the Colorado River – mean Orange County could see tighter supplies and higher prices for water as soon as next year.
Thinking ahead
Water agencies aren't just jostling for more state water-bond money. They say increased conservation along with new ways to generate supply are also high on their list of priorities.
In that arena, the Orange County Water District and the Orange County Sanitation District these days are being cited by water officials and activists alike as "forward thinking." The agencies began construction years ago on a $480 million system that will soon be a new source of drinking water for
The Groundwater Replenishment System will purify sewer water and pump it to settling ponds in
The system, which requires large amounts of electricity to operate, has been derided by critics as too expensive. They said the cost of the water produced by the system would far outpace that of imported water.
But as the cost of imported water rises, it looks more and more as if the predictions of the agencies that built the groundwater system are coming true.
"That's where
The cascade of effects begins with a tiny fish that leads a precarious existence in the California bay delta.
In
In between are the pipes, pumps and channels that help carry water to
Protecting the fish, the threatened delta smelt, could result in as much as one-third less water sent from the delta to
But the fish is just one of the factors ratcheting up worries at the Orange County Water District and other water agencies around
A persistent drought, last year's reduced Sierra snowpack and a shrinking share of Colorado River water all add up to a grim prospect: less imported water flowing into the region from almost all the usual sources.
"We're the ones at the end of the pipe down here in
"A lot of the agencies are talking about dramatic rate increases, about restrictions, curbing agricultural water and everything else, because they're really concerned," said Orange County Water District board member Wes Bannister.
Heightened concerns about water supply – and water project dollars – are being voiced not only at the Orange County Water District and other local agencies, but at the Metropolitan Water District in
The agency is discussing a new water allocation plan that, if approved in February, could lead to restrictions for customers downstream and perhaps even water rationing.
"We've got a drought that has really gripped the entire
"It's made water agencies everywhere in the
Saving the smelt
Drought isn't the only potential check on water supply. Environmental activists recently celebrated a U.S. District Court judge's order to reduce the amount of water drawn from the bay delta, much of which flows to thirsty
That is when the 3-inch fish, which rarely live more than a year and depend on just the right balance between salt and fresh water, gather in the bay delta to prepare for breeding.
Historically, state and federal systems relying on enormous pumps pull large quantities of water from the delta. That alters the habitat of the fish; they also get sucked into the system and destroyed – a process known as entrainment, which the judge's order is meant to curb.
"The eggs are entrained, the larvae, the juveniles and the adults," said Marty Gingras, a supervising biologist at the state Department of Fish and Game. "It's a major adverse impact."
Barry Nelson, a senior policy analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council, among the groups whose lawsuit resulted in the judge's ruling, said the order will help protect not only the smelt but a variety of other organisms that depend on delta water.
He also said some water suppliers' estimates of supply reductions resulting from the court ruling could be overblown.
Storage capacity in Southern California has been increased in recent years, including construction of
He questioned recent estimates of reduction in supply from the delta, such as the 30 percent figure often cited by water agencies.
"We think, over time, a thorough analysis of this ruling will produce a more measured response from the agencies and show us how we can improve our water supply reliability while maintaining a living delta," Nelson said.
But water agency officials frequently cite the 30 percent figure, and some are trying to raise their profile in
More lobbying
Orange County Water District officials say they have been talking and meeting more often with legislators. Board members also met recently in part to plan their strategy for further lobbying efforts.
Board members at the district say they believe the last water bond, approved by voters in 2006, preferentially directed money to projects in
This time, they say, they want to make sure
Assemblyman Michael Duvall, R-Yorba Linda, who recently toured the soon-to-be-activated Groundwater Replenishment System at the Orange County Water District, said water agencies seem to be stepping up involvement with state politicians – though not necessarily more so than during such tough times in past years.
"Every one of the districts, because of the fact that there are going to be bonds, I think, are more active – because there's money down the road," he said.
A critical issue in such discussions of state water projects will be the proposed construction of a canal that would move water around the bay delta, eliminating the need to draw water directly from it. How that will be funded will likely be another contentious issue.
More concerns center on water coming from upstream. A major source of delta water, the Sierra snowpack, was dry last year – only 34 percent of normal.
Recent snows boosted that figure to about 114 percent of normal for this year, but it's too early to tell whether it will be another dry year or a wet one, said Ted Thomas, spokesman for the state Department of Water Resources.
River cutbacks
Since 2000,
Now, however, burgeoning populations in both states need all the water they can get. In 2000, each began drawing its full allotment, resulting in a loss of about 40 percent of Colorado River water for
The river also is in its eighth year of drought – and drought continues to oppress
"One monkey doesn't make a zoo," said Larry Dick, a board member of the Municipal Water District of Orange County, where worries about water supply are increasing as well. "And one patch of rainy days does not make an end to a drought."
All three factors – smelt-driven supply reductions, drought and a smaller share of the Colorado River – mean Orange County could face tighter supplies and higher prices for water as soon as this year.
Thinking ahead
Water agencies aren't just jostling for more state water-bond money. They say increased conservation, along with new ways to generate supply, are also high on their list of priorities.
In that arena, the Orange County Water District and the Orange County Sanitation District are being cited by water officials and activists alike as "forward thinking." The agencies began construction years ago on a $480 million system that will soon be a new source of drinking water for
The Groundwater Replenishment System will purify sewer water and pump it to settling ponds in
The system, which requires large amounts of electricity to operate, has been derided as too expensive. Opponents said the cost of the water produced by the system would far outpace that of imported water.
But as the cost of imported water rises, it looks more and more as if the predictions of the agencies that built the groundwater system are coming true.
"That's where
http://www.ocregister.com/science-technology/water-county-california-1958363-orange-district
DEVELOPMENT:
A.G., Pismo thirsty for disputed site’s wells; Commission to consider annexation of land into Pismo for development, but Arroyo Grande wants to use water from the 182-acre parcel
By Ann Marie Conrnejo, staff writer
Two
The battle may come to a head this week after a decision is made on
There, a developer proposes to build 252 single-family homes, 60 lower-cost senior homes, two parks and the long-planned
The proposal also includes 75 acres of open space.
Terms of the annexation are expected to be decided Thursday by the Local Agency Formation Commission.
The commission is slated to make two related decisions: if the land should be annexed and where the water would come from to support new development.
“The city’s current water inventory without the onsite wells would be insufficient to serve the annexed area under the General Plan,” said Kevin Rice,
“The city’s policy is to require developers seeking annexation to bring their own water as to not affect the water we have,” he added.
But city officials in neighboring Arroyo Grande say the development threatens their own limited water supply and that any use by
“With the density being planned for Los Robles del Mar, there can’t help but be an impact,” Arroyo Grande Mayor Tony Ferrara said. “It is astonishing that anyone would even consider approving this.”
Some Arroyo Grande residents living near the planned development have also objected, saying that their water supply would be threatened.
“It would be unacceptable without allowed water usage,” Pismo Beach Mayor Mary Ann Reiss said.
Water-use study
Los Robles del Mar developer Larry Persons of Pacific Harbor Homes was required to pay for a study to show what effect, if any, pumping onsite wells might have on surrounding properties.
Those findings will be presented to the Local Agency Formation Commission on Thursday.
The 98-page report determined that the new development’s water use would not affect current residents’ water because the wells draw from different aquifers.
But the report also found that if Pismo Beach were to pump more groundwater from the onsite wells than needed to support the development — an estimated 107 acre-feet — that would cut into supplies needed by nearby residents.
The commission will consider two water alternatives:
• No use of the wells or aquifers would be allowed for the development. The city would be required to find another source of water to support the homes, school and parks.
• A 100 acre-feet, per-year limit on the water pumped from the wells, almost the amount needed to support the project.
“The second alternative is one that that city could probably make work,” said Reiss, adding that the city would prefer not to be limited at all.
If the first option is chosen and the city is denied any water usage from the land proposed for annexation, Reiss said she did not know what the next step would be.
“There would just be no way to move forward,” Reiss said. #
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/428/story/245619.html
WATER CONSERVATION:
Guest Column: Wet winter doesn't mean an end to drought
The Valley Chronicle (
By Jeff Crider, member of the San Jacinto Valley Conservation League
The storms that have recently passed through the
It also brought a public relations challenge for local water agencies, which worry that the return of significant rainfall to the Valley could wash away people's memories of drought as well as their interest in conserving water. In reality, even if the winter of 2007-08 turns out to be unusually wet, it won't be enough to ease the water crisis facing the
The magnitude of the problem is apparent to anyone who takes a drive to Hoover Dam. There, you'll see that
The
While the period from 2000 to 2007 has been the driest eight consecutive years, average water flows on the
“That's a tremendous drop,” said William Patzert, a climate scientist with Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
“The result is that Lake Mead and
Patzert, who has shared his findings with local water agency officials, said it would take six consecutive El Niño winters to fill Lake Mead and
| |
Falling water levels in Lake Mead and
This is the water reality we're facing, he said.
The
Delta water deliveries are also being limited by litigation to protect endangered species of salmon and other fish. A federal judge is considering reducing water deliveries from the Delta next year by as much as one third to protect endangered fish and other environmental concerns, which have been affected by the drought. That kind of cutback, if implemented, could affect Delta water deliveries throughout
All of this, of course, underscores the reasoning behind calls by Lake Hemet Municipal Water District and Eastern Municipal Water District to reduce water consumption by 10 percent while the agencies continue to assess the impact of the drought, the likely reduction in availability of water from the Colorado River and the Sacramento Delta and the effectiveness of current voluntary water conservation efforts.
“If voluntary conservation efforts fail, the next step would likely be mandatory water conservation measures,” said Peter Odencrans, an EMWD spokesman. #
http://www.thevalleychronicle.com/articles/2008/01/11/news/09ncrider.txt
New Yuma-area reservoir to guard against drought; Colo. River facility will catch water now flowing to Mexico
Arizona Republic
By Shaun McKinnon, staff writer
The reservoir will be built about 20 miles west of
Nevada originally agreed to pay the full $172 million cost of the reservoir in return for access to more water but approached Arizona and California late last year about buying shares of the project.
For its money,
Equally important, the reservoir will slow declining water levels at Lake Mead, delaying shortages that would take water away from
"It really is protecting the future," said Susan Bitter Smith, president of the Central Arizona Project board of directors, which agreed to the deal last week. "We don't know what will happen 15 or 20 years from now. This will help us augment supplies for the future."
The deal also buys a measure of goodwill on the lower
The CAP can tap its share beginning in 2016 and all the way through 2036, a period when some studies suggest the river could fail to meet all demands. Under the seven-state agreement,
CAP water is delivered through a 336-mile canal to Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is expected to buy an equal share in the reservoir for the same $28.7 million contribution. The district's board will consider the proposal in April.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority will pay the remaining $115 million and will gain access to 400,000 acre-feet of water. The agency also will cover cost overruns in exchange for additional water.
Lower river states began exploring the idea of building a reservoir several years ago to capture water lost due to inefficient management rules. Those losses approached 800,000 acre-feet over the past 10 to 15 years, enough water to serve more than 6 million people.
Most of the water was wasted when agricultural users on the lower end of the river failed to take water as ordered. Under the existing system, a user places an order up to a week before the water is needed to allow time for it to flow downstream from
In the meantime, if it rains or other conditions change, the customer can decide not to take the water, which then flows down the river into
The new reservoir, to be called simply the Drop 2 Reservoir, will be built along the
The Drop 2 will hold just 8,000 acre-feet in two earthen basins that cover about 460 acres. Water will be moved in and out regularly, which allows the states to build a relatively small structure. By comparison, Salt River Project's smallest reservoir,
The reservoir will be strictly utilitarian, fenced in at the site. The public won't have access for any uses such as fishing or other recreation. Water will reach a maximum depth of about 22 feet.
By capturing the water and delivering it to users at the end of the river, the states can leave more water in
Larry Dozier, the CAP's deputy general manager, said that from a business standpoint, "it's a lot of money for not a huge amount of water," but when viewed as a future investment, "we think it'll be a good deal."
"We think by 2030, we could all be desperate for water supplies," he said. "In the meantime, it was better for us to work in a partnership with the other states."
Had
The deal also gives
"Historically, we've all been at each others' throats, and if we all fight, no one gets anything," the CAP's Bitter Smith said. "If we work together mutually, we can benefit our residents." #
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0112river-reservoir0112.html
New reservoir to catch Colorado River flowing unused into Mexico
Associated Press – 1/12/08
The reservoir will be built about 20 miles west of
The structure was included in the seven-state drought plan adopted last month.
Nevada originally agreed to pay the full $172 million cost of the reservoir in return for access to more water but approached Arizona and California late last year about buying shares of the project.
The reservoir will slow declining water levels at Lake Mead, delaying shortages that would take water away from
"It really is protecting the future," said Susan Bitter Smith, president of the Central Arizona Project board of directors, which agreed to the deal last week. "We don't know what will happen 15 or 20 years from now. This will help us augment supplies for the future."
The deal also buys a measure of goodwill on the lower
The CAP can tap its share beginning in 2016 and all the way through 2036, a period when some studies suggest the river could fail to meet all demands.
Under the seven-state agreement,
CAP water is delivered through a 336-mile canal to Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is expected to buy an equal share in the reservoir for the same $28.7 million contribution. The district's board will consider the proposal in April.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority will pay the remaining $115 million and will gain access to 400,000 acre-feet of water. The agency also will cover cost overruns in exchange for additional water. #
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_7952184
####
No comments:
Post a Comment