Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
January 25, 2008
5. Agencies, Programs, People
CONSGROVE CREEK FLOODING:
Storms fuel frog-vs.-people creek battle -
PURCHASE FOR FLOOD CONTROL:
Ranch purchase planned to improve flood control - Sacramento Bee
FLOOD ZONE MAPPING:
Editorial: Mapping the danger of flood zones; Warning: The cost of living in local flood zones is going to get a lot higher -
WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES AND OTHER WATER ISSUES:
Capo Getting Serious About Saving Water; MWD considering water cutbacks as city considers conservation - The Capistrano Dispatch (
WATER BANKING AGREEMENT:
County's water leaders sign banking deal - North County Times
WATER BONDS:
Editorial: Water bonds dry up - Contra Costa Times
Government releases final study in Truckee River deal - Reno Gazette Journal
INTERVIEW WITH IID BOARD MEMBER:
Through the Eyes of the Valley: President discusses issues surrounding IID - Imperial Valley Press
CONSGROVE CREEK FLOODING:
Storms fuel frog-vs.-people creek battle
By Dana Nichols, staff writer
VALLEY SPRINGS - A lot of folks watching the rain fall the past few weeks along Cosgrove Creek have been thinking about frogs.
That's because many here believe that
"It is very sad that a red-legged frog is going to be saved and 18 homes will be destroyed," said Ted Cook, the owner of a home on
That frogs-vs.-people refrain has been repeated over and over at public meetings in the past year and a half, at times by county officials.
But now it is people, not frogs, who are to blame for the delays. In September, a biologist who went to conduct an assessment of the creek never got to do the job. The biologist was run off the property by a large dog, interim Calaveras County Public Works Director Michael Miller said. That meant the assessment didn't get done. Then the rainy season began, delaying the assessment until spring.
With no assessment, the county could not move ahead with its application and could not get its permit from the Army Corps of Engineers.
So homeowners are left watching the debris-choked creek to see how much it rises with each storm.
The confusion goes back to 2006, when
Army Corps of Engineers officials, however, say it was not merely routine maintenance, because the county's proposal included measures to stabilize stream banks, and that in turn meant filling in at least some wet areas, an action that triggers more scrutiny.
"It is the putting of silt into the waters that triggers the Corps permit," said Kathy Norton, senior project manager for the Army Corps of Engineers office in
Norton said the Corps of Engineers is charged with protecting
Norton said the Corps of Engineers is also required by law to see whether projects like the one
The first study to answer the habitat question, turned in by the county last January, was inadequate, so the county went back to do it again. That's when the biologist was run off.
Miller said that staff turnover in the Public Works Department didn't help, causing other delays.
Bill Claudino, the county supervisor who represents the area, said the roughly $30,000 needed to do the channel maintenance is set aside and ready to be used.
"We really do have our hands tied by the Army Corps of Engineers. I am so frustrated by those folks that I can't express it," Claudino said. "It is simply routine channel; maintenance to remove the debris that washed down in April 2006."
Army Corps of Engineers spokesman David Killam, however, says the agency is in the business of preventing flooding and it is simply not true that the agency is making frogs a higher priority than people.
"We are not going to allow people's houses to wash away," Killam said. #
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080125/A_NEWS/801250332
PURCHASE FOR FLOOD CONTROL:
Ranch purchase planned to improve flood control
By
Groups in
Knaggs Ranch is on the
Aimee Rutledge, director of the nonprofit Sacramento Valley Conservancy, a group dedicated to preserving open space, said her organization and the Yolo Land Trust plan to buy the property.
The purchase price: $14.5 million.
The Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency on Jan. 17 moved toward paying $3 million to acquire agricultural conservation easements on 1,771 acres of the property.
The easements would prevent development, allowing the land to be flooded when needed.
"If worst came to worst, it would be available for overflow," said Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson, a member of the SAFCA board of directors.
It is the first time the flood-control agency has reached beyond its borders under legislation signed last year by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
AB 930 by Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento, enabled SAFCA to purchase easements outside its boundaries in the
The Yolo County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in December supporting the Knaggs Ranch purchase. #
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/661019.html
FLOOD ZONE MAPPING:
Editorial: Mapping the danger of flood zones; Warning: The cost of living in local flood zones is going to get a lot higher
Dealing with the federal bureaucracy often causes floods of frustration and futility.
That inevitable and unavoidable reality now confronts thousands of
New federal maps of the region, though still subject to further revision, were issued on Jan. 16.
They designate the weakest levees and most dangerous flood zones and mandate that, by sometime in 2009, property owners with "federally backed" mortgages must be covered by flood insurance.
The mandate also is a warning.
If property owners delay the purchase of mandatory flood insurance, they'll pay a higher price.
What costs $317 a year now could escalate to $1,800 or more by 2009 for those who wait and see.
In any scenario, however, it will cost residents and owners of property in these areas, including
Presumably, that's because the level of risk somehow will have increased following federal designation. Property owners certainly have a right to question that.
Part of the rationale - or blame - can be attributed to Hurricane Katrina, which inundated or destroyed thousands of uninsured or underinsured homes and property in
Federal officials, especially those in the Federal Emergency Management Agency, were portrayed as incompetent and uncaring following that disaster.
Now, they want to make certain that won't happen again should a similar catastrophe occur in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, where ancient earthen levees could become fast-flowing mud if an earthquake or major flooding from the Sierra were to occur.
It's a prudent, though painful, approach, even if it enriches insurance companies and seems like a surrogate form of taxation.
It leaves some Stockton and Delta-area residents with no choice.
Though there were no federal maps 34 years ago, paying a premium to protect yourself if you choose to live in risky areas - flood plains, forests, deserts and natural fire zones or coastal cliffs - is common sense.
Taxpayers shouldn't have to pick up the rebuilding tab in the absence of insurance, though that's the way the history of American disasters gradually has evolved.
Using government funds - or special property owner assessments - to undertake repairs, renovation and reinforcement of the Delta's levee system does make sense.
Some local flood district officials are considering plans to bolster their levee systems to meet federal guidelines. That won't be possible, though, before 2009.
On the state and federal levels, there's been a lot of talk about regional levee repairs, plenty of photo ops and a special session of the state Legislature. Very little, if anything, actually has been done.
It's a disconcerting reality that the nation - and
Though there can be no full protection against the fickle forces of nature, mandating that people insure themselves against material losses when disaster strikes is a reasonable expectation, no matter how frustrating that might be. #
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080125/A_OPINION01/801250306/-1/A_OPINION
WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES AND OTHER WATER ISSUES:
Capo Getting Serious About Saving Water; MWD considering water cutbacks as city considers conservation
The Capistrano Dispatch (
By Jonathan Volzke, staff writer
We’ve all heard how important it is to conserve water. Now the city is getting ready to make you listen.
The city is launching a series of workshops to hammer out a water-conservation ordinance that could ultimately lead to fines for residents who let outdoor spigots leak, allow the hose to run while washing cars or neglect to turn off their sprinklers during a rainstorm.
But if you find yourself on the wrong end of a $100 fine, remember the city is only the middleman: water giant Metropolitan Water District is putting together a plan to choke back slowly on tap water to all of
Agricultural water users—
But the limitation on the agricultural users was just the first step of Metropolitan Water District’s contingency plan.
Formed in 1923, MWD is a water wholesaler, importing water from Northern California and the Colorado River and selling it to 26 cities and water districts—from
Metropolitan typically charges $508 for an acre-foot of water—roughly what two families with three members use in a year. When MWD decides on its residential allotment and enacts the measures, a city or agency exceeding its allotment by up to 10 percent could be charged a penalty fee of $1,347 per acre-foot.
Capistrano residents use about 5 million gallons of water a day during the winter and 11 million gallons a day in the summer. About 60 percent of that is used outdoors. MWD is also considering increasing its water rates.
MWD spokesperson Bob Muir said the allocation plan is scheduled to go before the board in February, although even if approved it would not be implemented until the water situation demands it. Recent rains, Muir said, won’t erase the years of drought
Francie Kennedy, Capistrano’s water conservation manager, has attended briefings on the possible allocation reductions and said Thursday that
“I’m optimistic,” Kennedy said. “I’m looking at
Kennedy is holding a workshop on the possible conservation ordinance at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 31 at the Community Center, 25925 Camino del Avion. The workshop will include a brief presentation regarding the water issues facing the city and region, information about the proposed ordinance, a Q&A session with giveaways, displays and more. Free snacks will be served.
Water Still Tainted
Linda Anderson knows when her husband forgets to use bottled water and makes their morning coffee with tap water. She can taste it, just as plainly as she can see the yellow tinge in the clothes she pulls out of her washer.
It’s not their plumbing: The couple’s Alipaz mobile home is brand-new. She lays the blame at the feet of the city’s $25 million groundwater recycling plant. The city in October hired a consultant, Trussell Technologies for $200,000, to troubleshoot the plant, which was returned to service this month.
Assistant City Manager Cindy Russell this week told the Water Advisory Commission that the number of complaints has dropped from last summer. She credited new techniques in the plant operation as well as recent rains. With more water in the underground aquifer, the quality of the raw water pulled from the ground is higher, too.
Russell said the problem is vexing, though: Even in specific neighborhoods, some residents have problems, when others don’t.
City officials say the water is safe to drink and even looks OK in a clear glass. It’s the “white bucket” test—when the water is put into any white container—that a yellowish or brown tinge shows up. But for residents, that test is anytime they fill their bathtub.
MTBE Hits Wellhead
The city on Thursday shut down one of the six wells that feeds Capistrano’s groundwater recovery plant, after learning minute amounts of a potentially cancer-causing MTBE, was found at the wellhead. “Even though the current readings are far below the state and federal guidelines, we wanted our customers to know that we are being proactive in dealing with this issue and erring on the side of caution,” City Manager Dave Adams said in a statement.
Health standards are a maximum 13 micrograms per liter; testing found 1.3 micrograms per liter at the Dance Hall well.
MTBE was a gasoline additive; it got into Capistrano’s groundwater through spills at Chevron stations years ago. Chevron, the county and the city are working to identify the size of the underground plume. The one threatening drinking-water wells is generally along Camino Capistrano. Chevron has drilled 21 monitoring wells to hunt for the chemical plume: Those wells have found levels of MTBE as high as 43 micrograms per liter. Five more wells are going in this weekend.
While members of the city’s Water Advisory Committee have expressed frustration at the amount of time spent trying to track down the size of the plume and the speed at which it’s moving, Chevron’s Juan Garcia said the company is doing everything it can.
“We’re moving as quickly as we can,” Garcia said. “It’s a very proven, technical approach…from the outset, we have taken this extremely seriously.”
Merger Plan Panned
City officials and the Water Advisory Commission will develop key questions to answer before deciding whether Capistrano’s water and sewage services should be turned over to South Coast Water District.
Members of the Water Advisory Commission on Tuesday were just ready to drop the whole idea, which was spurred last year by Councilmember Tom Hribar. Since then though, Hribar has changed his mind on any move to get the city “out of the water business,” and joined Councilmember Lon Uso in voting against even studying the possibility. Councilmembers Sam Allevato, Mark Nielsen and Joe Soto supported pushing on with more study, though.
Officials for
But Tuesday morning, water board members didn’t really see the point. “What do we get out of it?” panelist Jack Zepp asked. “What’s in it for the citizens?”
Assistant City Manager Cindy Russell said the advantages would include a larger water and sewer district that could give residents a louder voice in regional issues. But committee members believed they could gain that by becoming more involved in regional issues themselves.
Member Dan Merkle suggested identifying key issues. “I don’t think we have to answer all of the questions, just the top-tier questions,” he said. #
WATER BANKING AGREEMENT:
County's water leaders sign banking deal
County residents have another place to stash life-sustaining water supplies to help them through droughts, thanks to an agreement reached Thursday.
San Diego County Water Authority board members approved a deal for an undisclosed amount in closed session Thursday to "bank" up to 100,000 acre-feet of water underground in
An acre-foot of water is enough to sustain two households for a year.
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The Water Authority, which supplies nearly all the water that county residents use annually, would eventually be able to withdraw up to 20,000 acre-feet a year from the Semitropic-Rosamond Water Bank Authority.
Water Authority officials said the deal would allow it to store the water and use it in times of drought.
As part of the deal, the Water Authority agreed to buy 10,000 acre-feet of water already in the bank that could be taken out this year.
Southern California, because of a court ruling to protect an endangered fish, is facing a potential 30 percent cut this year in its water supplies imported from
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/01/25/news/sandiego/23_27_371_24_08.txt
WATER BONDS:
Editorial: Water bonds dry up
Contra Costa Times – 1/25/08
THE LATEST CASUALTY of the declining economy and state budget crisis appears to be a bond-measure effort to improve
The labor and business group was expected to fund one-third of the cost of what was expected to be an expensive campaign to get a water measure on the ballot and approved by voters.
Without the support of the group, the bond measure is all but dead.
A competing bond, supported by state Senate leader Don Perata also is not going to be on any ballot this year. Perata withdrew his measure because of the state's budget crisis.
There still is a slim chance of getting some kind of water bond on the ballot in June or November this year, but no one should count on it.
Perhaps that is a good thing. With the state in such a deep financial hole and a troubled national economy, voters are not likely to approve more borrowing, especially an additional $11.7 billion.
However, that does not mean
Demand for water is growing, less water is going to be allowed to be taken from the Delta and the state has inadequate storage capacity.
Even with the recent rain, which seems to be washing away threats of a drought in Northern California this year, water has become such a valuable commodity that some Central Valley farmers are selling it to
Water on the open market this year could fetch as much as three times the normal price.
Making water sales even more attractive is that much of the water farmers have access to is subsidized.
It is becoming increasingly clear that
Agriculture uses at least 80 percent of the state's water supplies and is likely to feel effects of shortages first.
When farmers find it more economically advantageous to sell water than use it, that is a good indication we have a supply problem in much of the state.
With adequate storage capacity, there should be enough water to meet demands in all parts of
Government releases final study in
By Jeff Delong, staff writer
The government has released a final environmental study on a comprehensive management plan for the
The U.S. Department of Interior and California Department of Water Resources report concludes there will be no significant adverse impacts from the Truckee River Operating Agreement.
Instead, the deal crafted by the U.S. government, Nevada and California, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, the Truckee Meadows Water Authority and others could significantly help the river's water quality and fish, the report found.
The agreement also would triple the amount of water storage for Reno-Sparks during times of drought and enhance recreational opportunities on the river and its reservoirs.
"This is a huge step for everyone involved," said Allen Biaggi, director of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. "It resolves many of the water issues on the
The plan replaces a system that favors farmers, small hydroelectric plants and defunct paper mills with one that allows more efficient storage and water use.
"The core of TROA is to use those resources more efficiently for more purposes," said Betsy Rieke,
Release of the final environmental documents, Rieke said, "sets us up for finishing the agreement."
That could still be a ways off. A storage contract between the federal government and the Truckee Meadows Water Authority must be approved, and the agreement must be sanctioned through a referendum vote by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.
Tribal Chairman Mervin Wright Jr. could not be reached for comment Thursday and declined earlier requests for interviews regarding TROA.
In a Nov. 20 letter to some negotiators, Wright said the tribe would not hold the referendum until key issues are resolved, including the tribe's claims to remaining waters in the river. The tribe also is not satisfied with the federal government's efforts to recover the endangered cui-ui fish and is concerned a major flood project proposed for the river could undermine the rehabilitation of the lower
The tribe has since committed to holding the referendum at an unspecified date, Rieke said.
"The parties have had some good discussions, but there are still some steps that have to be taken, and they involve some concerns of the tribe," Rieke said.
Actual implementation of TROA could also be substantially delayed by legal challenges.
"There could be lawsuits that could take us out several years," said Lori Williams, general manager of the Truckee Meadows Water Authority.
The Truckee Carson Irrigation District, the entity that delivers water to Fallon and Fernley farmers, is not a party to the agreement and could oppose it in court.
Williams said TROA would produce substantial improvements in drought protection for Reno-Sparks and in the environmental quality of the river itself.
"It improves the whole river-flow regime and ecosystem," Williams said. "We believe it is a much better strategy overall." #
http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080125/NEWS04/801250508/1321/NEWS
INTERVIEW WITH IID BOARD MEMBER:
Through the Eyes of the Valley: President discusses issues surrounding IID
By Brianna Lusk, staff writer
It is a tumultuous time at the Imperial Irrigation District, and eyes are looking to the Board of Directors for leadership.
As one of the most outspoken members of the board, John Pierre Menvielle recently took the helm as president.
Though his vote counts no more than any other director, Menvielle often is on the opposing side of the majority.
With critical issues like energy transmission and the ongoing developments about the failed gas-hedging program that has cost the ratepayers millions, board decisions are more critical than ever.
The Imperial Valley Press spoke to Menvielle about the public’s perception of the district, transmission issues and the gas-hedging fallout.
Q. You recently became the president of the IID board. How do you balance being a steward of the board when you don’t always agree with the majority?
A. In some ways when there is a disagreement on the board it’s very tough, but as president I will respect what the majority of the board wants. I have to represent the IID. I may disagree with some of the decisions but as president I have to do the business of the IID.
Q. The district has faced some harsh public criticism lately. Some say the public trust in the district is broken. Do you agree?
A. I think that the district is facing some very hard times now, especially from the hedging fiasco. I would not say the public trust is broken.
I think the important thing to do is to be transparent. If some of the public’s trust has been broken, (we should) try to win the public’s trust back by proper actions and proper deeds.
Q. What, in your opinion, can you do about it?
A. I think the main thing the district needs to do is move forward. Our main role is to keep the lights on and deliver water. But I think we need to take care of the people’s business through action and show we are getting the job done and win the public’s trust back through that.
Q. Should the public trust the district at this point?
A. The district has always been somewhat controversial over the years, whether it is water transfers or energy issues that we’re facing now. But as a publicly elected board by the voters and the ratepayers, if the public does not trust board members, they have a right to vote them off the board.
Q. Recently a majority of the board has voted to change aspects of the governance manual, including creating a direct relationship with general counsel and changing the way the energy manager is hired. Should the public worry that the board is micromanaging?
A. I have my concerns. The board did approve the governance manual in a 5-0 vote. I know in the case of the energy manager and the case of the general counsel that there were changes to the governance that I did not agree with.
I think that the board does try to work together and I think we do a good job of working together. There are certain issues out there we do have problems with. I would just hope that we all move forward in the right direction to try and get the people’s business done.
Q. Is the board micromanaging at this point?
A. I know we’re being accused of micromanaging. We do have an interim general manager and I believe that my role as a board member is to work through the general manager and take care of the district’s business with the general manager and the staff. That’s the way I handle that situation.
I think that’s the way it’s supposed to be handled. That’s what the governance manual says we’re supposed to do.
Q. The 2010 deadline is approaching for private utilities in
A. I think that we may be a little behind because of some of the Green Path issues and the negotiations have taken a lot longer. But we did pass a resolution 5-0 vote to take care of transmission in the
You can have ideas to get things done but then you have to put those ideas to work. And putting them to work takes longer than the idea took to come up with.
Q. Will the public ever get a straight answer about whom and how those associated with the failed gas-hedging program were disciplined? When can the ratepayers expect that answer?
A. The HR (human resources) department, Dan DeVoy will be tasked with the discipline and Interim General Manager Mike Campbell will be responsible to carry it out. And it will be done. It may not become public information.
The public information may be that discipline was handed out, was taken care of. But that’s probably all that the public will know.
As a board member, sitting on the Board of Directors during the time of hedging, I am pushing for discipline.
I will continue to push for discipline until I am told by HR and interim general manager that the discipline has been taken care of.
Q. Has it been taken care of?
A. It is in the process.
DWR's California Water News is distributed to California Department of Water Resources management and staff, for information purposes, by the DWR Public Affairs Office. For reader's services, including new subscriptions, temporary cancellations and address changes, please use the online page: http://listhost2.water.ca.gov/mailman/listinfo/water_news. DWR operates and maintains the State Water Project, provides dam safety and flood control and inspection services, assists local water districts in water management and water conservation planning, and plans for future statewide water needs. Inclusion of materials is not to be construed as an endorsement of any programs, projects, or viewpoints by the Department or the State of
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